17357 - The Museum and the barbarity

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Evi Charitidou

Those who are afraid that the return of the Parthenon sculptures will create a precedent for all world Museums they are right and it’s good that they are afraid, because our culture is not going to let barbarity continue its unacceptable acts. The Parthenon sculptures were neither offered, nor sold; but they were mutilated and seized from their very temple, from their natural space and their history. Thus, any barbarian who did the same thing in any country of the world should be afraid in the same way, because there is no excuse and there is vindication of the people who do not forget unjust acts. The fear of some has become greater due to the existence of lawyers who are bluntly efficient in this field, as they have proved it in another case of return of human value objects to Australia, whereas they were in England. More specifically a law office succeeded in the return of the corps of Aborigines of Tasmania from the Museum of Natural History in London to Australia. And this case took place some years ago, but no one spoke about precedent of justice against barbarity. The issue is the following: the Parthenon sculptures are well-known to all. The same goes for the return as regards the British Museum. Thus, this case has greater repercussions to the global being and this is the problem. In reality, the sculptures’ case does not bear the problem of precedent, but is the spearhead of the precedent itself. And all those who are of Hellenism should be glad that we give this battle not only for us, but for all those who have similar cases in their history. For, in this way Hellenism functions again as an example of resistance to barbarity and all those who believe that nothing will be done are coward slaves. Because also in the past each time that Hellenism gave battles there were individuals who used to say that nothing will be done because it is unrealistic and utopian. Yet, Hellenism managed it and it did against enemies much greater in number and power in fact. For one simple reason; Justice of humans or in other words rights of Humanity. So, the difficulty of the struggle should not provoke fear to us, because it is exactly this one that gives value to the people who resist. Caryatid is only the beginning and all the Parthenon sculptures follow her; a white army struggling for its liberation from obscurity. The Acropolis Museum is able to receive them and offer them a brilliant future, since they will not be the sculptures of the past but those of liberation. The return of the marbles is an erroneous expression, because now we know that it is all about liberating human sculptures of Hellenism. And the latter one never accepts being enslaved. Those who want to impede us should prepare themselves; because we are already waiting for them.