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Elgin Marbles[el´gin] Pronunciation Key, ancient sculptures taken from Athens to England in 1806 by Thomas Bruce, 7th earl of Elgin; other fragments exist in numerous European museums. The Parthenon frieze by Phidias, a caryatid, and a column from the Erechtheum were sold to the British government in 1816 and are now on view in the British Museum, in a gallery donated by Lord Duveen. Since then, the Greek government has demanded the return of the marbles. Although British claims are based on Elgin's purchase of the sculptures, Greece has contested this, and its position has many supporters.
See T. Vrettos, The Elgin Affair (1997).
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