One side will argue in favor of returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, while the other will set out the case for keeping them in the British Museum. Yet, as much as it may sound like just another debate on the 2,500-year-old sculptures, the discussion scheduled for September 29 at the Old Parliament House in Athens is something more. For one thing, no politicians will be taking part.
“We thought that if we invited politicians, the discussion might drift away from our main goal, which is to answer the question ‘Who owns art?’” says 27-year-old Philip Petropoulos, founder and chairman of Debate House, the nonprofit organization promoting healthy public dialogue that is hosting the debate, speaking to Kathimerini. “We also realized early on,” he adds, “that in both Britain and Greece there is an informal understanding that institutional figures, such as politicians or museum directors, do not take part in such events.”
Take, for example, former British Conservative prime minister Liz Truss. She declined the invitation to participate, citing the ongoing diplomatic negotiations between the Greek and British sides over the marbles. For this reason, and because the issue is framed as legal, moral and philosophical rather than purely political, the Debate House team – together with the Democracy and Culture Foundation, which is co-organizing the event – chose instead to invite people who, as Petropoulos explains, “have devoted their careers to the issue of the marbles.”
Arguing for their return will be lawyer Irini Stamatoudi, law professor at the University of Nicosia, and Elena Korka, archaeologist and honorary director general of antiquities and cultural heritage at the Ministry of Culture. Opposing them will be Dominic Selwood, historian, barrister and professor at the University of Exeter, alongside Dr Mario Trabucco della Torretta, classical archaeologist and author.
The debate, titled “The Return of the Parthenon Sculptures: Who Owns the History?” will take place at the Old Parliament House, where Greece first launched its legal efforts for the marbles’ return. Adding further symbolism, the Old Parliament – now home to the National Historical Museum – also displays the dedicatory inscription of the Elgin Clocktower, which the Scottish lord gifted to Athens after seizing the sculptures.
“It is, in a sense, somewhat controversial for some Britons to come to Greece and argue that the marbles should remain in London,” says Petropoulos, noting that a debate of this scale and caliber has never been held in the country before. But surely the benefits of the event go beyond its originality. “You truly understand the world when you see the full picture. Having only the partial one – that the sculptures rightfully belong to us, supported by solid arguments – is not enough. You also need to understand why the other side insists,” he explains.
“I think that if you attend, you will hear arguments – not necessarily 100% convincing, but still serious – for keeping the marbles in Britain. Chief among them is the claim that museums today no longer have a national character, but a global one,” he continues. “The average Greek who watches the debate may not be persuaded that the marbles should remain in the British Museum, but they will come away with a fuller picture. That kind of critical thinking helps us more broadly, as citizens, so we don’t fall prey to populism. It teaches us to recognize other dimensions of an issue. The fact that we don’t usually see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”
These were, after all, the original goals of Debate House, which began during the Covid lockdowns as an online initiative by a group of students. It quickly grew to the point of inviting politicians, academics, technocrats and others onto its YouTube channel to engage in discussions framed by constructive dialogue, clear rules, and respect for opposing views. The first political debate was held in 2022 between Konstantinos Kyranakis and Costas Zachariadis, then MPs for New Democracy and SYRIZA, respectively, on the issue of university policing. For the occasion, two podiums were purchased from a local general store.
For the past year, Debate House has operated as an official organization, with Christos Lagadianos and Meletis Flevarakis joining Petropoulos on the team. All three belong to Generation Z, which, as Petropoulos observes, “when it turns on the television, doesn’t see genuine dialogues presenting different perspectives on social issues, but instead sound bites, toxicity, and abusive comments – things it cannot identify with. So it switches off the TV, closes the door on politics, and withdraws from active participation in society.”
And so it is with the issue of the sculptures: The opposing view has rarely been given serious consideration, Petropoulos continues. “But it’s important to confront challenges that may seem unthinkable. Is there really someone who believes the sculptures should not return to Greece? And yet, there is. And we will have the chance to hear them – calmly, and with time.”
