The Trial of the Parthenon Marbles

The Trial of the Parthenon Marbles March 16, 2017, 6:30pm Art Institute of Chicago Rubloff Auditorium

Tomorrow the public will decide one of the most highly anticipated international cases, The Trial of the Parthenon Marbles, a special event which promises to be as riveting and thrilling as our audiences have experienced at previous Trials.

In the early 1800s, Ambassador Lord Elgin removed the Marbles, a collection of sculptures and architectural pieces forming much of the exterior decoration of the Parthenon, and shipped them to England, ostensibly with the consent of the Ottoman Governor of occupied Greece. The British Museum has possessed and displayed the Marbles (sometimes referred to as the “Elgin Marbles”) ever since. Greece has pressed for their return for decades but the British Museum has refused, asserting its good faith ownership of these ancient monuments. At The Trial of the Parthenon Marbles, you will hear outstanding lawyers at the top of their game argue the legal principles supporting each nation’s position.

In an exciting element new for this NHM Trial, two Expert Witnesses, Molly Morse Limmer and Fiona Rose-Greenland will be examined to provide facts and history to the audience.

At the end, our panel of five prominent judges, our jury and you, the audience, will decide: should the Parthenon Marbles RETURN to Greece or should they REMAIN in England?

Trial tickets will be available at the door.