From the speech of the City Council’s Central Library of Thessaloniki 29 March 2006

From the speech of the City Council’s Central Library of Thessaloniki  29 March 2006
March 22 15:55 2015 Print This Article

The profane actions of Elgin today are considered by the British ‘brave actions’ and they are exhibited with pride at the British History Museum, ignoring the outrage of most of the people and the majority of the British people.

Most of the British people have always been opposed to the way these treasures had been obtained. People were opposed and reacted against this action from the moment they arrived in London. Officials and authorities expressed their sorrow that a representative of the crown had committed this abominable actions. The biggest reaction came from the filellinon Lord Byron who with his poetic cry condemned the unethical and barbaric actions of Elgin against the cultural heritage of a slaved nation who were once glorious and free. “Blind are the eyes that do not cry watching the pillage of the sacred marbles from the profane hands of the English”…

“Let those be cursed who fled their island to come and demolish the sacred marbles that envious time respected and tyrannts left intact”. “Come you miserable thieves to despoil what has remained of this grieving place and pilgrims have asked to see”.

In his poem the “Curse of Athens”, Byron sees himself among the ruins of the Parthenon. While he is counting the ruins Athena appears before him, wounded armour and with a broken spear. “Human this spectacle of shame shows you are British. Once an honoured name, the first amongst the powerful leaders of freedom. Look around you look well and hard out the empty desecrated temple. Count again the violent pillmaging of the ruins. The leader of enemies the Pallada will be.

After, Byron dares to give an answer to Athenas outery. “Don’t blame England for this atrocious action. England repudiates because of the Darkness and in this country the Goddess of Wisdom will never rule. In this country were the agriagkatho betrays its stinginess of the soil the dark fog and the germs that cloud the human brain. This land that send its treacherous children to the East and West illegal profits to conquer. Let it be cursed the hour this land sent this miserable man to this sacred land”. Lord Byron was awarded like no other fillelinon from Greece. His name has been carved from anonymous Greeks on the Marble at Sounio on Mount Penteli, at Delphe oh the monument Lusicrate and on kyonokrano(capital) at Erechtheion.

E.F.