Elgin Marbles survived two near-losses: shipwreck and WWII. The Elgin Marbles are sculptures from the Parthenon and other monuments on the Acropolis, now displayed in the British Museum In September 1802, a shipment of 17 wooden cases sank aboard the Mentor off Kithra harbor Sponge divers recovered only 4 of 17 cases initially; a Royal Navy ship failed to raise the vessel
The Elgin Marbles faced near-disaster twice: first when they sank aboard the Mentor in 1802 (only 9 of 17 cases recovered after two salvage operations), then in WWII when loaded onto HMS Rodney, which was diverted to hunt Bismarck. Both times, these 5th-century BC Greek sculptures barely survived. ⛵🏛️
Key Facts
- The Elgin Marbles are sculptures from the Parthenon and other monuments on the Acropolis, now displayed in the British Museum
- In September 1802, a shipment of 17 wooden cases sank aboard the Mentor off Kithra harbor
- Sponge divers recovered only 4 of 17 cases initially; a Royal Navy ship failed to raise the vessel
- By October 1804, salvage operations recovered additional 5 cases, buried on a beach in seaweed
- The total salvage operation cost Elgin $5,000, equivalent to approximately $450,000 today
- In May 1941, some marbles were loaded onto HMS Rodney bound for Boston
- The HMS Rodney was diverted to attack the German battleship Bismarck and suffered damage
- The Elgin marbles were nearly lost again to the Atlantic during WWII
Related site: Cave Sanctuaries of the Acropolis of Athens — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Ancient Treasures that were Lost TWICE by toldinstone