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Wonders of the World
El Partenón (Tiempo de Historia)
Un viaje fascinante por la vida, las ruinas y las controversias del Partenón, de la mano de la gran divulgadora del mundo clásico, Mary Beard.
Desde hace más de dos mil años, el Partenón domina la Acrópolis de Atenas como uno de los símbolos universales de la civilización clásica. Pero, ¿qué sabemos realmente de este edificio? ¿Cómo ha llegado a representar ideales tan diversos —democracia, arte, imperio, identidad nacional— a lo largo de los siglos?
En este libro, Mary Beard reconstruye con rigor y agilidad narrativa la historia del templo de desde su construcción en el siglo V a.C. hasta sus múltiples transformaciones como iglesia bizantina, mezquita otomana, ruina romántica y epicentro de uno de los debates culturales más encendidos de nuestro tiempo.
Con la lucidez, el humor y la profundidad que la caracterizan, Beard nos guía por los significados cambiantes del Partenón y sus esculturas, las polémicas sobre los mármoles de Elgin, y las tensiones entre patrimonio, nacionalismo y museo universal. Una mirada reveladora sobre el pasado, el presente y el futuro de un monumento que sigue generando admiración, orgullo, polémica y lágrimas.
Desde hace más de dos mil años, el Partenón domina la Acrópolis de Atenas como uno de los símbolos universales de la civilización clásica. Pero, ¿qué sabemos realmente de este edificio? ¿Cómo ha llegado a representar ideales tan diversos —democracia, arte, imperio, identidad nacional— a lo largo de los siglos?
En este libro, Mary Beard reconstruye con rigor y agilidad narrativa la historia del templo de desde su construcción en el siglo V a.C. hasta sus múltiples transformaciones como iglesia bizantina, mezquita otomana, ruina romántica y epicentro de uno de los debates culturales más encendidos de nuestro tiempo.
Con la lucidez, el humor y la profundidad que la caracterizan, Beard nos guía por los significados cambiantes del Partenón y sus esculturas, las polémicas sobre los mármoles de Elgin, y las tensiones entre patrimonio, nacionalismo y museo universal. Una mirada reveladora sobre el pasado, el presente y el futuro de un monumento que sigue generando admiración, orgullo, polémica y lágrimas.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2002
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About the author
Mary Beard
66 books4,177 followersWinifred Mary Beard (born 1 January 1955) is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge and is a fellow of Newnham College. She is the Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement, and author of the blog "A Don's Life", which appears on The Times as a regular column. Her frequent media appearances and sometimes controversial public statements have led to her being described as "Britain's best-known classicist".
Mary Beard, an only child, was born on 1 January 1955 in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Her father, Roy Whitbread Beard, worked as an architect in Shrewsbury. She recalled him as "a raffish public-schoolboy type and a complete wastrel, but very engaging". Her mother Joyce Emily Beard was a headmistress and an enthusiastic reader.
Mary Beard attended an all-female direct grant school. During the summer she participated in archaeological excavations; this was initially to earn money for recreational spending, but she began to find the study of antiquity unexpectedly interesting. But it was not all that interested the young Beard. She had friends in many age groups, and a number of trangressions: "Playing around with other people's husbands when you were 17 was bad news. Yes, I was a very naughty girl."
At the age of 18 she was interviewed for a place at Newnham College, Cambridge and sat the then compulsory entrance exam. She had thought of going to King's, but rejected it when she discovered the college did not offer scholarships to women. Although studying at a single-sex college, she found in her first year that some men in the University held dismissive attitudes towards women's academic potential, and this strengthened her determination to succeed. She also developed feminist views that remained "hugely important" in her later life, although she later described "modern orthodox feminism" as partly "cant". Beard received an MA at Newnham and remained in Cambridge for her PhD.
From 1979 to 1983 she lectured in Classics at King's College London. She returned to Cambridge in 1984 as a fellow of Newnham College and the only female lecturer in the Classics faculty. Rome in the Late Republic, which she co-wrote with the Cambridge ancient historian Michael Crawford, was published the same year. In 1985 Beard married Robin Sinclair Cormack. She had a daughter in 1985 and a son in 1987. Beard became Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement in 1992.
Shortly after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Beard was one of several authors invited to contribute articles on the topic to the London Review of Books. She opined that many people, once "the shock had faded", thought "the United States had it coming", and that "[w]orld bullies, even if their heart is in the right place, will in the end pay the price".[4] In a November 2007 interview, she stated that the hostility these comments provoked had still not subsided, although she believed it had become a standard viewpoint that terrorism was associated with American foreign policy.[1]
In 2004, Beard became the Professor of Classics at Cambridge.[3] She is also the Visiting Sather Professor of Classical Literature for 2008–2009 at the University of California, Berkeley, where she has delivered a series of lectures on "Roman Laughter".[5]
Mary Beard, an only child, was born on 1 January 1955 in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Her father, Roy Whitbread Beard, worked as an architect in Shrewsbury. She recalled him as "a raffish public-schoolboy type and a complete wastrel, but very engaging". Her mother Joyce Emily Beard was a headmistress and an enthusiastic reader.
Mary Beard attended an all-female direct grant school. During the summer she participated in archaeological excavations; this was initially to earn money for recreational spending, but she began to find the study of antiquity unexpectedly interesting. But it was not all that interested the young Beard. She had friends in many age groups, and a number of trangressions: "Playing around with other people's husbands when you were 17 was bad news. Yes, I was a very naughty girl."
At the age of 18 she was interviewed for a place at Newnham College, Cambridge and sat the then compulsory entrance exam. She had thought of going to King's, but rejected it when she discovered the college did not offer scholarships to women. Although studying at a single-sex college, she found in her first year that some men in the University held dismissive attitudes towards women's academic potential, and this strengthened her determination to succeed. She also developed feminist views that remained "hugely important" in her later life, although she later described "modern orthodox feminism" as partly "cant". Beard received an MA at Newnham and remained in Cambridge for her PhD.
From 1979 to 1983 she lectured in Classics at King's College London. She returned to Cambridge in 1984 as a fellow of Newnham College and the only female lecturer in the Classics faculty. Rome in the Late Republic, which she co-wrote with the Cambridge ancient historian Michael Crawford, was published the same year. In 1985 Beard married Robin Sinclair Cormack. She had a daughter in 1985 and a son in 1987. Beard became Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement in 1992.
Shortly after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Beard was one of several authors invited to contribute articles on the topic to the London Review of Books. She opined that many people, once "the shock had faded", thought "the United States had it coming", and that "[w]orld bullies, even if their heart is in the right place, will in the end pay the price".[4] In a November 2007 interview, she stated that the hostility these comments provoked had still not subsided, although she believed it had become a standard viewpoint that terrorism was associated with American foreign policy.[1]
In 2004, Beard became the Professor of Classics at Cambridge.[3] She is also the Visiting Sather Professor of Classical Literature for 2008–2009 at the University of California, Berkeley, where she has delivered a series of lectures on "Roman Laughter".[5]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
July 30, 2021
A characteristically brisk and intelligent overview of the Parthenon from Mary Beard, which darts back and forward in time a little, but stuffs you full of information in a very enjoyable way. When you emerge from the gates of the Propylaia at the top of the Acropolis, and see that iconic structure there on the hilltop, it's natural (once you've recovered from your awe) to dream nostalgically about what it must have looked like in its glory days of the 5th century BCE. But perhaps the overriding point of this book is that, in a way, the fifth century is an arbitrary point to choose: the Parthenon spent longer as a church than it ever did as an ancient temple, and almost as long as an Ottoman mosque – layers of its story that have been rigorously stripped away (much as the sculptures were stripped by Elgin's agents) under the impulse of a determined classicism. (She is, incidentally, more pro-British Museum in her discussion of the marbles than I was expecting, or than I think her arguments justify.)
The version I read was from 2010, an update from the original 2002 version, so it's all a little out of date now and presumably even more details have been turned up by the ongoing restoration work. I can't remember if I was able to go inside the Parthenon when I first visited in the late 90s, but you can't now – and won't be able to ‘much before 2020’, Beard wrote hopefully. As it turns out, those plans have been rolled into the general project to restore the whole structure, which isn't expected to be finished before the mid-2030s. Too late for my holiday, but for the Parthenon, of course, it's the blink of an eye.
The version I read was from 2010, an update from the original 2002 version, so it's all a little out of date now and presumably even more details have been turned up by the ongoing restoration work. I can't remember if I was able to go inside the Parthenon when I first visited in the late 90s, but you can't now – and won't be able to ‘much before 2020’, Beard wrote hopefully. As it turns out, those plans have been rolled into the general project to restore the whole structure, which isn't expected to be finished before the mid-2030s. Too late for my holiday, but for the Parthenon, of course, it's the blink of an eye.
August 2, 2019
This is a splendid book of tourism: short, easy to read, and full of interesting tidbits. I now understand how Beard, a classical scholar, has topped best-selling lists: her style is pleasant and snappy, and she is skilled at finding new takes on very old things. It seems difficult to find anything novel to say about the Parthenon; yet Beard manages to break the mold by emphasizing the monument’s non-Greek history—under the Byzantines, the crusaders, and the Turks. In her hands, the Parthenon is not simply the symbol of some idyllic distant past, but a silent witness to the ever-shifting tides of history.
Beard, however, is no mere revisionist. She also gives us what we likely came for: a description of the building's art, and an account of how it was first built and seen by the Periclean Atheneans. What is striking is how little we can say for certain about this icon. We do not, for example, know with any certainty what the main frieze represents. And since the oldest written accounts of the building come from Pausanias and Plutarch, who both wrote half a millennia after the Parthenon was built, we have little reliable information about many fundamental data. Though Phidias is normally credited with overseeing the construction, for instance, this assertion was made by Plutarch and cannot be verified.
Of course, one can hardly write about the Parthenon without addressing the Elgin Marbles and the repatriation controversy. For my part I thought that Beard’s handling of this sensitive issue was light-handed, mainly reporting the facts without coming down on either side. No choice on this issue would satisfy everyone; but I think her strategy will probably upset the fewest number of readers.
Beard, however, is no mere revisionist. She also gives us what we likely came for: a description of the building's art, and an account of how it was first built and seen by the Periclean Atheneans. What is striking is how little we can say for certain about this icon. We do not, for example, know with any certainty what the main frieze represents. And since the oldest written accounts of the building come from Pausanias and Plutarch, who both wrote half a millennia after the Parthenon was built, we have little reliable information about many fundamental data. Though Phidias is normally credited with overseeing the construction, for instance, this assertion was made by Plutarch and cannot be verified.
Of course, one can hardly write about the Parthenon without addressing the Elgin Marbles and the repatriation controversy. For my part I thought that Beard’s handling of this sensitive issue was light-handed, mainly reporting the facts without coming down on either side. No choice on this issue would satisfy everyone; but I think her strategy will probably upset the fewest number of readers.
September 24, 2014
Mary Beard is a wonderful writer, who has written extensively on the Classical World. So, the subject of the Parthenon would seem at natural one for her. For the first 100 pages or so, that is the case as Beard tells the history (as much as we know at least) of the famous 5th Century Athens temple. It’s amazing that there is even a building left. It’s been hit by 700 cannon balls, blown up, shot at, and, in more peaceful times, turned into a Christian church and, later, Muslim mosque. Over the years it’s been chipped at, defaced, painted, and robbed. Beard tells this story with economy and humor. It’s incredible how she covers so much ground so quickly.
It’s the second hundred pages where my interest waned. It’s here the reader gets caught up in the controversy regarding the Elgin Marbles. Briefly, Lord Elgin, in the early part of the 19th Century, ripped off big chunks of the Parthenon’s sculptures. Some of them were simply on the ground, others were located on the building’s frieze (hammer and chisel time). In fairness to Elgin, Greece as a country back then was a sketchy concept. Athens was something of a backwater, and the Parthenon was teetering on the edge of non-existence (it was a ruin in the full sense of the word). Elgin shipped the good stuff back England, and eventually he would (due to financial problems) sell them to the British Museum.
Now, understandably, Greece would like them back. The Parthenon is currently being restored (there have been several restorations – some of them unintentionally destructive), and a museum built to house the artifacts. It’s here that Beard comes down strongly on the side of the British Museum’s continued retention of the Marbles. I simply can’t wrap my mind around her argument that a “greater [World History] context” is created by the Marbles being in the British collection. (There’s also a bit of unattractive snark as she suggests that the Greek museum looks a bit like an airline terminal.) As far this short book goes, a disproportionate number of pages are spent discussing (arguing?) on the controversy. It mars the book. The question (now) of ownership seems to me to be a moral one. Beard’s argument is very British, very Empire, and very weak.
It’s the second hundred pages where my interest waned. It’s here the reader gets caught up in the controversy regarding the Elgin Marbles. Briefly, Lord Elgin, in the early part of the 19th Century, ripped off big chunks of the Parthenon’s sculptures. Some of them were simply on the ground, others were located on the building’s frieze (hammer and chisel time). In fairness to Elgin, Greece as a country back then was a sketchy concept. Athens was something of a backwater, and the Parthenon was teetering on the edge of non-existence (it was a ruin in the full sense of the word). Elgin shipped the good stuff back England, and eventually he would (due to financial problems) sell them to the British Museum.
Now, understandably, Greece would like them back. The Parthenon is currently being restored (there have been several restorations – some of them unintentionally destructive), and a museum built to house the artifacts. It’s here that Beard comes down strongly on the side of the British Museum’s continued retention of the Marbles. I simply can’t wrap my mind around her argument that a “greater [World History] context” is created by the Marbles being in the British collection. (There’s also a bit of unattractive snark as she suggests that the Greek museum looks a bit like an airline terminal.) As far this short book goes, a disproportionate number of pages are spent discussing (arguing?) on the controversy. It mars the book. The question (now) of ownership seems to me to be a moral one. Beard’s argument is very British, very Empire, and very weak.
January 28, 2016
I enjoyed Mary Beard’s book on Pompeii, so when I spotted The Parthenon in a deal, I figured it’d be an interesting one. I actually expected it to be a bit more about the Greek context of the Parthenon, rather than going into the afterlife of the building — the use as a church and a mosque, the archaeology and tourism, even the literary responses to it, which is what it actually did. It seemed quite inconclusive about what the Parthenon actually was, though the evidence that might tell us about that is more scarce than you would think. It’s unsatisfying — it doesn’t have an altar, so it’s not a temple? But maybe it is? But?
Still, it is interesting to read about the history of the building as a church and a mosque, as well as a temple. I wasn’t even really aware of how much destruction the Parthenon went through: the iconic modern look is actually due to a lot of restoration.
It was very interesting to read the part about Lord Elgin and the issue of the British Museum’s possession of the marbles he took from Athens. On the one hand, it manifestly helped preserve the sculpture: that which remained in situ is in much worse state. But it’s also so… ugh, so imperial and condescending, to assume that Britain is the best guardian. Paternalistic. And while I like Neil MacGregor’s outlook on the British Museum (at least as expressed in A History of the World in 100 Objects), I’m still torn on the subject of the Elgin Marbles. I love the idea of a world museum, and I like the idea of it being in London — because I can conceivably take a weekend off and go there. That doesn’t mean it’s actually the best location, obviously. Just convenient to me. Not that I can think of anywhere notably better, either; I can’t think of a genuinely neutral, international space.
This book really emphasised that the problem of the Parthenon for us is one of cultural ownership, just as Pompeii can be seen as one of preservation. I wanted more about the Acropolis and the original purpose/usage of the Parthenon, but it seems we just don’t know. Which is kind of fascinating in itself…
Originally posted here.
Still, it is interesting to read about the history of the building as a church and a mosque, as well as a temple. I wasn’t even really aware of how much destruction the Parthenon went through: the iconic modern look is actually due to a lot of restoration.
It was very interesting to read the part about Lord Elgin and the issue of the British Museum’s possession of the marbles he took from Athens. On the one hand, it manifestly helped preserve the sculpture: that which remained in situ is in much worse state. But it’s also so… ugh, so imperial and condescending, to assume that Britain is the best guardian. Paternalistic. And while I like Neil MacGregor’s outlook on the British Museum (at least as expressed in A History of the World in 100 Objects), I’m still torn on the subject of the Elgin Marbles. I love the idea of a world museum, and I like the idea of it being in London — because I can conceivably take a weekend off and go there. That doesn’t mean it’s actually the best location, obviously. Just convenient to me. Not that I can think of anywhere notably better, either; I can’t think of a genuinely neutral, international space.
This book really emphasised that the problem of the Parthenon for us is one of cultural ownership, just as Pompeii can be seen as one of preservation. I wanted more about the Acropolis and the original purpose/usage of the Parthenon, but it seems we just don’t know. Which is kind of fascinating in itself…
Originally posted here.
March 31, 2022
Ne mogu da oprostim hrišćanima iz 5. veka, koji su se sa dletom u rukama sistematski okomili na skulpture na Akropolju. Lice po lice, glava po glava, uklanjamo paganske ikone.
Ne mogu da oprostim Mlečanima, koji su bombardovali Partenon 1687. Oko 800 topovskih đuladi je završilo na njemu. (Da li je među njima bio i neki "naš" hajduk?)
Ne mogu da oprostim lordu Elginu, koji je od 1801. do 1811. poslao čitavu ekipu - istesterimo friz sa Partenona i odvezemo ga u London.
I nemam nimalo razumevanja za najrazličitije izgovore Britanskog muzeja koji najveći deo tog friza ne vraća ni 200 godina kasnije. Ja svakako znam gde ću biti na dan kada se to i desi.
Istoričarka antike, Meri Berd, ima više razumevanja, pogotovo za Britanski muzej (na kraju, nisam ni siguran za šta se lično zalaže, ali pokušava da izloži argumente obe strane). Ostatak ove kratke knjige priča o istoriji Partenona, ali i o ljudima koji su ga posećivali kroz vekove. (Novinar: "Da li ste za vreme posete Atini posetili Partenon?" Šekil O'Nil: "Ne mogu da se setim imena svih noćnih klubova u koje su nas vodili.")
Ne mogu da oprostim Mlečanima, koji su bombardovali Partenon 1687. Oko 800 topovskih đuladi je završilo na njemu. (Da li je među njima bio i neki "naš" hajduk?)
Ne mogu da oprostim lordu Elginu, koji je od 1801. do 1811. poslao čitavu ekipu - istesterimo friz sa Partenona i odvezemo ga u London.
I nemam nimalo razumevanja za najrazličitije izgovore Britanskog muzeja koji najveći deo tog friza ne vraća ni 200 godina kasnije. Ja svakako znam gde ću biti na dan kada se to i desi.
Istoričarka antike, Meri Berd, ima više razumevanja, pogotovo za Britanski muzej (na kraju, nisam ni siguran za šta se lično zalaže, ali pokušava da izloži argumente obe strane). Ostatak ove kratke knjige priča o istoriji Partenona, ali i o ljudima koji su ga posećivali kroz vekove. (Novinar: "Da li ste za vreme posete Atini posetili Partenon?" Šekil O'Nil: "Ne mogu da se setim imena svih noćnih klubova u koje su nas vodili.")
August 17, 2021
It was hard book to rate. What should have become the source of knowledge about Parthenon for me in reality is a futile attempt to justify vile deeds of Lord Elgin, the thief who stole precious work of art from Parthenon and bring it to Britain. Mary Beard's work still contains some interesting facts about Parthenon, although they could be written as well in short tourist brochure. Apart from being useful but verbose tourist guide its also a book about discourse centered around Elgin Marbles. As such it is rather interesting and worth reading, and therefore I would set a better rating did it not try to force the certain point of view, that the Marbles belong to Britain no matter why and should stayed there for eternity. That unjustified and unfair position I could not approve, and therefore, assess the book at lowest rating possible. Let me walk we through the book to support my point.
Had the book really been devoted to story at the temple, it would have started with the building of Parthenon, or with it current condition, or with some pre-Parthenon stories. Meanwhile it starts with Elgin's misdeed and Byron's indignation about it. After the real topic is presented, the author then tries to justify the crime by various sophistic tricks. They mainly fall under one of the three categories: vandalizing is good if it helps preserving what's left, those who blame the vandals are the vandals themselves, and the latest but the most important sophism everything is questionable and there is no ultimate truth.
At first, Mary tells us about story of the temple and shows, that Parthenon isn't just a precious work of art, but also maleficent symbol of Athens dominance over inferior Greek policies. After that, she goes to the first vandals of Parthenon - Christians and Muslims, and says that maybe the damage they made to convert the temple into church and mosque accordingly, is not so unforgivable since it save the temple from destructions. Since while it was a working holy place it was kept in satisfying condition.
Then she reach the position where Parthenon was blown up in 17 century and shows us in colorfully the ultimate destruction the temple suffered. That means, no much had left when Elgin arrived in the begging of 19th century, and less would have left whether the lord hadn't stole it. The author directly support Elgin's deceitful excuses that he was afraid that nothing would be left from Parthenon in several decades. That two liars knew for sure, that Parthenon stays mostly untouched for two centuries after the explosion, and finally got under safe care of newly created Greek government less than in 3 decades after Elgins crimes. Nothing in its history bring more damage to the temple than lord Elgin.
To lure the reader from that decision she attacks with new artillery: Greek archeologist themselves are vandals, since they tried to restore Acropolis in its ancient Pericles state, and destroyed everything that was build after. From my perspective that is clearly a missed shot, since the Parthenon is not only a historical building, it's a work of art, a World Wonder and it worth preserving and restoring, while squalid buildings of Turkish garrison do not.
After blaming the only good guys in the story Mary walks into another British failure. As you remember, Elgins claim was that his intensions were to save stolen fragment of Parthenon of the future generation. While he succeeded in it by selling the Marbles to British Museum, the museum wasn't the best keeper for them. In the begging of XX century Lord Duveen, peevish entrepreneur and philanthropist, managed to get access to the ancient marbles and tried to "clear" it for what he believed is dust. This corrupted incident was backed up by the museum and never fully investigated, and therefore casted a shadow on the Britain and its ability to preserve the Marbles untouched. Mary didn't find better solution than just claim that it's not an issue at all, and that harm was minimal. She also tries to diminish fair anger caused by the incident and ridicule it.
At the end, Mary comes to the question, which she really what to answer: if the Marbles should stay in Britain or it should be returned to Greece. Although she doesn't say it out loud, it becomes clear, that the stolen fragments should stay in her motherland. Multiply arguments she created for that claim, logically are just the same - why not Britain. Apart from the obvious fact, that even her mind wasn't been able to suggest single argument why it should be Britain specifically, for many non British people, along with British people who has heart and conscience, such as Byron, the claim it only laughable. Of course stolen does not belong to the thief. There is only one logical answer to that question, yes, parts of the Parthenon should be reunited with the building, in Athens, Greece, end of discussion.
Had the book really been devoted to story at the temple, it would have started with the building of Parthenon, or with it current condition, or with some pre-Parthenon stories. Meanwhile it starts with Elgin's misdeed and Byron's indignation about it. After the real topic is presented, the author then tries to justify the crime by various sophistic tricks. They mainly fall under one of the three categories: vandalizing is good if it helps preserving what's left, those who blame the vandals are the vandals themselves, and the latest but the most important sophism everything is questionable and there is no ultimate truth.
At first, Mary tells us about story of the temple and shows, that Parthenon isn't just a precious work of art, but also maleficent symbol of Athens dominance over inferior Greek policies. After that, she goes to the first vandals of Parthenon - Christians and Muslims, and says that maybe the damage they made to convert the temple into church and mosque accordingly, is not so unforgivable since it save the temple from destructions. Since while it was a working holy place it was kept in satisfying condition.
Then she reach the position where Parthenon was blown up in 17 century and shows us in colorfully the ultimate destruction the temple suffered. That means, no much had left when Elgin arrived in the begging of 19th century, and less would have left whether the lord hadn't stole it. The author directly support Elgin's deceitful excuses that he was afraid that nothing would be left from Parthenon in several decades. That two liars knew for sure, that Parthenon stays mostly untouched for two centuries after the explosion, and finally got under safe care of newly created Greek government less than in 3 decades after Elgins crimes. Nothing in its history bring more damage to the temple than lord Elgin.
To lure the reader from that decision she attacks with new artillery: Greek archeologist themselves are vandals, since they tried to restore Acropolis in its ancient Pericles state, and destroyed everything that was build after. From my perspective that is clearly a missed shot, since the Parthenon is not only a historical building, it's a work of art, a World Wonder and it worth preserving and restoring, while squalid buildings of Turkish garrison do not.
After blaming the only good guys in the story Mary walks into another British failure. As you remember, Elgins claim was that his intensions were to save stolen fragment of Parthenon of the future generation. While he succeeded in it by selling the Marbles to British Museum, the museum wasn't the best keeper for them. In the begging of XX century Lord Duveen, peevish entrepreneur and philanthropist, managed to get access to the ancient marbles and tried to "clear" it for what he believed is dust. This corrupted incident was backed up by the museum and never fully investigated, and therefore casted a shadow on the Britain and its ability to preserve the Marbles untouched. Mary didn't find better solution than just claim that it's not an issue at all, and that harm was minimal. She also tries to diminish fair anger caused by the incident and ridicule it.
At the end, Mary comes to the question, which she really what to answer: if the Marbles should stay in Britain or it should be returned to Greece. Although she doesn't say it out loud, it becomes clear, that the stolen fragments should stay in her motherland. Multiply arguments she created for that claim, logically are just the same - why not Britain. Apart from the obvious fact, that even her mind wasn't been able to suggest single argument why it should be Britain specifically, for many non British people, along with British people who has heart and conscience, such as Byron, the claim it only laughable. Of course stolen does not belong to the thief. There is only one logical answer to that question, yes, parts of the Parthenon should be reunited with the building, in Athens, Greece, end of discussion.
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May 18, 2018Mary Beard'ın kalemini seviyorum. Başka bir yazar anlatsa sıkıcı olabilecek ya da beni açmayabilecek bir konu, tek bir binanın tarihçesi, onun kaleminden son derece keyifli ve besleyici geldi bana. Keşke rafımda da olsaydı da, altını çize çize okuyabilseydim.
Sonunda da hem kaynakça, hem de giriş seviyesinde bilgi alınabilecek çeşitli kitaplar listelemiş, zamanım/imkanım olursa onlara da bakmak istiyorum.
¹ The Athenian Acropolis
² Classical Art: From Greece to Rome
³ Classical Greece: 500-323 BC
Bundan önce Women & Power kitabını okumuştum, bundan sonra da SPQR okumayı umuyorum.
Sonunda da hem kaynakça, hem de giriş seviyesinde bilgi alınabilecek çeşitli kitaplar listelemiş, zamanım/imkanım olursa onlara da bakmak istiyorum.
¹ The Athenian Acropolis
² Classical Art: From Greece to Rome
³ Classical Greece: 500-323 BC
Bundan önce Women & Power kitabını okumuştum, bundan sonra da SPQR okumayı umuyorum.
August 2, 2018
Mary Beard gave a great detailed description of the construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of the magnificent temple of the Parthenon.
There were many thefts of statues and rellics by the Turks and the British.
I can't wait to visit the Parthenon this autumn.
Enjoy and Be Blessed
There were many thefts of statues and rellics by the Turks and the British.
I can't wait to visit the Parthenon this autumn.
Enjoy and Be Blessed
December 29, 2015
Struggled with this a little.....as I don't really "do" non-fiction (too much reading of text books for exams I think). The last section was quite good though, a synopsis of the recent wranglings between Greece and the UK over the Elgin marbles. I can't say I'm any more decided on what the right answer is.
April 6, 2025
3.5 stars
Review to follow
Review to follow
February 21, 2020
(read in the Dutch translation)
Though outdated with almost 2 decaded by now (it was published in 2002), 95% of its contents are not affected by that fact.
You should read this book to learn more about the complete (!) history of an almost legendary building, its fortunes and sufferings through time, and its not uncontroversial archaeology. A place of worship for - successively - ancient Greeks, Romans, Christians, Muslims and tourists (as early as and even much earlier than Lord Byron), countless souls have contributed to its evolution... and demolition. In her characteristic style, Beard critically discusses the ongoing artistic, scholarly and political debates about its conservation and, towards the end, makes us wonder if "The" Parthenon exists anywhere else than in our heads...
Though outdated with almost 2 decaded by now (it was published in 2002), 95% of its contents are not affected by that fact.
You should read this book to learn more about the complete (!) history of an almost legendary building, its fortunes and sufferings through time, and its not uncontroversial archaeology. A place of worship for - successively - ancient Greeks, Romans, Christians, Muslims and tourists (as early as and even much earlier than Lord Byron), countless souls have contributed to its evolution... and demolition. In her characteristic style, Beard critically discusses the ongoing artistic, scholarly and political debates about its conservation and, towards the end, makes us wonder if "The" Parthenon exists anywhere else than in our heads...
April 9, 2022
La prosa sciolta di Mary Beard per una narrazione discorsiva della storia del monumento. Entry level , come si dice ma, in quanto tale piacevole lettura.
July 26, 2013
While the book is about a famous work of art, Mary Beard’s story of the Parthenon takes us through almost 2500 years of history. At the height of Greek power, the Athenians venerated – who else? – Athena by building the Parthenon. The Romans adopted the building as the suitable venue to exalt its own leaders. The Christians turned it into a church. During the Ottoman empire, the building, now a mosque, was mostly treated with benign neglect – until the Ottomans stored gunpowder there. Thus, when the Venetians fired on the Acropolis, they succeeded beyond their wildest imagination in wreaking total havoc. Lord Elgin sought to “rescue” the beautiful frieze by taking it home to England. Western European history is practically encapsulated in one iconic building.
When I visited two months ago, Mary Beard’s book tucked under my arm, I encountered a ton of scaffolding on the Parthenon. The 21st century seeks a better restoration than was achieved in the 20th century. The story continues.
"The Wonders of the World" series by Harvard University Press is a new discovery for me. This is a lovely way to study history, and I have put “The Alhambra” and “The Colisseum” on my short list.
When I visited two months ago, Mary Beard’s book tucked under my arm, I encountered a ton of scaffolding on the Parthenon. The 21st century seeks a better restoration than was achieved in the 20th century. The story continues.
"The Wonders of the World" series by Harvard University Press is a new discovery for me. This is a lovely way to study history, and I have put “The Alhambra” and “The Colisseum” on my short list.
May 17, 2019
If you want a book about the history of the Parthenon, this is not really it.
The first half of the book is more like a collection of quotes from famous people who visited the area. The second half is about the Parthenon and the Elgin Marbles debate, which then shows Beard's biases.
An interesting book, but not brilliant.
The first half of the book is more like a collection of quotes from famous people who visited the area. The second half is about the Parthenon and the Elgin Marbles debate, which then shows Beard's biases.
An interesting book, but not brilliant.
April 23, 2020
Breezy history of the building and its significance. Gently chides ideas of authenticity.
August 10, 2022
A dreary diatribe the sole purpose of which is to defend Britain's continued capture of Elgin's spoils.
September 19, 2023
Attempt #327 at getting along with Professor Beard: not going well at all. I recommend reading The Parthenon Enigma by Joan Breton Connelly for a serious and nuanced discussion instead.
The book's title should have been Grasping for The Parthenon: British Cultural Identity and 'Stewardship'. Or, more accurately, Kicking a Dead Horse While It's Down: British Culture and Anti-Balkan Chauvinism.
As a book about a Greek historical site, there is a conspicuous lack of Greek voices, projects, or connection. Basically, it's a book about why the British feel entitled to others' material history and why that's Good and Fair (as opposed to the Stupid and Uneducated alternative of the locals). Elgin may have kept his favorite friezes in a shed in his garden, but at least he was educated enough to know they're nice!
You'd think there's something interesting to be said about the restoration work and its goals, or perhaps alternatives to the current 'stewardship'... arrangements. Not really, according to Professor Beard; instead, here's a joke about how slowly the Parthenon is being restored, lol Greece. Also did you know that some random petulant British guy sat with his back to it and felt like he made a funny joke that one time? That's way more interesting than whatever anyone else has to say, right?
Sure thing Mary.
The Good:
There's a few cute speculative flights of fancy, including this image:
'Well into the nineteenth century, it was a favourite Sunday afternoon occupation for the schoolchildren to go up to the Acropolis to hunt for tesserae.' p60
A hilarious dig at 19th century British intelligentsia who insisted that the Golden Age of Athens was the perfect peak of artistic and aesthetic achievement without ever having seen any art from the period. Instead, they just parroted the praise found in historic texts and, since no one could argue otherwise for lack of evidence, they thought themselves supremely clever at affecting an untouchable, more-cultured-than-thou opinion.
Not to be a dick (but I'm going to be one), that pretty much sums up the more rarified echelons of British intelligentsia as a whole, past and present.
The Bad:
Condescendingly dismissing the suggestion that maybe looting historical artefacts from 'lesser' peoples is problematic AF. She kind of ridicules the superiority with which the British Empire's elite looked down on the 'dirty', 'stupid', 'hairy' Greeks and their 'jumped-up Balkan republic', but never actually says anything that distances her from the views she quotes, refers to, or plays devil's advocate for and platforms uncritically. She basically relies on vocal famous people of the imperial past to get away without having to say anything too concrete (and therefore open to challenge) herself.
Zero comment on how the British Empire wasn't playing at being a steward but actually had the stickiest kleptomaniac fingers of any Empire on Earth. Not to mention how often Britain's 'stewardship' went to shit and how much of it is about milking others' history for profits.
Real bad:
A total of zero Greek people were quoted in this book. We know that a British poet wrote a steamy poem about getting it on with a statue and that illustrates how passionate the British were about Classical history, but there wasn't any space to ask Greek scholars, historians, writers, or artists about their thoughts or connection to Classical history. But that's OK because the locals were 'stupid' and 'toothless' in the 19th and 20th century anyhow so who cares, right?
Zero awareness shown of ACTUAL Greek history and national identity, instead dismissing modern Greece's claim to the 'Elgin' Marbles (lmao) as political manoeuvring from fake, puffed-up Balkan nationalist politicians. Many lines spent making digs at Greek politicians' alleged shallow investment in the Parthenon Marbles.
In spite of being set in Greece, there is little to no recognition of the present-day state, its people, and their identity-building. In fact, she subtly ridicules any claim to historical identity the modern Greek people might have by denying them their right to the past of the region. That's rich, considering how much of the book she spends defending the sense of entitlement the British elite feels over basically the entire world's material history.
When the argument about the British elite's cultural investment in Ancient Greece falls flat for lack of any real justification, Beard moves on to tear apart various famous figures from Classical Greece and effectively implies that anyone who draws on inspiration or pride from the period and/or region is an uneducated idiot. This pairs delightfully (sarcasm) with the manner in which she fails to even mention the violence and turbulence Greece has endured under a different empire (which the British supported as a means of limiting other growing powers).
Life in Ancient Greece really did suck, but there's more academically and culturally appropriate ways to discuss that, without simultaneously upholding 'Britain' as the paragon of unbiased historical study, cultural achievement, stewardship, and philantrophy (lmao!). The real tragedy of the study of ancient peoples isn't the loss of material as much as how much of our ability to study history has been irreversibly damaged or, in the best case, stunted by previous generations' improper handling of evidence to further personal agendas.
TL;DR:
All in all, Prof. Beard is first and foremost a celebrity British Classical History scholar and a reactionary against the foibles of her very limited bubble. I'm afraid I no longer believe that her goal is the dedicated study and preservation of history with as little bias as possible; instead, it seems to me that her goals are to maintain a certain social order and division of power in the world, in spite of being an allegedly vociferous feminist.
Disturbingly, if British colonialism and apologism aid her goal, then she takes no issue with making use of it (while tearing into Ancient Greek imperialism). It doesn't hurt to throw in a generous helping of jingoism when describing Greece to bolster her pro-British Museum argument too.
Don't worry about what damage the looting, transportation, and 'cleaning' at the British Museum have resulted in, it's not that big of a deal in comparison to what the 'stupid' Greeks would have done to the marbles. Also don't worry about sources; you don't need that when you're a celebrity academic.
Aye, sure thing Mary.
The book's title should have been Grasping for The Parthenon: British Cultural Identity and 'Stewardship'. Or, more accurately, Kicking a Dead Horse While It's Down: British Culture and Anti-Balkan Chauvinism.
As a book about a Greek historical site, there is a conspicuous lack of Greek voices, projects, or connection. Basically, it's a book about why the British feel entitled to others' material history and why that's Good and Fair (as opposed to the Stupid and Uneducated alternative of the locals). Elgin may have kept his favorite friezes in a shed in his garden, but at least he was educated enough to know they're nice!
You'd think there's something interesting to be said about the restoration work and its goals, or perhaps alternatives to the current 'stewardship'... arrangements. Not really, according to Professor Beard; instead, here's a joke about how slowly the Parthenon is being restored, lol Greece. Also did you know that some random petulant British guy sat with his back to it and felt like he made a funny joke that one time? That's way more interesting than whatever anyone else has to say, right?
Sure thing Mary.
The Good:
There's a few cute speculative flights of fancy, including this image:
'Well into the nineteenth century, it was a favourite Sunday afternoon occupation for the schoolchildren to go up to the Acropolis to hunt for tesserae.' p60
A hilarious dig at 19th century British intelligentsia who insisted that the Golden Age of Athens was the perfect peak of artistic and aesthetic achievement without ever having seen any art from the period. Instead, they just parroted the praise found in historic texts and, since no one could argue otherwise for lack of evidence, they thought themselves supremely clever at affecting an untouchable, more-cultured-than-thou opinion.
Not to be a dick (but I'm going to be one), that pretty much sums up the more rarified echelons of British intelligentsia as a whole, past and present.
The Bad:
Condescendingly dismissing the suggestion that maybe looting historical artefacts from 'lesser' peoples is problematic AF. She kind of ridicules the superiority with which the British Empire's elite looked down on the 'dirty', 'stupid', 'hairy' Greeks and their 'jumped-up Balkan republic', but never actually says anything that distances her from the views she quotes, refers to, or plays devil's advocate for and platforms uncritically. She basically relies on vocal famous people of the imperial past to get away without having to say anything too concrete (and therefore open to challenge) herself.
Zero comment on how the British Empire wasn't playing at being a steward but actually had the stickiest kleptomaniac fingers of any Empire on Earth. Not to mention how often Britain's 'stewardship' went to shit and how much of it is about milking others' history for profits.
Real bad:
A total of zero Greek people were quoted in this book. We know that a British poet wrote a steamy poem about getting it on with a statue and that illustrates how passionate the British were about Classical history, but there wasn't any space to ask Greek scholars, historians, writers, or artists about their thoughts or connection to Classical history. But that's OK because the locals were 'stupid' and 'toothless' in the 19th and 20th century anyhow so who cares, right?
Zero awareness shown of ACTUAL Greek history and national identity, instead dismissing modern Greece's claim to the 'Elgin' Marbles (lmao) as political manoeuvring from fake, puffed-up Balkan nationalist politicians. Many lines spent making digs at Greek politicians' alleged shallow investment in the Parthenon Marbles.
In spite of being set in Greece, there is little to no recognition of the present-day state, its people, and their identity-building. In fact, she subtly ridicules any claim to historical identity the modern Greek people might have by denying them their right to the past of the region. That's rich, considering how much of the book she spends defending the sense of entitlement the British elite feels over basically the entire world's material history.
When the argument about the British elite's cultural investment in Ancient Greece falls flat for lack of any real justification, Beard moves on to tear apart various famous figures from Classical Greece and effectively implies that anyone who draws on inspiration or pride from the period and/or region is an uneducated idiot. This pairs delightfully (sarcasm) with the manner in which she fails to even mention the violence and turbulence Greece has endured under a different empire (which the British supported as a means of limiting other growing powers).
Life in Ancient Greece really did suck, but there's more academically and culturally appropriate ways to discuss that, without simultaneously upholding 'Britain' as the paragon of unbiased historical study, cultural achievement, stewardship, and philantrophy (lmao!). The real tragedy of the study of ancient peoples isn't the loss of material as much as how much of our ability to study history has been irreversibly damaged or, in the best case, stunted by previous generations' improper handling of evidence to further personal agendas.
TL;DR:
All in all, Prof. Beard is first and foremost a celebrity British Classical History scholar and a reactionary against the foibles of her very limited bubble. I'm afraid I no longer believe that her goal is the dedicated study and preservation of history with as little bias as possible; instead, it seems to me that her goals are to maintain a certain social order and division of power in the world, in spite of being an allegedly vociferous feminist.
Disturbingly, if British colonialism and apologism aid her goal, then she takes no issue with making use of it (while tearing into Ancient Greek imperialism). It doesn't hurt to throw in a generous helping of jingoism when describing Greece to bolster her pro-British Museum argument too.
Don't worry about what damage the looting, transportation, and 'cleaning' at the British Museum have resulted in, it's not that big of a deal in comparison to what the 'stupid' Greeks would have done to the marbles. Also don't worry about sources; you don't need that when you're a celebrity academic.
Aye, sure thing Mary.
February 20, 2019
This brisk little book is mostly about the vicissitudes of the Parthenon since antiquity, as it moved from temple to church to mosque to ruin to monument. When Lord Elgin showed up to remove the sculptures, the Acropolis was not swept clean to the bedrock like it is today. It was built up and filled with housing for the Turkish garrison stationed there. The Parthenon itself was almost completely ruined, only the east and west ends standing and looking like parts of separate buildings. Between the two ends a small mosque had been built. Lord Elgin pried some sculptures off the ruins, but he picked others out of the debris that lay on the ground around them, and yet others he found used as building material in local houses. And the orange or brown patina on the marble sculptures--that's not the result of millennia of smoke or even of air pollution. It's probably the deteriorated result of some wash applied in antiquity.
December 29, 2022
A wonderful primer for a visit to the Parthenon. Of course, Beard does here what she does in many most of her books; she discusses the way this site of memory has been reinterpreted and reinvented in successive historical epochs. So you learn about the Parthenon in the classical age, but also about the Parthenon under Rome, under the Ottomans, under modern Greece, etc. You learn about archeological and historiographical debates regarding the Parthenon. You also learn a lot about the Elgin Marbles controversy and the impact of Parthenon museum on the way we see the Parthenon. Beard was a real treasure. One note: some of this material roughly matches the material she included in her A Very Short Introduction to the Classics although that short book centers on a different, if similar, temple.
November 26, 2022
f for Partenon
May 22, 2023
Lively, comprehensive, wry.
November 11, 2023
All Parthenon gossip in one book.
A dash dry for my taste but it is indeed a very exciting history, so 3+
December 21, 2023
Better than I expected. Review soon.
January 26, 2025
mary beard my critical thinking queen!!! really important read when studying the building and considering the impact (or what we think the impact is) of ancient greek civilization on ourselves!
February 18, 2025
Insightful, if a bit bland
June 23, 2024
A succinct and informative discussion on the history of the Parthenon
August 16, 2014
Looking for a relatively quick introduction to the Parthenon? One that covers its periods as a church and a mosque? A book that discusses how the Parthenon marbles made their way to the British Museum and how they came to be arranged in the cold and rather sterile Duveen Gallery? This is your book. In less than 200 pages? This is your book.
Mary Beard covers the history of the Parthenon as a public building from its initial construction to today. There is enough to give an overview of why the Parthenon was constructed and Beard engages in some conjecture about the actual management of the project and touches nicely on the iconography of the frieze and pediment - overall a good, though short introduction that will lead the more curious reader to want to do a bit more homework.
I read this in preparation for a trip to Greece and as a quick review - I was an art history major but many years have passed since I was in a classroom looking at slides or my last visit to the British Museum.
Beard tries very hard to cover both sides of the great debate over the Parthenon Marbles and covers how they came to be in the British Museum and the various attempts at displaying and restoring them over the years. The final section which offers helpful suggestions for a visit to the Parthenon could use a good revision, as my library copy was rather dated.
Mary Beard covers the history of the Parthenon as a public building from its initial construction to today. There is enough to give an overview of why the Parthenon was constructed and Beard engages in some conjecture about the actual management of the project and touches nicely on the iconography of the frieze and pediment - overall a good, though short introduction that will lead the more curious reader to want to do a bit more homework.
I read this in preparation for a trip to Greece and as a quick review - I was an art history major but many years have passed since I was in a classroom looking at slides or my last visit to the British Museum.
Beard tries very hard to cover both sides of the great debate over the Parthenon Marbles and covers how they came to be in the British Museum and the various attempts at displaying and restoring them over the years. The final section which offers helpful suggestions for a visit to the Parthenon could use a good revision, as my library copy was rather dated.
March 6, 2017
This is a very good book which discusses the Parthenon thoroughly, ranging from the 6th century BCE pre-Parthenon Acropolis, to the Parthenon's use as a cathedral, mosque, and ammunitions store (seriously, what were those people thinking?). The book also addresses the ongoing debates about the Elgin Marbles and other pieces of Ancient Greek sculpture that are now in different countries, and has a new chapter discussing the modern Acropolis museum.
Especially useful is the appendix in the back for readers who are travelling to Athens or the British Museum, which tells you places to visit, points out details to look for, and in the case of Athens, which subway stop you will need for the Acropolis.
All of this is written in easy to digest prose, and the text is supplemented well with many black and white images.
Recommended.
Especially useful is the appendix in the back for readers who are travelling to Athens or the British Museum, which tells you places to visit, points out details to look for, and in the case of Athens, which subway stop you will need for the Acropolis.
All of this is written in easy to digest prose, and the text is supplemented well with many black and white images.
Recommended.
July 26, 2018
An informative and easy to read book, it’s like Mary Beard is just casually chatting to you about the Parthenon. The chapters about the history and usage of the building (from temple annex treasure trove to church, mosque and army supplies storage) I found most interesting while the more recent, and because of that more documented, controversies we’re less captivating. It’s fascinating how little we know for sure about the construction of such a famous building, which shows the ambiguity of our knowledge of history, being sometimes no more than interpretation and speculation. A good preperation for my trip to Athens and London in a few days!
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