ELGIN MARBLES


Meaning of ELGIN MARBLES in English

a set of marble sculptures of the 5th century BC from the outside of the Parthenon in Athens which are now in the British Museum . They were bought in 1801 by Lord Elgin from the Turkish authorities who were governing Greece at that time. Elgin sold them to the British government in 1816. The Greek government has asked Britain to return them to Greece many times.

Oxford guide to British and American culture English vocabulary.      Руководство по британской и американской культуре, Оксфордский английский словарь.