On the holy sanctuary island of Delos, 12 lions once stood on the majestic Terrace of the Lions, greeting visitors on their way to Apollo’s shrine. They were gifted by people from neighboring Naxos in 600 BC. Today, 7 are left. A decade ago, they were moved to the Delos Museum. The ancient terrace is now decorated with well-made copies – they look like originals though.
Replicas of the Lions of Delos still greet the Visitors on the way to Apollo's Sanctuary
Saw these lions for the first time in 1977. I remember the feeling of having seen them before but could not attribute my memory to a specific place. Was it in an exhibition? A museum? Somewhere else? I forgot about it until I wrote the Delos page for the sailing this summer. The question, where I had seen them before, returned. Thanks to the internet, the answer was now only a click away. One of these lions guards the Arsenal of Venice. I saw him last time in 2019 when visiting the naval academy which is housed in the Arsenal. The Delos Lion was brought over in the late 17th century when the Serenissima controlled Naxos, Paros and neighbouring Delos. The lion was given a new head but the body remained.
The lonely Delos Lion with his new Head is now guarding the Arsenal in Venice
The Delos Lion is in good company. Next to him stands the Lion of Piraeus, also brought over from Greece after the Great Turkish War 1683 – 1699, which saw Venice for once on the winning side. It was during this war that the Venetian Commander Francesco Morosini blew up the Parthenon with his mortars. The Ottoman Forces had used it as a powder magazine.
A Computer Simulation of the Hippodrome in Constantinople - the Quadriga stands on Top of the Eastern Entrance at the far back
At that time, looting treasures and art was common practice. A few centuries earlier, in 1204, when crusaders under Venetian leadership sacked Constantinople, the world’s most famous four horses, the Quadriga of the Hippodrome, were taken away and installed on the San Marco Basilica in Venice. As the Lion of Delos, the four horses are still in Venice – albeit now inside San Marco to better protect them for weathering and ageing. The San Marco Basilica is decorated with four identical replicas since the 1980s.
The Quadriga Horses were cast in Greece during the 2nd or 3rd century AD
Most of us are aware of the controversy surrounding the Elgin Marbles which today belong to the British Museum in London. They decorated the Parthenon in Athens before being sold by the Ottoman Authorities to the British Ambassador to Istanbul. The marbles were shipped between 1802 and 1812 to England and eventually came into the possession of the British Museum. They are one of its most prestigious possessions. Now, however, they are the subject of a heated dispute between England and Greece.
Part of the famous Elgin Marbles housed in the British Museum in London
The Greek Government argues that the Ottomans were occupiers in Greece and did not have the right to sell the marbles which thus remain Greek possessions. The British Museum on the other hand refers to the rightful purchase and argues that the Elgin marbles would have decayed had they not been “rescued”. On the latter, the British Museum has a point. For centuries, Ottoman Authorities neglected ancient Greek sites and used them as quarries. It was only recently that Turkish policy changed when western tourists poured into the country and wanted to visit Ancient Greek towns.
The original Parthenon Fries was most likely coloured in Ancient Greek times
When we visit Pergamon, we will hear about a similar dispute between the Turkish town of Bergama and the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The mayor of Bergama launched years ago a campaign to bring the Pergamon Altar back to Turkey. Albeit, he has a major handicap. The Turkish Government does not support his claim. Since the Turkish Republic is the legal successor to the Ottoman Empire, it is difficult to argue that the sale of the Pergamon Altar to the Germans Government in 1907 was illegal. As with the Elgin marbles, the new owners looked well after the Altar and restored it beautifully. Something that would not have happened in Turkey until the 1960s or 1970s. The Pergamon Museum in Berlin attracts today 1.4 million visitors every year.
The beautifully restored Pergamon Altar in Berlin which survived undamaged 2 World Wars
The whole controversy about where these treasures belong is challenging. Both sides can score points. But in general, the issue is easy to decide. Art shall not be looted. And when it happens, it should be returned. Sadly, many of our great museums are built on loot, which complicates matters enormously.
Napoleon visiting his Louvre in 1798 - it was then called
Museée Napoleéon - how appropriate!
One of the greatest looters in history was Napoleon. Without his excessive looting there would be far less to see in the Louvre. The Italian pieces were mostly stolen during his campaigns and reign in Italy. Many of the Egyptian pieces were looted during his invasion in 1798. Others together with ancient Greek art were acquired from business men and ambassadors who worked in Turkey. During the early 19th century, the French government had close ties with the Ottoman Empire. Thousands of French people worked in the country. At that time, the Ottoman Empire included still the entire North African coast, Egypt, the Levant, Anatolia and the Balkans. The Ottoman officials were happy to make a buck from “stones” they considered being alien to their culture.
Art looted in Italy were triumphantly brought to Paris in 1798 - the Quadriga in the Middle
France and the Louvre, where most of the loot was kept, got away with a lot of looting. Whilst the victorious nations England, Austria, Prussia and Russia insisted in the Treaty of Vienna in 1814 that all stolen goods had to return, about half were never repatriated. For big nations bringing back precious treasures was easy. They had the money for the transport and the restoration. Not the smaller states though – many had even disappeared from the map. In the end, only 50% of Napoleon’s loot was ever returned. The rest stayed in the Louvre. You can visit it today.
The Venus de' Medici, an ancient Greek Statue of Aphrodite was
Stolen by French Troops in Italy but returned in 1815 to Florence
There were more looters in recent history. Hitler and Göring were admirers of Napoleon. They looted on an even bigger scale. From 1939 – 1945, the Nazis stole whatever they liked and brought it back to their Third Reich. Most of it was found and returned but some items were taken over by the Red Army and found their way to Moscow and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg where they remain to this day. Seems that victorious armies love to bring home loot and do everything to keep it.
Hitler and his Propaganda Minister Goebels enjoy the Arrival of Stolen Paintings from Italy
Recently there were a few court decisions in the US which forced the Metropolitan and the Getty Museum to return some stolen items to Italy. But they were stolen by the Mafia and Italy had a strong legal case. Also, many countries made "exporting" ancient art without a permit illegal. There is at least some progress.
A Copy of Michelangelo's David stands in Front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
Whether the issue will ever be resolved remains to be seen. Maybe technology will offer a solution. Now digital scanning and printing create perfect replicas, which are almost indistinguishable from the originals. Assuming perfect replicas of the Elgin Marbles were installed again on the Parthenon, would it make a difference to the visitor whether the original is stored in a vault in England or in Greece? Most people admire Michelangelo’s David on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence without noticing that they look at a copy of the real thing. The original is well protected in the Academia Gallery.
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