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The Elgin Affair

The True Story of the Greatest Theft in History

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The Elgin Affair

Written by: Theodore Vrettos
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
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About this listen

This story of the Elgin marbles re-creates in full detail "the greatest art theft in history." Almost 200 years after they were "purchased" from Greece, the finest and most famous marbles of antiquity still remain a burning issue. This compelling, controversial story of the Elgin marbles re-creates in full and colorful detail "the greatest art theft in history", a steamy tale of obsession, intrigue, adultery, and ruin.

As the British ambassador to the Sublime Porte in Constantinople, Lord Elgin encountered in his endeavors some of the most famous names of 19th-century history: Napoleon, Sultan Selim III, Lord Nelson, Lord Byron, and Keats. Drawing on original source material—letters, diaries, official government reports, and memoranda, Vrettos brilliantly brings to life these fascinating stories.

©1977, 2011 Theodore Vrettos (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
Arts & Entertainment Great Britain Greece Ancient History Treasure Ancient Greece
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The story behind the Elgin Marbles

Having visited Athens, and stood in the fabulous new Acropolis Museum, with the space created for and waiting the return of the so-called Elgin Marbles (the marble friezes stolen from the Acropolis by Elgin), I was always curious to know the full story. This book provides that story: who Elgin was, how he came to be in Greece, how he got ‘permission’ to remove the friezes, the mammoth task of shipping them to England, and how they ended up in the British museum. It’s quite revealing- almost as revealing as the tales of his marriage and scandalous divorce that much of the book focuses on. As his wife was involved with the marbles, it does fit together. Highly recommended.

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