ABC has riled the Greek community after a morning news report called the Parthenon Sculptures, by their outdated name “Elgin” Marbles.
The report was on the dispute between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the British PM cancelled a scheduled meeting because of the Parthenon Sculptures.
The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), president Bill Papastergiadis OAM and the board sent a missive expressing “deep concern and disappointment” that in ABC‘s recent coverage of the Parthenon Sculptures were consistently referred to as the “Elgin” Marbles.
The GCM requested a “correction by the ABC to ensure an accurate portrayal of these ancient artefacts and a formal apology.”
It all began when John Rerakis, former owner of the Philhellene restaurant and a supporter of Hellenic, Indigenous and other artists, posted on his Facebook on December 2:
“Dear ABC, they are not the “Elgin marbles”… They are the Parthenon marbles…. He’s the guy that stole them. . #parthenonmarbles”, with an accompanying photo of his television screen with “Elgin Marbles.”
“I nearly choked on my paximadi, [rusk], or Corn Flakes, as Aussies said, when I saw it. Many friends on Facebook and Instagram from overseas have shared my post,” Rerakis told Neos Kosmos.
“It’s not good enough from ABC, you’d expect better from our national broadcaster,” Rerakis told Neos Kosmos.
In the letter sent to ABC, Nick Koukouvitakis, the GCM secretary, said: “A more neutral and accurate terminology, such as “Parthenon Marbles,” would better reflect these artefacts’ cultural and historical context”.
Argyris Karavis, former GCM festival director and Neos Kosmos journalist, wrote on his Facebook post: “Why are the marbles named after the plunderer and not where they come from? Elgin did not create them; Elgin does not own them. Repeat after me – Parthenon Marbles.”
The Parthenon Sculptures were known as the Elgin Marbles after the Scottish 7th Earl of Elgin, Thomas Bruce, removed them from the Parthenon in Athens during the early 19th century. So controversial was the removal of the Sculptures even then that the Earl maintained he had a firman from Greece’s Ottoman occupiers to take them.
The Greek Community, in their letter to the ABC, pointed to the Parthenon Sculptures’ “enormous importance for the Greeks” and the Diaspora in the letter.
They added that employing “Elgin” Marbles shows “an inherent bias” and a lack of research.
Papastergiadis told Neos Kosmos that by the ABC “calling them the “Elgin” Marbles, they diminish the vast importance these ancient treasures hold for Hellenism and the world, and it legitimates a the colonial attitude of the past”.
“We have fought for the Parthenon Sculptures to return to their rightful place for many years. “Ironically, the former chair of the ABC, David Hill, is one of the most active advocates for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures,” Papastergiadis said.
In the letter, he writes: “Their return to Greece signifies the restoration of a fragmented narrative, allowing these masterpieces to be appreciated within the cultural and historical landscape that gave them life. Let them breathe again on the soil that birthed their significance.”
Anthea Sidiropoulos, the GCM vice president, also talked to Neos Kosmos and questioned ABC‘s production and research skills.
“I would question who produced the ABC piece on the [Parthenon] Marbles and where the research was. “Elgin” is not the current terminology; it has not been for years and is now almost 2024.
“The community was up in arms. I saw Greek Australians respond on social media and decided we needed to do something about this.
“How long do we need to keep educating people? You would think the ABC knows better?
“Understanding our history is the thread that weaves resilience into our future. Without it, we risk losing the map of our progress, for history is not just a record but a compass guiding us forward”.
In the 2021 ABC podcast series by Marc Fennell, Stuff the British Stole, there is one episode on the Parthenon Marbles, but only after Fennell was informed of the issue by Neos Kosmos.
In the 2022 ABC TV series of the same name, the Parthenon Sculptures were bumped from the television series.
Actor and then Greek minister for culture the late Melina Mercouri said in 1986, “The Parthenon Marbles are our pride. They are our identity. They are today’s link with Greek excellence.”
Neos Kosmos has contacted the ABC for a response and as soon it is received the report will be updated.
