Chapter 46 Elgin's Family of Predators

Elgin's Family of Predators There is a side street near Caine Road in Hong Kong, named Elgin Street.This is an unnoticed, rarely Someone mentioned an old street.But if we take a look at the Chinese and English street signs It is an English name, and those who have a little knowledge of modern Chinese history will be surprised.Because of this "Erie "Nearly" is not someone else, but after the Second Opium War, the British sent to preside over the aggressive war against the Qing Dynasty Elgin, the commander of the Anglo-French allied forces in the war. He was the one who led the army to attack the Dagu Fort, and it was also he who attacked the city of Beijing.

It is him in Mingyuan! This is a name that every Chinese will always remember, and this is a name that every Chinese will never forget. Remember, foreigners who have committed great evils on our Chinese soil. At that time, Erjin was sent to Hong Kong as a special envoy to preside over the military affairs of the Manchu invasion. He is already an earl, and has served as the governor of the British colonies of Jamaica and Canada. He is an aggressive veteran. hand.At the same time, the Elgin family is also a famous family in the UK for plundering, especially in ancient cultural relics. aspect.The sculpture hall of the British Museum in London, the most exquisite ancient Greek sculpture is the

It is called "Elgin Room".It was Thomas Ergin, the uncle of Ergin who invaded China, who came from the Greek It was dismantled from the classic Pantheon. This batch of ancient Greek marble reliefs dismantled from the Pantheon in Athens in the British Museum, It is very exquisite and has a high evaluation in the history of western classical art. It is usually called "Eljin marble sculpture". Engraved" is a collection most envied by major museums in other countries. However, when it comes to this collection The origin of art archaeologists in the UK has always been blush, trying to find a reason for the current

Year Elgin's conduct defense. Because at that time Thomas Elgin, in his capacity as British ambassador to Turkey, desperately then demolished this monument of Greek civilization in Athens, chiselled carved marble, and ship after ship Shipping back to England.This is not stealing ancient relics, it is simply an act of plundering with open flames. It is said that the great British poet Byron later went to Greece to participate in aiding the Greek War of Independence. Dian visited the ancient sites in Greece and was very indignant when he saw that the Pantheon was demolished by Elgin.

There is such a sad sentence inscribed on the wall: "What the barbarians who ravaged the Roman Empire did not do, this Scot How dare you do it!" It turns out that Elgin was a Scotsman. He dismantled these marbles from Greece and shipped them back to England. A selfish act.He wanted to build a big house in the Scottish countryside, and he plundered these marbles absurdly Ship it back to decorate your new house. This Thomas Elgin, who plundered ancient Greek sculptures, was born in 1766 and was a hereditary count.He wants to transport these ancient Greek carvings back to Scotland to decorate his new house, in order to practice the

A promise from his new wife to build her a grand mansion in the Scottish countryside for her new wedding things.The pattern designed by the architect is classical, so Elgin used ancient Greek sculptures to decorate his new house.Coincidentally, he was appointed British ambassador to Turkey in 1799 and took his new wife to the Ren, also took the architect and a group of archaeologists, so his work of looting art began up. At this time, Greece was under Turkish occupation, and the Pantheon in Athens and other monuments were in Turkey again. The range of the defense army's fort was originally inaccessible to ordinary people.But at this time the military wind in Europe

In the clouds, the forces of the Turkish Empire in Africa and Europe were attacked by Napoleon, but the British army The French expeditionary force was defeated in Egypt, so the Ottoman government in Turkey, in order to win over the British, went so far as to To please the newly appointed British ambassador, the emperor signed an edict to him, allowing him and his authorized Right holders casually "survey" Greek monuments within the military zone. With this amulet, Elgin's work of plundering ancient Greek sculptures in Athens can be done freely. The dread began.There will be ten years before and after, and at most three hundred workers will be employed every day.

The ancient Greek buildings standing on the hills outside Athens were destroyed wantonly.Sometimes, in order to tear down the eaves The bas-relief under the roof actually ruthlessly destroyed the complete roof first. As far as the most famous ancient Greek building, the Pantheon, is concerned, according to later statistics, it was Marble sculptures removed from gold, including seventeen statues of figures on the triangular top wall, decorations between stone pillars Fifteen carvings and fifty-six friezes with reliefs.These are huge marble slabs on which Carved with reliefs of the heavens and gods on tour, they are more than 250 feet long when joined together.This is an ancient Greek sculpture

It is also a masterpiece of Erjin's plunder.These exquisite marble reliefs from the top of the column, After the eaves were removed, all that remained of this ancient Greek art building was the skeleton. This batch of loot has now become the most precious collection of the British Museum in London. Earl Elgin disregarded public opinion at the time, and usually shipped it back in another ship, preparing to take it to the Scottish countryside. How did these ancient Greek sculptures that went to build a big house to please his wife end up in the hands of the British Museum? Woolen cloth?It turned out that in 1806, when Elgin's term of office expired and he returned to England, his wife proposed divorce to him.

Marriage request, and said he would not accept his wedding gift.Ergin was hit by this and canceled his return. In order to build a large house in the township, it was decided to sell this batch of ancient Greek sculptures, and suggested that the government buy them and claim them. The price is seventy-four thousand two hundred and forty pounds. It is said that this is just the expenses of wages, freight, etc., not the price of these antiquities themselves. value.But the British government took advantage of Elgin's depression and killed him for half the price, paying 35,000 pounds. I bought them all.That's how Elgin's loot became the "National Treasure" of the British Museum

because.