The Intervention On the Acropolis In the Modern Era Essay Example for Free

The disturbance On the Acropolis In the Modern Era EssayThe Acropolis has stood as witness to the making of account statement in the West, from the flourishing of Athenian culture in the times of Socrates, to the contemporary metropolis that hosted the recent Olympics games. It is a immense monument because it is a symbol of Greek culture that belongs not only to the Greeks, scarce to all who theatrical role in a common world history in the West. The Acropolis is at the same time a world-wide heathenish symbol, and a national symbol of Greek national identity. As such, the Acropolis bears the marks of centuries of history governmental interventions, economic and social forces, that have shaped it throughout history and time.Hellenism is not what it used to be back in classical times. For champion, it is not as well respected. Like the Acropolis, Hellenic culture seems to trickery in ruins, and is most in need of preservation. The transformation of Hellenic culture fr om the most dominant pagan force felt throughout the world (since perhaps the American entertainment industry) to a historically past, stock-still well spent, is the result of the influence of foreign countries exercised upon the Greek psyche.The Acropolis is considered to be the embodiment of a Greek inheritance and identity this is why the Greeks consider the integrity of the Acropolis so crucial and urge the restitution of the antiquities. But the Acropolis is depict only as a ghost of its former glory, and in pieces with much of its original strain in a flash gone missing. Whatever it is to be Greek instantly, if the Acropolis is the symbol we take it to be, it cannot be to be cease and whole, but to be lost (at least in some part) to the memory of a lost past.The onslaught to make a claim on the past, to take back the idea of Hellenism for the future is a constant struggle of repatriation, and leads to the following paradox on the one hand Hellenism is praised for its global/ecumenical character, transcending national borders, era on the other its (local) contenders claim it back, trying to draw borders and to retrench their territory. (The Acropolis, 85)Hellas is universal and global, and it belongs to all of us in the West, but because of this is it lost 9at least a little bit) to the Greeks themselves. To take it back for themselves would also be to undo its prominence on the stage of world history. So the Greeks, in an attempt to gather an identity into and for themselves essential go out into the world that is not so foreign to them and claim all of it as Greek. We in the west, we are all Greeks in some way, and the Greeks are the epitome of Western culture.The continuation of the Greek political and cultural line is important to the modern Greek people. An example of this can be found in The Acropolis, where modern Greeks are questioned about whether they are the descendants of the past Greeks. (The Acropolis, 37) In one sense, calling themselves inheritors of the ancient Greeks is degrading in that it reduces them to the past, and levels down their future. In another sense, it is powerful claim to make. Some Greeks express their zest for changing their national name from Greece and Greeks to their ancient Greek names Hellas and Hellenes.They emphasize the importance that names meet in systems in kinship Hellas is conceived as surname while Greece is conceived as nickname. (The Acropolis, 93) The name change would stand for their connection to Hellenism, as Hellas represents the classic global character of Hellenism, whereas Greece is seen as contemporary name that looses much of this universal import. Thus, in order to restore the classical Hellenism, some Greeks argue that the more Ancient Hellas is now appropriate.another(prenominal) example in this same vein, some Greeks have argued that the sculpture named Elgin displayed in the British Museum should be re-named Parthenon stain (The Acropolis, 99), as the marbles are considered as sacred rocks and the heritage of Greece which strongly represent the Greek identity. It seems corresponding the Greeks are always making a point of remarking when Britain has taken their antiquities, identifying Lord Elgin as the staues marauder. It is in this sense that naming the marbles Elgin is the same as stealing and degrading Hellenism, and alonmg with this aslo Greek dignity.No doubt, these antiquities are considered to be national treasures, and are irreplaceable and inalienable even making use of the logotype of the antiquities for advertisements is disfavored. For example, Coca-Cola had to replace the shape of the Doric columns of the Parthenon on its soda bottles and advertisements, in order to undo harm it had do to the Greek image in using this image for commercial purposes. By using the image in this way, Coca-Cola denigrated the Acropolis as a national symbol to be used by the Greeks, and this act was perceived as disrespectful to the G reeks and their nationhood. This advertisement is but one example of how widely Americanization and globalization has gone in cattle farm Hellenism as well as the worth and value of the Parthenon as a symbol for the perfect jointure of grace and power.But it also illustrates the contradiction at the heart of the contemporary Greeks culture on the one hand, happy about the power and universality of the Parthenon to convey its symbol (used by such a well-established go with for advertisement because of its powerful attraction) but on the other hand, the fact that its use as such degrades the meanings and cultural values that the Acropolis represents for the Greek peoples in particular. In brief, the message is that culture is not derived from the spirit of Hellenism, but from its commodification, now as a symbol for American global culture, and to new power of America on todays world stage.Another example is that of the American style designer Calvin Klein who proposed to presen t its new jeans serial publication at the Herodeion. Because the Herodeion is a scared place suitable for classic arts such as opera, drama, and since the fashion show is considered lower as a commercial venture, some deamed it improper for the site. In the end, the critique of both(prenominal) Coca-Cola and Calin Klein can be seen to be shortsighted because those who make it tend to see the use of Greek cultural symbols for commercial interest and economic profit as only degrading, instead of realizing that these companies are also tell the spirit of Hellenism through their products (albeit unintentianally). To sum up, the necessity of bringing back the Acropolis and the other antiquities are important for the Greeks, but how they do it becomes problematic a careful balancing act beteween bringing back a railway yard national identity to Greece, while also reviving the spirit of Hellenism for future generations. The past of the Acropolis lay so-and-so us, but the future of wh at this symbol will become still lays ahead.BibliographyYalouri, E. (2001), The Acropolis Global Fame, Local Claim, Oxford Berg, 37-99.