Looting Antiquity: Greece's Lost Marbles

The first presentation in the Archaeological Institute of America Dayton Society's 2025-2026 Lecture Series presented by Dr. Zoë Kontes, Professor of Classics at Kenyon College.

The Parthenon Marbles may be the most famous sculptures removed from an ancient Greek building, but they are far from the only ones. Marble sculptures from the Temple of Aphaia on the island of Aegina and the mountaintop Temple of Apollo at Bassae were spirited away and sold at auction in the 19th century; they have remained abroad ever since. This talk will discuss the adventures the sculptures have had in their modern history, consider the important question of where they belong, and review the current state of looting in Greece.

This lecture is scheduled to take place in person in the Science Center Auditorium (SC 114) at The University of Dayton.

For a campus map with building and parking information visit https://udayton.edu/map/

Thanks to the Archaeological Institute of America’s Lecture Program and its Dayton Society members this lecture is free and open to the public.