The Parthenon Marbles Today

Thirty years ago when I first visited the Parthenon, the mica and pyrite glinted silver and gold. Since then, the air pollution has weathered these minerals to lines of grey rust within the marble. Two years ago, I could find fresh pyrite in only a single block exposed on the tourist's trail, but last week, that too was oxidised. There's no way to undo this damage, but consider instead that the marbles of the Parthenon are still evolving to the changing conditions of the world today. Evolution means life.