Statue of "Meditations" Roman Emperor Returned to Turkey After Half a Century in U.S. Museum

Looted in the 1960s and Held by the Cleveland Museum of Art
Returned Statue to Be Displayed to the Public in Ankara

Approximately 65 years ago, a statue of the former Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was smuggled into the United States. It has now been returned to Turkey.

On the 19th (local time), Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy commented on the return of the statue, saying, "It was a long struggle," and added, "We were right, we were patient, and finally, we prevailed." He continued, "We have brought Marcus Aurelius, the 'philosopher emperor,' back to the land to which he belonged." The minister explained that the artifact was returned to Turkey based on scientific analysis, archival documentation, and witness testimony.

Statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius returned to Turkey after 65 years. Photo by Anadolu Agency, Yonhap News

This bronze statue originally stood in the G?lhisar district of Burdur Province in southwestern Turkey during the 1960s. According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, the statue was looted, then smuggled to the United States, where it was held and displayed for some time by the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio. The ancient city of Boubon once stood in the G?lhisar area. Boubon was part of the Roman province of Lycia, and remains from the ancient Greek and Lycian periods still exist there.

Marcus Aurelius (121?180) was one of the "Five Good Emperors" of the Roman Empire and is also renowned as a philosopher emperor who practiced Stoic philosophy. His famous work, "Meditations," contains profound insights into personal reflection, leadership, and virtue, and it continues to be widely read today.

The returned statue depicts the emperor wearing a toga, the traditional garment of the Roman Empire, standing with one leg slightly bent. The preservation condition is good, except that the upper part of the neck is missing. The repatriation effort was led by the Burdur Museum in Turkey, with cooperation from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The statue is scheduled to be presented to the public in an exhibition in Ankara, the capital of Turkey.