Le disgrazie altrui [non] siano un ornamento per la propria patria (Polyb., IX.10)

In this paper, I would like to examine the ancient origins of debate about art as cultural property. My interest here is to show that our re- action to modern destructions of works of art is obviously influenced by the new views on the ethics of preservation and acquisition of art formulated after the French Revolution. Once that watershed is established, I will discuss the opinions of some Greek and Roman authors on art captured in war and its influence on the origins of debate about cultural property.