The London Daily News

Editorial - The London Daily News Campaign to return the "Elgin Marbles" to Greece

The stolen Parthenon Marbles located in the British Museum in Bloomsbury represent an anachronism of an era that this country has tried to forget, namely the colonial imperial legacy of the British Empire, and is in fact irrelevant to the lives of everyday Londoners.

The issue of the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles has again surfaced in the British media with the opening of the elegant "Acropolis Museum" at the foot of the Parthenon costing the Greek taxpayer an estimated $200 million to complete.  The museum removes one of the ludicrous arguments put forward by the supporters of the "Elgin Marbles" that Greece was incapable of housing the marbles. 

The museum designed by the architect Bernard Tschumi "exploits natural light and boasts panoramic views of the Greek capital from almost every hall", writes a Reuters correspondent.

"Planned to remind visitors of the 5th century BC monument visible across the street, its top floor layout mimics the main temple of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, whose 2,500-year-old sculptures are displayed with the missing pieces clearly marked."

There has been growing  political support for the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles in the UK, but the stumbling block has been the British Governments attitude according to Dr Chris Price of the British Committee of the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles "that its not their problem, the British Museum is not the Governments concern".  

The "floodgates" argument namely the restitution of the "Elgin Marbles" to Greece would lead to many museums around the world losing their exhibits does not hold any credibility.  The floodgates have already begun with Aboriginal human remains already being sent back to their country of origin, Australia.  Has this lead to the collapse of the British Museum? No.

Antonis Samaras the Greek Culture Minister was correct to refuse the British Museums offer to have the Greek Parthenon marbles on a lease.  By accepting the lease this would be a defacto recognition that the marbles were and remain British.  They are not, never will be, and will always be Greek.

80 per cent of the British Museum's exhibits are not shown to the public, there are plenty of exhibits to replace the "Elgin marbles" when they are repatriated. 

Moreover the “Elgin marbles” are a symbol of a Britain that no longer exists, and a Britain we do not want to see again.  Give the marbles back.

photo credit: flickr.com

Return the "Elgin Marbles"