After over 200 years, the Parthenon in Athens could return to display its precious sculptures, sculptures that have been in the British Museum in London for two centuries. The dispute between Greece and the United Kingdom over their ownership may soon come to a conclusion. For decades there has been discussion about who holds sovereignty over the collection of friezes created by the Greek sculptor Phidias dating back to the fifth century BC
The prime ministers of his countries met in London on Tuesday to discuss the return of the so-called Elgin Marbles to Athens. Greek Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed his counterpart Keir Starmer’s position that the UK would not oppose a possible restitution, provided a legal solution was found. “It is the British Museum’s job to negotiate with Greece in accordance with British law,” Starmer spokesman Dave Pares underlined.
The origin of the diatribe
The sculptures were removed from the Acropolis in Athens by emissaries of the seventh Earl of Elgin, then the British ambassador to Constantinople (then the capital of the Ottoman Empire) in the early 19th century, when Greece was under Ottoman control. The antiquities were shipped to London between 1801 and 1804 and sold to the British Museum in 1816. These are 17 works which, like the Parthenon, are 2,500 years old. The marbles were part of a frieze that decorated the ancient temple on the Acropolis of the Greek capital. These works made up about half of the Parthenon’s 160-metre frieze, considered one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments. The sculptures are considered a symbol of freedom in Greece, where they are known as the Parthenon Marbles.
Did London really “stole” the Parthenon marbles from Greece? How things are
The British and Greek governments have always had divergent opinions on the sovereignty of the marbles and their location in London. Since Greece gained independence from the Ottomans in 1832, the country has repeatedly called for their return. But the British Museum Act of 1963 prohibits the museum from permanently returning the objects to Greece, which is not the only country to contest the ownership of objects preserved in museum collections. One of the most important protests was that of the Benin Bronzes, elaborate and valuable sculptures created by specialized artisans in what is now modern-day Nigeria.
Supporters of the return of the marbles to Greece have tried to find creative solutions to circumvent the law, such as a long-term loan or an exchange agreement. Starmer’s spokesman said the government had “no plans” to change the law, not least because changing the law risked opening up a series of further restitution claims.
Openness to restitution and alternative solutions
As reported BloombergMitsotakis has reiterated several times that the Greek side is only calling for the “reunification” of the UK-held sections of the Parthenon and will not discuss other options. It is unclear whether a deal based on a temporary loan would be acceptable to the Greek government.
However, a compromise solution appears more likely and achievable, such as providing for a part of the marbles to be sent in rotation to the Acropolis Museum in Athens for several years. In exchange, other objects could be loaned to the London museum, and Britain could receive plaster copies of the Parthenon sculptures.
The meeting between Mitsotakis and Starmer comes almost a year after a similar summit organized with his English predecessor, Rishi Sunak, was canceled at the last minute. At the time, the then British Prime Minister had avoided discussing the Parthenon marbles, causing an unpleasant diplomatic dispute.
