The Greek Prime Minister

To be honest I am impressed by many Prime Ministers apart from our own. That’s all I can add really apart from we should return things which don’t belong to us and pay debts to allow a mother/wife to return to her family.

Didn't hear him but sounds like a great improvement on what we have. Keep posting!

He made a very good case for there return and yes he looks like a statesman rather than a talking sack.
Do not stop posting a thread otherwise the same people would monopolise the site.

As I understand it, Lord Elgin purchased the marbles. They were not looted. If he hadn't recued them, they would not be here today to argue over.

homefarm

As I understand it, Lord Elgin purchased the marbles. They were not looted. If he hadn't recued them, they would not be here today to argue over.

There is some doubt over the legitimacy of this. Apparently the original documentation of the purchase is missing. A parliamentary enquiry in 1816 (yes, I have the right year ) supposed to confirm the validity of his claim to have purchased them only saw an Italian translation from the Ottoman language of the original document.

David Allen Green has been blogging about this:

davidallengreen.com/2021/11/what-if-the-elgin-marbles-were-not-legally-acquired-by-the-british-museum-in-the-first-place/

I do think that had Elgin not removed the sculptures from the Parthenon they may well have been in a far, far worse condition now than they are.

There was nothing altruistic about Elgin's aquisition of the marbles. It was simply buying something to decorate his house. He sold them to the British Museum because divorce left him skint. One of his ships sunk
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9300129/Elgin-Marbles-ship-Flintlock-pistol-shoe-parts-shipwreck.html
Of course they should go back to Greece. Athens now has a state of the art museum and thousands of visitors every year.