According to media reports, the British Museum and the Greek government are holding secret talks about a possible return of the Parthenon frieze displayed in London to Greece. The Greek daily Ta Nea reported yesterday that “sensitive” talks between the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, George Osborne, and the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, are “at an advanced stage”.
The carvings are also known as the “Elgin Marbles”. In the early 19th century, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, ordered the frieze to be removed from the Parthenon Temple on the Athenian Acropolis by workmen. Elgin sold the marbles to the British government, which gave them to the British Museum in 1817. There they are among the most valuable exhibits.
Athens, on the other hand, considers the sculptures stolen. In addition to the return of the 75-metre-long frieze, Greece is also demanding from the museum a sculpture of a woman from the Erechtheion temple on the Acropolis.
“Ta Nea”: Secret Conversations for Over a Year
According to “Ta Nea”, secret talks about the marble slabs began in November 2021. The two parties spoke this week at a hotel in London. However, representatives of Athens warned that the talks could be stalled at the last moment.
“A mutually beneficial solution” is possible, Mitsotakis told the ANA-MPA news agency. “The Parthenon sculptures can be brought together while addressing the concerns of the British Museum.” There is “momentum,” he said. “I consciously speak of a ‘reunion’ of the sculptures and not of a ‘return’.”
British Museum: “Parthenon’s New Partnership”
The British Museum said it wanted “a new Parthenon partnership with Greece” and was willing to discuss it with Athens. But “we are acting within the law and will not dismantle our magnificent collection,” the museum said. The Greek prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment by the AFP news agency.
Several Greek governments failed to make any significant progress in the dispute over parts of the frieze. London believes the sculptures were obtained legally. In January, the British newspaper The Times, which has always doggedly supported the British Museum, changed its position and declared itself in favor of a return: “Times and conditions change. The sculptures belong to Athens. You must go back there now.