Only a handful of Britain’s past Prime Ministers have studied classics at university. Even fewer would have spoken out about Ancient Greece’s influence on their political thinking. My suspicion is that none of them cited the 5th Century BC Athenian governor as one among their heroes.
Boris Johnson followed. Ever the contrarian, Britain’s Prime Minister has done all three.
Oxford Classics A clear understanding of the contributions that classical civilisation made to modern society. He even has a bust of Pericles, his hero.
Boris Johnson is more knowledgeable than many about the bond between modernity and antiquity.
This is why he said that he understands the strong feelings of Greek people regarding one of the few dividing points between Greece and the UK, the future of Parthenon Sculptures.
Kyriakos Mitchells, the Greek Prime Minister believes that the UK should restitute the artifact
The marbles, which were created by Phidias the classic Greek sculptor, take the shape of a frieze wrapped around the temple. The majority of the frieze remains intact in Athens. Lord Elgin removed the wrong part, but it is currently locked up in the British Museum 1,500 miles from home. The British Museum has also dislocated the piece from its rightful place, both from Athens and from the World Monument to which it belonged.
Spend a few minutes strolling through the beautiful glass-fronted third-floor gallery at the Acropolis museum in Athens, and it isn’t hard to understand the point I’m making.
This museum can be found just a few hundred meters from the Parthenon. It houses most of the sculptures. You can only truly appreciate the marbles as they are in context here. The museum sits at the intersection of two thousand years of history, and you have a panoramic view towards the temple.
This is the ideal place and best location to see these sculptures live. It is precisely because of this alignment, the gaping hole between Athens’ main collection and London’s sculptures becomes so stark. It is difficult to overlook this void.
Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister (L), welcomes Kyriakos Mitchells, the Greek Prime Minister (R).
Mr Mitsotakis has offered to lend some of his country’s treasures, such as the Artemision Bronze to the UK in exchange for the return of the artefacts
The Parthenon Marbles, a collection of stone objects, inscriptions and sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles are displayed at the British Museum in London
Even though they are both of great global importance, the Parthenon or the frieze can’t be seen as complete without missing sculptures. Instead, mere plaster casts of the marbles occupy their rightful places – or, in some cases, thin air. This is a sad reminder of the parts that are missing from this valuable part of our world heritage.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Greece’s war of independence against the Ottoman Empire, a war in which Britain stood with Greece in the fight for freedom.
What greater manifestation of the Prime Minister’s vision of a new, self-confident, open and truly global Britain could there be, then, than for his Government to take a bold step forward and, with the British Museum, repatriate the Parthenon Sculptures?
In such a case, Greece is prepared to consider allowing some of the world’s most iconic artefacts – pieces that have never left our shores – to be displayed at the British Museum in return.
Gallery and museums are looking for ways to collaborate and return items. Last week, I was able to open the amazing exhibition, Ancient Greeks Science and Wisdom at Science Museum. The exhibit brings together artifacts not only of Greece and the UK, it also includes items from many other countries.
PM Boris Johnson has a ‘unique opportunity’ to return the artefacts to Greece, according to Mr Mitsotakis
M. Mitsotakis claims that his desire for them to be returned from the British Museum was bolstered because polls show that an increasing number of Britons are in favor of repatriation
The view that the marbles should be reunified does not reflect the views of only the Greek government. It is also the unanimous view of Unesco’s Intergovernmental Commission for promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin.
In September, it criticised the British refusal to address the issue, saying ‘the case has an intergovernmental character and therefore the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures lies squarely on the UK Government’.
Many Britons seem to be in agreement. Recent polling shows that many Britons agree with the idea of returning the Greek marbles. Of course, the British Museum would argue that returning the sculptures is ‘the thin end of the wedge’ – a move that would compel it to return other items.
It wouldn’t. Marbles represent a rare case.
Lord Elgin did indeed act illegally. He used iron crowbars and dynamite to literally break the marble reliefs from their supports and damage the Parthenon. Then he shipped them out of country.
In the end, however, this isn’t primarily an argument about ownership or legality. This is not a case about legality or ownership. It’s a matter of morality and politics. It would make it much simpler to reunite the marbles if the British government removed the restrictions imposed by the British Museum Act 1963, which ties the hands of museum staff.
Melina Mercouri (Greek minister of culture) speaks to Boris Johnson, president of the Oxford Union society before speaking with the Union regarding the Elgin Marbles
Mr Mitsotakis said he assumes Boris will ‘seek to amend the relevant legislation to allow the sculptures’ return
Now, given the Prime Minister has told me he would not stand in the way of Greece establishing a formal dialogue with the British Museum over the future of the marbles, I can only assume things will be different – that he will not obstruct any future agreement and, instead, the Prime Minister would seek to amend the relevant legislation to allow the sculptures’ return.
One thing is certain. It is centuries old that the UK and Greece have had ties.
This relationship has lasted for many years. It is not perfect, however.
That is why I hope London and Athens will work together in order to reverse an injustice that weighs heavily on every Greek heart.
Lord Byron is the most famous poet of all time. Many Britons fought in our war of independence alongside him. After the Second Siege of Missolonghi, Byron was made a hero in Greece and died as such.
Nearly 200 years after Byron’s death, I believe that the classical scholar in Boris Johnson knows that he has a unique opportunity to seize the moment and make this generation the one that finally reunites the Parthenon Sculptures.
Premier Minister, now is the time to grab that moment.