THE PARTHENON MARBLES

 Illegal trade in antiquities is a scourge of millennia. The looting of artifacts has always been a sign of military might, and economic power,. 

To combat this illicit traffic in antiquities it is necessary to have a comprehensive international strategy that allows once and for all to stop this cultural crime. 

Over millennia, conquering generals all over the world take away with them trophies to adorn their cities.

In more recent cultures, the wealthy upper classes would make a grand tour of classical sites to acquire, whatever that means, anything from vases to statues to entire temple friezes to show off at home. 

The owners of these precious antiquities were seen as demonstrating wealth and love for ancient culture, things that nobody else had! At least this is what looters thought.

We should know the aptest way to describe this dubious form of collection is vandalism. which has historical resonance. 

So many antiquities were stolen that they fill massive imperial museums in many of the world's capital cities. The British Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Musem, the Archaeological Museums in  Athens and Thessaloniki, and the Museum in Constantinople.  These and many other institutions have treasures that have been stolen from the countries of origin. 

So it is with the Parthenon Marbles, one of the most controversial acts of vandalism of them all, which are still held at the British Museum in London after being dubiously acquired by Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin in 1801, less than three decades before the independence of Athens from the Ottoman rule.

The UK's opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, recently stated that a labour government would return the marbles to Greece.  

The traditional position of the British government on the Parthenon Marbles is that it is up to the British Museum to decide if some of the artifacts return to Greece.

So the Parthenon marbles have remained in London, And the antiquities trade is still going strong depriving countries of their heritage and the world with admiration and awe of these archaeological treasures.