On the topic of the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, Victoria Hislop passionately advocates for their return to their rightful home in the magnificent Acropolis Museum, where they can be appreciated as part of a unified masterpiece, rather than being confined to a somber, grey room in London.

Margarita Vartholomeou in conversation with Victoria Hislop for The Panhellenic Post 

Q: You have been a strong advocate for the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures. Could you elaborate on your perspective and why this cause is particularly important to you?

Victoria Hislop's Answer: I think it is always important to begin with the facts.  The British Museum is very attached to a series of untruths about what Elgin actually did to bring the sculptures to Britain. 

a.They talk about a Firman (official permission from the  Sultan himself) which did not exist.  All Elgin had was a letter which only survives in translation.

b.They talk about the permission he was given to remove the sculptures (he was only given permission to pick up pieces of rubble that had already fallen). 

They do not reinforce the fact that Elgin was stealing the sculptures to decorate his own home in Scotland – and they purchased them from him to save him from bankruptcy. They are very stubborn about this – and do not tell the full story – the factual story.

I feel passionate about this cause – largely because of the facts of the removal of the sculptures – but even more because they are part of a whole work of art – and they should be reunified.  And that they should return home to the beautiful Acropolis Museum – rather than be displayed in a depressing, grey room in London.

Read the entire article in The Panhellenic Post.

BCRPM launched a campaign in 2020 entitled 'Tell the Story'. This was aimed at highlighting factoids used by the UK government and the British Museum. To read more about that initiative, follow the link here.