Letter sent to The Times 

AN Wilson's Comment in today's edition (December 7th) is lumbered with a dreadful headline - 'We've lost our marbles over ancient Greece' - and contains several factual errors, but at least the esteemed author's heart is in the right place: the legacy represented by the Athenians of one of their glory ages is indeed worth not forgetting. What would not be apparent from this piece, however, nor from letters published that are hostile to the very notion, is that the paper's own official declared editorial policy is in favour of the repatriation and reunification of the Parthenon Marbles/Sculptures currently housed in the B.M. back in their native place, Athens. Nor that the Parthenon Marbles/Sculptures are but part of the Museum's wider 'Elgin collection'. They are Elgin Marbles, but not 'the' Elgin Marbles. It is only the sculptures from the Parthenon - out of the Museum's estimated 8 million artefacts - for which the Greek Government requests their return to Athens.

Paul Cartledge (Professor) 

Vice-Chair, British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles

To read AN Wilson's comment article in The Times, follow the link here.