MARBLES DEADLOCK
Sir, The Greek government has made clear that it is determined to break the deadlock caused by the refusal of the British government to return the Parthenon Sculptures to their country of origin. To this end, the reunification of the sculptures is kept high on Greece's agenda. Contrary to your assertion that Greece is "threatening to sue" Britain for the return of the sculptures (report, Sep 18), Greece is at present using diplomatic channels and alternative means of dispute resolution — but without having excluded any possible use of judicial means in the future.
Paul Cartledge
A G Leventis professor of Greek culture emeritus, University of Cambridge
Vice-Chair for the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles
This letter was printed in the Times on 21 September, the entire version of the original letter sent to the Editor of the Times can be read here:
Dear Sir,
Your correspondent Anthee Carassava ('Greece threatens legal action ...', September 18, 2017) seems to have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, perhaps due to the original message's becoming lost in translation. At any rate, I can assure you that she has very seriously and culpably misrepresented the current and longstanding position of the Greek Government regarding the proper location of the Parthenon Marbles, as most recently expressed by its distinguished Culture & Sports Minister, Ms LydiaKoniordou:
Greece is determined to break the deadlock caused by the continuous refusalby the British Government to return the Parthenon Sculptures to their country of origin, and, to this end, the issue of the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures is constantly kept high on its agenda. Greece is at this stage pursuing the strategy of using both diplomatic channels and alternative means of dispute resolution, without however having excluded for the future any possible use of judicial means.
Grossly to misrepresent that as 'Greece is threatening to sue Britain for
the return of the Elgin Marbles' does neither the very complex and
sensitive issue, nor your paper, any favours whatsoever.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Cartledge
A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture emeritus
University of Cambridge
A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow
Vice-Chairman, British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon
Marbles
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