Anti-reunifiers have over the years indeed centuries summoned up a fair old array of objections against the reuinification of the Parthenon Marbles (all, not just those in the BM) that we of BCRPM have been calling for since the 1980s.
None of them is persuasive, either individually or collectively, but surely the least persuasive of all in 2025 is what might be called the 'nostalgic-cultural' or 'retentionist-nauseous'.
It's therefore deeply disappointing to find that sort of tired 'argument' still being peddled (inaccurately - citing 'Elgin' not Parthenon Marbles) by the recent 'Principles for Restitution' report of the Policy Exchange, and for that report to be headlined by a distinguished Briton of Caribbean heritage, Sir Trevor Phillips.
Antidotes abound, Sir Trevor! Highly recommended is Chris Hitchens's The Parthenon Marbles. The case for reunification.
Professor Paul Cartledge, Vice-Chair of BCRPM campaigning since 1983, and Vice-Chair of the IARPS since 2019
A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture emeritus
University of Cambridge
More on the Policy Exchange report in the Times (14.04.2025), Telegraph and Mail.
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