Elgin marbles deal for Olympics

The “vast majority” of Britons support a Greek proposal to return marbles removed from the ancient Parthenon for display in Athens during the Olympics, the Greek government’s top games official said.

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos today renewed a plea to the British Museum in London to loan Greece the collection – also known as the Elgin Marbles - for the August 13-29 Games.

“The start of the Athens Olympic Games in August 2004 must find the Parthenon Marbles united,” Venizelos said in a statement.

“The citizens of Britain in general, but also the visitors of the British Museum and the workers at British museums in their vast majority accept the Greek proposal.”

Venizelos said he will hold “important” meetings with British government officials on the subject in the coming weeks.

The British Museum in London acquired the marbles in 1811 from Lord Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire which at the time included Greece.

Greece is hoping to display the sculptures, removed from the Parthenon in Athens, at a purpose-built museum currently under construction in the Greek capital.