Conclusion

The campaign to repatriate the sculptures removed from the Parthenon by Lord Elgin has frequently been compromised by the dissemination of misleading and inaccurate information such as that discussed throughout this book. Furthermore, it is argued that the on-going failure of those promoting the return of the marbles to the Greek capital to offer any acknowledgement of the war crimes committed in Athens by Lord Elgin’s Greek contemporaries also dramatically undermines the moral argument in favour of any repatriation of the contested artworks. Alongside the justifiable fear that a return of the disputed marbles to Athens would result in an avalanche of similar repatriation demands from Greece and many other countries being directed against numerous Western museums, the following pages will discuss the apparent eagerness of the Chair of the Trustees of the British Museum to fashion a deal to resolve the long-running dispute focused on the Parthenon’s marble sculptures.