Greece Recovers Hundreds Of Stolen Artefects
A bronze statue of Alexander the Great from the second century is among the hundreds of looted artifacts that Greece claims to have found.
After a court struggle with the business of a British antiques trader, the cache was found, according to officials.
As a member of a network of illegal traders, Robin Symes had amassed thousands of pieces.
Greece has been struggling for years to get back artifacts that have been stolen from museums and private collections around the world.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said on Friday that 351 items from Symes’s collection were being returned after a 17-year court fight.
Ms. Mendoni declined to comment on whether the artifacts were connected to the collection of ancient treasures that Italian and Swiss police allegedly found Symes storing at the Geneva freeport in Switzerland in 2016.
The Parthenon Sculptures are arguably the most well-known pieces of art in the discussion of whether museums should send objects back to their countries of origin.
The British soldier and diplomat Lord Elgin removed them from the Parthenon temple in Athens at the beginning of the 19th century. The British government later purchased the sculptures in 1816 and housed them in the British Museum.
It is believed that discussions concerning their return are progressing.
The Vatican gave back three pieces of the Parthenon temple in Athens in March.