Cameron: Britain Will Keep Parthenon Marbles

MarblesBritish Prime Minister David Cameron has reiterated that England will keep the stolen Parthenon Marbles plundered from the Acropolis nearly 200 years ago by a British diplomat because he doesn’t believe in “returnism.”

Cameron cited the marbles, stolen goods sold to the British Museum by Lord Elgin, during a visit to India where he told officials there that England will also keep a valuable diamond given to Queen Victoria in 1850 when India was a British colony.

Despite polls that show even the British believe England should give back the marbles, the British museum and government don’t want to return the stolen property because it’s a major tourist draw and brings in money.

Cameron told Indian officials he would reject their request for the return of the Koh-i-noor diamond. The Koh-i-noor diamond is set in the crown of the late Queen Mother and is on display with the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. It was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 under the Empire’s rule. India has made repeated requests for its return.

“It is the same question with the Elgin marbles,” Cameron said, referring to the classical Greek marble sculptures currently on display at the British Museum in London, and using the name the British give them. The late Greek actress and former Culture Minister Melina Mercouri referred to them as the Parthenon Marbles because she said the English had no right to them.

Greece has long campaigned for the marbles, which are part of the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis and which were removed by Lord Elgin during Ottoman rule, to be returned to their rightful place.

“The right answer is for the British Museum and other cultural institutions to do exactly what they do, which is to link up with other institutions around the world to make sure that the things which we have and look after so well are properly shared with people around the world,” Cameron said, even though they are not the museum’s property.

For many years the British Museum said Greece did not have a proper place to display the marbles but Greek officials asked for their return when the New Acropolis Museum opened several years ago, prompting the English to find other excuses why they wouldn’t give back the valuables.





  1. Are you going to start trolling me like the Skopians do too? Do you see it as more rational to use your energy attacking Greeks trying to protect their country… or to use it attacking your actual enemies?

    I constantly talk about this issue because not enough Greeks are doing so. (and certainly not GR reporter) There is a very real chance of another war arising over it. Too many Greeks… especially on the left… are ignoring FYROM’s attempts to delete us.  Ignoring it only gives strength to our enemies.

  2. The really sad part is the lefitsts haven’t learned anything from this experience. They’ve moved even further left to communism. The comrades want to equally share everything Greece produces… which of course is essentially still nothing.

  3. The Greek government didn’t ask for everything the BM has to be returned. It just asked for the Elgan Marbles. They belong in Greece. I think they belong reattached to the Parthenon.

    IWere it up to me I would encase the entire Acropolis in some sort of glass structure to protect it. It has survived the last 2500 years but it will not survive the next 2500 unless we take measures to protect it from the elements. The Acropolis is the holiest ground on this earth. It must be protected.

  4. When the article is appropriate thats fine but we can also have a discusion that does not involve Skopians

  5. Ok the marbles belong to Greece, but so Macedonia belongs to Macedonia!, how much land has greece stolen from the neighbours?! Today’s Greeks are not the same as they were 2500 years ago? In fact today’s Greeks have nothing to do with that time Greeks! They were all blond and smart.

  6. When Greece returns all the things they have stolen (Aegean Macedonian land included) and the 350 billion euro’s, then we will have another board meeting with Mr Erdogan & Ms Merkel.

    Thank you.

  7.  As a Greek citizen living in Greece i have to say this:

    I FULLY SUPPORT the act of the British government to keep the Parthenon marbles in England.
    That is, because if they return them to Greece, we will sold them to any investors interested in the marbles, just like we sold our country and our public companies to those foreign investors. But having those marbles in England? At least the marbles receive the care and treat they deserve.

  8. – Elgin! what are you doing on the Parthenon with that axe?

    – Why Im “saving” it! cant you tell? It belongs to the world, so therefore im taking parts of it back to England where ill keep them in my personal stash till hard times hit. then ill sell them to the BM to support my lifestyle….its my right!

    – what a hero you are old chap! had you been darker skinned, it would have been called stealing, but as a fine anglo gentleman, we shall call it “saving” indeed…

  9. You don’t have to discuss Skopians if you don’t want to. Please stop telling me what to discuss or I will start telling you what to discuss.

    If you want to fight we can. Again, I highly recommend you spend your energies criticizing Greece’s very real enemies.

  10.  Love how you say “return Aegean Macedonian” troll. How many handles are you using on this website troll?

  11.  Indeed Macedonia belongs to Macedonia….Greece.

    Today’s modern Slavs living in ancient Paeonia have nothing to do with ancient Macedonians – who where self-identifying Hellenes. Most of the Slavs in ancient Paeonia are direct descendents of people that as late as they early 20th century considered their roots ethnic Bulgarian.

  12. According to rocket scientist Choralife there are no Skopians trolling this website. Must be true.

  13. Don’t be as ashamed of your ethnic Bulgarian roots as I was my fellow Bulgarian. You are not a disease.

    “Let us not allow the
    do, since we are Bulgarians and all suffer from one common disease. If this
    have never fallen under the sceptre of the Turkish Sultan… ” –  my letter to Nikola Malashevski, Jan. 5 1899

  14.  Hey look… another poster that most definitely is not a Skopian according to our local genius Choralife. There are no Skopians trolling this website. Every Greek is just paranoid and imagining it according to Choralife.

  15. “we can also have a discussion that does not involve Skopians”

    According to Choralife there are no Skopians constantly trolling this website under a wide variety of handles that attempt to obfuscate their background.
    I highly recommend you direct your advice to handles “David Cameron” and “Arsenal Gelo” below. 

  16. Dear Slavs, (i.e. Pseudo-Macedonians)

    please return the lands you stole from us. We want our Turkish city of Uskub back.

    Thank you.

  17.  The funny thing of you using my handle is that the Greek posters that follow me on this website can typically tell its not me purely by the nature of your comments.

    Whether you are one of the several Skopians that uses my handle and troll this website, or are a Greek moron more interested in fighting with Greeks trying to defend their country…. all you are achieving is providing substance to my argument we are being trolled by Skopians.

    Keep it up.

  18. More on British governments… and US…..secret backstabbing of NATO
     ally Greece. Wikileaks releaseed a classified UK government document that unambiously shows the Greek-hating trolls in the UK ARE LOBBYING FOR FYROM.


    Passed to the
    Telegraph by WikiLeaks 9:06PM GMT 04 Feb 2011

    Ref ID: 08LONDON1112

    Date: 4/18/2008 14:00

    Origin: Embassy London

    Classification: CONFIDENTIAL

    Destination: 08STATE40462

    PRIORITY 0145


    C O N F I D E N T I
    40462 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Maura Connelly for
    1.4 (b) and (d).

    1. (C) HMG has been
    engaging, and will continue to engage with, senior Greek leadership to
    encourage Athens to be more flexible in its position on the Macedonia name
    issue. FCO Balkans Group Deputy Director Adam Bye said that the British
    Ambaasador (HMA) to Greece had met with Foreign Minister Bakoyiani on April 14,
    stressing many of the points contained reftel. Bakoyiani’s reaction showed
    little movement from that of the Greek position we have heard over the past few
    months – that it was Skopje refusing to be flexible, and that Greece has worked
    as hard as it could within the UN mediating process. According to Bye,
    Bakoyiani also added that progress was unlikely before the June 1 Macedonian
    elections. Bye said the FCO would summarize the points contained reftel for HMA
    in Athens, advise him of the other countries the USG has requested to assist,
    and ask him to approach the FM once again. HMA may also contact Ambassador
    Speckhard to discuss joint approaches to the Greek government.

    2. (C) Bye
    underlined that HMG is as concerned as the USG about the Greece-Macedonia
    impasse, and its impact on the NATO Alliance and Balkan stability and in the
    longer term, EU unity. He shared a readout of an April 18 video conference
    which he attended and included representatives from UK Missions to Greece,
    Macedonia, NATO and the EU: the UK appreciates and will continue to support
    U.S. efforts to remove the Greek block on Macedonian accession to NATO; the
    June 1 Macedonian elections represent an additional challenge, and the UK will
    urge political parties on all sides not to politicize the name issue or appeal
    to nationalistic instincts to gain support; while the UK shares the U.S. desire
    that this issue be resolved within the next few weeks, it is more likely to
    require a “sustained push,” at least until the Macedonian elections;
    London’s Classified Website:


  19. Key excerpts from the government of our alleged NATO “allies” in the UK…

    “the UK appreciates and will continue to support U.S. efforts to remove the Greek block on Macedonian accession to NATO”

    “the UK will lobby other EU members to exert
    influence on Athens”

  20.  No mention about this in the classified document by our clearly principled allies…..

    “It is no
    wonder that, in matters of politics in the Balkans, Greece feels misunderstood.
    It cannot understand why, after it stood alone with the United Kingdom against
    the forces of fascism between 28 October 1940–Ohi day, as it is still
    called–and 27 April 1941, when Athens finally fell, its former allies now
    appear to be taking the part of forces against which it stood, especially when,
    after the second world war, it endured those further four years of civil war to
    hold the line against the communist advance to the Aegean.

    That was done for
    the United States and for the United Kingdom especially–the world powers of the
    time–and those Governments objected, in 1944, to Tito’s change of the name of
    Vardar Banovina.” 

    – British House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 May 1995

  21. Nothing but British thieves, I’d seize anything of equal value that the British have in (India’s) banks. Screw the Queen!

  22. Mr Cameron has no right to insist on keeping the stolen marbles and is so sad
    he can not see the difference with the diamond that was given to theQueen and
    is up to Queen to ask for it or have it for display for her people to admire,the Greeks
    never had the chance to choose to have them stolen or being admired by them!!!!
    The Greek Marbles are not representing Creece,they are  Creece!!!

  23.  The original British disappeared a long time ago. Today’s modern Brits are a mix of various ethnic groups that just call themselves British. Greece should “recognize” the Slavs in Poland as the “real” English. I’m sure David Cameron and the Queen would be amused. No doubt they would rush to “recognize” them and not be in the least concerned rhat they were teaching their children that a third of the UK is “British occupied England”.

  24. Let me make this as unambiguous as possible. The Skopians are, quite literally, trying to subtlety ethnically erase the Greek people.

    Most of the “Greeks” that don’t see this FYROM issue as high priority are like passengers of a slowly sinking ship irrationally and selfishly complaining about the lack of service. Rather than the arduous thankless task of plugging holes and pumping out water, they are more far interested in whining about having no Twinkies for themselves.

    Poverty we can undergo and eventually recover. However, the ship will eventually sink unless we address this fundamental FYROM problem that once again threatens the very existence of the Greek people and state.

    Our chief problem isn’t even really the Skopians. It’s their patronizing anti-Hellenic scumbag apologists that pretend not to notice their behavior. (and that would include some of our cowardly far leftists not just foreigners)

  25. It is neither. I am right wing and love Greece. I am so right wing I am a white supremacist. Of course, it creates giggles at White Supremacist meetings when brown guys like us walk in.

  26. Greece with nuclear weapons? Surely we have a stable democracy that is mature enough for those!

  27. There are Skopians in my walls. I hear them when I sleep. They whisper ‘Tri…. Kila… Banani..’ over and over…

  28. You are either one of the foreigners that occasionally hijacks my handle (typically Skopians) or a clueless Greek leftist.  Which is it?

  29. You are about as “Greek” as the Skopians that troll this website.

    There is no such thing as a “mature” nuclear weapon state. War by its very nature is barbaric. There are just governments that have them and governments that don’t. Anti-Hellenic fools like you want us to have no weapons so Greeks have have our throats cut again by IMRO, Turks, and any other threat.

    Even though they support the Palestinians do you see Turkey constantly invading Israeli territory waters like they do Greek? Bullies aren’t quite so tough when they know they are carrying a knife to a gun fight.

  30. Direct your advice to handles “David Cameron” and “Arsenal Gelo” below dear.

  31. I am not racist troll. It is you that is racist against Greeks. Where are you posts criticizing Skopians threatening Greece? (and their apologists  who pretend not to notice)

  32. Hey “Alex”.. didn’t you claim to be “German” last time out? Germans know a thing or two about nazism no? I find it more likely you were lying about that too though.

  33. “Surely we have a stable democracy”

    “We”? You are Greek today? I thought you claimed to be German last time out? Already forgotten your past claims? You really should write down all your personas because you confuse yourself with your constant handle swapping.

  34.  fyi – the troll using my “Alex” handle claimed to be “German” a few days ago. On the thread today he claims to be Greek.

  35. Dude were you molested by skopian day laborer when you were a child?

    There could be an article about how life was found on a nearby planet and below it you’d write about Skopians.

  36. its a damn shame really….shame on the British Museum for having to make money this way….

  37. I hope Cameron (who believes theft is ok) will reflect on this when someone appears in court for theft or receiving stolen goods and says, “I don’t believe in returnism”. The prime minister thinks it’s ok.

    Cameron is not only dishonest (“I believe in fair play”) he spouts, but he’s also a twat!

  38. They are NOT the Elgin marbles, they are the Parthenon marbles removed by Elgin for his own ends.
    When the Germans stole art treasures in the Second World War they were criticised by the British government.
    Why on earth Cameron thinks it’s ok for him to be dishonest I can’t imagine.
    If he’s dishonest about keeping stolen property, what else is he dishonest about?
    Time for him to go!

  39. British Prime Minister David Cameron has reiterated that England will keep the stolen Parthenon Marbles plundered from the Acropolis nearly 200 years ago by a British diplomat because he doesn’t believe in “returnism.” now lets look at that last word here, “RETURNISM”, sure believes in it when it comes to tax return forms, freaking idiot

  40. screw you idiot, you have no clue where Makedonia is located. All the stupid Yugoslavs who break up their country now ashamed of being Yugoslavs and want to be Greeks.

  41. Bribing the Turks to rip off Greek heritage and history for the British to benefit from a country like Greece who was bleeding from the Ottoman Emprire at that time? When someone is wounded, you will rip of their jewelry to save them, then you will keep them to benefit from?
    is that proper British logic? Why just don’t call it stilling? it is a crime!

  42. Schools debate the Parthenon Marbles

    Year 3 Dunottar School , Reigate, England

    We enjoyed looking at your website and had a good discussion about the Elgin marbles.In
    class we discussed whether the Elgin marbles should stay at the British Museum
    or be returned to Athens.

    Most of us felt they should be returned because they were made in Athens by
    very skilful sculptors and although we think it is great that we can see them
    we still think they should be returned.

    Elgin was told that he could take anything from the ground with pleasure but
    he didn’t. He stole beautiful sculptures from the temple and cut off the frieze
    from the walls. This is theft as he wasn’t given permission and so they should
    be given back immediately.

    Some of us felt that the marbles should stay in England because more people can
    see the marbles if they stay. If people cannot travel they would never appreciate
    the skill of the Ancient Greeks if the marbles stayed in one place. London always
    gets lots of visitors and many of these visit the British Museum. Another reason
    they should stay is if the Greeks get the Elgin marbles the Egyptians might want
    their artefacts back and eventually we might not have many artefacts left in this
    country for us to appreciate

    Bewbush Primary School Year 5 (SS)

    “We have been using your website to research about the Elgin Marbles because
    we are studying the Ancient Greeks.

    We have been debating and writing persuasive letters about the Elgin Marbles.
    The Year 5 class have been divided between keeping the marbles in Britain and
    sending the marbles back to Greece . Here are their opinions;

    “Send the marbles back to Greece ”

    The marbles should go back to Greece because they were made in Greece so they
    should stay in Greece !

    I think that the Elgin Marbles should go back to Greece because the Greeks
    put their sweat and blood into making them. Britain has made enough money from
    the marbles to make them rich so they should give them back to Greece !

    From my point of view Britain should not have taken the marbles and I demand
    that you give them back to Greece !