Reuters follows the continuing public relations campaign the Greek Ministry of Culture is waging to get the Elgin Marbles returned:
Greece got back more than 200 classical and medieval antiquities from European countries, a step it hopes will help bring back the Parthenon marbles from Britain. Greece’s Culture Ministry Tuesday presented the artifacts — from ancient coins and vases to parts of a Byzantine church — at a special ceremony in Athens. “We are moved to receive today… these parts of our cultural heritage,” Culture minister Antonis Samaras told reporters at the Athens Archaeological museum. “These are not just pieces of art, but precious links to people’s historical identity.” [ . . . ] Germany, Belgium and Britain returned the hundreds of items shown Tuesday following Italy’s offer of two Parthenon fragments to the new Acropolis museum last year.
Antiquities Returned to Greece (Reuters)