The Big Picture

Vincent Boland: Britain is losing the argument, and its marbles, over the Parthenon Sculptures

The British government is absurdly over-invested in keeping the Elgin Marbles, and too ready to rely on colonial-era legislation to do so

The Elgin Marbles at the British Museum: Greece and Britain have been engaged for months in a dialogue about the future of the Parthenon Sculptures, and an agreement was said at one point to be close. Picture: Getty Images

In early 1897, after an expedition to Benin City in southern Nigeria was attacked, the occupying British launched what became known as the Punitive Expedition. Over a few days, colonial forces rampaged through the city, destroying much of it and killing unknown numbers of residents.

Then the looting began, and when it was over, British soldiers had carried away enormous quantities of treasure and antiquities. These treasures, which became known as the Benin Bronzes, were ...