Greece hopes marble foot will get UK to return sculptures

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Italy has sent to Athens a small 2,500-year-old marble fragment of the Parthenon Sculptures. Greece hopes the move may lead to the British Museum returning its own share of the works to Athens. Officially, the Sicilian museum is only lending the foot of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, to Greece for a maximum of eight years. But the ultimate aim, Italian and Greek officials say, is its “indefinite return” to Athens. In exchange, Greece will loan significant antiquities to Italy. Greece’s prime minister said Monday the Italian gesture opens the way for other museums to follow suit — above all the British Museum, which has repeatedly refused to return its share of the sculptures.