“Greece Recovers Hundreds of Archaeological Artifacts from Controversial British Antiquarian”

Greece has recovered hundreds of archaeological artifacts held for years by a controversial British antiquarian. These include a statue of Alexander the Great from the 2nd century BC, as well as vases, jewelery and sculptures.

The trader in question, Robin Symes, collected historical artifacts with his company for years through a network of illegal traders. He was long regarded as one of the most important antique dealers in England, until he was exposed in the 1990s.

In 2006, the Greek authorities began an investigation into the objects illegally removed from Greece. The investigation resulted in a years-long legal battle between the country and Symes’ company, which has since been dissolved.

Yesterday, the Greek Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, announced that the 351 objects will be returned to Greece. The objects date from the New Stone Age to the Byzantine Empire, the continuation of the Roman Empire.

In 2016, Swiss and Italian police discovered that Symes had stored numerous archaeological objects in a warehouse complex in Geneva. Some 17,000 objects from the Greek, Roman and Etruscan periods were spread over dozens of chests.

Greece has been trying for years to recover such looted archaeological art. Last March, as a “friendly gesture”, the Vatican returned three fragments of ancient statues to Greece. They came from the Parthenon, the temple to the goddess Athena that was built on the Acropolis in Athens in the 5th century BC.

The country is also negotiating with the British Museum for parts of the Parthenon that the museum owns in London.