Delphi Bank launches petition for return of the Parthenon marbles

Delphi Bank has started a petition to call on the British Museum to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece. 

The bank’s general manager Jim Sarris said the petition aims to “seek justice for our heritage and past generations” and raise “awareness of this social issue”.

“For Delphi Bank, it’s about the strength that lies in unity of community when fighting a common cause, and the strength of culture and heritage which comes from at long last unifying the marbles with their homeland.”

The Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles Committee leads Elly Symons and George Vardas call on signatories to “make their voice heard”.

“‘We are confident Australians will lend their support to the reunification of the divided sculptures in Greece and within sight of the Parthenon monument,” the Committee said. 

Artist Natalie Rompotis has partnered with the bank to create an artwork ‘L E A D T H E W A Y’ to help reinforce their message. 

“Ever since its independence from Ottoman rule, Greece has been requesting from the United Kingdom, the repatriation of its – and my – cultural heritage.” 

“As such, I am proud to partner with [Delphi Bank] in the creation of artworks that seek to capture the beauty and genius of this monument to humankind.”

The marbles — 17 figures and part of a frieze that decorated the 2,500-year-old Acropolis monument — were taken from the ancient temple by Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, in the early 19th century. They have been at the centre of a long dispute between the Greece and the United Kingdom.

Britain maintains that Elgin acquired the sculptures legally when Greece was ruled by the Ottomans. The Greek government says they were stolen and wants them returned for display in the new Acropolis Museum that opened in 2009.

The petition will be available across the bank’s branches in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, and online.