The British army forced the repatriation of native works of art to their places of origin after conquering France in 1815. So there was this ditty in France that went something like Rome is no longer in Rome, It's all in Paris. And I think that's what very much inspired Napoleon and he did bring these things back and have, you know, his kind of equivalent to a triumph in Paris.
Should the British Museum return the Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens about 200 years ago? What should be the purpose of museums, education or social justice? Listen as Tiffany Jenkins, author of Keeping Their Marbles, discusses these questions and more with EconTalk host Russ Roberts.