Stolen Greek and Roman Antiquities

Art is a matter of taste. All throughout history differing elements of society have held the belief that the art of the Ancient Greek's and Roman's should be interpreted as the pinnacle of all artistic achievement. This has led to a collecting mentality and the complex issue of ownership. Most people hope to surround themselves with objects which they consider beautiful; the ways and means by which this is achieved can be legal or against the law. The trade in stolen Greek and Roman artefacts has become a major problem in the past thirty years. This is not a recent phenomenon. The Roman's led the campaign with their plundering mentality. The Grand Tour collectors of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries aided the appeal of the antique. This thesis is a survey of the history of stolen antique objects - from the era of the Roman's to the present day. What are the motivating factors behind the antiquities trade? What is their value? Can anything be done to alleviate the illegal traffic? Who are the beneficiaries from this trade? But fundamentally, the question arises, who has the right to own our common world heritage