The Greek government has launched a new drive to have the Parthenon or Elgin Marbles returned to Athens in time for the Olympic Games, which are being hosted in the Greek capital in 2004.
The Greek Culture Minister, Mr Evangelos Venizelos, said this week that international pressure would be stepped up on Britain to return the sculptures before the Athens games.
"The period from now to 2004 will be one of intense international pressure on the British to return the Marbles," Mr Venizelos said. "The Parthenon room can't be one that will be open-mouthed, that will have gaps."
Greece is building a $58 million museum at the foot of the Acropolis Hill to house the marbles, which date from between 447 and 432 BC. They include 56 blocks of frieze and 19 statues removed from the Parthenon at the beginning of the 19th century by Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
The actresses Julie Christie, Dame Judi Dench and Emma Thompson are backing a new campaign to have the marbles returned to Athens, along with the Liberal Democrat MP, Mr Richard Allan.
The former sports minister, Mr Tony Banks, who said recently it was time for the marbles to go home, added: "They are of greater significance to Greece than they are to Britain."
Indicating a new Greek willingness to compromise on the legal ownership of the marbles, Mr Venizelos suggested that Britain could retain nominal ownership if the marbles returned to Greece on some form of long-term loan.
"We are not interested in the legal form of an agreement. The form of ownership is not important to us. In principle, we would not exclude anything from the discussion."
"What's important ... is for the marbles to return to Greece," he said. He explained that Greece was not starting a campaign for the return of other ancient artefacts in museums, "but the Parthenon Marbles are a special problem concerning a major symbolic cultural monument". In return for the marbles, Mr Venizelos said, Greece would send a series of major exhibitions to the British Museum on a "continuous basis".
It is understood that the Greek loan would include statues and vases - from the same period as the marbles - discovered in recent years during excavations for a new line for the Athens metro.
A Greek spokesman said: "Of course, also, we would ensure that the Duveen gallery (which houses the marbles in the British Museum) did not stand empty. The antiquities from the metro excavation are wonderful pieces of art which have not been seen outside Greece."
Greek reports describe the exhibits on offer as the cream of 32,000 finds from the Metro excavations currently on display in Athens.