Lord Elgin, (a Scottish soldier, politician and diplomate), removed marbles from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 1800s and transported them to the British Museum in London, England. This was done with great controversy even after their arrival by Lord Byron. So, the return of the marbles has been the continued subject of great debate since their arrival.     Almost tragically, the ship carrying these treasures sunk and were only saved by a salvage mission at the time.