Greece has called for the return of the so-called Elgin Marbles from the British Museum as a symbolic act in the fight against anti-democratic forces seeking “the dissolution of Europe”.

The Athens government, which decided against taking legal action against the UK last year, will instead renew diplomatic efforts with an offer to regularly loan some of the wonders of Ancient Greece to British institutions in exchange.

While it is unknown what might be offered, Greek museums hold astonishing art works created in antiquity. The arrival of art such as the “golden mask of Agamemnon” or the statue of Zeus/Poseidon could be expected to cause the same kind of interest as the first arrival in the UK of the Terracotta Army from China in the 1980s.

The Marbles, taken by Lord Elgin more than 200 years ago when Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire, represent about half the sculptures that once adorned the Parthenon temple. It was built in Athens about 2,500 years ago after the world's first democracy fought off attempts by the Persian Empire to conquer the city. The sculptures are widely recognised as among the finest ever created.

Lydia Koniordou, the Greek Minister of Culture and Sport, said allowing the restoration of this founding monument of Western values would send a message about Europe’s commitment to democracy – at a time when many believe this is under threat from rising nationalism.

“The reunification of the Parthenon Marbles will be a symbolic act that will highlight the fight against the forces that undermine the values and foundations of the European case against those seeking the dissolution of Europe,” Ms Koniordou said.

“The Parthenon monument represents a symbol of Western civilization. It is the emblem of democracy, dialogue and freedom of thought.”

Greece is carrying out restoration work on the Parthenon and has built a museum specifically designed to display the sculptures, but currently only has slightly less than half of them. Other fragments are held by several museums in Europe.

Elgin’s staff removed the sculptures somewhat crudely – for example, the heads of a centaur and a human in a dramatic fight scene are in Athens, while their bodies are in London.

Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece Show all 9 1 /9 Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece This golden death mask was discovered in the ruins of ancient Mycenae in 1876 by Heinrich Schliemann after he went looking for the palace of Agamemnon, a central figure in the Trojan War. It has since dated the mask to an even earlier period Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece This extraordinary bronze sculpture, known as the Artemision Jockey, dates from around 140BC Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece This incredibly life-like bronze statue of the Roman Emperor Augustus has been dated at between 12BC and 10BC, partly because he wears a ring showing he had become Pontifex Maximus, a title he assumed in 12BC Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece A scene from a battle in the Trojan War in black-figure technique. The scene, from Homer’s the Iliad, probably shows fighting around the body of Patroklos, whose death moved Achilles to rejoin the fighting in decisive fashion Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece A gravestone from about 425BC showing a woman called Ampharete with her grandchild. “I hold here the beloved child of my daughter, which I held on my knees when we were alive and saw the light of the sun, and now, dead, I hold it dead,” a carving on the stone says Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece The Parthenon Temple in Athens was built in the fifth century BC to replace an early structure destroyed by the Persian army in 480BC. It was decorated with sculptures showing Olympian gods, giants, Amazons, a fight between Centaurs and human Lapiths, what is believed to have been a religious procession in honour of the goddess Athena, and other scenes Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece Figures known as caryatids on the porch of the Erechtheion, another temple on the Acropolis in Athens. Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece A Centaur and a human in a fight scene taken from the Parthenon temple by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s and now on display in the British Museum. The figures’ heads are in Athens Ian Johnston Archaeological treasures of ancient Greece A wall painting from a house in Akrotiri, Santorini, which was covered with ash from a volcanic eruption in about 1,500BC. It shows swallows swooping among clusters of red lillies Ian Johnston

Professor Louis Godart, the newly elected chairman of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS), said: “It’s unthinkable that a monument which has been torn apart 200 years ago, which represents the struggle of the world's first democracy for its own survival, is divided into two.

“We must consider that the Parthenon is a monument that represents our democratic Europe so it is vital that this monument be returned to its former glory.”

In a statement, IARPS said the Greek government had “resolved to renew and intensify its efforts for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures”.

“The centrepiece of Greece’s renewed push for the return of the sculptures will be a proposal – made in a true spirit of compromise – to offer recurring, long-term loans of rare archaeological treasures from Greek museums in exchange for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum,” IARPS said.

“Greece and its supporters will not rest until all the known surviving sculptural elements from the Parthenon are reunited in the Acropolis Museum in full view of the monument which they once adorned.”

Greece is still suffering the effects of the 2008 recession in what is now essentially a humanitarian crisis, with pensions cut in half, youth unemployment at nearly 50 per cent – a level it has been at for years – and medical services crumbling.

The European Union and other international creditors have demanded policies of austerity in exchange for keeping the economy afloat with huge loans. At the same time, Greece has been struggling to cope with the influx of refugees fleeing the brutal civil war in Syria.

While nationalism has been rising across Europe, the violent, neofascist Golden Dawn party is now Greece’s third largest party with support from about 10 per cent of voters.

In January, one of Golden Dawn’s leaders told The Independent that Donald Trump’s election had “given us a new wind of support”.

“It’s validating and reinforcing our nationalistic and patriotic policies – policies that we have been advocating for years,” Elias Panagiotaros said.

“We should follow Trump’s beat. We shouldn’t leave Greece like an open field for migrants to come and go as they want. We should reclaim our country and our interests and put them first, just like Trump.”

Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Show all 9 1 /9 Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Nikolaos Michaloliakos, leader of the Golden Dawn party, addresses supporters in front of the party's offices in Athens during the commemoration of the death of three officers in 1996 during the Imia crisis that brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war Getty Images Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Supporters of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party lift torches and wave national and party flags during an annual rally to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Imia dispute, in Athens, Greece Reuters Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Golden Dawn supporters wave flags and chant slogans in front of the party's offices in Athens to commemorate the death of three officers in 1996 during the Imia crisis that brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war Getty Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Supporters of Greek ultra nationalist party Golden Dawn hold Greek national flags and torches during a gathering of Greek nationalists in central Athens, to commemorate the death of three Greek military officers Getty Images Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Supporters of the Greek ultra nationalist party Golden Dawn hold Greek national flags and torches during a gathering of Greek nationalists in central Athens, to commemorate the death of three Greek military officers Getty Images Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Protesters hold banners in a march to the US Embassy and to the offices of far-right wing party Golden Dawn, during an anti-fascist rally organized by leftist movements in Athens, Greece EPA Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Protesters hold banners in a march to the US Embassy and to the offices of far-right wing party Golden Dawn, during an anti-fascist rally organized by leftist movements in Athens, Greece EPA Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Supporters of Greece's extreme right Golden Dawn party raise torches during a rally commemorating a 1996 military incident which cost the lives of three Greek navy officers and brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war, in Athens AP Golden Dawn rally in Athens, Greece Supporters of Greece's extreme right party Golden Dawn attend a rally in Athens AP

The sculptures show scenes including what is believed to be a procession in honour of the goddess Athena, a fight scene between centaurs and humans, and several Ancient Greek gods.

Andrew George, chairman of the British Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, said returning the sculptures to Athens would help the UK's reputation in Europe following the Brexit referendum vote.

“Britain has nothing to lose and so much to gain from engaging with the Greek Government in this way,” he said.

“A gracious act by the British would lift our reputation at the very moment our otherwise threadbare negotiating position with the EU appears so grubby and self-seeking.

“Such a high level and deeply symbolic gesture of this kind would also help counteract the tide of growing right-wing intolerance that is taking hold across Europe.

“Britain has nothing to lose but a deeply damaged reputation – having clung on for over 200 years to such important artefacts which were stolen from the Greeks when they could do nothing to stop it – and has much to gain at the very time Britain's reputation needs enhancing amongst those countries it wants to do a deal with.”

And the offer of ancient treasures from Greece “would more than compensate for the apparent loss” of the Marbles, he said.

The British Government has routinely dismissed calls for the return of the sculptures to Greece.