Tony Blair wanted to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece, newly released documents have revealed.
He wanted to return the artefact as part of an attempt to boost the UK's bid to host the Olympics.
The papers, released by the National Archives under the 20 year rule, show Downing Street thought the Marbles would be a "powerful bargaining chip" in the battle to host the 2012 summer games.
But they warned that a sharing agreement would be opposed by Athens as a result of the "blinkered intransigence" of the British Museum, which has been home to the artefacts since the 19th century.
Tony Blair wanted to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece, newly released documents have revealed
PA
In a letter to a senior Cabinet Office official, the former Prime Minister said he had consulted the Greek culture minister on the plans.
Blair said the Greek official confirmed that, as the host city, Athens would be consulted extensively on the suitability of the next host city.
The ex-PM said: "It would not be difficult to get the Greeks to put their support behind a London bid for 2012 as a quid pro quo (for agreement on the Marbles), given that Paris is competing and the Greeks might normally go for the French".
In November, Rishi Sunak had a public spat with the Greek Prime Minister after cancelling a planned meeting with the European leader over the marbles.
This came after Kyriakos Mitsotakis publicly pushed for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece in an interview with the BBC.
But Downing Street claimed it received assurances that the Greek prime minister would not publically call for the return of the artefacts during his visit.
At the time, Sunak said: "Of course we’re always happy to discuss important topics of substance with our allies, like tackling illegal migration or indeed strengthening our security.
“But when it was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues of the future but rather to grandstand and relitigate issues of the past, it was inappropriate.”
But Lina Mendoni, the Greek culture minister, accused the UK of “barbarism” in its treatment of the sculptures.
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She said: “Greece is continuing to talk with the British Museum … but the sculptures are the product of theft.
“They are in the British Museum today as the product of theft. Greece is intensifying its claim, focusing on the barbarism the sculptures suffered not only under Elgin but during their years on display [in London]."