Hi, I’m Phil From Devon…I Carved The Parthenon…

The Belgian newspaper De Morgen printed a blockbuster scoop last week – the Parthenon Marbles weren’t really made by a Greek but by a “wandering stonemason from Devon called Phil Davies who changed his name to Pheidias to ingratiate himself with his ancient Athenian patrons.” That means that the English would have a stronger claim to retaining the Marbles in the British Museum. The story included denials from the Greeks and quotes from the gloating Brits. Of course the story was a hoax, and the newspaper later printed a sheepish retraction. “It was a stupid mistake. It all happened on a Sunday when we had a skeletal staff. We noticed it ourselves the next day and ran a correction. What can you say.”