Historical and cultural coincidence, such as the fall of the Byzantine Empire, and the Renaissance, generated a strong current of admiration for ancient Greek civilization. This admiration was the main cause of the collective passion of educated, Western monarchs and tycoons, who at any cost would try to obtain original, ancient objects. As a result, it is such cultural events which have immensely favoured the development of antiquities smuggling. Thus, Greece has been deprived of valuable works of art. Unfortunately, this scourge continues in our days to trouble our country, since unscrupulous Greek and foreign, perfectly equipped, antiquities smugglers manage to transport abroad remarkable ancient and Mediaeval works of art.