▁the ▁Lou vre ▁a ▁met ope ▁and ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁Par then on ▁fr ie ze . ▁ ▁The ▁Egypt ian ▁campaign ▁ent a iled ▁his ▁imprison ment ▁and ▁his ▁exp ulsion ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁He ▁arrived ▁in ▁complete ▁dest itution ▁in ▁Paris ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 0 1 , ▁six teen ▁years ▁after ▁leaving ▁France . ▁He ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁Institute . ▁Se ek ing ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Greece , ▁he ▁obtained ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Vice - Cons ul ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁Ath ens . ▁He ▁was ▁back ▁there ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 0 3 . ▁There ▁he ▁competed ▁with ▁Lord ▁El gin ' s ▁agents , ▁including ▁Giovanni ▁Batt ista ▁L us ieri , ▁for ▁the ▁Par then on ▁mar bles . ▁T aking ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁revers al ▁of ▁the ▁al li ances , ▁the ▁French ▁vice - cons ul ▁managed ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁self - same ▁agents ▁search ▁on ▁his ▁beh alf . ▁However , ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁work ▁he ▁was ▁considering : ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁get ▁away ▁from ▁Ath ens ▁where ▁his ▁cons ular ▁activities , ▁however ▁rare , ▁held ▁him ▁back . ▁A bove ▁all , ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁financial ▁means ▁to ▁open ▁large ▁projects . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁content ed ▁himself ▁with ▁limited ▁research ▁that ▁he ▁never ▁published . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁way , ▁he ▁sold ▁the ▁objects ▁that ▁he ▁discovered , ▁thus ▁leaving ▁the ▁trav ellers ▁who ▁became