h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good to see this on the Front Page, and with a great photo too.

You forgot to mention that Greek women were expected to balance large pieces of masonry on their heads

Icy

LOL

Thanks Icy!

Quote of the Day on Monday?

Good entry but I feel that you have a 'modern' view on the situation (which is good because we are 'modern') but you could have put it more in the context of the age you have written about.

*Big* point though, it should be 'Classical Athenian Women', not 'Ancient Athenian Women'.

Classical Athens and Ancient Athens are different things.

Hope that doesn't sound too critical, I do think it's a good entry

Really? What was the difference?

Ancient (or to be technical, Archaic) Greece, refers to the period from around 800 BC to about 500 BC. The fifth and fourth centuries are the 'Classical' period. The 'Hellenistic' period followed (from the time of Alexander the Great to the Roman conquest of the Eastern Mediterranean) and then the 'Roman' period (usually dated from when Augustus defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium in 31BC.)

These periods aren't fixed in stone, and some people would ignore them as being arbitrary, but they are used as a general rule.

Perhaps I'm too picky

Sorry, me again!

But it's worth mentioning that, in classical Athens, a woman was deemed 'higher up the social rung' (I really can't think of a better way of expressing that) by how pale her skin was; the thinking being that the richer a woman was, the less time she had to spend out of doors.
The citizens of Rome, a couple of centuries later, (who were incorrigible Graecophiles) took this to an extreme because Roman women applied make-up to make their skin appear as pale as possible. Much of this make-up included poisonous ingredients (mercury or somesuch) and led to premature death. They were, quite literally, fashion victims!

That's very interesting, thanks!

I'm not sure about getting the title changed because I think the average bod will understand. What do you think?

No, I think you're right to leave it because people will know what it means.