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

Wasn't that Sparta, rather than Troy: the lambda stood for Lakedaemonia, the area where their polis was situated??

My goodness, Advocatus Dioboli, you're right! I quickly looked it up, and it was indeed Sparta's shield. My college notes from some 5+ years ago have it noted correctly, but I must have slipped and gotten them confused while writing this guide entry.

I'll write in to the Editors to make a quick correction, and will likely also add a couple of suggestions for additions to the article. It may take a while for the change to be noted, though.

In the meanwhile, this conversation will hopefully help to inform anyone particularly interested in the lambda symbol.

Thanks for pointing out my error. One nice thing about h2g2 is that there are plenty of people in the know to correct any errors I make.

No worries glad to be of service.

This is a great place for people with diverse interests.

Have you read "Gates of Fire" (by Steven Pressfield, I think) an interesting novelisation of the defence of Thermopylae.

No, I haven't, actually. Should I?

It's well worth a read, yes.

Technically speaking, as Sparta was an *ancient* Greek city-state, they would not have used the inverted-y Lambda letterform, because the cursive Greek alphabet did not then exist. They would have used the inverted-V form instead.

True. However, the inverted form is what people use today as a gay-positive symbol. I don't think I've ever seen it in its original form in this context, but I could be wrong.

I've noticed your comments on several related posts and have found them interesting. Thanks for contributing to the discussion, darkness.

Fixed.