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

Entry: The Top 14 Sights of Athens - A895386
Author: Gnomon - U151503

My brother-in-law went on holidays to Athens last week, so I wrote this for him. I've adapted it to the format of a normal Entry. Do you think it works?

Yes I do think it works. It's well-written as usual Gnomon, and I'd think this would be helpful advice to any holidaymaker visiting Athens.

Hi Gnomon

I don't think that this is quite as catchy as A36662664, but it has definite possibilities.

It is probably only me, but I do not care for your list of the 14 sites in the opening, like a table of contents. You can just let us read through to find each in the body of the entry.

I would much rather read a thumbnail history of the city that will bring a focus and understanding to each site as we come to them. At the very least I would like to learn about;
The founding of Athens,
The Golden Age of Greece,
The Roman Empire,
The Middle Ages,
The Ottoman Empire,
And a bit about Athens today.
Some of the things we think are common knowledge are the most interesting obscure points to others.

Also on your section about the Acropolis you mention the Parthenon, I read someplace, that most of the damage to the structure was done only a few hundred years ago, when it was being used as a storehouse for gunpowder.

Thank you for posting this;

F S

Yes, I think it works well, too. The only suggestion is that it might read better if you took the numbered list out of the introduction. It doesn't do it much harm, but it might make for a smoother read. Just a thought, though.

Were I heading to Athens, though, I'm sure if find this useful, and that's the main thing.

Thanks, everyone. I've removed the numbered "contents" list.

FS, I'm wary of including too much history, because this is covered by the Athens entry which I link to at the very start, but I suppose I could put a paragraph giving a potted history of the city.

This is a very good Entry and I agree it was a good idea to remove the list from the introductuin.

I found the rare Gnomon spelling mistake! Olmypics should be Olympics.

I went to Athens briefly in 2005 on my honeymoon – I was studying Ancient Greece at the time and we went to Rhodes after having spent a couple of days there. As I was a student, I had an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) and was able to get into the most of the historic sites free, including The Acropolis, The Ancient Agora, Kerameikos, The Arch of Hadrian and Temple of Olympian Zeus, The Roman Forum and Tower of the Winds.
Of course it is over 7 years ago now, but if you are a student, take a student card with you. I've visited at least 9 of the 14, can't remember about the markets and squares.

I am surprised that in the acropolis section that there's not even a mention of the Theatre of Dionysus, the birthplace of theatre. Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes all wrote plays specifically for this theatre!

When I visited the Archaeology Museum outside in a little square there was a member of staff smoking away next to an ancient statue... Kerameikos seemed full of tortoises and cats while I was there.

'It's worth watching the changing of the guard on Sunday morning' – the most I've laughed in a long time. Sorry, but I could not keep straight-faced with the Evzones...

<BB<

I've added a short section "A Quick Run through 3,000 Years of History" (just four paragraphs). I hope that sets the scene.

I have yet to make the change Bluebottle suggested about the Theatre of Dionysos.

I've now added Bluebottle's suggestions about the student card and the Theatre of Dionysos.

I also met a tortoise in Kerameikos and two more in the ruins of the Library of Hadrian. That was the beginning of November, so many of the tortoises were probably already hibernating.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Congratulations!

Thanks. I'll find a suitable photo.

I'd just like to casually mention A13911725 Things to See and Do in Vienna, Austria, which is a similar-themed article that contains several photographs.

I think an article of this calibre would benefit from containing a fair few photos, but that is just a personal view...

<BB<

excellent work

At your suggestion, Bluebottle, I've selected six pictures for this entry. The artists can decide which if any to feature on the entry.

That's great. Thank you Gnomon.