A fact from Baking in ancient Rome appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 20 January 2023 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the wealth of bakers in ancient Rome may have contributed to them receiving a negative reputation?
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Latest comment: 1 year ago6 comments3 people in discussion
The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.
... that Cicero considered baking to be a "vulgar" profession? Source: Bagnall, Roger S; Brodersen, Kai; Champion, Craige B; Erskine, Andrew; Huebner, Sabine R, eds. (2013-01-21). Bakers and Baking (1 ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah30029. ISBN 978-1-4051-7935-5.
Overall: It would be an interesting hook if you would clarify who Cicero is and why the bolded link goes to Baking in Ancient Rome. Something like "Ancient Roman statesman Cicero considered baking to be a "vulgar" profession" would help the layman reader understand the context better. Change that, and I would wholeheartedly love it! Why? I Ask (talk) 01:11, 6 January 2023 (UTC)Reply
The original hook turned out to be a small bit misleading upon further inspection. The article, and the source I used, implied that Cicero used the word "vulgar" to describe baking. He did not. He just included it in a list of professions he didn't like. The original quote by Cicero is:
"I say nothing of those ordinary arts, cooks, bakers, and litter-bearers; he has so many slaves to gratify his mind and ears, that the whole neighbourhood resounds with the daily music of voices, and stringed instruments, and flutes. In such a life as this, O judges, how great a daily expense, and what extravagance do you think there must be? And what banquets? Honourable no doubt in such a house; if that is to be called a house rather than a workshop of wickedness, and a lodging for every sort of iniquity."
I think this alternative hook is a little bit better. ALT1: ... that the wealth of bakers in ancient Rome may have contributed to them receiving a negative reputation? Source: Bagnall, Roger S; Brodersen, Kai; Champion, Craige B; Erskine, Andrew; Huebner, Sabine R, eds. (2013-01-21). Bakers and Baking (1 ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah30029. ISBN 978-1-4051-7935-5. Graearms (talk) 22:08, 6 January 2023 (UTC)Reply
I agree that that's a better, more understandable-for-the-layman hook. I will obviously AGF on the source (especially after doing more research to find that the first may have been false). I went ahead and bolded it for you. Why? I Ask (talk) 01:07, 8 January 2023 (UTC)Reply
Latest comment: 1 year ago1 comment1 person in discussion
Is it just me, or does this article need a major writing style overhaul? Sentence structure is very basic; the average words per sentence (WpS) is 13.3, the longest sentence is 33 words long. For comparison, the article on the First Punic War has an average WpS of 19.42, with some sentences reaching 50 words. This article reads like a See Spot Run book. I'd do it myself, but English is not my first language, and the article has been selected for the DYK list, so I'll welcome other opinions on this. Rizzardi (talk) 13:32, 20 January 2023 (UTC)Reply
A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
It would be an interesting hook if you would clarify who Cicero is and why the bolded link goes to Baking in Ancient Rome. Something like "Ancient Roman statesman Cicero considered baking to be a "vulgar" profession" would help the layman reader understand the context better. Change that, and I would wholeheartedly love it! Why? I Ask (talk) 01:11, 6 January 2023 (UTC)
I agree that that's a better, more understandable-for-the-layman hook. I will obviously AGF on the source (especially after doing more research to find that the first may have been false). I went ahead and bolded it for you. Why? I Ask (talk) 01:07, 8 January 2023 (UTC)
