Zealots

Athens is afflicted with a peculiarly pestilential group of "reformers," who object to low necks, short skirts and bare arms for Greek women. They are known as "The Zealots." Whenever they spy a woman so indecent as to expose arms, neck or ankles, the zealots sneak up and daub tar on the exposed portion.

Several zealots have been half thrashed to death by escorts of women so insulted. The head zealot is a grocer of Piraes, the port of Athens. He is described as a "short, ugly, fat, illiterate person."