I’m pretty well educated on Alexander and the west, but my new field of interest has been in Persia and Mesopotamia throughout history, and I’ve just gotten into the Islamic conquests. It’s hard to find a lot of really good comprehensive sources, but as a sort of template of understanding is it reasonable to compare what Alexander did to Muhammad and the immediate few generations after him? Massive and rapid expansion, massive influx of technology/money/resources, and then massive breakup after the main personalities die out? I’m really interested in the breakup of the caliphates and trying to learn about their dynasties and how each developed their own cultures. Also if anyone has good sources on this topic that would be super helpful.

So I’ve been trying to figure out if orders have to be religious in some way because I think that it just has to be a group of people like an organization but I’m not sure

They were independent 59 years before the Scramble for Africa started (1822 vs 1881), and they had good relationships with other European powers. In addition, they were right above Egypt, and could have had a lot easier of a strategic time controlling it than Britain did.

Did Jesus (biblical figure or the “real” Jesus) interpret the Old Testament literally?

Have been thinking about Dave Grossman's ON KILLING and how reluctant soldiers were in years past to shoot at enemy soldiers and how they'd often aim to miss. And also that there is a powerful human aversion to stabbing someone, that bayonets were used almost never.

And it got me thinking: would there be less taboo attached to a bladed attack, less revulsion, in a culture where bladed weapons were the norm?

If I were a twenty-five year old English dude in 1350, what are the chances that I've seen with my own eyes someone have their arms hacked off or their head caved in asymmetrically or their throats slit or etc?

I'm talking in day-to-day life, not in battle or other special circumstances . . .

My girlfriend asked me this when I was watching something about WWII and it really got me thinking it? Did they just shoot them? That’s what I assume.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I’m getting ready to enroll in a Master’s program with a focus on US and World History. I’m a middle school US and World History teacher as well. In my spare time I read about a pretty eclectic mix of topics and I would really like to find a way to synthesize these topics in a historical way. I’m having a difficult time thinking of a topic or focus area that combines these disciplines and I was hoping for some ideas from a fresh set of minds.

Areas that interest me:

1. Philosophy - specifically Stoicism as well as Ethics and Morality
2. Psychology - specifically Evolutionary Psychology
3. Neuroscience
4. Anthropology - specifically primatology.

I know this is a pretty broad set of interests. I want to find a way (with US or World History as an umbrella) to synthesize these broad topics into a focus area so I can gear my writings and readings toward these topics. I hope I’m being clear and that my writing isn’t as jumbled as my thoughts ha!

Thank you so much for any help you can offer and if I need to clarify anything, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Did taverns exist without alcohol? Wasn't sure if I should have maybe posted this in the nostupidquestions sub instead.

I was wondering about the origins of a confederation of ancient tribes known as the Rhaetians.

For context, the Rhaetians were a group of tribes who lived in the Central Alps. The dominant theory up until the 1960s was that they were Etruscans who were separated by the Gaulish invasion of the Northern Italic Peninsula. It is now believed that they were only related to the Etruscans and were instead the indigenous inhabitants of the Alpine mountains. Another theory which is the one which I believe to be most likely is that they are of Venetic origin due to their proximity of the two peoples to each other and the similarity of the name Rhaetian to the name of the Venetic goddess Reitia.

While as I said I do have a theory which I find to be most convincing, I was hoping to find more conclusive evidence. Also, along with this, if any of you know any more about the Rhaetians, specifically about their settlements and warfare that would be very helpful.

I.E. important artifacts or records found, new theories on pyramids, more info on leaders etc.

Is there a general breakdown of how there classifications differed from one another? My understanding is is that the treaty of Versailles and the Washington naval treaties put limits on what nations could construct, so countries had to get kinda clever with how they classified their warships.

On the other hand, advances in armor, propulsion and gunnery meant that ships began to emphasize speed, protection or artillery power in various combinations over the warships that were used at the beginning of WW1.

Is there anyone here who can run down the different types and give a general overview of what they meant?

I cannot find any consensus as to who the saracens were conceived to be by Europeans; in Procopius’ Secret history they are referred to, but I was under the belief that the Saracens was a catch all term for Muslims. Since Procopius wrote before the foundation of Islam, that cannot be the case. Was the name “Saracen” derived from an Arabic tribe, and was later applied to all Muslims by medieval European writers? Or do I have all of it wrong, being completely lost?

Let's say ~500BC to ~300BC, during the classical era in Greece. Magna Graecia was familiar and the Etruscans were well known, but what did the Greeks know or say about the Latin tribes that would later absorb Magna Graecia and eventually Greece itself? Did the Greeks dismiss them as just another group of barbarians?

It was a very specific question and I know that you all like these kinds of specific challenges. I am willing to bet some of your fine minds have dove into ancient pedicure practices.

Sadly a lot of people talking about it are Holocaust denialist who use its lack of exposure compared to the Holocaust as some BS evidence. I want to know why it’s not gotten much exposure without all the conspiracy nonsense.

Hi, I was wondering, if you were a merchant in the golden age of piracy (1650 -1730), how often you would see a ship passing by. Let's take for instance the Caribbean Sea and you were traveling from the Antilles to Puerto Rico, how often would you see a ship? I'm quite curious if films and games are accurate or completely wrong. Thanks in advance

I've read that significant amounts of Aztec philosophy survive because Spanish churchmen recorded their views. What are the major themes, and do philosophers/historians see similarities between Aztec philosophy and that of the old world?

Note: If you don't see an answer here that you think should have made the cut, you can nominate it here as well (though do make sure it's up to the standards of the other entries on the shortlist)! Just remember that this thread is for Best of December, not Best of Year (which will come later.)