In fiction you occasionally hear about regions in a town or city where law enforcement agents don't go by themselves for various reasons, whether the residents flat out don't like the police or because criminal elements have such a tight control. Is this based in reality? If so, what was day-to-day administration of such areas like? If some of these regions have been reduced, how?

Just a thought

I was thought they basically switched ideals, and that’s how we know them today. But I see people, mostly republicans now, saying it wasn’t real. I’m confused, cause it seems like they are arguing with fact?

This started as a question on another post, but it was suggested that I roll it in to it's own post / question.

So, to contextualize, I am a metalhead. A fairly well known subculture / counter-culture where we like to wear all black, grow our hair long and listen to men and women growl at us about satan and horror movies and such.

Over the 20th century you've also got punks and beatniks and hipsters (40s) and hippies and flappers and a dozen other ways for teens and young adults to rebel against conformity and "normal" society. Many of which are associated with particular fashions, types of music, etc.

Aside, I remember hearing something mentioned in a Hardcore History podcast (I know, I know) that late Roman youth would take to dressing like the German 'barbarians' and growing their mustaches out as a counter culture of the time.

But in the mid-late 19th century (US / UK?), if I am feeling that rebelliousness, what might I be doing? What would be the fashions? Is there music associated with my "scene"?

So, Columbus arrives on the Bahamas in 1492. They encounter the Natives as the first Europeans ever (Vikings also met Native Americans but that was way further north). How could they communicate with each other? Actually, how did the discoverers manage to communicate with any of the inhabitants of newly discovered lands? Do we have any records of how they did it?

Do we know the origin of the dragon figure in mythology? Is it possible that some ancient people unearthed a dinosaur fossil, and made up a story around it?

Can we account for every year by constructing a time line from primary evidence or is possible that early record-keepers or historians made errors and at some point a year or more has been added or omitted?

For example, we know that 100 years have passed since 1919 because there are verifiable records that each intervening year occurred. But are we certain that 1000 years have passed since 1019 and 2000 since 19CE? (Note this isn't a question about determining the birth date of Jesus, but whether exactly 2019 years have passed since whatever year was chosen as 1CE).

Disclaimer: I know that Africa is a huge place. I'm talking about general trends I've noticed in museums in the "African art" section.

For instance, art from places like China, Europe, and India seems to be heavily oriented towards painting and portraits. However, it seems like this was not the case for much of Africa. Did it have to do with the availability of paper maybe?

I'm currently watching "Chulas Fronteras y del Mero corazon" a great documentary without a narrator. Very impressive and under appreciated film. It Chronicles lives of Mexican Americans, and mexicans while only playing Mexican music. Great film.

By "existed", I mean literally existed, the same way christians would say that their god exists.

Was it common? Was it such a devastating disease that they had to mention it in the Bible?

From my understanding, in the 4th century the Huns cam through what is now Germany and easily beat the Germanic tribes that they fled out of Germany and into Roman territory. Those that didn’t flee came under the power of the Huns. Why did the Huns succeed relatively easy where the Romans failed?

Follow up question, Why did the area now known as Germany become more civilized AFTER the Roman Empire fell? anything to do with the Huns?

Hi, I am trying to write a fantasy-fiction novel about Scotland during the final 2 years of the First World War, and I am wondering what was life like for most people in Edinburgh about mid-1917, and who would be some interesting people living in the city at that time? If anyone could get back to me about this I would be most grateful. I had a few others but the people on Quora helped me with those.

Dear r/AskHistorians,

I find myself in a troubled time. I am writing a research paper on vexatious plaintiffs and the praetorian response/innovations. While I find myself adequately suited to discuss the praetor/judex role, I am have an enormous amount of trouble finding trials of vexatious plaintiffs. I know many exist; I am discussing Carfania from Valerius Maximus XIII, but I would like to find others. Does anybody have any recommendations for primary/secondary sources for me to dig into? The Digest mentions Vexatious trials and the responses, but not specific trials. Gaius' Institutes has yielded minimal results and the rest of "Memorable Deeds and Sayings" has been unconnected to my thesis. Any further help/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

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Thank you!

After hearing the stories of tough inspection thresholds and general day to day expectations of my brother, in the British Army, it got me thinking, what were the standards that a normal Roman legionnaire was expected to live up to? In terms of cleanliness and organisation?

I was taught in high school (Catholic school) that the Umayyad Caliphate was similar to the Mongol Empire — expanding through war for no particular reason until it overextended and collapsed.

Recently, I read that the ancient historian al-Tabari claimed the Umayyad invasion of what’s now Spain & France was actually an attempt to conquer Constantinople from the very far west.

Are there any reliable sources around why the Umayyads sought to conquer West Europe across the Mediterranean rather than geographically-contiguous parts of Africa, Russia, or India?

Was it seen as an attempt to get to Constantinople? Rome? Was it seen as a religious crusade by the general population? Or was it just expansion for the sake of keeping up a military empire?