1 Answers 2018-02-23
I was chatting on /r/paradoxplaza and someone suggested that the Megali Idea was a rejection of a Byzantine legacy by focusing on Greek nationalism and the establishment of a trans-Bosporus ethno-state. This was surprising to me, because the way I've always seen the Megali Idea represented was as a Byzantine revivalist movement drawing on that narrative to justify retaking Istanbul and expanding into Greek-settled parts of the Ottoman Empire.
I can see merit to both views, and while the received wisdom I can find on the internet supports the Byzantine-revivalist view, I can't find any contemporary sources or academic work talking about it.
Can any explain the ideology and narrative behind the Megali Idea for me?
1 Answers 2018-02-23
At what point did salt become so common, that it went from being a valued luxury to something we can throw on the ground?
2 Answers 2018-02-23
Hello fellow enthusiasts,
A couple of months ago the BBC world service came up with a documentary about the allied intervention in Russia in 1918.
As interesting as this 3 hour documentary was it left me with a lot of questions.
A few of them are; a global timeline, what happened when, were there any battles, who was fighting on which side (Red/White), Why did the allies wanted to intervene in the Russian revolution, what was the objective of landing a relatively small force in the northwest of Russia, what did they (the allies) hope to achieve with a small number of soldiers. Did the allies use any tanks, planes or ships (apart from landing the troops)
Does anyone with knowledge of this subject be so kind to respond or perhaps reference some books or other sources with information on this forgotten part of history.
Thank you very much in advance, Matt
1 Answers 2018-02-23
In u/PapiriusCursor’s excellent response to the question of Julius Caesar’s ability as a commander, it’s mentioned that Alexander was “fairly lucky, but that’s another story”. Could anyone expound upon this and tell the story?
2 Answers 2018-02-23
Was there a Selective Service Act similar to that in the United States he enacted?
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(Apologies to the Mods if this one is a duplicate, I couldn't find anything from reddit search or google)
Specifically, I'm speaking with regards to the Civil War involving Caesar and Pompey.
I've always heard that Caesar's pursuit of offices and attempts to keep his armies to avoid being prosecuted eventually led to his clashes with the Roman Senate, which in turn led to him starting a Civil War when the Roman Senate tried to disarm him.
However, I've recently read on this subreddit that the Caesar Prosecution Theory (for lack of a better term) has relatively little actual backing and that he was never really under threat from the Senate. From my point of view, this undermines the idea that he started the Civil War to avoid prosecution by the Roman Senate (it also makes me wonder about the motivations of the people portraying Caesar as a victim there, but that's another matter, I think), but it also now means I have no idea why else it started.
So why did the Roman Civil War start?
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1 Answers 2018-02-23
Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
10 Answers 2018-02-23
So I have read a lot about the origin of Hungary, Romania and a common minority for both countries the Romani people. I just need a confirmation or a denial of what I have found.
Romania: The Romanian language comes from Vulgar Latin spoken in Roman provinces. After the fall of the Byzantine empire, the Romans mixed with Dacians and Romanian people are born.
Hungary: A nomadic tribe that arrived in the Carpathian basin from Asia around the 8th century and settled.
Romani: Originally from North-western India. Arrived in Europe around the 13-14th century when Romania was part of the Kingdom of Hungary and so they spread across the kingdom and the rest of Europe. Called Roma because in the Romani language the word for man is roma. Also called gypsy because Europeans mistakenly taught that they are from Egypt.
Am I right or is there a gap in my knowledge?
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Edit: wow, I posted this as a joke question expecting it to get deleted, and it turns out it’s my highest rated post
1 Answers 2018-02-23
Hi guys! First post on Reddit ever! Question: Were the Green Berets segregated during the Vietnam War? Were people of non-European descent allowed at all into the Green Berets? Thanks!
1 Answers 2018-02-23
Would be particularly interested if any administrative staff or the director knew about Hitler's rejection and then had to watch his "secondary career" unfold after World War I.
Bonus Question: What happened to the Academy after the Anschluss?
1 Answers 2018-02-23
I’m watching “I Love Lucy” and it just occurred to me that multiple shows of that era had people sleeping in separate beds. Was this actually a wide spread practice or just something invented by television? I’ve never seen separate beds like that in real life, but I can’t claim to spend a lot of time in older peoples bedrooms.
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Hey /r/askhistorians, basically what the title says.
An example of one of the frequent times he makes this conversation in Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Ch. 6 when Gibbon -- in a section describing the increased tax revenue brought in by Caracalla’s edict granting universal citizenship -- says:
"We are informed that, by the conquests of Pompey, the tributes of Asia were raised from fifty to one hundred and thirty-five millions of drachmas; or about four millions and a half sterling"
Another is shortly after that in the same chapter:
"From the faint glimmerings of such doubtful and scattered light, we should be inclined to believe, 1st, that (with every fair allowance for the difference of times and circumstances) the general income of the Roman provinces could seldom ammount to less than fifteen or twenty millions of our money"
Thanks!
EDIT: Is comparing ancient and modern currency even feasible?
1 Answers 2018-02-23