What is required for one to call oneself King? Who where the first Kings that we know about? Are there different kind of Kings?

This is obviously a powerful image that has existed for a long time. Everybody knows how a King looks like with the golden crown and red cape and everything but where did that come from?

I'm also wondering what the definition of King is and how this concept became to be.

Alright so I understand whole heartedly that Yari was the most common weapon on the battlefield during this time period and that Teppo and Yumi were also popular as well (which is obvious given their uses). Although I find it hard to believe that all everyone used was a Yari and had a Tachi/Katana side arm. There has to have been more weapon diversity than that, and if so what was it?

It seems that the most famous examples of escapes from slavery in the US focus on men and women who were in border states like Maryland, in the case of Douglass or Tubman, Kentucky for Lewis Hayden, or even northern states in the waning days of slavery there, such as Sojourner Truth, who escaped bondage in New York state. Of course, none of that should necessarily be surprising, as it is obviously easier to escape when you only have to cross one state, as opposed to several. So what was the experience like for those attempting to escape from plantations in the Deep South, such as Alabama or South Carolina? How common were attempts? How frequent were successes?

This is in reference to a post in /r/badhistory .

For those who risked their own lives and allowed Jews/other "untermensch" persons to hide in their houses, how were they able to get enough food for them, when their own food was heavily rationed.

Would it have been suspicious to try to procure extra food, if it were even possible at all?

Thanks for any insight.

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While the optimates such as Pompey or Cato are typically depicted as 'bad guys'? This seems to be the case in fiction such as the TV show Rome, or even the "Masters of Rome" series (excellent books BTW). However even in earlier times there seems to be this perception, with Dante relegating the killers of Caesar to the worst pits of hell.

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I have wondered this a few times while reading.

How was Cortés able to gain support from Aztec rivals? Surely they would need to communicate fairly well to work with him?

In 1607, Powhatan addressed a plea to John Smith. What language did he write it in? Did he know that language or did an aide translate? I saw that plea in A People's History of the United States by Zinn as:

I have seen two generations of my people die.... I know the difference between peace and war better than any man in my country. I am now grown old, and must die soon; my authority must descend to my brothers, Opitehapan, Opechancanough and Catatough-then to my two sisters, and then to my two daughters-I wish them to know as much as I do, and that your love to them may be like mine to you. Why will you take by force what you may have quietly by love? Why will you destroy us who supply you with food? What can you get by war? We can hide our provisions and run into the woods; then you will starve for wronging your friends. Why are you jealous of us? We are unarmed, and willing to give you what you ask, if you come in a friendly manner, and not so simple as not to know that it is much better to eat good meat, sleep comfortably, live quietly with my wives and children, laugh and be merry with the English, and trade for their copper and hatchets, than to run away from them, and to lie cold in the woods, feed on acorns, roots and such trash, and be so hunted that I can neither eat nor sleep. In these wars, my men must sit up watching, and if a twig break, they all cry out "Here comes Captain Smith!" So I must end my miserable life. Take away your guns and swords, the cause of all our jealousy, or you may all die in the same manner.

It always struck me as a well-written statement in which there was no trouble with the language. Was the original statement that well-written? Or is that a feature of it having been retranslated by history and smoothed out?

I'm asking because in ancient history people had an -though not rational-, but at least seemingly plausible explanation in their context of viewing the world. Thus Zeus throwing bolts of lightning because he is angry. Similarily other Gods.

How did monotheistic religions make sense of that?

I would also be interested in how Christians explained their churches getting hit by lightning, which I guess must have happend rather often. Or on the other hand of lightning just randomly striking down on a field/forrest/lake (which would seem a rather odd behaviour if a perfect being like God was still believed to be the source?)

Lastly, did churches or other buildings like castles have any kind of anti-lightning measures? This is more of a technical question, because I don't know for example, if a metal roof offers protection, when it is not grounded. Where people aware that lightning tends to strike the highest points or metal structures/objects? Did medieval churches have metal roofs? Had they iron crosses or the like on the top of the tower?

Lot's of questions, thanks for your answers.

I know that once, you could only become an officer if you were from a noble family and no matter how talented you were, you can't become an officer if you aren't a noble.

So when did militaries stop this? I think I read somewhere that Napoleon was the first to do so but when did others start doing the same?

I could say the age of empires (much like Eric Hobswam has deemed it) but want to hear other names this time period has been given. Is it possible this time period hasn't been given any 'names'?

I understand the new take on warfare was mass mobilization of cheap troops and it pushed out expensive armors for the common troop but did it still work?

Would maille or plate be effective against modern(20 years ago, of course) weapons?

Apparently this is very urgent. My friend is at work and needs to know this immediately...

I'd like to know more about flora and fauna in regions with climate similar to central Europe's. How prevalent was farming in NA?