Also interested in possible Roman descriptions of Hoplites

Hi askhistorians! I was just curious about the usefulness in using a comparative approach in studying history.

That is to say, if i were to study the "economic development of trade" within a particular state for example, how would a comparative study of "economic development of trade" between state A and state B provide value to my historical research?

When I studied the Reformation in my college history class I can remember one of my professors claiming that Luther did not actually nail his 95 theses to the wall in act of defiance to the Church. Furthermore, Luther was not actually anti-Catholic Church, but rather a rising intellectual star in the Church who had been tasked to write what amounted to an internal memo detailing things he thought that could be done to improve the Church, like the banning of indulgences.

This memo was then somehow leaked and got into the hands of a local printer. Being early on in the history of printing, there was generally a lack of content to print, and, the printer, who also must have realized what he had his hands on, immediately printed and distributed copies on his own accord.

Professor went on to say that Luther was actually mortified that the theses got out to the general public, who were never the intended audience and was actually against the ensuing Peasants' War, but eventually came around to embracing the revolutionary views that his 95 theses contributed to.

Do any sources back this up?

I'm sorry if this is well established, as I am not so well versed in this case, but it's a first thing I think of when reading about it. I know he supposedly changed construction workers a lot, but I still have to wonder why none of them became aware of something fishy going on. Do we know what companies or specific people were involved in the construction project?

They were a bunch of nomadic tribes that defeated some of the most powerful empires of the time. What is it about them that made them so successful, were they motivated, did they have technology that their enemies not have, or were they just lucky?

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And how quickly did pro-slavery sentiment die out? Were there any political groups, factions or politicians who openly wanted its return?

In several countries in modern Europe it's today a custom to take off your shoes when you enter your house, but it's not the norm in Mediterranean countries like Spain (then a major province of the Roman Empire). I wonder what was the custom among ancient Romans regarding shoes inside the house, and also if they used to have carpets or wooden floors.

I have a vague recollection of hearing that during WWII in Europe, even including the UK, people were put on trial and even executed for witchcraft. Only a tiny handful of cases, and they were all done locally but still! Any truth in this?

Was this meant for the enemy countries' propaganda? What were they trying to accomplish? Was it just to break down the morale of the POWs? Thanks for any answers!

I suppose there was some kind of refugee programs that might have been unofficial or non-governmental - maybe church based? - before immigration laws became a big deal? Was there some kind of transition from that to a more government-sponsored/controlled and legal implementation?

I'm obviously thinking about the more recent times say post Enlightenment, but anything along the same lines that predates that is interesting too! Are there any good stories from antiquity or was refugee aid not really a thing back then?

I'm trying to find out about jobs that "self employed" or freelance people would have had in England or Europe. There is so much on the industrial revolution and permanent salaried workers. I really just want an overview...I've only really found lists of occupations from family history books or information about individual trades or groups, like showmen, gypsies, navvies or shopkeepers. Does anyone have any ideas?

In "Europe's Long Twelfth Century" John D. Cotts says that after the Norman Conquest the Anglo-Saxon nobility was "essentially eliminated." (p. 50) Due to short length of the book he doesn't elaborate on this point. Were the all killed in the battle of Hastings? Was there a massacre of the remaining nobility after William became king?

To be fair, I'm sure some amount of magic was involved, but the question still stands. Did armies ever try to position themselves in such a way that the sun would blind their enemies and put them at a disadvantage?

To my knowledge chapters and verses were added in after the fact as a form of organization. But then what would they have to gain by cutting segments of scripture in half? It's not like they have arbitrary word limits. (With verses ranging from a couple of words"Jesus wept" to Esther 8:9 with 90 words.)

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Hi all

I'm researching information regarding Project Barbarossa but am conflicted on who specifically was involved; Germany and the USSR, but were the axis-allies in battle too? Or was it just Germany and Russia?

This is sort of irrelevant, but if anyone has a answer for this - what major places did Project Barbarossa take place? I have noted down Russia (Moscow), but were there any other notable areas of combat? According to my research, the invasion stretched from the North Cape (Norway) to the Black Sea, secured by German armies - is this correct?

Thanks all