Obviously, if someone asks now to think of the most hated/cruel man to live, most would respond with Hitler (in my own opinion). Before this, who was seen as the "Hitler" of the past?

For example, how would you determine how big a Norse warrior would be?

Are there skeletal signs that tell how much muscle or fat a person carried? How much use are songs, stores, and paintings?

The first question is if there is known usage of mood affecting substances in the forms of incense, edibles (drugs), drinkables, etc., and if there is what are they? I am interested in Christian culture rooms and since the beginning of Christianity to modern day.

With trepidation of a repeat of his uncle's actions? Mobilization of their armies?

You always hear about how someone was defeated by enemies with better metals for their weapons. The question is, does a bronze spear really do that much better than an iron spear that it could determine an entire war?

There are English surnames like Worcestershire and Longbottom, and other silly sounding names. Why aren't they that common the US?

I was watching HBO's Rome yesterday and every character in the series seems to be very unafraid of dying. They try to avoid it, but they are very quick to accept it and are even nonchalant about it. One scene that made me doubt this representation in particular is when the Pompeian mob is beating down Atia of the Julii's door and the family is very casually discussing their suicide arrangements (not to be captured alive). There's even time for her daughter to demand another person to kill her instead of her mother, because she's still angry at her.

Is it possible to know if this attitude towards death was real, or can we just assume this is the director's choice? Were the Romans so sure of an after life that they didn't think death was such a big deal? Would this explain why everyone was always so eager to become emperor even when you would most likely end up murdered?

In 1410 Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania was after the Teutonic Knights and thought they were smuggling weapons on trade ships. Vytautas ordered some Lithuanians (Samogitians) to storm the Teutonic city of Königsberg and "drown the knights"

It is said Vytautas boasted that he would "water his horses in the Rhine".

My question is regarding the use of the word "his". Is Vytautas referring to watering 'his own horses', or is "his" referring to the horses belonging to the Teutonic Knights?

If it is the horses of the Knights: By "watering" does he mean 'drowning' or 'claim their horses as their own be giving them water from the Rhine'? And perhaps, what is the significance of the Rhine river?

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I find it hard to believe that king david was real, let alone that his descendants are traceable. So it seems to me that the earlier parts of the tree are inaccurate. What about the rest of the tree?

From the Twelve Tables, "“X. 4: Women must not tear cheeks or hold chorus of ‘Alas!’ on account of a funeral.”"

Is this the state controlling emotional responses to "property"? Is this attempting to curb rebellion? Is this just so that women are seen but not heard? I have a lot of theories but no solid claim of evidence.

I can't really find anything to explain this law. Thanks!

Brazil has something like 50% of south America's population, what led to such a large difference between Brazil and the former Spanish colonies?

I know Luther tried to address some Jewish communities around the time the reformation took off, but I was wandering if there was more than that. Do we have any writings or something about how the Jews viewed the turmoils of the reformation, the counter-reformation, the wars of religion, etc?

Mongols were nomads. They came, raided and left. Being nomads, they moved onward to another village or town.

What happened to villages once the Mongols left? Did the people of the conquered places just go back and live life or was it a Mongolian place from them on?

I'm watching a movie on slavery in my Africana studies class called Sankofa and was wondering to what extent overseers actually carried out extraordinary violence to fellow slaves. I'm particularly interested in U.S slavery history, but wouldn't mind hearing accounts from other periods of history or areas either.