Please Be Aware: We expect everyone to read the rules and guidelines of this thread. Mods will remove questions which we deem to be too involved for the theme in place here. We will remove answers which don't include a source. These removals will be without notice. Please follow the rules.
Some questions people have just don't require depth. This thread is a recurring feature intended to provide a space for those simple, straight forward questions that are otherwise unsuited for the format of the subreddit.
Here are the ground rules:
Top Level Posts should be questions in their own right.
Questions should be clear and specific in the information that they are asking for.
Questions which ask about broader concepts may be removed at the discretion of the Mod Team and redirected to post as a standalone question.
We realize that in some cases, users may pose questions that they don't realize are more complicated than they think. In these cases, we will suggest reposting as a stand-alone question.
Answers MUST be properly sourced to respectable literature. Unlike regular questions in the sub where sources are only required upon request, the lack of a source will result in removal of the answer.
Academic secondary sources are prefered. Tertiary sources are acceptable if they are of academic rigor (such as a book from the 'Oxford Companion' series, or a reference work from an academic press).
The only rule being relaxed here is with regard to depth, insofar as the anticipated questions are ones which do not require it. All other rules of the subreddit are in force.
I remember reading an account of a young nobleman, maybe Italian, who foolishly accepted a duel against a notoriously skilled opponent despite having little experience sword fighting.
The family hired some well known instructor who, realizing there was no time to actually train him well enough to have a chance at surviving, concocted a goofy strategy where to nobleman would basically crouch/kneel and keep his sword extended in such a position that the opponent couldn't advance on him without risking impaling himself. It worked in the sense that his opponent forfeited the duel because it was such an embarassing clownshow.
Does this ring any bells? I'm reasonably confident this was an aside in an actual history book I read, but am I conflating some fiction with reality?
In the Bronze Age Mesopotamia era writing is it reasonable to assume that they exaggerated for effect? For example, statements like "All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died." or "Sargon, King of Akkad, through the royal gift of Ishtar was exalted, and he possessed no foe nor rival. His glory over the world he poured out... Over the hosts of he world he reigned supreme. " shouldn't be considered a rigorous, exact count but rather general statements about what happened (from the author's local perspective).
I'm looking for the name of a bog body. It was found as a singular woman, but after investigation was discovered to actually be parts from multiple women sewn together. Given that this was done in a span of over 100 years (not entirely sure how long) it could not have been done by a single person. It seems that they started with one body part, put it in the bog for preservation, and then would pull it out every so often to add other body parts to it until it was a complete body.
I had read an article about this over a year ago. Now I can't find any information or find it on the list of bog bodies on wikipedia.
Is there a specific word for a history of someones life done by date? Like a calendar of events for the entirety of someons life? I'm sure I remember hearing one somewhere but I can't seem to find it anywhere.
What was the northernmost city (ie large settlement) in the Middle Ages and how did it function differently compared to more southernly settlements?
did the romans have a specific term to refer to their client kingdoms? most histories i've read use terminology like client state, vassals, etc that are far more modern in origin, or just call them prefectures right off even though most stayed client states for a long time after the roman occupations.
Did certain weapons ever actually acquire their own legacy and history, such as Excalibur or LOTR’s Sting, or is this just a literary trope?
In Season 1 Episode 1 of HBO's Rome reference is made (by Mark Anthony if I remember rightly) of a 'torture squad' attached to one of the legion's units. Did the Romans ever employ specialist torturers in the legions and if so what we're they used for?
Both the Emperors of Germany and the Kings of Romania were of the Royal House Hohenzollern, but of different branches of course.
Where did Wilhelm of Germany and Carol of Romania fall into each other’s lines of succession?
How tall was Genghis Khan? Someone claimed that he was only 5ft tall.
For banking in Napoleonic France, what were the government bond times?
E.g. it says bonds could be bought for 56c on the Franc, so would that mean you pay 56 cents to get 1 Franc after a (I don't know how long) set time?
What are some of the best books I can read to learn more about World War I? Just saw 1917 and really want to learn more about that time.
What was the total megatonnage of all munitions expended in World War 2?
I've seen numbers from 2 up to 5, but these are all estimates.
I'm trying to find a verifiable source if possible.