What's the furthest back in history we can source a current family's generational wealth, outside of royal lines? Or, what's the longest unbroken nonroyal family generational wealth line that we know of, if asking about a current family breaks the 20 years rule?

When was the last time a head of state personally killed another head of state? I assume it was common for kings to spar on the battlefield in the days of old, but when was the last time this happened?

Why Romania called Rumania?
I was looking around at balkan languages video and saw almost all of them call romania "rumania"
Then I searched more and found a large portion of countries still reffer to romania as "rumania"
Is it a language thing or is it a historical thing?I would like to know!

When and where were spiked shields used in ancient/classical warfare? What were these shields called, if they even had a name?

I am aware of the hyperbole that the modern fantasy genre introduces to the discussion of "spiked" shields, but I am trying to find the historical evidence of such devices.

In a similar thread to my post (here), u/alriclofgar makes a link to an image of a boss/umbo from "1-2nd century, Eastern Europe". Seeing the link no longer valid, I pulled the archived page and found this beauty. However, it is just an image with no context. Then in a forum (here), a user Watchman references a "Byzantine military treatise" that mentioned the use of a spiked shield in military formations, but unfortunately no link or reference was provided. These two isolated posts leads me to believe the answer I am looking for the first question is the early Byzantine/Eastern Roman empire, roughly around the time they phased out the scutum and transitioned to round shields. But without finding out more about the two above sources, I cannot confirm this.

In a series of excerpts from Tarassuk and Blair's (eds.) Complete Encyclopaedia of Arms and Weapons (here), there are further mention of spiked shields but it fails to clearly state the time period and civilization that used them. However, in the same paragraph mentioning spiked shields, separate sentences mention the Bronze Age, Germanic countries, and the Celts. While that appears to be helpful, it does not align with the prior two sources. Especially since each sentence appears to be discussing disconnected thoughts. Later in the page while discussing bucklers of the 13th-17th centuries, different armaments attached to the shield are mentioned including spikes, but that is outside of my target time period. When discussing the design aspects of the umbo, it states: "many old examples were integrated with a spike protruding from the center." Without defining the time period considered to be "old," that statement is fairly useless without references. But, not having access to the complete book, I am unable to check its references regarding the subject or confirm the information presented.

If there are any well documented primary sources or reliable secondary sources that you guys know of regarding this topic, I would greatly appreciate it!

What do historians think of Eric Frattini's claims that the Vatican has a secret spy service called The Entity?

In 2008, Eric Frattini published the English version of "The Entity: Five Centuries of Secret Vatican Espionage" - https://www.amazon.com/Entity-Centuries-Secret-Vatican-Espionage/dp/0312375948

This book is presented as historical non-fiction, and argues that for centuries, the Vatican has used a secret spy service, called the Holy Alliance AKA the Entity.

Frattini argues that The Entity has "played a hitherto invisible role confronting de-Christianizations and schisms, revolutions and dictators, colonizations and expulsions, persecutions and attacks, civil wars and world wars, assassinations and kidnappings."

Despite Franttini's "The Entity" being presented as a history text, I haven't come across traditional academic scholarship that support Franttini's views.

So, what do historians think of Franttini's claims? Are there peer-review papers or traditional academics who also think that The Entity is real? Is there evidence of the Vatican having a spy agency equivalent to the CIA or the UK's MI5?

The other day, I saw an image with a medieval archer wearing some sort of armour. Well I tried to search the internet for “archer amour” and you can guess where that got me. Does anyone have any idea what I’m talking about?

Description of armour: Gambeson with a thin metal bar laid on top of both arms, with joints at the elbows.

For people specializing in Classics:

Why is Oresteia mentioned so often in The Odyssey?
I'm reading a full, non abriged, translated version of The Odyssey for the first time, the 2018 Emily Wilson translation, and its gets mentioned so much.

Wilson has notes that it's because the two reflect one another but I don't think I have enough information to get what she's saying. (starting from page 41) It kinda looks online that it's a commonly known thing but idk enough about the Oresteia and most stuff is really academic. Can someone explain why in a simple way? Like in a simple way that someone who hasn't read the Oresteia and doesn't know ancient greek understands.

And they wore gold very generally, and clothed themselves in the Medic garments, which now they call “serie” [silk], and passed their time, thus dressed, in theatres and hippodromes and in other pleasurable pursuits, and above all else in hunting. And they had dancers and mimes and all other things to hear and see which are of a musical nature or otherwise merit attention among men. (Procopius 19 , )

Did the Romans of that era just not call Silk "sirie" and call it Medic or is it the Vandals calling something else silk.

And what the heck is mimes referring to here? White and Black dressed performers that don't talk?.

A broad question, but: do we know how people learned about sex in the past? Maybe in a Western context if that narrows it. Given the close quarters people used to live in, I imagine you would see or hear a few things. Would mom or dad have a sit down and explain it?

Both about sacking around the medieval period.

1. How common is sacking in general? More specifically, is it something you do after every siege, or is it just for when they met a fierce resistance?
2. I've heard something about "three days sacking" once (something related is also asked in this 5 months old post), though I forget where. What I want to know is whether this is something universal, something very specific to few nations, or just myth?

What are some good books on the history of technology? Thinking in terms of what my college 40 years ago, had as an alternative to World History 101, 102, 103 called "Tech and Civ"

Does not have to a super broad survey like a textbook... Would prefer topics/books dealing with earlier than 1900...

Do we know if Charles de Gaulle actually said “Brazil is the country of the future, and it always will be?”

Or at least, when was the first recorded instance of the quote?

I have some short introduction books and have just finished the one on
The Roman Empire but I'm struggling to understand what/which I should
read next. Like, Was there a Holy Roman Empire in Western Europe when
The Western Roman Empire collapsed? Or was that a little later and The
Byzantine Empire was already there before it?

"If you call a dog's tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have? The answer, of course, is four. Calling a tail a leg does not make it one.”

This rhetorical question is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Is there any evidence he actually said it?

Aluoben the first Christian missionary to China reached in 635 AD and Xuanzang travelled to India between 629–645 AD, did these or their disciples ever meet?

During the feudal period, how would land be administered after it had been conquered?I mostly mean would the conquerer bring in his own nobility to rule the lands that were conquered, or would he mostly demand fealty from the nobles who had not directly fought against him during his war. Im thinking specifically about the 100 years war where vast territories went back and forth over the course of a couple generations.

I am writing a steampunk novel and I am looking for sources for my research. If anyone could provide me with a compliment list for a 1880's, preferably British, steam frigate, that would be great. I am looking for the exact numbers of stokers, pursers, carpenter's lieutenants, etc, not just total compliment.

Thank you

Did the Church of the East ever reach Korea?

From what I have read, the reached, China, Machuria and it is speculated they reached Japan with some stronger evidence of reaching there during the Mongol Empire but in this conversation on the Easternmost reach of the Church of the East, Korea seems left out. Like there's archeological evidence in Manchuria and when speculations are being made on reaching Japan, with good evidence of that during the Yuan dynasty. It would seem it's a natural extension to assume a reach to Korea but there seems to be no easily available research into this possibly and thanks to the Situation in North Korea, the most likely area for archeological finds is out of reach.

I’ve often heard the saying ‘it’s the oldest trick in the book’, with its use attached to anything from football to warfare. This makes me wonder though: What is the old written record of a trick, that could be classed as the true ‘oldest trick in the book’?

Any recommendations for a good book (ideally available in audiobook form) on the history of US federal hydropower?

When/by who/where was the term "capitalism" invented?

What was the significance of red boots in Ancient Rome? Why was footwear an indicator of status?

Are there any good dramatisations(films/series) about something like the Congress of Berlin or the Congress of Vienna? Or perhaps a novel. Just the whole 19th century diplomatic conference so I can learn what the day's agendas might have included, what they would've discussed and how they would have done it, how the ambassadors would have interacted with one another.

There's a number of specialized blacksmithing trades; farrier making horseshoes, gunsmith, armorer, locksmiths, wheelwright, shipsmith who makes specific equipment needed on ships, etc

How comprehensive were these special smith's training in general blacksmithing? Would a farrier or gunsmith know how to forge plowshares, axes, tongs and all other needed tools in the shop?

Mostly in the 19th century in the crossover between traditional trades and the rise of industrial production.

What were some of the most noteworthy inventions between the 14th and the 16th centuries? And how would they have effected people that lived at the time?

What are the most likely largest/most impressive large stone structures we haven't discovered?

I kinda assume we have found most, I mean we have satellites

But hey, a dreamer can dream about a lost stone city, no?

Does anyone know a book about Reagan's presidency that paints him in a bad light? I only see books favorable to him but I'd like to buy one for each point of view.

Has there ever been assassination or terrorist attacks targeting the ultra-rich in the last fifty years? The motive has to be an anti rich/capitalist ideology.

What's the first law that restricted certain cults? I assume there were lots of cultural/social rules, but I'm more interested in codified rules.

The Return of Owners of Land, 1973 was ostensibly written to disprove the claims that most of the land in Great Britain was owned by a small minority of people. Was there a monopoly of land ownership and did this prove it?

Do we have any estimates for the total number of baptized Jewish children kidnapped by agents of the Catholic Church?

Watching old tool restoration videos got me thinking, they're usually a French channel repairing French made tools from the turn of the century;

Would these French handcranked grainmills, sausage stuffers, wine corkers, etc have been available in other industrial nations?

Could you buy a French, German, or British above item in an American shop or a German shop or did it require a special order?

Or was domestic industry expected to serve the domestic needs and any surplus would be marketed in their colonies?

Last question being what was each nation's quality reputation? Were French goods junk in the eyes of the British and Germans? Were American goods?

Why and how did the Church of the East move it's base to Chicago.

How exactly did José Carlos Mariátegui die ? I can find a source anywhere stating what disease cost him his right leg and eventually caused his death.

During his lifetime, how many people in total did Vlad the Impaler Impale on Stakes?

What are Visney and Barba Water?

I'm reading up on James Stanhope, who preceded the first official Prime Minister, Robert Walpole.His biography on https://historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/parliament/1715 ends with this intriguing passage...

He died suddenly... of an apoplectic fit brought on by the violence of his reply to an attack on the Government in the House of Lords, or, according to another account, by ‘a great debauch ... at the Duke of Newcastle’s,’ where ‘they drank excessively of new tokay, champagne, visney, and barba water, thirteen hours it is said’.

​

It looks as if 'new tokay' is a hungarian sweet wine, and obviously we know what champagne is, but what is Visney and Barba Water?

[TOMT][HISTORY] A Mexican General who was so smart that they studied his brain? (He was in Mexico not USA).

Really hope I’m right and this isn’t some bull a friend of mine told me.

Who were the last 'wild West' outlaws/gunslingers around the end of that era/century?

When was the UVF and IRA first official classified as terrorist organisations respectively?

How were swords maintained in medieval times? I read that they'd use vegetable oils (namely olive oil) but then I read that it's actually bad to use organic oils and mineral oils should instead be used.

I once read a story about an ancient Indian army that was ready to fight and became demoralized by seeing an ill omen (like a black crow). However I can't find the battle or reference. Does anyone know or have good sources to find this?

Are there any good (i.e. highly readable AND historically accurate) books about The Business Plot? Or maybe biographies about Smedley D. Butler?

When did cutting off or removing food supply cease (assuming it has) as a strategy (or tactic?) for war/empire building?

Was non-Allied neutral shipping allowed through the Suez Canal during World War II?

Why during the Scramble the colonial powers giving out fake treaties with wrong translations to the African royals, rather than just conquer the place and set up their own rules from the day one?

Who wrote the common Boy Scout songs, such as the ones recorded by Burl Ives in 1964?