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1500 questions
40
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5 answers
What is the oldest authentic example of people complaining about modern times and the young?
There are quotes, attributed to a king of Mesopotamia, and to Socrates and Hesiod, about how lazy the youth are, and how things were better when they were kids. Unfortunately, the veracity of the quotes are dubious at best, and one was satire.
So…
readerboy7
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What were the acceptance criteria in universities of medieval Europe?
Did they have entrance tests?
Were certain groups officially banned from entering?
How much did one have to pay?
Did they have scholarships for talented studends?
How these criteria differed between countries and over time?
Vanessa
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What is the historical basis for the Exodus?
As a sideline to the question How Long Did the Belief in the Egyptian Sun God Ra Last?, the comments have become a long discussion on the historicity of the Exodus. Rather than have pages of comments going back and forth, I have converted the…
Tyler Durden
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Did anyone in ancient times want to abolish slavery?
Did anyone in ancient times (let's say, up to 500 AD) want to abolish slavery, or even acknowledge the possibility that society could somehow work without it?
I remember hearing once that Aristotle imagined a future in which there was no slavery…
Ne Mo
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40
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3 answers
Why are military uniforms often flared or poofy above the knee?
I've often wondered why do various uniforms have those "poofs" on the outsides of the legs just above the knee? Was there a particular purpose to this, or a practical reason, or was it just the result of uniform designers saying "Hey, I kinda like…
eidylon
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How did Genghis Khan's army feed so many horses?
The average horse eats 10-20 pounds per day, according to this pet website. Considering the fact that the horses may have to eat even more because of the hard traveling they had to endure, it's likely that food costs must have been incredible.…
Twilight Sparkle
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3 answers
Did Rothschild say this famous quote? If yes, what did he mean by it?
"Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes it's laws" — Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild
This prominent international banker is commonly quoted this. First, did he actually say it? Second, what was its context (when and where was…
user1973
39
votes
3 answers
Did medieval peasants work 150 days a year?
The following meme arrived in my inbox.
Peasants in the medieval era worked just 150 days a year on average. The church believed it was crucial to keep them content by making frequent required holidays. Compared to a medieval peasant, you take…
DJClayworth
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2 answers
What language did Gaius Julius Caesar speak with Cleopatra?
What language did Gaius Julius Caesar (GJC) speak with Cleopatra?
My thoughts:
GJC spoke Latin.
Cleopatra spoke many languages, including Arabic, Aramaic, Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek.
Or did they need a translator?
My preliminary research consisted of…
Jan
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Which countries (or comparable geographical units) have a lower population now than they used to at some point in history before 1950?
It is generally seen as a given that the human population worldwide has increased everywhere since the end of the second World War.
There are very good reasons for this, so you can imagine my surprise finding out that the island of Ireland had a…
Robert Tausig
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Why can I visit battlefields, but not battleships?
Why are warships declared as war graves prohibiting divers from even visiting them (let alone entering them or taking artifacts) and yet I as a pedestrian I can freely visit the Somme or any other battlefield?
Sorry if this isn't the correct forum…
ConanTheGerbil
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1 answer
Why does this London Underground poster from 1924 have a Star of David atop a Christmas tree?
There is currently an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago displaying posters promoting London Underground transit from the 1920's and 30's.
This interesting piece comes from 1924. A full descripton can be seen on The Library of Congress…
RaceYouAnytime
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Why did it take so long to abandon sail after steamships were demonstrated?
1807, Robert Fulton's Clermont the first ship to demonstrate the feasibility of steam propulsion for commercial use, but it also carried sail.
1819, The first steamship to cross the Atlantic was the American City of Savannah, but it also carried…
user27618
39
votes
10 answers
Does any country have an official celebration for the annexation of foreign territory?
Most nations/countries celebrate their independence from some foreign power, a historical victory over aggressors or the end of a war. Are there any modern era examples where a historical event of annexation is being celebrated?
Note that I do not…
Midas
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Why didn't Europeans before Gutenberg print with woodblocks?
Before the invention of the printing press and movable type (and some related innovations) by Johannes Gutenberg, books in Europe were generally only reproduced if someone copied them by hand.
In China, woodblock printing had existed for hundreds…
KWeiss
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