/r/AskHistorians

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The High Priest of Jupiter was not permitted to touch metal, touch a horse, sleep one night outside Rome or look upon an army. Why did a society so obsessed with military conquest as ancient Rome place such pacifist restrictions on the head of their state religion?

682 upvotes • vinylemulator

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In Western media, pursuing immortality is often portrayed as villainous (Voldemort, Palpatine, etc.). How did this trope come about?

681 upvotes • Rob-With-One-B

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The Plague of Justinian (541 – 542 AD) was a pandemic that heavily afflicted the Byzantine empire during the reign of Justinan I; what measures were put in place to help those that were affected in some way by it?

681 upvotes • Lexicorint

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How did historical Buddhist states and societies deal with the military?

681 upvotes • RedNomNoms

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Why did garbage disposals become popular in the States and not in other countries?

681 upvotes • damnyouspiderman

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Why did Castilian become the default "Spanish" language, instead of the Aragonese language, after Castile and Aragon were united as Spain?

681 upvotes • LateNightPhilosopher

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When we learn about ancient empires, we often see colored maps showing the exact territory they controlled. Is that how the people in those empires would have viewed it?

680 upvotes • _PM_ME_YOUR_SMILE

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During and after World War 2, was there ever a fear internationally that the United States would build an empire like those of Britain, Imperial Japan, or the Third Reich?

680 upvotes • [deleted]

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Is there any reason behind the idea of Asian films often portraying 90 year old men as being master martial artists? Did Asian societies actually attribute great skill and strength to the elderly, or is it just a movie stereotype?

680 upvotes • candyman61

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What do we know about Judaism's polytheistic period? What was YHWH's role in that pantheon? And how was the faith similar or dissimilar to its contemporaries?

680 upvotes • st_sebastian

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
The High Priest of Jupiter was not permitted to touch metal, touch a horse, sleep one night outside Rome or look upon an army. Why did a society so obsessed with military conquest as ancient Rome place such pacifist restrictions on the head of their state religion?	682	vinylemulator
In Western media, pursuing immortality is often portrayed as villainous (Voldemort, Palpatine, etc.). How did this trope come about?	681	Rob-With-One-B
The Plague of Justinian (541 – 542 AD) was a pandemic that heavily afflicted the Byzantine empire during the reign of Justinan I; what measures were put in place to help those that were affected in some way by it?	681	Lexicorint
How did historical Buddhist states and societies deal with the military?	681	RedNomNoms
Why did garbage disposals become popular in the States and not in other countries?	681	damnyouspiderman
Why did Castilian become the default "Spanish" language, instead of the Aragonese language, after Castile and Aragon were united as Spain?	681	LateNightPhilosopher
When we learn about ancient empires, we often see colored maps showing the exact territory they controlled. Is that how the people in those empires would have viewed it?	680	_PM_ME_YOUR_SMILE
During and after World War 2, was there ever a fear internationally that the United States would build an empire like those of Britain, Imperial Japan, or the Third Reich?	680	[deleted]
Is there any reason behind the idea of Asian films often portraying 90 year old men as being master martial artists? Did Asian societies actually attribute great skill and strength to the elderly, or is it just a movie stereotype?	680	candyman61
What do we know about Judaism's polytheistic period? What was YHWH's role in that pantheon? And how was the faith similar or dissimilar to its contemporaries?	680	st_sebastian