/r/askhistorians

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People say that Pirates would "rape and pillage", but how much rape did they actually commit? If I was on a ship crossing the Atlantic in those days, should I, as a woman, need to worry about my virtue in the event of a Pirate raid?

189 upvotes • kylosbetrayal

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Supposedly the guillotine was invented for quicker, more humane executions. With that in mind, what were the problems with executions prior to this that prompted inventions and innovations along these lines?

189 upvotes • currentmadman

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What was the life of pirates like as opposed to their portrayal on pop culture?

189 upvotes • n8everest

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Sources state that Alexander the Great's army mutinied at the Hyphasis (Beas) River. After giving in their demands to return home, Alexander erected 'colossal altars'. Are there any remains of these today?

189 upvotes • MJBoyle88

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Since 1944, Arabs have been deemed white by law in the US. Why?

189 upvotes • OhShitItsSam

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Was it expected that medieval peasants attend mass regularly? Would they understand the Latin being spoken from the altar? If so, how would they have learned it? Would the sermons (not part of the 'mass' proper) also be in Latin?

189 upvotes • td4999

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Richard III is often believed to have killed the Princes in the Tower. Why does he have so many modern defenders?

189 upvotes • addisinmontgomery

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When Isabella and Ferdinand joined the houses of Castile and Aragon, they ruled as practically equals. Was it unusual for a queen to wield such political power and influence in 15th Century Europe; and what did contemporaries write about the extent of Isabella’s power and influence over Spain?

189 upvotes • JustinJSrisuk

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How did the Spanish manage to explore and establish footholds in the interior of the South and Latin America so early in the 16th century compared to British/U.S. North America which the Western part was mostly uninhabited by Europeans until the mid-19th century?

189 upvotes • Westnest

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In Rome: A History in Seven Sackings, author Matthew Kneale mentions in passing that Holy Roman Emperor Charles V could have intervened to make Martin Luther the Pope. Could that really have happened, and did Charles V consider it?

189 upvotes • MonkeyDavid

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
People say that Pirates would "rape and pillage", but how much rape did they actually commit? If I was on a ship crossing the Atlantic in those days, should I, as a woman, need to worry about my virtue in the event of a Pirate raid?	189	kylosbetrayal
Supposedly the guillotine was invented for quicker, more humane executions. With that in mind, what were the problems with executions prior to this that prompted inventions and innovations along these lines?	189	currentmadman
What was the life of pirates like as opposed to their portrayal on pop culture?	189	n8everest
Sources state that Alexander the Great's army mutinied at the Hyphasis (Beas) River. After giving in their demands to return home, Alexander erected 'colossal altars'. Are there any remains of these today?	189	MJBoyle88
Since 1944, Arabs have been deemed white by law in the US. Why?	189	OhShitItsSam
Was it expected that medieval peasants attend mass regularly? Would they understand the Latin being spoken from the altar? If so, how would they have learned it? Would the sermons (not part of the 'mass' proper) also be in Latin?	189	td4999
Richard III is often believed to have killed the Princes in the Tower. Why does he have so many modern defenders?	189	addisinmontgomery
When Isabella and Ferdinand joined the houses of Castile and Aragon, they ruled as practically equals. Was it unusual for a queen to wield such political power and influence in 15th Century Europe; and what did contemporaries write about the extent of Isabella’s power and influence over Spain?	189	JustinJSrisuk
How did the Spanish manage to explore and establish footholds in the interior of the South and Latin America so early in the 16th century compared to British/U.S. North America which the Western part was mostly uninhabited by Europeans until the mid-19th century?	189	Westnest
In Rome: A History in Seven Sackings, author Matthew Kneale mentions in passing that Holy Roman Emperor Charles V could have intervened to make Martin Luther the Pope. Could that really have happened, and did Charles V consider it?	189	MonkeyDavid