/r/askhistorians

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What is the most accepted account of the first recorded war in human history? Who fought it? And why did they fight?

547 upvotes • Tfish

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During the Punic Wars, Rome was apparently able to produce army after army to fight the Carthaginians. Yet, during the late empire, when (western) Rome was nominally larger, they had much difficulty in recruiting men and relied a lot on Germanic mercenaries and allies. Why is that?

547 upvotes • PraecorLoth970

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Age(s) of majority: how and why did the seemingly arbritary ages of 16, 18, and 21 come to be the standard ages for various milestones and legal authority/rights?

547 upvotes • orwells_elephant

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suppose I'm a wealthy roman and I need a surgeon to remove the end of a sharp stick stabbed into my abdomen by a slave attempting escape. does whether I happen to be living AD297 Rome or AD1297 Constantinople, effect my survival odds much?

547 upvotes • grapp

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Did any significant Southern plantation owners read the writing on the wall and cash out shortly before the Civil War by selling all their land and slaves?

547 upvotes • rethinkingat59

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In The Travels of Marco Polo, Book 2 Chapter 40, Marco Polo describes encountering "huge serpents." Dragons. What do historians make of this passage, and are there other primary sources from China detailing the hunting and keeping of dragons?

547 upvotes • DaLaohu

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You frequently see Allied WWII veterans wearing uniforms and medals at commemorations, but do Axis veterans ever wear their uniforms and, for the Germans, denazified versions of their medals?

547 upvotes • PM_ME_UR_HARPSICHORD

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How do historians classify the Khmer Rouge? What did they really believe?

547 upvotes • antichain

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Did every early civilization decide to name their cities? Or is that something we’ve done more recently to make them easier to discuss? I.e. would someone living in Ur say “I live in Ur” or just “I live in that city over there”?

547 upvotes • LBJSmellsNice

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What were medieval European border crossings like?

546 upvotes • komnenos

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
What is the most accepted account of the first recorded war in human history? Who fought it? And why did they fight?	547	Tfish
During the Punic Wars, Rome was apparently able to produce army after army to fight the Carthaginians. Yet, during the late empire, when (western) Rome was nominally larger, they had much difficulty in recruiting men and relied a lot on Germanic mercenaries and allies. Why is that?	547	PraecorLoth970
Age(s) of majority: how and why did the seemingly arbritary ages of 16, 18, and 21 come to be the standard ages for various milestones and legal authority/rights?	547	orwells_elephant
suppose I'm a wealthy roman and I need a surgeon to remove the end of a sharp stick stabbed into my abdomen by a slave attempting escape. does whether I happen to be living AD297 Rome or AD1297 Constantinople, effect my survival odds much?	547	grapp
Did any significant Southern plantation owners read the writing on the wall and cash out shortly before the Civil War by selling all their land and slaves?	547	rethinkingat59
In The Travels of Marco Polo, Book 2 Chapter 40, Marco Polo describes encountering "huge serpents." Dragons. What do historians make of this passage, and are there other primary sources from China detailing the hunting and keeping of dragons?	547	DaLaohu
You frequently see Allied WWII veterans wearing uniforms and medals at commemorations, but do Axis veterans ever wear their uniforms and, for the Germans, denazified versions of their medals?	547	PM_ME_UR_HARPSICHORD
How do historians classify the Khmer Rouge? What did they really believe?	547	antichain
Did every early civilization decide to name their cities? Or is that something we’ve done more recently to make them easier to discuss? I.e. would someone living in Ur say “I live in Ur” or just “I live in that city over there”?	547	LBJSmellsNice
What were medieval European border crossings like?	546	komnenos