AskHistorians

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How accurate is the depiction of Spartan hoplite warfare in the historical fiction novel Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield?	26
Were there any violent conflicts or battles between the Avignon and Roman popes during the Western Schism from 1378 to 1417?	26
I’ve read that Mesoamerican natives like the Tlascalans who helped Cortez overthrow the Aztecs later objected to not being treated any better by the Spanish and even tried to take their claims to Spanish courts. How did this work and did any succeed?	24
The Decameron written in the 14th century has a lot of bawdy stories about illicit sex, often involving clergy, and seems really cynical toward the Catholic Church. What was the social context of this and what social class was reading the Decameron?	21
Socrates was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock. How common was this as a method of execution and what were other usual methods of execution in ancient Greece and Rome?	19
French Huguenot Protestants were viciously persecuted by Catholics in 16th-17th century France. A century later during t French Revolution, vicious anti-clericalism incited the French to seize and deface Church property and massacre thousands of priests. Did anyone reflect on this/see it as ironic?	17
How violently was paganism and Gnosticism/Arianism persecuted by the Roman Empire after Constantine officially converted to Christianity in 312? Was the Library of Alexandria along with other pagan cultural works really purposely destroyed at this time?	17
The Plague of Justinian in the 6th century seems associated with the Eastern Mediterranean but I’ve read it also reached Northwestern Europe as far as Britain and may have been deadlier than the 14th century plague. Is this true and if so what is known about it?	16
Why did plate armor seem to disappear in Europe during the later Roman Empire and not appear again until around the 13th century?	15
How did Stalin personally react to Hitler's 1941 invasion and launching of Operation Barbarossa? I've read he had a mental breakdown and disappeared for several days. Is this true?	15

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