/u/Elphinstone1842's posts in /r/askhistorians

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Was it common in early Tokugawa period Japan (circa 1630) for masterless samurai to request to commit seppuku in the palace courtyard of local lords in hopes of receiving alms, as portrayed in the 1962 movie Harakiri?

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Catholic veneration of patron saints seems very similar to Greco-Roman pagan veneration of thousands of minor patron deities and it seems to have arisen in Christianity around the 3rd century when Rome first adopted it, yet I’ve seen it claimed there is no connection. Can that really be true?

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How did tattooing slaves work in ancient Greece and Rome?

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Why did both Wat Tyler and Guillaume Cale make the same mistake of crossing into enemy lines to meet with nobles who then betrayed them during the 14th century English and French peasant revolts?

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How were large numbers of prisoners handled in the Middle Ages?

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Instead of being executed why was Napoleon first given an extremely cushy retirement on Elbe and then a relatively cushy retirement on St. Helena? Was it really all just because they didn't want to make him a martyr?

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I've heard it's a myth that the Romans gave "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" during gladiator fights, and that the crowds actually didn't have any say at all. Is this true?

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How many French prisoners were really killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 on the orders of Henry V and how specifically were they killed?

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Is it true that medieval homicide rates were extremely high? If so, what factors caused this?

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What complications were there in Longstreet's proposed plan to march on DC rather than fight at the Battle of Gettysburg?

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Was it common in early Tokugawa period Japan (circa 1630) for masterless samurai to request to commit seppuku in the palace courtyard of local lords in hopes of receiving alms, as portrayed in the 1962 movie Harakiri?	4
Catholic veneration of patron saints seems very similar to Greco-Roman pagan veneration of thousands of minor patron deities and it seems to have arisen in Christianity around the 3rd century when Rome first adopted it, yet I’ve seen it claimed there is no connection. Can that really be true?	4
How did tattooing slaves work in ancient Greece and Rome?	4
Why did both Wat Tyler and Guillaume Cale make the same mistake of crossing into enemy lines to meet with nobles who then betrayed them during the 14th century English and French peasant revolts?	4
How were large numbers of prisoners handled in the Middle Ages?	4
Instead of being executed why was Napoleon first given an extremely cushy retirement on Elbe and then a relatively cushy retirement on St. Helena? Was it really all just because they didn't want to make him a martyr?	3
I've heard it's a myth that the Romans gave "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" during gladiator fights, and that the crowds actually didn't have any say at all. Is this true?	3
How many French prisoners were really killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 on the orders of Henry V and how specifically were they killed?	3
Is it true that medieval homicide rates were extremely high? If so, what factors caused this?	3
What complications were there in Longstreet's proposed plan to march on DC rather than fight at the Battle of Gettysburg?	3