/u/Iestwyn's posts

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Sparta wasn't that effective in war; were there any hyper-militarized groups that DID have success (besides Rome)?

2417 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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What were roads like in Medieval Europe? Were they almost nonexistent between smaller settlements? Did some serfs spend time maintaining a manor's roads as part of their labor tax, or were the roads kept functional only by the traffic that used them?

2295 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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The fantasy trope of a "city guard" was largely nonexistent during the European Middle Ages; was there a premodern society that DID have city guards?

567 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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If the trope of the king spending all day in the throne room conducting business is false, then what did the average day for the court look like? Where did the king and household work?

217 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Despite the tropes, I'm only aware of one successful peasant rebellion (the one that toppled the Ming Dynasty and installed the very short-lived Shun Dynasty). Are there other successful peasant revolts in your period of study?

115 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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What do people think about Return of the Scarlet Empress?

48 upvotes • r/exalted

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Open-world "demigod" RPG?

34 upvotes • r/gaming

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The concept of generals engaging in a personal duel on the battlefield---either alongside a clash of armies or as a replacement for a larger engagement---is a common trope in fiction, both modern and ancient (such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms). Did this practice really exist? How common was it?

29 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Best actual play podcasts/videos/whatever?

26 upvotes • r/exalted

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As I understand it, feudalism/vassalage was used to manage lands without investing in a massive administrative organization; as far as I can tell, however, it just gives authority away without making anything simpler. How did feudalism actually minimize bureaucracy?

25 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Title	Upvotes	Subreddit	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Sparta wasn't that effective in war; were there any hyper-militarized groups that DID have success (besides Rome)?	2417	AskHistorians
What were roads like in Medieval Europe? Were they almost nonexistent between smaller settlements? Did some serfs spend time maintaining a manor's roads as part of their labor tax, or were the roads kept functional only by the traffic that used them?	2295	AskHistorians
The fantasy trope of a "city guard" was largely nonexistent during the European Middle Ages; was there a premodern society that DID have city guards?	567	AskHistorians
If the trope of the king spending all day in the throne room conducting business is false, then what did the average day for the court look like? Where did the king and household work?	217	AskHistorians
Despite the tropes, I'm only aware of one successful peasant rebellion (the one that toppled the Ming Dynasty and installed the very short-lived Shun Dynasty). Are there other successful peasant revolts in your period of study?	115	AskHistorians
What do people think about Return of the Scarlet Empress?	48	exalted
Open-world "demigod" RPG?	34	gaming
The concept of generals engaging in a personal duel on the battlefield---either alongside a clash of armies or as a replacement for a larger engagement---is a common trope in fiction, both modern and ancient (such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms). Did this practice really exist? How common was it?	29	AskHistorians
Best actual play podcasts/videos/whatever?	26	exalted
As I understand it, feudalism/vassalage was used to manage lands without investing in a massive administrative organization; as far as I can tell, however, it just gives authority away without making anything simpler. How did feudalism actually minimize bureaucracy?	25	AskHistorians