askhistorians

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The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia said in an interview today "We are returning to what we were before - a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world". What eras might he be referencing or looking to as a model for this move?	3071
When Pliny The Elder said that Asbestos "also resists all magic potions, especially those concocted by the Magi," what did he have in mind?	198
Did ancient merchants ever put things 'on sale' (that we have a record of)? Did they have 'holiday sales' around festivals, like we have 4th of July sales, e.g.?	55
Is the association of a monocle with distinguished urban wealth from a time when even having a single ground glass lens was expensive? Something else? It can’t all be Monopoly man, can it? I feel like I’ve seen it in movies.	37
Were audiences meant to 'pity' ancient Greek tragic heroes, even for having brought things upon themselves, like modern anti-heroes, or were they more like moral lessons were people got what they deserved? Both? Or did it vary?	36
Did differences or tensions between Zulu and Xhosa (or other native) tribes in South Africa affect the development or effectiveness of the ANC, early on or after Apartheid ended?	17
I read a 1930s magazine reference to asbestos (which was used in Hollywood productions for snow and fireproofing) as like a starlet whose name "you won't see on any mazdas" - there seem to have been some Mazda theaters - did this mean like a marquis, or more like 'won't see her on any AMCs"?	6
Did folk musician Joe Hill ever record his songs? If so, do any survive to this day?	6
I know Germany is often cited as a nation that faced and acknowledged its history in WW 2 - in what ways did East Germany's national approach to the Nazi past differ from that of West Germany?	4
I'm editing a film on the Mexican Inquisition and have struggled to find published procesos; especially anything related to Tomas de Trevino Sobremonte or Luis de Carvajal's theological debates with their inquisitors. Any advice?	3

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