AskHistorians

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Was Stoicism ever practiced beyond a very narrow elite in the Greco-Roman world? Did its ideas penetrate to the lower classes?	66
Arab robes, Indian saris, and the headdresses of certain religious sects seem like the only major native fashions to survive into the 21st century. Why has the western business suit, jeans, and t-shirts taken hold all over the world? Why don't Chinese leaders where robes, etc?	66
Pessimism about humanity's future due to climate change is rife today, with 56% thinking "humanity is doomed." How does this level of anxiety compare to what people felt about the threat of a nuclear holocaust during the cold war?	66
Today, mercenaries are often paid much more than regular military soldiers to fight. Did that hold true in the ancient world? Did Cyrus the Younger pay a ton of money to get the "elite" 10,000 Greek hoplites to help his army wage war against his brother?	65
Should we assume most Romans were literate enough to read the graffiti strewn about the cities of their empire?	65
Are today's "Titans of Capitalism" wealthier than those dominating the headlines in the 19th & 20th centuries, after adjusting for inflation? Does the difference come down to tax policy, or that society has just gotten wealthier? Some combination? Something else?	65
Men gathered in noisy rooms and shouted out their votes to election clerks well into the 1890s. Was "voice voting," accurate and secure? Were people subject to intimidation? Was it an effective and fair system?	64
Galen said, "There is nothing better than playing with the small ball. This is the best exercise since it fatigues the whole body." What is the small ball, and how does one use it for exercise?	64
The Soviet Union had 15 republics. Were they all "vassals," of Russia, or did each wield a significant amount of power within the union and in their own regions? How content were non-Russians to be part of the Union?	63
The Italian city of Bologna had 180 towers by AD 1200. The tallest was 320 feet high and still stands. How unusual was this? Who were the main tenants, and how annoying was climbing so many stories without modern elevators?	63

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