askhistorians

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Did the Athenian Theater of Dionysus sit empty 50 weeks of the year? What went on there when the week-long Dionysia and Lenaia festivals weren't going on?	33
Thomas Jefferson ran what seems like the country's first seed bank and agricultural experiment station at Monticello. How big of an impact did he have on agriculture and food variety in the US?	33
The United States housed, guarded, and feed the thousands of British soldiers who'd surrendered after the battle of Saratoga. What sort of conditions were they kept in? Did the US even have the resources to care for them, considering its own Continental Army often lacked food and clothing?	33
To what extent did retirement exist before the end of WW2? How common was retirement? Did most people work till they were too sick or decrepit to do so and then had relatives care for them?	33
What kept the U.S. space shuttle program from reaching its potential? Was it a boondoggle? The victim of fading interest in space exploration?	33
Who were the "strange gods," Socrates was accused of bringing into Athens?	33
Arabs and their Tibetan allies waged a war against China in the 8th century and won. Was this as impressive an accomplishment as it seems? Why didn't it have more of an impact on the balance of power?	32
The 732 A.D. Battle of Tours is sold as important, ensuring that Christianity, not Islam, would be the dominant religion in Western Europe. Was it really this critical?	32
When and why did monks begin copying/preserving/illuminating ancient texts? Is there a reason they didn't stick to Christian texts, but strayed into the great works of pagan philosophy, history, poetry, literature, etc?	32
Most modern animal foods are grown in "factory farms." Did their introduction radically lower the price of meat, dairy, and eggs? Did they expand the average person's ability to include animal foods in their diet regularly? How much of a market impact did they have?	32

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