askhistorians

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Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state that holds credible elections, relies on highly-educated scientists/engineers, and has a court system where decency often prevails. But it also has punitive laws, mob violence, and harsh religious strictures. How did this mishmash come about?	29
Ancient Romans looted/acquired numerous large Egyptian obelisks and brought them to Rome and Constantinople. Transporting them involved several large ships and a lot of expense. Why didn't they just reproduce these obelisks locally, or import Egyptian craftsmen? Why did they want authentic obelisks?	29
Today farmers understand that pollinators are essential for a good harvest. Did that knowledge exist in antiquity? When did it become general knowledge that bees and other pollinators improved yield?	29
In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy has an income of 10,000 pounds a year. How might such a gentleman generate such a large and steady income from his holdings without working, year after year?	29
In 1341 the Greek city of Thessalonica rebelled against the Byzantine Empire and adopted something like democratic communism. Where did they get the idea for this radical new system, and how did they keep it going for seven years?	29
Sardinia and Corsica are right next to each other and were once held by the Roman Empire. How different are they culturally, and how did they come to be held by two different countries?	29
Troy existed in real life; we have the ruins to prove it. But did real-life Troy bear any resemblance to the Illiad's Troy? Was it a powerful, rich state that could summon allies from the far corners of the earth to fight for it?	29
I get the sense that gout was incredibly common prior to the modern era. Is this just a source selection bias, or a real epidemic during premodern history?	29
How much did the Romans know about Ireland? What sort of contact did they have with the island?	29
I'm a would-be Roman artist circa 1 A.D. Is papyrus affordable enough to waste on bad sketches? How do I learn to draw if I can't waste a lot of paper working on my skills?	28

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