/u/RusticBohemian's posts

Title	Upvotes	Subreddit
Old English has the word "friþwefer," usually translated as "hostage bride" or "peaceweaver". Was there a difference between a hostage bride and a woman married off to cement a political or economic alliance? Were they literally hostages?	67	AskHistorians
Was Stoicism ever practiced beyond a very narrow elite in the Greco-Roman world? Did its ideas penetrate to the lower classes?	66	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians
Should we assume most Romans were literate enough to read the graffiti strewn about the cities of their empire?	65	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians
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	AskHistorians

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