AskHistorians

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How did Ottomans manage to conquer so much of Europe, considering, defending is way easier to defend in native terrain and castles? Somehow it seems like 9/10 battles even when Ottomans were outnumbered, were victorious. Various examples of Ottomans winning when they were outnumbered, but how?	40
How did the ancient Greeks view drugs such as marijuana, opium and psychedelics? Was drug use common in Greek society or restricted to certain groups (philosophers, elites, warriors etc)? What were the substances of choice and what purposes did they serve?	40
Why are the personifications of countries typically women (eg. USA’s Lady Liberty, UK’s Brittania, Europe’s Europa) despite these countries typically having male leaders?	40
The oldest surname in Europe is the name "O Cleirigh", in Ireland in the year 916. What is the earliest point that a surname was utilized? Why did people even decide to have surnames in the first place?	40
How did nobles in arranged marriages have sex? Like nobles who don’t love their partner but want to guarantee an heir? Do they just thrust and dip? Weirdest question but I always wondered this lol Is there foreplay? Is there any pleasure at all??? NSFW	40
How do historians (and by extension historical cartographers) create maps of Indigenous polities in the Americas, and where are the most reliable databases of these maps?	40
Non alcoholic Medieval drinks	40
[deleted by user]	40
In the now infamous photo a woman and her children sit behind a "4 Children for Sale" sign. A news article from 2013 shows that the story appears to be genuine, insofar as the mother gave up her children. But how would this have been addressed legally in 1948?	40
[deleted by user]	40

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