/u/ask-if-im-a-parsnip's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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I have a bit of a "niche" question that may sound silly, but I'm quite interested: how did early seafarers in sailing ships go to the bathroom? Would, say, an ancient Roman and a Portuguese sailerin the Exploration Age use the same "technique," or did it evolve?

637 upvotes

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My son's history teacher said that Jesus was not the only miracle worker active in Palestine around 0 AD. Who were the others, and why do they not have a legacy similar to that of Jesus?

615 upvotes

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Ghost Ships have been a part of maritime lore for a long time. But how far back do these stories go? Did, say, the ancient Greeks have ghost stories at sea?

90 upvotes

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My son's highschool textbook on the Middle Ages divides medieval society into three categories: those who work, those who fight, and those who pray. But isn't this remarkably incomplete? What about, say, merchants in cities, or peacetime nobles? Why would the authors use such broad categories?

41 upvotes

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In "A Study in Scarlet," Sherlock Holmes refers to his trade as "his bread and cheese." Is this an accurate reflection of what a poor person in Victorian London would have eaten?

4 upvotes

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In ancient Rome, criminals who were guilty of parricide were executing by being sewn into a sack with a dog, a snake, a rooster, and a monkey and thrown into the Tiber. Where would Romans find a species of monkey or snake to render this punishment?

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
I have a bit of a "niche" question that may sound silly, but I'm quite interested: how did early seafarers in sailing ships go to the bathroom? Would, say, an ancient Roman and a Portuguese sailerin the Exploration Age use the same "technique," or did it evolve?	637
My son's history teacher said that Jesus was not the only miracle worker active in Palestine around 0 AD. Who were the others, and why do they not have a legacy similar to that of Jesus?	615
Ghost Ships have been a part of maritime lore for a long time. But how far back do these stories go? Did, say, the ancient Greeks have ghost stories at sea?	90
My son's highschool textbook on the Middle Ages divides medieval society into three categories: those who work, those who fight, and those who pray. But isn't this remarkably incomplete? What about, say, merchants in cities, or peacetime nobles? Why would the authors use such broad categories?	41
In "A Study in Scarlet," Sherlock Holmes refers to his trade as "his bread and cheese." Is this an accurate reflection of what a poor person in Victorian London would have eaten?	4
In ancient Rome, criminals who were guilty of parricide were executing by being sewn into a sack with a dog, a snake, a rooster, and a monkey and thrown into the Tiber. Where would Romans find a species of monkey or snake to render this punishment?	3