AskHistorians

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Would it be fair to describe 16th and 17th century Spain as an "empire", and, if so, what led to its decline?	9
Germ theory was proposed in the 16th century, but took well over 300 years to get widespread acceptance. What took so long?	9
What are the prevailing theories for why communism didn't make more inroads in the west during the Great Depression?	9
Caravaggio was known to be a sacrilegious (used a dead prostitute to model the virgin Mary) hell-raiser, frequently brawling and even accused of killing a man; were his behaviors tolerated because of his talent? Did the notion of "artistic temperament" exist by his time?	9
Romans in the Republic era dated years by who was consul at the time; did this continue into the Empire? In the West, where did the convention of dating from the time of Christ's birth come from? Was it widely adopted simultaneously?	9
How were the Medici able to circumvent the papal ban on usury? Did such proclamations carry the force of law at the time, or were they regarded as guidance? Did the Medici's success inspire any others to follow their path?	9
"A Tale of Two Cities" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel" were broadly popular and sympathetic to those caught up in the excesses of the French revolution, but both were written well after the fact; do we have a sense for what the contemporary reaction was in Britain as the French revolution unfolded?	9
There's a strong belief among law enforcement and the media that they know who was responsible for killing Tupac Shakur; is there a similar consensus regarding the murder of Biggie?	9
Who was Vitruvius writing for? Was he documenting trade secrets? Did the Roman legions have a manual or code of conduct similar to modern armed forces?	9
In Wrath of the Khans, it's suggested that, not only were women expected to contribute in warfare, but that young women were only allowed to marry after they'd had a confirmed kill in battle. What evidence do we have for this claim?	9

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