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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/13pi8m3/is_there_a_job_that_involves_astronomy_and/ | 13pi8m3 | 9 | t3_13pi8m3 | Is there a job that involves astronomy and ancient history? | 7 | 0.77 | null | false | 1,684,829,972 | [
{
"body": "Yes.\n\nArchaeoastronomy is a field of study that analyzes how past civilizations understood the sky, and what cultural role that may have had for their scientific understanding, religious beliefs and practices, their society's architecture, or upon their arts. Clive Ruggles is a well known scholar ... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/11c15ca/what_perspective_did_herodotus_write_the/ | 11c15ca | 2 | t3_11c15ca | What perspective did Herodotus write The Histories from? (Ancient History) | Herodotus was a great traveller with an eye for detail, a good geographer and a man with an indefatigable interest in the customs and past history of his fellow citizens. His *magnum opus* is undeniably *The Histories* depicting the Greco-Persian Wars. I was therefore wondering exactly from what perspective was this hi... | 0 | 0.5 | null | false | 1,677,373,120 | [
{
"body": "Hi there - unfortunately we have had to remove your question, because [/r/AskHistorians isn't here to do your homework for you](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_homework). However, our rules DO permit people to ask for help with their homework, so long as they are seeking clarif... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/xopd8m/ancient_history_where_to_start/ | xopd8m | 6 | t3_xopd8m | Ancient History, where to start? | Hey Everyone,
Tl:dr - Need opinions on which to start reading about Ancient History? And what era/civilization/empire excites you personally in the Ancient History?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the past up until a few months ago, i was not int... | 2 | 0.6 | null | false | 1,664,212,255 | [
{
"body": "Welcome to /r/AskHistorians. **Please [Read Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules) before you comment in this community**. Understand that [rule breaking comments get removed](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/h8aefx/rules_roundtable_xviii_removed_curation_and_why... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/w4wt98/is_there_a_book_or_resource_that_deals_with_the/ | w4wt98 | 2 | t3_w4wt98 | Is there a book or resource that deals with the entire history of meat processing, dating back to ancient history? How past cultures broke a carcass down, what parts were used for what, etc. | 42 | 0.89 | null | false | 1,658,450,820 | [
{
"body": "‘Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig’ does a good job of covering the history of pork consumption back to ancient history, but does not detail butchering techniques. \n\nHere are some additional books that speak to the history of meat, but may not have the butchering specifics yo... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/tzm3z9/how_do_we_know_any_of_our_ancient_history_is/ | tzm3z9 | 5 | t3_tzm3z9 | how do we know any of our ancient history is actually true? | Everybody has played the game of telephone where successive attempts to pass a statement between person to person become muddled and increasingly more inaccurate until the final answer has little if any resemblance to what was initially said.
I can only imagine that because all of history until very recently aside fro... | 78 | 0.85 | null | false | 1,649,480,867 | [
{
"body": "This question, nearly exactly came up barely a week ago with a good answer from u/itsallfolklore\n\nhttps://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ttqg14/how_do_we_know_that_our_history_is_correct/\n\nIn that same thread I replied with an older answer from a similar question answered by u/DanKensing... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/vb72lw/were_the_hebrews_ever_attacked_by_egypt_in/ | vb72lw | 3 | t3_vb72lw | Were the Hebrews ever attacked by Egypt in ancient history? (was the attack from Shishak true?) | Any insight appreciated | 2 | 0.75 | null | false | 1,655,107,544 | [
{
"body": "Yes, many times, and often when they weren't actively being invaded, Egypt was still meddling in their affairs. \n\nThe story of Shishak, specifically, is a difficult one to confirm in history because of the presence of the Hebrew king, Solomon, who is regarded as a mostly legendary character by hist... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ttn9dx/is_there_any_surviving_lyrics_from_ancient_history/ | ttn9dx | 4 | t3_ttn9dx | Is there any surviving lyrics from ancient history? | IIRC not very much is known about music in the antiquity (Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia...) in comparison to later times, mostly learnt from mosaics, paintings, carvings and such but most depicts people playing instruments and or dancing.
So I ask if there is any surviving records or fragments even of any concrete song pl... | 6 | 1 | null | false | 1,648,808,052 | [
{
"body": "While you wait for a more comprehensive answer, the always wonderful u/Spencer_A_McDaniel has written an excellent article about Ancient Greek music, complete with reconstructed recording of most pieces of music from the Greek world that have survived.\n\nhttps://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2019/10/30/... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/t9xfs3/are_there_any_prominent_or_any_at_all_references/ | t9xfs3 | 3 | t3_t9xfs3 | Are there any prominent, or any at all, references to the great sphinx in ancient history? | like to preface this by saying that i know very little about ancient egypt and nearly nothing about the great sphinx.
I read a very brief passage on the sphinx and learned the word itself is a greek term and that we arent sure what exactly it was actually originally called and it got me wondering. What is the earlies... | 15 | 1 | null | false | 1,646,793,043 | [
{
"body": "There are various representations of the Sphinx in New Kingdom art (*edit:* 'New Kingdom' means 16th to 11th centuries BCE), showing it as having a beard and a crown. These can't have been part of the original carving: the beard was detached -- fragments have been found -- and it is suspected that th... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nt116i/how_much_ancient_history_is_lost_forever_simply/ | nt116i | 14 | t3_nt116i | How much ancient history is lost forever simply because it was made of wood? | 239 | 0.92 | null | false | 1,622,914,763 | [
{
"body": "I mean that's a super broad question to answer simply because we don't know. Since wood rots in almost every climate and circumstance produced by nature, almost all of it has and the only way we could know the potential is if it hadn't, and if all the wood didn't rot you wouldn't be asking this quest... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/rli2aq/ancient_history_facts_are_often_framed_in_a/ | rli2aq | 4 | t3_rli2aq | Ancient history facts are often framed in a "re-discovery" kind of way, like finding out about another sumerian king or such things. I wonder: How firm was roman imperial succession transmitted through the ages? Were there any emperors that were forgotten, and only later "re-discovered"? | And how does this compare to contemporary Great powers, like the diverse persian empires? | 44 | 0.89 | null | false | 1,640,103,469 | [
{
"body": "Yes this actually happens. It’s rare with such well documented persons but there was one “emperor” during the third century crisis who was “lost” to history until the 1930s when he was found on a random coin in the British museum.\n\nEmperor Silbannacus is now believed to have reigned briefly during ... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/r7d5za/did_a_concept_of_property_exist_in_prehistory/ | r7d5za | 4 | t3_r7d5za | Did a concept of property exist in prehistory? Also, did poor and middle-class people in ancient history and prehistory move houses/cities, and how? | Yes, it does seem like a fairly silly question, but moving houses and cities in frigging 2021 is still a big deal. Even with movers and packers who just wrap up your entire house and then you take a flight and your entire house reaches its destination a few days later, even with that, it's a nightmare. How did people d... | 25 | 0.86 | null | false | 1,638,467,958 | [
{
"body": "Not a silly question at all, actually a very good one requiring a complicated answer. I can't take a proper stab at it right now but I can point you towards some reading on the topic. This series of blog posts is very good, summarizing some thick and hard-to-get tomes on related subjects:\n\nhttp://h... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/qi4ukn/how_to_prepare_for_studying_ancient_history_for/ | qi4ukn | 5 | t3_qi4ukn | How to prepare for studying ancient history for graduate work when my college has almost no courses related to my intended areas of study? | Hello! I'm currently a sophomore undergraduate history major wanting to study either the ancient Mediterranean world(Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome) or Mayan and Aztec civilizations for graduate school. Currently I'm a bit lost since there's nobody in the history department who has specialized in these fields since the main ... | 8 | 0.9 | null | false | 1,635,482,418 | [
{
"body": ">I wanted to ask if I should double major in anthropology due to the lack of exposure? I feel like I should've double majored in anthropology initially since there's more courses offered related to ancient history than the history department currently offers.\n\nI think this heavily depends on your d... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/kvwgpm/how_does_one_go_about_studying_ancient_egypt_with/ | kvwgpm | 24 | t3_kvwgpm | How does one go about studying ancient Egypt with an MA in Ancient History? | Hi there!
I'm currently starting an MA in Ancient History (In Switzerland). I jumped into these studies for two reasons: (1) being passionate about ancient Egypt and (2) being assured by the university representative that it could lead me to working in research studying that field.
Unfortunately, after approaching tw... | 6 | 0.88 | null | false | 1,610,473,360 | [
{
"body": "Finish your current MA degree in Ancient History. In the meantime, try to pick up some classes on Egyptian language, probably starting with Middle Egyptian (ca 2100 BCE to 300 CE) to boost your resume. If you have to go to a nearby University to find it, do that. Ancient Greek might be useful, too, ... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/nlc0af/what_are_some_reliable_websites_and_or_sources/ | nlc0af | 5 | t3_nlc0af | What are some reliable websites and or sources for Ancient History? | I was wondering what are some reliable websites and or sources regarding topics like Sparta, Rome and Alexander the Great. Any help would be great! Thank you | 4 | 0.83 | null | false | 1,622,018,190 | [
{
"body": "Hi there! A website that i highly recommend is Perseus Digital Library. There you can find a ton of sources such as roman and greek historians, philosophers and much more. And, for our joy, you have them in Latin or Greek and a translation in English. Perseus provides two dictionaries too if you are... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/mwwfq4/medieval_andor_ancient_history_your_army_has_just/ | mwwfq4 | 3 | t3_mwwfq4 | Medieval and/or Ancient History. Your Army has just lost a battle. What happens now? | Let's say you are the general or leader of an army in ancient or medieval times. You fight and you lose a battle, a siege or suffer significant losses due to attrition. What would you do. What would a fairly organized army even be able to do and what would they avoid. How would they motivate their forces in this case? ... | 13 | 0.85 | null | false | 1,619,187,920 | [
{
"body": "The question leaves open a wide and vague area for contemplation. Since, simply \"losing a battle\" is still a category of several possible outcomes and circumstances. There are many ways and extents to which one can \"lose\". And depending on the condition a general finds themselves in, the decision... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a4vnuv/old_generations_complain_about_the_next_one_since/ | a4vnuv | 14 | t3_a4vnuv | Old generations complain about the next one since at least Socrates, but do we have similar evidence from ancient history of the reverse: younger generations complaining that old people "just don't get it"? | There is ~~a famous quote by Socrates~~ a quote often [misattributed to Socrates](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a4vnuv/old_generations_complain_about_the_next_one_since/ebi5iu5/) complaining about younger generations:
> “The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; the... | 679 | 0.95 | null | false | 1,544,448,597 | [
{
"body": "Such complaints were probably always common.\n\nIn the Greek world (or at least in Classical Greek literature) elderly men were often stereotyped as rigid, suspicious, and stingy. In his *Rhetoric*, for example, Aristotle says:\n\n\"\\[Elderly men\\] have lived many years; they have often been taken ... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/k0tufn/it_seems_to_me_that_throughout_much_of_ancient/ | k0tufn | 3 | t3_k0tufn | It seems to me that throughout much of ancient history homosexuality was pretty commonplace and accepted. What contributed to it become so demonized in the eyes of many political entities and people? Was homophobia a large issue in Ancient greece and pre-Christian Rome, or did it come from nowhere? | Obvious religion was a primary reason, but where did the stigma in the religion come from? Why did the human authors of religious texts feel the need to condemn it? Basically I want to know why the opinions of populations shifted so drastically. | 10 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,606,317,030 | [
{
"body": "A great question u/cactus_licker3 because it's obvious something changed, but (as with all historical questions) when we pry into the details it becomes so murky. Was homosexuality commonplace and accepted in much of ancient history? Yes and no. There have likely always been people who felt this way,... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/hsrd2j/how_were_new_gods_created_in_ancient_history_do/ | hsrd2j | 5 | t3_hsrd2j | How were new gods created in ancient history? Do we have some account of the "birth" of a new good in a polyteistic religion? | I recall that in ancient Greece some gods were patrons of specific cities, and that these gods prominence reflected that of the city, but how these gods were created in the first place? Did an important person made a story up about an ancestor god to justify their power, like the whole Aeneas thing being the ancestor o... | 10 | 0.73 | null | false | 1,594,970,634 | [
{
"body": "We haven't stopped \"creating\" divine figures. Even in monotheistic religions you can create new divinities, or at least psuedo-divinities. In Christianity, specifically Catholicism, we see this in the canonization of new saints. These saints become symbols of protection and essentially take on the... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8xni80/is_other_countries_have_fake_ancient_history/ | 8xni80 | 16 | t3_8xni80 | Is other countries have fake ancient history? | Well I am south korean and studying history at university.
But some korean people believe that there was an ancient Korean Empire 10000years ago call 'Hwhan'.
They think this Hwhan empire had occupied total Asia continient, half of the russia, and even America and Europe.
This is really awkward theory and there is ... | 134 | 0.91 | null | false | 1,531,216,219 | [
{
"body": "There is an excellent writeup from /u/commiespaceinvader about a nationalist pseudo-history in Hungary, which claims that the Sumerians became Scythians, Scythians became Hungarians, and also Jesus was a Scythian. Therefore Hungarians are descendants of the inventors of civilization and also Jesus.\n... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/l2mqvi/are_there_any_writings_of_jokeshumour_from/ | l2mqvi | 3 | t3_l2mqvi | Are there any writings of jokes/humour from ancient history? | 2 | 1 | null | false | 1,611,318,557 | [
{
"body": "The [oldest known written joke](https://www.wlv.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/2008/august-2008/the-worlds-ten-oldest-jokes-revealed.php) is from ancient Sumeria and was written down about 1900BCE. [It's a fart joke](https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-joke-life/worlds-oldest-joke-traced-ba... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/gutgxr/ancient_history_books_recommendations/ | gutgxr | 6 | t3_gutgxr | Ancient History Books Recommendations | I've been on and off reading through the books on prehistory for the last couple of years, and now I want to somehow structure further reading. The goal is to get a good grasp on european/middle east history starting with invention of agriculture and up to around 500BC (for now), and also whatever epic literature is av... | 6 | 1 | null | false | 1,591,046,895 | [
{
"body": "For Anatolia, I recommend combining Trevor Bryce's [*Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites*](https://books.google.com/books?id=XO2ODwAAQBAJ) with [*Ancient Turkey*](https://books.google.com/books?id=SsLKBgAAQBAJ) by Antonio Sagona and Paul Zimansky. All of Bryce's books on ancient A... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/j5feoh/prevalence_of_eastern_mediterraneanwestern_asian/ | j5feoh | 2 | t3_j5feoh | Prevalence of Eastern Mediterranean/Western Asian ancient history | As a reasonably well read non-historian, I (an American in my early 30s) have the impression that our most extensive knowledge of ancient history (Bronze Age and earlier) comes from the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asian regions. From where we have identified our oldest permanent cities to the most powerful empire... | 10 | 0.92 | null | false | 1,601,884,421 | [
{
"body": "Let me start by noting I am not an expert at Asian history. I have a degree in ancient history that focussed on the classical Greeks and Romans.\n\nHowever there are a number of things at play, some I learned in uni, some from further reading.\n\nFirst is the preservation of written histories. To t... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/95bnm2/modern_historians_often_doubt_the_historicity_of/ | 95bnm2 | 13 | t3_95bnm2 | Modern historians often doubt the historicity of surviving ancient histories of the Roman Kingdom. We seem to question less the ancient descriptions of people and events of the Republican and Imperial eras. How far back does our knowledge of specific people and events of Ancient Rome reliably go? | 73 | 0.91 | null | false | 1,533,648,744 | [
{
"body": "The answer to this question is quite complex and depends not only on the historian, but also what particular bit of history we are talking about. Between the things everyone agrees are \"real history\" (eg the existence of Julius Caesar) and things everyone agrees are mythical (eg Romulus) there is a... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/iot6v5/studying_ancient_history/ | iot6v5 | 4 | t3_iot6v5 | Studying ancient history | Can anyone recommend me any book to start studying the ancient history? I really wanted to learn more about the first civilization, but never was quite sure where to start. I would be really thankful for any kind of recommendation) | 2 | 0.76 | null | false | 1,599,570,342 | [
{
"body": "[*Ancient Civilizations*](https://books.google.com/books?id=isxbCgAAQBAJ) by Chris Scarre and Brian Fagan is a pretty good overview of the best attested ancient societies. I also highly recommend the superb exhibition catalogues produced by the Met Museum, both of which are available for free:\n\n* [... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2y8s0x/just_how_bad_is_the_situation_in_iraqsyria_in/ | 2y8s0x | 22 | t3_2y8s0x | Just how bad is the situation in Iraq/Syria in regards to ISIS destroying ancient history? | wondering if there are any experts on the region's history that can chime in on the destruction ISIS is doing. They've destroyed a museum in Mosul and now I'm hearing bulldozed an entire ancient city? I know civilization pretty much started over there. just how bad is it? | 285 | 0.96 | null | false | 1,425,740,429 | [
{
"body": "To those who are reporting this thread, we appreciate your diligence and vigilance. You are correct that normally these threads are against the rules due to the 20 year rule. Thank you. However, we have decided to allow this thread as it pertains to public history.",
"created_utc": 1425754539,
... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bt7on7/have_veterans_and_soldiers_always_been_at_risk_of/ | bt7on7 | 4 | t3_bt7on7 | Have veterans and soldiers always been at risk of or commonly documented to have suffered from PTSD throughout ancient history or has the nature of modern warfare given rise to war's psychological effect on the troops fighting in it? | 30 | 0.79 | null | false | 1,558,875,850 | [
{
"body": "We don't know the answer to either part of the question! It's an ongoing scholarly controversy, outlined by u/hillsonghoods in his [Monday Methods post on premodern PTSD](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9mdx60/monday_methods_on_why_did_ancient_warriors_get/). Some scholars claim that ... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/g1yuwk/its_already_established_that_there_are_records_of/ | g1yuwk | 2 | t3_g1yuwk | It's already established that there are records of PTSD occurring in medieval and ancient history, but were there any form of official, sanctioned treatment to handle people suffering from it in those time periods? | 11 | 0.74 | null | false | 1,586,978,821 | [
{
"body": "You may wish to read the [Monday Method's thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9mdx60/monday_methods_on_why_did_ancient_warriors_get/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=AskHistorians&utm_content=t1_fmbq6lr) by u/hillsonghoods on pre-modern PTSD, and the problems with di... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/g0i6t1/whats_a_good_history_textbook_one_that_goes_from/ | g0i6t1 | 3 | t3_g0i6t1 | Whats a good History Textbook? One that goes from Ancient History until Modern History. A kind of timeline. | Would love to find a book that has the main events in History. Thank you. | 3 | 1 | null | false | 1,586,781,609 | [
{
"body": "Hi there!\n\nWe flaired users here at AskHistorians actually compile and maintain a [booklist](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books). I suspect you may find [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/books/general) section on general history informative. I might also flag [the Ox... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bgjgti/why_does_it_seem_like_throughout_ancient_history/ | bgjgti | 6 | t3_bgjgti | Why does it seem like throughout Ancient history, tribes were continually pushing out (North, West, and South) from Eastern Europe or the Steppes? | In the 100s BC, Germanic tribes were pushing in to Gaul enough that it gave Rome pretext for invasion. Germanic tribes also went north, supplanting the natives in Scandinavia.
In the 4th and 5th century, Goths and Lombards and Vandals moved West, leading to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The 5th century also s... | 8 | 0.9 | null | false | 1,556,042,084 | [
{
"body": "This is a good question with no possible good answer. In each case, the variables were different, and we should add to this the hypothesized \"migration\" of the Proto-Indo-Europeans into Europe, from some homeland variously located in the western Russia forested steppe or perhaps from Anatolia. Nobo... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/ahq0sz/historiography_textbooks_specifically_for_ancient/ | ahq0sz | 5 | t3_ahq0sz | Historiography textbooks specifically for ancient history? | I'm looking for good books that give college or graduate students an overview on how to do history, but which are specifically oriented toward writing ancient history.
​
The only ones I've found are Morley's *Theories, Models, and Concepts in Ancient History*, Morley's *Writing Ancient History*, and perhaps Or... | 13 | 0.83 | null | false | 1,547,930,502 | [
{
"body": "Here are some others to check out:\n\nMarincola, J. (2011). Greek and Roman historiography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.\n\nKraus, C. S., Marincola, J., Pelling, C. B. R., & Woodman, A. J. (2010). Ancient historiography and its contexts: Studies in honour of A.J. Woodman. Oxford: Oxford Universit... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cs6cz8/what_are_the_best_books_covering_ancient_history/ | cs6cz8 | 5 | t3_cs6cz8 | What are the best books covering Ancient history? | I’m trying to read about Ancient history and wish to cover the entire period so I’m looking for some book recommendations about the key historical events. I’d like to start with a broad overview of the earliest settlements then follow the development of Western Civilisation. Any suggestions would be great and if I’m be... | 3 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,566,158,957 | [
{
"body": "For a fairly brief overview from the recovery after the bronze age collapse to Rome I'd recommend this by Charles Freeman which largely does what it says on the tin.\n\nhttps://www.amazon.com/Egypt-Greece-Rome-Civilizations-Mediterranean/dp/0199263647",
"created_utc": 1566163839,
"distinguish... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/h17d2x/reception_of_nonenglish_research_in_the/ | h17d2x | 2 | t3_h17d2x | Reception of non-English research in the Anglosphere (especially ancient history) | I hope this question is appropriate. I sometimes encounter that German historians (especially ancient historians) complaining about English speaking historians are more and more not able to read German or other continental European languages and thereby being unable to receive the research done there. [1] Is there any ... | 2 | 1 | null | false | 1,591,907,497 | [
{
"body": "Anyone working on a PhD in ancient history in the US is expected to have a reading knowledge of at least two modern languages, typically French and German, and most departments administer translation exams before you advance to candidacy. \n\nI wrote more about scholarly training in Egyptology in [Ho... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/cl99rn/how_do_we_know_that_people_in_ancient_history/ | cl99rn | 3 | t3_cl99rn | How do we know that people in ancient history actually worshipped their "gods" and they weren't just folk tales and folk heroes? | It seems possible to me that Indian, Greek, and Roman gods could have just been folk heroes and stories passed down from generations used metaphorically and artistically. At what point did people start thinking they were real and worshipped them? Is it possible that people would start doing that with our marvel and s... | 10 | 1 | null | false | 1,564,776,789 | [
{
"body": "For decades, folklorists followed the lead of the European folk to make a distinction between folktales, elaborate stories told as fiction, and legends, narratives told to be believed. More recently, the celebrated Swedish-Irish folklorist, Bo Almqvist (1931-2013) suggested that the definition of a l... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/es2703/in_ancient_history_did_trepanning_work_in_any/ | es2703 | 2 | t3_es2703 | In ancient history, did trepanning "work" in any sense? Why did cultures believe in this practice, and what were its usual outcomes? | 5 | 0.79 | null | false | 1,579,645,525 | [
{
"body": "Yes, it worked, at least for some things: It's a pretty straightforward treatment for a pretty straightforward injury. A blow to the head can cause bleeding in the dura, the covering for the brain. This bleeding will collect, pressing on the brain, and potentially causing death-- this is a \"subdura... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/41w3ff/why_were_eunuchs_so_prevalent_as_both_servants_to/ | 41w3ff | 13 | t3_41w3ff | Why were eunuchs so prevalent as both servants to various aristocracies, as well as major power players in ancient history? | I've been listening to an audiobook version of Susan Wise Bauer's The History of the Ancient World, and there are frequent mentions of persons both in servant roles, and as political powers over the course of ancient history, particularly Asia (For a time frame, I'm at the point where the book is recording events from ... | 45 | 0.96 | null | false | 1,453,320,340 | [
{
"body": "Hey hoooo, it’s a Big-Thinking Eunuchs Question! I shall refrain from rubbing my hands together in glee and doing a little dance, because you just unwittingly stepped onto Mrs. Caffarelli’s Wild Gender Studies Ride. \n\nEunuchs, as you have very keenly observed on your own, are seemingly the perfect ... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a634ye/how_was_winter_warfare_generally_conducted_during/ | a634ye | 4 | t3_a634ye | How was winter warfare generally conducted during Ancient History (5000 BC to 500 AD)? | There's a lot of material on post 18th century winter warfare and it's generally well understood, but I seem to find almost nothing on winter warfare before the 8th century. How were peope equipped for winter campaigns during Ancient History? I especially think of European civilisations like Rome or Greece that left th... | 11 | 0.77 | null | false | 1,544,777,325 | [
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"body": "Hi, it seems that, generally speaking, soldiers were released during the winter, and armies reformed in spring for \"Campaign Season\". While you're waiting for a direct answer here, I took a spin for posts on the subject. Here are couple describing exceptions:\n\n* /u/ScottHammond on Alexander in [I... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5641mk/so_ive_been_reading_a_few_books_about_ancient/ | 5641mk | 9 | t3_5641mk | So I've been reading a few books about ancient history, and I have frequently encountered the claim that bronze was a superior material to iron, but iron was much more common, cheaper and easier to forge. Is this true? | 39 | 0.83 | null | false | 1,475,733,995 | [
{
"body": "u/alricofgar weighed in on this topic [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3lyrz4/why_does_the_difference_between_bronzeironsteel/) - some other commenters, such as yours truly, provided minor contributions as well.",
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a38fn6/does_ancient_history_hold_any_records_of_massive/ | a38fn6 | 3 | t3_a38fn6 | Does ancient history hold any records of massive popular protests like those we see in this era? If so, how were they received? | I mean protests and marches equivalent to our modern day Million Man March, The Monday Demonstrations (Berlin Wall), Gay Rights, Anti-War, etc, but from ancient times.
Most of the history I learned focused on the last couple centuries, and skimmed over ancient times. | 13 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,543,981,418 | [
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"body": "Secessio Plebis (withdrawal of the Plebs) was a form of protest that occurred several times during the Roman Republic, it entailed large portions of the Plebeian class (commoners) leaving the city and the Patricians (ruling families) to fend for themselves. \n\nSince the plebeians were the shopkeeper... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a5vq1s/were_musicians_held_in_high_regard_in_ancient/ | a5vq1s | 3 | t3_a5vq1s | Were musicians held in high regard in ancient history as they are today? | Musicians today are revered, often because they are very, very talented individuals who make us feel things words cannot begin to describe. My question is, in ancient history (for the sake of a time frame lets say from B.C. Era - 1000 A.D.) were musicians held in such high regard as they are today? Were they given incr... | 9 | 0.72 | null | false | 1,544,723,015 | [
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"body": "I can ramble about this for a bit.\n\nPlato wrote a short dialogue called Ion, and music is the theme. The conclusion, as I remember it, is that music is not a skill, but is in fact a result of possession by the muse and is a divine gift. Thus, in a chain resembling (as Plato says) the attraction bet... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ywjgr/to_what_extent_is_our_understanding_of_very/ | 1ywjgr | 10 | t3_1ywjgr | To what extent is our understanding of very ancient history (Sumeria for example) colored by the biases of the 19th century European archeologists who first discovered their records? | 94 | 0.93 | null | false | 1,393,347,125 | [
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"body": "I think the most salient way that they have been colored by biases is by access. Many near eastern ancient historical artifacts were discovered during the late 19th and early 20th century, which corresponded with the zenith of power for several European empires. This of course meant that lots of it e... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3u2e8j/when_reading_about_history_especially_ancient/ | 3u2e8j | 7 | t3_3u2e8j | When reading about history (especially ancient history) you always hear about envoys being slain. How was the job viewed in the lense of the contemporary population and where did they find willing recruits? | Many thanks in advance! :D | 40 | 0.88 | null | false | 1,448,363,484 | [
{
"body": "It's mentioned alarmingly often in historical texts because it was and always has been really extraordinary. Diplomats have served rulers and nations for millennia, and they frequently have been members of a ruling family or some other person with close ties to the leader. This is, incidentally, why ... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3qcow0/what_is_some_of_the_best_evidence_that/ | 3qcow0 | 12 | t3_3qcow0 | What is some of the best evidence that corroborates the Afro-centric view of ancient history? | I know a lot of people like to prove it otherwise but, if any empirical evidence actually supports some of the ideas like the early ancient Egyptians were black, the African presence in the Americas that predated the European, of black civilization in East Asia or the Black Athena idea. Some notable scholars that come ... | 14 | 0.84 | null | false | 1,445,904,328 | [
{
"body": ">the African presence in the Americas that predated the European\n\nThere is no evidence for this. You can read more about it and related theories in our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/nativeamerican), though please do follow up with more specific questions you might have.",
"c... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2m3myj/is_the_study_of_ancient_history_more_dominated_by/ | 2m3myj | 10 | t3_2m3myj | Is the study of ancient history more dominated by historiography than other time periods? | I've taken a few courses on ancient history, particularly of ancient Greece, and am growing increasingly confused with scholarship dealing with that subject matter. It seems as if every 'scholarly' book I read on the ancient world deals more with historiography than anything else, and I come away from readings more fam... | 25 | 0.8 | null | false | 1,415,820,491 | [
{
"body": "I'm sure there are people here who will disagree with me, and that's fine. \n\nYou are right to identify the paucity of sources. The effect of that is everyone working in these fields has basically read everything, so we all know what each other is talking about (if we're good at our jobs, which of... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5hn3x6/how_much_has_our_understanding_of_ancient_history/ | 5hn3x6 | 4 | t3_5hn3x6 | How much has our understanding of ancient history changed since around 1900, given new technology and archaeological findings? | Follow-up to that other question about a 1900 historian's possible "misconceptions" from our point of view. I know technology played a big role in terms of our gaining raw data about ancient history, but I don't know what was discovered when. How big would the gap between our understanding of ancient cultures and the 1... | 27 | 0.8 | null | false | 1,481,413,298 | [
{
"body": "I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that virtually every aspect of archaeology has been overwritten in the century plus since 1900. Technical improvements in optics, chemical analysis, and computing have certainly contributed substantially to our ability to analyze archaeological data, but the ... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9mybll/how_do_we_know_the_dates_of_events_in_ancient/ | 9mybll | 4 | t3_9mybll | How do we know the dates of events in ancient history? | When doing research on ancient history and going to websites like Wikipedia, it will tell you the date that an event occurred, but it isn't usually clear why a certain event was dated that way.
For example, the Wikipedia article for the Great Fire of Rome states: " The **Great Fire of Rome** was an urban fire in Jul... | 2 | 0.63 | null | false | 1,539,168,055 | [
{
"body": "This is not a problem most of us worry a great deal about, and honestly the answer is nowhere near as exciting as you might think it is. For a start, there is a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5izv93/how_confident_are_we_that_the_year_is_actually/dbc9y1r/) in the AskHistorians ... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3bl5fz/how_did_royal_chinese_women_in_ancient_history/ | 3bl5fz | 8 | t3_3bl5fz | How did royal Chinese women in ancient history get their hair into such elaborate and intricate styles? | I'm watching the Empress of China right now, and (aside from all the other things going on) my main question is how did they get (and keep) their hair in such big beautiful styles?
Is it extensions? Is it oil? | 20 | 0.85 | null | false | 1,435,632,632 | [
{
"body": "To add a little bit of meat to this answer, I talk about hairstyles and makeup styles of Tang dynasty women (what you'd be seeing in that show, seeing as it's Wu Zetian) [here](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2jebjb/what_are_the_significance_of_painted_eyebrows/) if you're interested.\... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/939ijp/did_any_ancient_societies_study_ancient_history/ | 939ijp | 2 | t3_939ijp | Did any ancient societies study 'ancient history', if so what did they study? (any sources?) | 13 | 0.85 | null | false | 1,532,995,724 | [
{
"body": "I am not exactly sure what you mean. The field of history itself doesn't begin until the fifth century BCE with Herodotus and Thucydides. Both had unique styles and manners to convey the past or the current, in many cases. Historians like Xenophon broke ground in areas like anecdotal and biographical... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4x7uj3/teaching_ancient_history/ | 4x7uj3 | 6 | t3_4x7uj3 | Teaching ancient history | I am starting my Ancient History 6th grade classroom this year. I chose to move up from teaching all subjects in 4th to just ancient history in 6th. I'm very excited. I am wondering if this group could help me with a couple of things. I am going to use the series 'History of the World Through 100 Objects' as a guide fo... | 9 | 0.82 | null | false | 1,470,920,383 | [
{
"body": "This is great and I think I can recommend some great supplementary objects, but could you specify when exactly your cut-off is as far as timeline? Also, you are covering the whole world's histories I assume? ",
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/76jiqz/before_radiocarbon_dating_how_inaccurate_were/ | 76jiqz | 3 | t3_76jiqz | Before Radiocarbon dating, how inaccurate were historians and archaeologists about dating ancient history, classical period, etc.? | 8 | 0.9 | null | false | 1,508,080,883 | [
{
"body": "You'd probably want to run over to ask [anthropologists](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnthropology/).\n\n\nMore broadly, prior to the understanding of radiometric dating techniques things were typically aged within the confines of what we knew. If you have one arrow head manufactured with a very speci... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3z4vav/how_did_ancients_view_their_own_ancient_history/ | 3z4vav | 3 | t3_3z4vav | How did ancients view their own ancient history | Nowadays, we put great importance on ancient artefacts from hundreds or thousands of years ago. However, how did people who lived thousands of years ago think of things that were ancient for them. For example, what did the Greeks and Romans think of the Pyramids and other ancient Egyptian structures, which by then were... | 57 | 0.89 | null | false | 1,451,736,723 | [
{
"body": "Adapted my answer to a similar question asked a while ago:\n\nMost ancient peoples had a fairly detailed story of their own origins and prehistory, which tended to begin with the gods or with an age of super-human rulers. Ancient ruins that were poorly understood could be given a place in such storie... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/11kn4m/is_the_cambridge_ancient_history_series_worth/ | 11kn4m | 12 | t3_11kn4m | Is the Cambridge Ancient History series worth reading despite its age? | Some of the volumes were published in the 70’s, so I presume they are not quite up-to-date. Is it still worth reading, or is there any other in-depth academic book or series on the subject that you could recommend instead. | 18 | 0.83 | null | false | 1,350,400,696 | [
{
"body": "It varies a lot from volume to volume and chapter to chapter, since they're all written by different people. I personally don't find the CAH terribly useful. The bits of it that matter to me tend to be not so much expository (\"here's a bunch of stuff that happened, here's the evidence for it, here a... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7dau2q/how_common_was_atheism_in_ancient_history/ | 7dau2q | 2 | t3_7dau2q | How common was atheism in ancient history | We have all heard about wars between Catholic's and Protestants but never about atheists, did it exist or were there any people who just didn't believe in god? | 11 | 0.66 | null | false | 1,510,817,045 | [
{
"body": "Here is an interesting thread from a couple years ago along the lines of this topic, but it doesn't address your war question. I personally haven't heard of an account of any people going to war to promote atheism.\n\nhttps://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2tu3qd/was_atheism_a_recognised_way... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a87ze6/is_there_an_ancient_history_version_of_science/ | a87ze6 | 1 | t3_a87ze6 | Is there an ancient history version of science fiction? | Like was there anyone that wrote about technology that didn't exist but could exist in the next 30 years in their time. Like in the Roman empire was there any stories describing technology that didn't exist in the time it was written but did exist later? Or is science fiction truly a modern concept. | 9 | 0.86 | null | false | 1,545,380,848 | [
{
"body": "I believe these answers address your question: [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/science#wiki\\_imagining\\_the\\_future\\_and\\_futurism](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/science#wiki_imagining_the_future_and_futurism)",
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2pp7oh/do_signatures_of_writersfigures_from_antiquity/ | 2pp7oh | 4 | t3_2pp7oh | Do Signatures of Writers/Figures from Antiquity (Ancient History, e.g., Ceasar, Cicero, Alexander) Exist? | I could only think of Western figures, but I don't mean to limit the scope to that. | 26 | 0.9 | null | false | 1,418,923,955 | [
{
"body": "Well we do have some possible specimens of Ashurbanipal's handwriting. We have several tablets signed by him and they are notable in that they are clearly not written by a professional scribe. So they may actually be by him.\n",
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4fdpha/what_is_the_ancient_history_of_metallurgy/ | 4fdpha | 4 | t3_4fdpha | What is the ancient history of metallurgy? | 10 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,461,009,254 | [
{
"body": "In which part of the world? The history of metallurgy is going to be drastically different in the Mediterranean than in China, West Africa, South America, or Mesoamerica.",
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/23szxp/we_see_all_these_genocides_in_the_20th_century/ | 23szxp | 4 | t3_23szxp | We see all these genocides in the 20th century. Were there any genocides known about from ancient history? | Were there any groups of people who got specifically targeted and killed?
Also, were any of these genocides successful (as in no descendants from that group of people survived or are around today.)? | 44 | 0.91 | null | false | 1,398,290,286 | [
{
"body": "The Asiatic Vespers was the cleansing of Romans from Anatolia.\n\nWhen Rome was Achieving Victory after Victory, many despised the Romans for their growing influence, one famous one was a Mithradates of Pergamon, King of Pontus. During the early days of Mithradates of Pergamon: \"Mithridates orchestr... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ev6zo/who_were_the_great_comic_minds_of_ancient_history/ | 1ev6zo | 7 | t3_1ev6zo | Who were the great comic minds of Ancient History? Did stand-ups have a historical equivalent? | 21 | 0.87 | null | false | 1,369,263,201 | [
{
"body": "Aristophanes was an Athenian playwright renowned for his wit and satire which holds up even today, best known for The Clouds, a play satirising Socrates. I had to read it for a class a few semesters ago and burst out laughing several times. He also wrote Lysistrata, another comedy. I haven't read any... | 3 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8t1hlh/how_did_people_throughout_ancient_history_explain/ | 8t1hlh | 2 | t3_8t1hlh | How did people throughout ancient history explain static electricity? | It's crazy that with the lights off, tiny little volts of electricity can literally illuminate the bedroom wall for very brief moments when moving your legs under the blankets creating static shocks. What did people of the past think static electricity was and are there any superstitious explanations of it from ancient... | 2 | 0.61 | null | false | 1,529,675,553 | [
{
"body": "More can be written, but there's one answer from the Science section of the FAQ: [\"What did people think about static electricity shocks before electricity was discovered?\"](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7rvynq/what_did_people_think_about_static_electricity/dt03t9g/) by /u/hillson... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2aga84/what_are_the_chances_of_getting_new_information/ | 2aga84 | 5 | t3_2aga84 | What are the chances of getting new information on ancient history? | I'm not taking about better or more accurate interpretations of ancient history. Out of all the ancient writings that have been lost from the Greeks and Romans, is there a chance that some might still be sitting somewhere waiting to be found. Much of the ancient histories that we have, source other works that are los... | 16 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,405,106,971 | [
{
"body": "The chances of finding a more-or-less-intact copy of a \"new\" Greco-Roman work of history are very slim, I'm afraid. The last such text to be discovered was the [Hellenika Oxyrhynchia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenica_Oxyrhynchia), found in the first half of the 20th century, and that's still ... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3gz14u/who_was_the_wealthiest_individual_in_ancient/ | 3gz14u | 4 | t3_3gz14u | Who was the wealthiest individual in ancient history? | And how would we determine the value of land, holdings ect. | 12 | 0.77 | null | false | 1,439,557,936 | [
{
"body": "Ancient history is a pretty broad timespan. You might want to narrow that down a bit.",
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5f67xz/cambridge_ancient_history_alternative_reads/ | 5f67xz | 3 | t3_5f67xz | Cambridge Ancient History - alternative reads? | Much praise for the good old volumes of CAH and deservingly so, but can anyone recommend similar series with throrough approach that would give a fresher look on ancient (pre-Roman) history, providing more evidence in terms of monument inscriptions, quotations and findings? | 7 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,480,266,031 | [
{
"body": "It depends on what part of ancient history you're interested in. If you're looking for an overview of Ancient Greek history that shows you the primary material, I'd recommend Robin Osborne's *Greece in the Making, 1200-479 BC* (2nd ed. 2009), followed by Simon Hornblower's *The Greek World, 479-323 B... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2dfhl7/what_separated_a_good_general_from_a_bad_general/ | 2dfhl7 | 5 | t3_2dfhl7 | What separated a good General from a bad General in ancient History? | In the Philippi episode of HBO's Rome there's a battle scene showing the chaos of a battle after the initial attack. General Marc Antony is asked what's going on and he saying something along the lines of "I have no idea" in a tone like that was the norm.
How much of a battle's outcome relied on active commanding by ... | 9 | 0.77 | null | false | 1,407,931,575 | [
{
"body": "[Check out the importance of generals from this topic that was posted last month](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/28dtf3/how_important_were_leading_generals_in_ancient/)",
"created_utc": 1407945098,
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https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/24a2lv/why_have_almost_all_cultures_in_ancient_history/ | 24a2lv | 4 | t3_24a2lv | Why have almost all cultures in ancient history uniformly perceived comets as a sign of death, destruction and plague? | 17 | 0.92 | null | false | 1,398,782,507 | [
{
"body": "I forget the name but the Roman Emperor that converted to Christianity first allegedly saw a comet the night before a battle and took it to be a blessing (he won the battle). It was instrumental in him converting to Christianity (not Catholicism but a branch of Christianity)\n\nSo it wasnt always see... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2vvgwr/hey_historians_i_am_look_for_a_gilded_source_of/ | 2vvgwr | 5 | t3_2vvgwr | Hey historians! I am look for a gilded source of pictures, illustrations and articles about ancient history. Can you guys help me out? | 8 | 0.75 | null | false | 1,423,924,033 | [
{
"body": "Do you want pictures/mosaics from the time period or paintings/illustrations from later periods depicting it?\n\nI have a lot of paintings/images on my computer of Ancient Greek and Roman mosaics, paintings etc.\n\nSo do you want 15th century - modern images, or do you want images from that time peri... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/64tluy/is_the_cambridge_ancient_history_2nd3rd_edition/ | 64tluy | 4 | t3_64tluy | Is the Cambridge Ancient History 2nd/3rd Edition Out of Date? | Hello everyone. I decided it was easier to just make my way through a massive multi-volume reference work than to sift through the askhistorians list and try get piecemeal views on particular subjects in order to build a solid general understanding of history.
My question is Cambridge Ancient History which goes from ... | 0 | 0.5 | null | false | 1,491,943,637 | [
{
"body": "The second edition of the Cambridge Ancient History (CAH) is written by the leading scholars in each separate field, and remains the most comprehensive and reliable overview of the entirety of ancient history. There are loads of small ways in which it has become outdated, and if a third edition were ... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3x63l1/how_do_modern_historians_judge_how_accurate/ | 3x63l1 | 3 | t3_3x63l1 | How do modern historians judge how accurate ancient histories are? | Taking Livy as an example, are historians using Livy as a jumping off point because there are no other primary sources, or is it more a case of looking at archaeological findings and trying to create a narrative independent of Livy? | 16 | 0.83 | null | false | 1,450,323,565 | [
{
"body": "This is a very difficult question to answer, but I will do my best to keep it succinct. There are a few ways in which modern historians test the veracity of their ancient sources:\n\n1. Comparing one source to another. While, as you astutely mentioned, there are not always correspondences between sou... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7eu97g/is_new_ancient_history_still_possible/ | 7eu97g | 3 | t3_7eu97g | Is "New" Ancient History still possible? | There aren't that many historical soruces of the Greco-Roman antiquity. Authors like Herodotus, Livy, Polybios, Tacitus and so on have been with us for a long time. Modern historical research has been active the last two centuries. I know "each generation rewrites its history", but is there really that many ways one ca... | 1 | 1 | null | false | 1,511,384,577 | [
{
"body": "That every generation writes its own history, or rather, that every generation has its own questions to ask from history might be a truism, but that doesn't make it any less true. It's a process, not a task with a defined end condition. But I'll leave the question of philosophy of history for others,... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ehfta/do_we_have_records_of_monuments_or_memorials_from/ | 1ehfta | 5 | t3_1ehfta | Do we have records of monuments or memorials from ancient history? | I know statues and structures like the pyramids were at least somewhat prevalent, but was there anything like a roman monument to the victims of Pompeii? Memorials to disasters, tragedies, wars, etc.
I suppose this question applies to most societies pre-1800 | 9 | 0.85 | null | false | 1,368,747,360 | [
{
"body": "Not Pompeii, but monuments to commemorate wars, certainly. Ever heard of [the arch of Titus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Titus)? And if that's not enough, [here's a substantial list of surviving Roman triumphal arches!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_triumphal_arches)\n\nOn a sma... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9mfls9/help_with_ancient_history_dissertation/ | 9mfls9 | 1 | t3_9mfls9 | Help with ancient history dissertation | I am having trouble with deciding on the subject and question for my dissertation (I should have already decided months ago). I have several ideas and am leaning towards something to do with the ancient extinct herb known as Silphium but I am open to any ideas. What topics or questions would you suggest? what part of a... | 2 | 0.63 | null | false | 1,539,010,919 | [
{
"body": "This might not be what you had in mind for an answer, but honestly your best shot at making this a good piece of work is by making your dissertation revolve around a topic you enjoy. I did my dissertation on comparing the themes of a number of Byzantine treaties. This was simply as my lecturer specia... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3zlxsi/careers_linked_with_ancient_history_advice/ | 3zlxsi | 2 | t3_3zlxsi | Careers linked with ancient history advice | I know this may not be where to post this question, please advise me where else to go if not.
I was asked today by a 17 yr old about what careers would be available linked to ancient history. They are very hard working and keen, I just didn't have an inspiring answer, and was hoping that someone here would be able to ... | 11 | 0.92 | null | false | 1,452,024,806 | [
{
"body": "There are a number of ways you can go after studying ancient history. You can go into academia, and teach history or a related field at the university or high school level. Also, there is the realm of archaeology, which is very closely tied to ancient history. Depending on the area of history that... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4b47en/what_are_some_new_developments_the_study_of_in/ | 4b47en | 1 | t3_4b47en | What are some new developments the study of in ancient history? | This is a very general question, but I'm curious what it's like to study ancient societies, primarily in the Old World, be it Europe or Asia. Barring the discovery of new texts, what are historians of those periods able to add? With a limited body of sources to draw upon, are most new developments drawn from archeology... | 22 | 0.89 | null | false | 1,458,412,565 | [
{
"body": "The first thing I should say is that new sources - both material and textual - are constantly being discovered. The study of ancient Mesopotamia has a shortage of researchers rather than of sources, with vast amounts of evidence still entirely unexamined. More traditional areas of research like Greec... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3otubh/mysteries_of_ancient_history/ | 3otubh | 2 | t3_3otubh | Mysteries of ancient history | So I really like books that deal with mysteries of ancient civilizations. However, most of these are full of pseudoscience and complete innacuracies. Can anyone recommend any that are not full of pseudoscience and put forth some probable theories? Egypt, Sumeria, pre Spanish colonization Americas, places like that. | 8 | 0.9 | null | false | 1,444,892,468 | [
{
"body": "What exactly do you mean by \"mysteries\"? Things we don't yet know? There's only so many things that fall into that category, and most of those do so by technicality, since we have quality theories to begin with. You won't find that people write books about things we don't know- that forgoes the bas... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/15nluo/historians_please_clear_up_my_misconception_in/ | 15nluo | 5 | t3_15nluo | Historians, please clear up my misconception in ancient history regarding "saying hello" | Historians of Reddit (or anyone that knows), in short, I remember a
lesson in my history course that there is an ancient civilization
(either Roman or Greek, possibly neither...) that would say "hello"
without speaking, they would make a fist with a hand and knock on one
of their knees as they would walk by a friend.... | 6 | 0.72 | null | false | 1,356,837,108 | [
{
"body": "The ancient Greeks apparently raised their right arms in a fist as they passed eachother on the road, sort of like a nazi salute except with a fist and none of the ridgedness or negative connotations.\n\nApparently it was to show you were none threatening by showing you aren't reaching for you're swo... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7bx72a/do_historians_of_ancient_history_have_to_know/ | 7bx72a | 2 | t3_7bx72a | Do historians of ancient history have to know classical languages? | If I were to become a historian of rome/greece, would I have to learn latin and greek? Is it really necessary? Haven't most texts been translated to English? | 1 | 0.6 | null | false | 1,510,269,488 | [
{
"body": "This is entirely dependent upon the school where you choose to study and what requirements they have in place. There are many universities out there that offer classical antiquity degrees which require some study of Latin, Hebrew, and/or ancient Greek. There are also plenty of universities which do n... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/68yuws/is_there_any_evidence_in_ancient_history_of/ | 68yuws | 2 | t3_68yuws | Is there any evidence in ancient history of mental health issues such as depression or anxiety? | We are all becoming more aware of mental health issues therefore I am wondering if these condititions existed in the past perhaps just undiagnosed. Or is modern life promoting more of these issues? | 2 | 0.6 | null | false | 1,493,795,589 | [
{
"body": "Not to discourage other responses, but [my answer to a similar question 4 months ago here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5hjgl2/was_depression_and_mental_illness_as_prominent_as/db0rzsx/) should at least provide some background knowledge about what we can and can't know about menta... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4if1ov/did_any_army_leaders_in_ancient_history_recognise/ | 4if1ov | 4 | t3_4if1ov | Did any army leaders in ancient history recognise what is now termed PTSD? | Did any army leaders in ancient history, i.e. Roman times, know about or recognise what is now termed PTSD in soldiers?
How'd they deal with it if they did recognise that it was an issue?
Cheers! | 1 | 0.57 | null | false | 1,462,722,789 | [
{
"body": "Not meaning to discourage further debate, and I realise that your question has a slightly different focus, but here's [yesterday's thread on ancient PTSD](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4i6yxy/is_there_evidence_of_ptsd_in_soldiers_during/), with references to earlier posts from the F... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3h72hy/what_was_the_dynamic_of_being_famous_like_before/ | 3h72hy | 1 | t3_3h72hy | What was the dynamic of being famous like before the modern era? Was fame an ambition of people in Ancient history as much as it is today from social media? How did they aspire to achieve it back then? | I've been wondering if fame & being famous worked in the same way today. Did historical figures like William Shakespeare, Beethoven, etc become be recognized on the streets? Did they expect fame or understand their historical presence at the time?
And how did people aspire for fame? Or was it merely a luxury of Phara... | 30 | 0.82 | null | false | 1,439,729,601 | [
{
"body": "People certainly did. As an example, Herostratus, who burned the Temple of Artemis to the ground, admitted that he did it and further claimed that it was so that history would never forget him.\n\nAs a side note - and this is just my opinion - I don't think humans and their nature have really changed... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1zaeec/how_people_overcome_language_barriers_in_ancient/ | 1zaeec | 2 | t3_1zaeec | How people overcome language barriers in ancient history? | I've always wondered how people from very different regions, with no roots in common, were able to understand each other, and even learn new languages, back in the days were "grammar books" were not available. For example, Christian missionaries trying to teach the Bible in Africa, or Spanish conquistadores with the na... | 17 | 0.85 | null | false | 1,393,704,765 | [
{
"body": "You might be interested in this section of our Popular Questions wiki (the link is in the sidebar): [Cross-cultural communication and lingua francas](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/language#wiki_cross-cultural_communication_and_lingua_francas).",
"created_utc": 1393717971,
"distin... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2w0ohb/is_this_sketch_of_ancient_history_correct/ | 2w0ohb | 5 | t3_2w0ohb | Is this sketch of ancient history correct? | I'm trying to get my bearings straight with some of the highlights of human and pre-human history. Can anyone confirm or deny the following account (and feel free to elaborate where it seems helpful--particularly in regards to technology, which is my main interest)?
Australopithicus evolved from earlier primates in c... | 2 | 0.67 | null | false | 1,424,042,638 | [
{
"body": "I'll give it a try. This is a huge topic, so I'll gloss over some of the details that are maybe not entirely correct but more or less get the idea in favor of adding missing details or correcting false ones. Seems like you've done some good research already though! \n\nYou are correct that a lot of h... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4bclbf/when_we_read_dates_on_ancient_history_books_is_it/ | 4bclbf | 1 | t3_4bclbf | When we read dates on ancient history books, is it a julian or gregorian one? | example , pompeii tragedy , 24 August 79 AD ( or october, we don't know exactly )
Is it the julian date? | 8 | 0.84 | null | false | 1,458,572,378 | [
{
"body": "I would recommend reading any notes or preface to a book. These often explain the methodology behind dates, translations, and names. As a general rule most Western books will be using the Gregorian calendar. In societies where the Julian calendar was used (such as Russia), writers will let you kno... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/6khmdp/looking_for_book_recommendations_for_ancient/ | 6khmdp | 1 | t3_6khmdp | Looking for book recommendations for ancient histories of all continents. | I have a few caveats:
1. I am mainly interested in the period just before the creation of cities all the way up to circa 1000 CE. This is not a hard deadline year - just a period that is considerably pre-Renaissance. A complete early history of the Ottoman Empire is an exception to this time period. There would obviou... | 5 | 0.86 | null | false | 1,498,845,658 | [
{
"body": "Three books on antiquity that I have found to be of great quality and encompass a wide geographic area are: \n\nBabylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek - \nthis book is a great history that focuses not just on Babylon but the entire Mesopotamian/Near East region. It cover... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/18b6ol/how_did_military_commanders_communicate_orders_to/ | 18b6ol | 2 | t3_18b6ol | How did military commanders communicate orders to troops during battles in ancient history? | Take a time period, say the punic wars, how did commanders issue orders in battle to troops? I am sure a plan was decided on prior to battle, but how did this occur once the battle had commenced? Nowadays, I see radio communication as indispensable for a military, curious how this was worked out in the past. | 21 | 0.87 | null | false | 1,360,594,679 | [
{
"body": "This was asked a [few days ago](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/187xwo/how_did_commanders_of_armies_in_antiquity_control/). Here is [my answer](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/187xwo/how_did_commanders_of_armies_in_antiquity_control/c8cfksp) on post-Marian Imperial Rome... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8gt4mt/need_some_ancient_history_help/ | 8gt4mt | 1 | t3_8gt4mt | Need some ancient history help. | I posted this r/Judaism, and someone suggested I ask here too.
Tl;dr, trying to find out more about the history of the Israeli territory.
I hate that Israel seems to be one of the only first world nation w/o a clear history!
Were early jews there in 12000 b.c.e?
Is the Bible really a historical text we can trust to... | 1 | 0.67 | null | false | 1,525,376,361 | [
{
"body": "“Israel’s history and the history of Israel” by Mario Liverani who is a well regarded specialist of ancient Near East history should be a good starting point. This book is on askhistorians recommended list on the subject of Ancient Israel.",
"created_utc": 1525408648,
"distinguished": null,
... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/txhr0/what_time_in_ancient_history_had_the_most/ | txhr0 | 10 | t3_txhr0 | What time in ancient history had the most interesting things happening simultaneously around the world? | Hi historians! I am doing research for an adventure game in which the main character finds a secret tunnel through the middle of the earth (suspend disbelief a bit...) and visits four different locations in the world. What time period should I set the game in to have the most interesting civilizations, events or histor... | 0 | 0.5 | null | false | 1,337,608,428 | [
{
"body": "Never ask 1000 different historians what they find interesting, because you will always get 1,000 different answers. For me, the most interesting is just how people lived in the Early American Republic.",
"created_utc": 1337611775,
"distinguished": null,
"id": "c4qjudc",
"permalink":... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/727wna/trying_to_find_good_reading_material_to_link_the/ | 727wna | 1 | t3_727wna | Trying to find good reading material to link the ancient histories of the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East... | Recently, I've gotten back into my passion for Ancient cultures and politics. I'm currently reading SPQR by Mary Beard and have read quite a few articles and some short books on Greece, The Middle East, and Northern Africa (particularly on the Carthaginians), but I keep struggling to link all of these events and cultur... | 3 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,506,288,130 | [
{
"body": "I highly recommend *The Making of the Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean from the Beginning to the Emergence of the Classical World* by Cyprian Broodbank, which covers exactly what you're looking for. \n\nFor the later periods especially, see *The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterrane... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1l8h4g/whenwhere_did_the_concept_of_restaurants/ | 1l8h4g | 3 | t3_1l8h4g | When/where did the concept of restaurants originate? Are there any particularly famous or noteworthy restaurants from ancient history? | 4 | 0.83 | null | false | 1,377,658,860 | [
{
"body": "FYI, there's a section on restaurants in the \"popular questions\" FAQ\n\n[Restaurants](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/dailylife#wiki_restaurants)",
"created_utc": 1377664748,
"distinguished": null,
"id": "cbwsvn0",
"permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/1l8h4g/whenwhere_... | 2 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/553zjh/are_there_any_inconsistencies_or_mysteries_with/ | 553zjh | 2 | t3_553zjh | Are there any inconsistencies or mysteries with the evidence that informs our knowledge of ancient history? Do we have the full picture of the Upper Paleolithic to the end of the neolithic? | 1 | 0.54 | null | false | 1,475,177,665 | [
{
"body": "Hi, questions on pre-history are worth cross-posting to our sister sub, /r/AskAnthropology. While there are some anthropologists here (and you may get an answer here), there are more over there, and with a greater specialization in earlier time periods.",
"created_utc": 1475178255,
"distingui... | 1 | |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4ejs5f/why_were_there_so_many_famous_pitched_battles_in/ | 4ejs5f | 1 | t3_4ejs5f | Why were there so many famous pitched battles in ancient history? | It seems to me like it required a lot of organisation and expense to arrange a mass battle on the field. From what I've heard, most battles were skirmishes, sieges or raids for pillaging, because that's what generally won a war.
Why then, were there pitched battles? What examples can be drawn up for why this was, at ... | 6 | 0.8 | null | false | 1,460,518,096 | [
{
"body": "For Classical Greece, there's a couple of reasons. The main one is that the city-states had no professional army and no money to create one. Their military forces were literally the population in arms. Since most people could not afford to leave their farms and shops for very long, campaigns had to b... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2kdbbx/who_were_the_old_greek_or_the_old_romans_to_the/ | 2kdbbx | 1 | t3_2kdbbx | Who were the "old greek" or the "old romans" to the old Greeks or old Romans we are referring to when we Talk about ancient history? | Did they have Peoples they were referring to as what we now call ancient? | 6 | 0.67 | null | false | 1,414,332,492 | [
{
"body": "For most of antiquity there was an indigenous population called the [Pelasgians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelasgians) living in Greek speaking lands that was already then understood to predate the Greeks. \n\nItaly had a [lot of different peoples](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ancient_peop... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/20baen/how_did_the_chinese_and_indian_population_grow_to/ | 20baen | 2 | t3_20baen | How did the Chinese and Indian population grow to what it is today? What factors during ancient history contributed to this. | The population of China and India combined comprise of almost 1/3 of the world's population.
As a comparison, the entire population of [Europe is only 739 Million](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe) and the whole of [Africa is 1.033 Billion.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa)
EDIT: changed to 1/3 from 2/3 and o... | 0 | 0.5 | null | false | 1,394,714,523 | [
{
"body": "[This is literally the first question in the Asia section of the FAQ](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/faq#wiki_asia)",
"created_utc": 1394715623,
"distinguished": null,
"id": "cg1jeam",
"permalink": "/r/AskHistorians/comments/20baen/how_did_the_chinese_and_indian_population... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1uoy78/are_there_any_famous_sociopaths_in_ancient_history/ | 1uoy78 | 2 | t3_1uoy78 | Are there any famous sociopaths in ancient history? | In the sense of people who would probably have a clinical diagnosis of sociopathy; whose actions or accounts of their personalities suggests this kind of disorder?
I understand as historical records blur with time, we may not have the detail or insight into their day-to-day lives, but I can't imagine sociopathy is a r... | 0 | 0.5 | null | false | 1,389,161,684 | [
{
"body": "I think in general there were a lot of rulers or people in general, who would be today diagnosed as sociopaths. They simply did not have the same norms as us today, thus didn't judge their actions as we do today. They didn't know human rights, they allowed slavery, gladiator fights, killing minoritie... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1wdv5r/why_was_adulterysex_looked_at_as_a_negative/ | 1wdv5r | 2 | t3_1wdv5r | Why was adultery/sex looked at as a negative conduct throughout ancient history? | From the Buddhist [Five Precepts] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Precepts) to the Egyptian's [doctrine of Maat] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maat) they all view sex as a bad thing (I am sure there are more examples from different cultures) but why is that?
How was it able to change to today's world view of sex ge... | 1 | 0.6 | null | false | 1,390,930,600 | [
{
"body": "I'd like to add to the question if I may. The only logical explanation I could imagine was that STD's might be more common in adulterous relationships. Does this explanation hold any truth, and if so, would STD's have had a significantly higher mortality rate in ancient times? Were there ever instanc... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10cq2jy/what_is_the_ancient_megara_history/ | 10cq2jy | 2 | t3_10cq2jy | What is the ancient Megara history? | Hi!
I'm ancient history enthusiast; so I'm not a historian by education. I own and run a history blog.
I'm asking here for help in materials for poleis Megara article, its history from across centuries from bronze age to 1 CE.
My blog is written in polish and I'll credit anyone however wishes to.
Cheers! | 1 | 0.56 | null | false | 1,673,805,256 | [
{
"body": "Welcome to /r/AskHistorians. **Please [Read Our Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules) before you comment in this community**. Understand that [rule breaking comments get removed](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/h8aefx/rules_roundtable_xviii_removed_curation_and_why... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12ltsdc/why_is_antisemitism_so_prevalent/ | 12ltsdc | 85 | t3_12ltsdc | Why is antisemitism so prevalent? | Simply put, why is antisemitism so prevalent in history? What was the origin of it and what contributed to its spread? From ancient history up until today, and is prevalent in so many different cultures, it confuses me how so many independent groups across history come to form their own variation on antisemitism. Are t... | 2,036 | 0.89 | null | false | 1,681,470,956 | [
{
"body": "I can speak to the Biblical background of anti-Judaism. Like the mod above I also specify anti-Judaism because when it's religious, it isn't antisemitism, it's anti-Judaism. Unlike the Nazis, the primary marker of Jewishness for a Christian who hated Jews was not blood – though this becomes complicat... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10ia6p/wednesday_ama_ancient_greek_history_near_eastern/ | 10ia6p | 154 | t3_10ia6p | Wednesday AMA | Ancient Greek History, Near Eastern History 900-200 BC and Hellenistic Bactria | Apologies, I'm a few minutes late starting the thread but I had to go out to the supermarket and it took a bit longer than expected...
I have just completed a Master of Arts degree in Ancient History. My Bachelor's is also in Ancient History.
My big project for this past year was research on Hellenistic Bactria, for ... | 122 | 0.97 | null | false | 1,348,669,821 | [
{
"body": "First, thanks for doing the AMA. You've been a rock-solid contributor for a long time now, and I don't think it's far off to say that you are one of the most important posters here; many of your previous posts have made it to /r/DepthHub and /r/bestof, and I think it's fair to say that you're persona... | 3 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/dcz5m1/korean_historical_dramas_usually_emphasized_the/ | dcz5m1 | 2 | t3_dcz5m1 | Korean Historical dramas usually emphasized the Joseon and Goryeo, are there other historical eras in Ancient Korean history that is just as famous as these two era? | I have noticed after watching numerous Korean Dramas, and some Historical ones as well, that they often referred or take place during the Joseon and Goryeo eras/dynasties than any other eras during Korea's Ancient history.
Why were these two eras singled out by the people of Korean for such dramas to take place in? A... | 3 | 0.81 | null | false | 1,570,145,525 | [
{
"body": "It's a matter of dynastic longevity and volume of surviving sources.\n\nThe Koryŏ dynasty ruled from 918 to 1392, and the Chosŏn from 1392 to 1910. So if you want your story set at any point in the thousand years from 918 to 1910, it *must* be set in one of those two eras.\n\nThe Koryŏ and Chosŏn wer... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/12mhgiz/how_do_we_separate_history_and_archaeology/ | 12mhgiz | 4 | t3_12mhgiz | How do we separate history and archaeology academically? | My question is more so about academic distinctions and methods/evidence. When I took a course on the ancient Mediterranean, we read some articles on archaeology. Doing some reading on my own I started to notice that ancient history seems to be a bit of collaborative chaos and modern history is more or less nicely conta... | 7 | 0.78 | null | false | 1,681,514,216 | [
{
"body": "I wrote about one example of how history and archaeology are used together [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/rkbq74/comment/hph7rsu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) which may be of interest to you.",
"created_utc": 1681736014,
"distinguished": null,
"id":... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/136v0ls/mi_finley_a_scholar_of_classical_economics_argued/ | 136v0ls | 14 | t3_136v0ls | M.I. Finley, a scholar of classical economics, argued there were only five true “slave societies” in history: Ancient Greece and Rome, and the Caribbean, Southern US, and Brazil. Is this claim criticized today? What does this say about the transatlantic slave trade in global historical context? | Sorry for the incredibly broad question, but I’ve seen this line multiple times and have wondered how accurate it is, and if it is why it is and what is common or ‘typical’ versus the societies he mentions (or, I guess, what was different about slavery in those five societies). | 149 | 0.94 | null | false | 1,683,137,734 | [
{
"body": "So to start out, I will say that Moses Finley and his slave society vs. society with slaves idea is still a very important part of the historiography of slavery studies. It is still commonly cited in academic work on the topic. That said, it has definitely had criticisms leveled towards it over time.... | 2 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8i9u97/helpsuggestions_on_what_books_to_read_pertaining/ | 8i9u97 | 5 | t3_8i9u97 | Help/suggestions on what books to read pertaining to ancient Syrian history. | Hello, I realize this may be a weird question because it’s not asking about a topic in particular but I hope it’s allowed. I’m looking to learn more about the ancient history of what is now modern Syria, as in all that’s within its current borders and I know/understand very well that kingdoms and empires stretched over... | 6 | 0.88 | null | false | 1,525,902,983 | [
{
"body": "Caveat: I am most familiar with the history of Syria prior to the Achaemenid period, and my reading recommendations reflect that. \n\n# **HISTORICAL OVERVIEWS**\n\n*Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History* by Trevor Bryce is a good first introduction. Bryce relies too heavily on textual sources ... | 1 |
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10sb7xv/what_is_chinese_heaven/ | 10sb7xv | 21 | t3_10sb7xv | What is Chinese Heaven? | I'm reading all these books about China, from ancient history to contemporary China.
I notice in a lot of art, customs, famous sayings, place names, etc. you have the word heaven.
I kinda realized that in my head while I read this is some contemporary Christian/Hollywood notion of heaven that is probably not accurate... | 216 | 0.94 | null | false | 1,675,399,010 | [
{
"body": "\nThe Chinese character 天 (tian, pronounced like the alpabets T N read out loud quickly) is the one most usually translated to as \"Heaven\" - but it can also have a more prosaic meaning as \"sky\". This division isn't quite rigid as it is in English - as with every language it's meaning depends on t... | 1 |
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