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Ask a Historian

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:29 am

Ask any questions about history, and I will draw on my extensive research and professional history. But be warned; my area of specialty is in Western European history of the 18th and 19th centuries, so if you ask about the French Revolution, I will NEVER SHUT UP. You have been warned.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:38 am

Good idea for a thread. I don't have a question at the moment, but given that my area of interest is definitely modern Israeli history, I'll probably have a question that intersects with European history somewhere around the area of British colonialism.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby NotCIAAgent » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:42 am

Uuuh, neat!

How are you with ancient history?

I have a question about ancient greeks and mythology.

While we know that pederasty and similar practices were a pretty big thing among the higher class Greek, I find nothing less than surprising the complete lack of macho-to-macho relationships in their myths. The only one I remember right off the bat is Achilles. Nothing from Odyssey, nothing from gods myths. Simply "no homo".

There's an explanation for this? Why women have such higher importance and participation in their myths if they were considered unworthy of even receiving a bukkake?
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Sparrow » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:44 am

So tell me about the French Revolution.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:49 am

Sparrow wrote:So tell me about the French Revolution.


That's a little vague. :)

But seriously, anything specifically about the French Revolution or the time period?
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:55 am

NotCIAAgent wrote:Uuuh, neat!

How are you with ancient history?

I have a question about ancient greeks and mythology.

While we know that pederasty and similar practices were a pretty big thing among the higher class Greek, I find nothing less than surprising the complete lack of macho-to-macho relationships in their myths. The only one I remember right off the bat is Achilles. Nothing from Odyssey, nothing from gods myths. Simply "no homo".

There's an explanation for this? Why women have such higher importance and participation in their myths if they were considered unworthy of even receiving a bukkake?


That's a really interesting question, and one that I don't know as much about as I ought to. Whilst I've done work in mythology before, I've never considered the question. I am aware of a connection between Greek pederasty and ancient Greek initiation rites (sort of a coming-of-age thing) which eventually developed into the full-on pederasty seen later, but I don't actually know any myths that address this. Sorry.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:01 am

aviel wrote:Good idea for a thread. I don't have a question at the moment, but given that my area of interest is definitely modern Israeli history, I'll probably have a question that intersects with European history somewhere around the area of British colonialism.


Colonialism, imperialism, and the ramifications of the two across the world is an endlessly interesting subject, and very much a salient issue still. It's also a good area to be interested in because of the preponderance of research being done on it these days. Also, be careful when you ask historians about the "modern" world; in our discipline's quest to be different and have pointlessly insular jargon, we've decided "modern" is anything past 1799. Because its not academics without being arbitrarily contrary to common sense at essentially meaningless junctures.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Deathclaw_Puncher » Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:02 am

NotCIAAgent wrote:Uuuh, neat!

How are you with ancient history?

I have a question about ancient greeks and mythology.

While we know that pederasty and similar practices were a pretty big thing among the higher class Greek, I find nothing less than surprising the complete lack of macho-to-macho relationships in their myths. The only one I remember right off the bat is Achilles. Nothing from Odyssey, nothing from gods myths. Simply "no homo".

There's an explanation for this? Why women have such higher importance and participation in their myths if they were considered unworthy of even receiving a bukkake?

I guess it's most likely due to the influence of someone lost to history, like the first person to drink milk.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby NotCIAAgent » Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:46 am

Dangit. Oh well... guess I will have to think a smart question about 18-19 centuries... the most boring centuries.

Uh... what was the color of Napoleon's white horse?

Is Sharpe a good series for me to watch?

Why were canons precise, but muskets couldn't hit shit?

All power mongers as Napoleon were motivated by sexual insecurity, or I am just trying to find an excuse for never having accomplished nothing in my life?

Russian winter: Is it so fucking bad?

Yep, that's enough for it to keep running for now.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:06 am

NotCIAAgent wrote:Dangit. Oh well... guess I will have to think a smart question about 18-19 centuries... the most boring centuries.


Nah, the ninth century is definitely the most boring.

NotCIAAgent wrote:Uh... what was the color of Napoleon's white horse?


Eggshell.

NotCIAAgent wrote:Is Sharpe a good series for me to watch?


All historians know TV melts your brain. Mmmmm.....brain juice.

Yes. Watch it. Maybe. I've never seen it. But Sean Bean!

NotCIAAgent wrote:Why were canons precise, but muskets couldn't hit shit?


Cannons also couldn't hit anything. They just were generally aiming at much larger target areas and have much larger blast radii. Altogether more forgiving than a musket. Also, rifling was done on cannons much earlier than on handheld guns.

NotCIAAgent wrote:All power mongers as Napoleon were motivated by sexual insecurity, or I am just trying to find an excuse for never having accomplished nothing in my life?


Yes.

NotCIAAgent wrote:Russian winter: Is it so fucking bad?


Only when the Russians are poisoning all the wells and burning all the towns, villages and cities. Aside from that, it's only pretty terrible as opposed to abject horror.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Learned Nand » Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:45 am

Andropov4 wrote:
aviel wrote:Good idea for a thread. I don't have a question at the moment, but given that my area of interest is definitely modern Israeli history, I'll probably have a question that intersects with European history somewhere around the area of British colonialism.


Colonialism, imperialism, and the ramifications of the two across the world is an endlessly interesting subject, and very much a salient issue still. It's also a good area to be interested in because of the preponderance of research being done on it these days. Also, be careful when you ask historians about the "modern" world; in our discipline's quest to be different and have pointlessly insular jargon, we've decided "modern" is anything past 1799. Because its not academics without being arbitrarily contrary to common sense at essentially meaningless junctures.


That is around the time I was referring too. Well, really anything past 1880, but not tremendously much of long term consequence happened between 1800 and 1880 in Israel that I know of, given that it was under the domain of the somewhat dilapidated Ottoman Empire. I think they roofed the Dome of the Rock in that time.
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Click for a Limerick
OrangeEyebrows wrote:There once was a guy, Aviel,
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He tested with Turing,
his circuits fried during,
and now we'll have peace for a spell.
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Re: Ask an Historian

Postby Andropov4 » Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:52 am

Andropov4 wrote:Colonialism, imperialism, and the ramifications of the two across the world is an endlessly interesting subject, and very much a salient issue still. It's also a good area to be interested in because of the preponderance of research being done on it these days. Also, be careful when you ask historians about the "modern" world; in our discipline's quest to be different and have pointlessly insular jargon, we've decided "modern" is anything past 1799. Because its not academics without being arbitrarily contrary to common sense at essentially meaningless junctures.


So I just re-read what I wrote and realized I sound like the bastard child of a douchecanoe and an asshat. I hope I don't sound like that all the time. That last sentence is so pretentious, I'm pretty sure it's smirking obnoxiously. I apologise to everyone who has read that.
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Re: Ask a Historian

Postby Typical Michael » Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:46 am

What would you say has been the most important trade product which has affected the world? I have seen arguments for spices like salt, fabrics like silk, and building materials like concrete. What say you?
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Re: Ask a Historian

Postby LaChaise » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:26 pm

Typical Michael wrote:What would you say has been the most important trade product which has affected the world? I have seen arguments for spices like salt, fabrics like silk, and building materials like concrete. What say you?


Wouldn't it completely depend on the region?
I mean, opium and tea really affected eastern Asia and the British empire, but not so much the French.

We clearly knew wine was the best breakfast drink.
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Re: Ask a Historian

Postby NotCIAAgent » Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:00 pm

LaChaise wrote:
Typical Michael wrote:What would you say has been the most important trade product which has affected the world? I have seen arguments for spices like salt, fabrics like silk, and building materials like concrete. What say you?


Wouldn't it completely depend on the region?
I mean, opium and tea really affected eastern Asia and the British empire, but not so much the French.

We clearly knew wine was the best breakfast drink.


Sugar cane in the south America, specifically Brazil. And then coffee. And then rubber. And then soccer players.
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