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A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part IIIb: Children and Childrearing This is the back half of the third part of our series (I, II, IIIa) discussing the patterns of life...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
This is the back half of the third part of our series (I, II, IIIa) discussing the patterns of life for the pre-modern peasants who made up the great majority of humans who lived in the past. Last week, we started looking at family formation through the lens of marriage, this...
Global Inequality...
Dr. Morell and the Patient A A review of Normal Ohler’s "Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany"
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
‘The Colonialist’ by William Kelleher Storey review ‘The Colonialist’ by William Kelleher Storey review JamesHoare Mon, 08/04/2025 - 09:08
4 weeks ago
Trying to Understand...
It Gets Worse. This time, there will be consequences.
3 weeks ago
Patterns in Humanity
How many are criminals? Probably more than you think...
3 weeks ago
Flashbak
Logan Airport Versus Neptune Road, Photographing Boston’s ‘War’ of 1973 “I look at these photographs and feel the overwhelming sensation of the noise of these low-flying...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
“I look at these photographs and feel the overwhelming sensation of the noise of these low-flying aircraft. Yet I could leave what seemed like a war zone. And it was a kind of war, long-time residents trying for normalcy and the powers that be wanting them out.” – Michael Philip...
History Today Feed
How Important was the French Revolution? How Important was the French Revolution? JamesHoare Thu, 08/07/2025 - 08:38
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
England’s Medieval Angevin Empire Explained At its peak, the Angevin Empire stretched from Scotland to France, a formidable medieval dominion...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
At its peak, the Angevin Empire stretched from Scotland to France, a formidable medieval dominion under the English kings of the Plantagenet Dynasty. Shaped by pivotal figures such as Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart, and King John, this empire experienced a...
Res Obscura
All Souls exam questions and the limits of machine reasoning The world's most eccentric exam is newly relevant in the age of AI
2 weeks ago
History Today Feed
What’s in a Pope’s Name? What’s in a Pope’s Name? JamesHoare Wed, 08/06/2025 - 09:03
3 weeks ago
Trying to Understand...
The War Was The Easy Bit. Just wait until we get to the politics.
a week ago
TheCollector
How Did Hadrian’s Wall Shape British History? The Roman Empire stretched throughout Europe, expanding into the British Isles and establishing a...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Roman Empire stretched throughout Europe, expanding into the British Isles and establishing a significant presence that helped bring civilization to England and Scotland and greatly influenced their history.  One emperor, Hadrian, constructed a wall in the north of England,...
History Today Feed
The Islamic Ethics of the Wine Tax The Islamic Ethics of the Wine Tax JamesHoare Tue, 08/05/2025 - 09:06
4 weeks ago
A Collection of...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part IVa: Subsistence and a Little More This is the start of the fourth part of our series (I, II, IIIa, IIIb) discussing the structures of...
a week ago
19
a week ago
This is the start of the fourth part of our series (I, II, IIIa, IIIb) discussing the structures of life for pre-modern peasants, who made up the majority of all humans who have ever lived. In the last few sections, we’ve looked broadly at how mortality, marriage and childbearing...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of Daniel About? The Book of Daniel contains some of the most iconic scenes from the Bible. Children’s Bibles often...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
The Book of Daniel contains some of the most iconic scenes from the Bible. Children’s Bibles often depict Daniel in the lion’s den, or his friends in the fiery furnace. Yet, there is much more to Daniel than fantastic stories to entertain children. It holds significant lessons...
A Collection of...
Fireside Friday, August 15, 2025 (On Latin Pronunciation) Hey folks, Fireside this week! The new semester is starting up next week, so things may be a little...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
Hey folks, Fireside this week! The new semester is starting up next week, so things may be a little more fireside-y than usual over the next few weeks, but I do promise we will get to the end of “Life, Work, Death and the Peasant” eventually. That said, since I am teaching Latin...
Trying to Understand...
Let's All Feel Good No, we Kant.
2 weeks ago
Flashbak
The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche, 1923 The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche And Child Life in Town and Country (1909) is a collection...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche And Child Life in Town and Country (1909) is a collection of short stories set in the 1400s by French writer and Noel Laureate Anatole France (1844 – 1924). The 1923 edition contains illustrations from woodcuts by the British artist Marcia...
Classical Wisdom
The Lost Psychedelic Cult of Ancient Greece Where Fasting, Feasting, and Visions Collided
3 weeks ago
Dreams of Space -...
Jimmy and The Spaceship (1949) To continue my obscure "space fiction" I have Jimmy and the Spaceship to share with you. This was a...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
To continue my obscure "space fiction" I have Jimmy and the Spaceship to share with you. This was a very small "pocket book" of a comic strip. There were other "Jimmy and the...." books but I really enjoyed reading this one. It reads like the typical space story but has its own...
TheCollector
The Statue of Athena Parthenos: Everything You Need to Know The statue of Athena Parthenos was a large-scale ivory and gold statue created in the 5th century...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
The statue of Athena Parthenos was a large-scale ivory and gold statue created in the 5th century BCE and dedicated to the goddess in the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis. The larger-than-life devotional image of one of ancient Greece’s most important goddesses was considered...
TheCollector
7 Museums to Visit in Athens Known for its countless archaeological sites, busy nightlife, and quirky architecture, Athens...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Known for its countless archaeological sites, busy nightlife, and quirky architecture, Athens welcomes millions of tourists every year. Although open-air sites are the most popular Athenian landmarks, there are also more than 70 museums and galleries to visit. Whether you are a...
TheCollector
Dune and Greek Mythology: What’s in Common? Dune, a science-fiction novel written in 1965 by Frank Herbert, follows the story of Paul Atreides,...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Dune, a science-fiction novel written in 1965 by Frank Herbert, follows the story of Paul Atreides, a young man whose family accepts stewardship of the planet Arrakis for the interstellar empire. The planet is a harsh desert wasteland that is sparsely populated. It is the only...
Flashbak
Sometimes Overwhelming: New York City People in the 1970s and 80s by Arlene Gottfried “My mother used to say ‘Arlene – just don’t wander!’ Then I started wandering, but I got a camera...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
“My mother used to say ‘Arlene – just don’t wander!’ Then I started wandering, but I got a camera because it gave it a little more meaning…a life of wandering is really what it all is.” –  Arlene Gottfried New Yorker Arlene Gottfried (August 26, 1950 – August 8, 2017) walked...
TheCollector
Unpacking Freud’s Concept of “The Uncanny” Although Sigmund Freud is known as the progenitor of psychoanalysis, The Uncanny, one of his most...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Although Sigmund Freud is known as the progenitor of psychoanalysis, The Uncanny, one of his most famous essays, is just as important in the world of literary criticism as in that of psychology. It also had a seismic impact across the arts. Throughout, Freud probes the possible...
Global Inequality...
How to learn about politics from two Democratic-leaning women in New York Tonight I went rather late (around 9 pm) to a rather expensive New York restaurant; not super...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
Tonight I went rather late (around 9 pm) to a rather expensive New York restaurant; not super expensive where the millionaires from the East Sude meet but one in West Village where mostly successful young (and not so young as the story will soon reveal) people gather to dine and...
Flashbak
Rampant Women On Sex Strike: Aubrey Beardsley’s 8 Erotic Illustrations For Lysistrata, 1896 As for old flames and lovers  they’re none left. And since Milesians went against us, I’ve not seen...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
As for old flames and lovers  they’re none left. And since Milesians went against us, I’ve not seen a decent eight-inch dildo. Yes, it’s just leather, but it helps us out. So would you be willing, if I found a way, to work with me to make this fighting end? – Lysistrata prepares...
TheCollector
Taoism, the Philosophy of Flow & Embracing Effortlessness The struggle for control over every aspect of life is common in modern Western society. However,...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The struggle for control over every aspect of life is common in modern Western society. However, this approach can be juxtaposed with the ancient Chinese religious and philosophical ideas of Taoism. Taoism offers a guide for living a free-flowing life that is guided by the...
TheCollector
Japan’s Legendary Shaman Queen Who Ended a Civil War Japanese history is not short on great women, from fearsome female warriors to wise empresses,...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Japanese history is not short on great women, from fearsome female warriors to wise empresses, poets, and more. Yet one name rarely makes its way to classrooms and the Japanese consciousness: Himiko. Many historians believe that she was a real 3rd-century-CE warrior queen and...
TheCollector
Where Did Native Americans Originate From? The Native American story began some 15,000-plus years ago. Using a now-submerged Arctic land...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Native American story began some 15,000-plus years ago. Using a now-submerged Arctic land bridge, they crossed from Siberia to Alaska. The land bridge, now known as Beringia, emerged during a period of low sea levels during the last Ice Age. Connecting North America and Asia,...
Trying to Understand...
Is That It? No "why"s in Liberalism.
6 days ago
History Today Feed
‘The Blood in Winter’ by Jonathan Healey review ‘The Blood in Winter’ by Jonathan Healey review JamesHoare Mon, 08/11/2025 - 08:55
3 weeks ago
TheCollector
How Sigmund Freud’s Concept of “The Uncanny” Inspired Art According to Freud, the uncanny is not just an unsettling or fearful sensation caused by the alien...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
According to Freud, the uncanny is not just an unsettling or fearful sensation caused by the alien and unfamiliar. Spooky things, like living dolls, severed limbs, and doppelgängers, can be uncanny. This is because of their link to our subconscious, to repressed feelings of...
TheCollector
The Rich and Fascinating History of the Song Dynasty Of all the mighty Chinese dynasties—from the Shang to the Tang and the Ming to the Qing, few have...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Of all the mighty Chinese dynasties—from the Shang to the Tang and the Ming to the Qing, few have rivaled the power and cultural impact of the Song. For over 300 years, the Song Dynasty ruled medieval China, overseeing huge expansion efforts and foreign policy changes before...
Flashbak
The Evolution of 178th St at Vyse Ave, South Bronx, NYC – 1980-2022 “I feel that a people’s past, including their accomplishments, aspirations and failures, are...
a week ago
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a week ago
“I feel that a people’s past, including their accomplishments, aspirations and failures, are reflected less in the faces of those who live in these neighborhoods than in the material, built environment in which they move and modify over time. ” – Camilo José Vergara   Since 1980,...
TheCollector
The Age-Old Art Historical Debate of Colorito vs Disegno The Renaissance was a period of innovations and intellectualism, where artists and patrons of the...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Renaissance was a period of innovations and intellectualism, where artists and patrons of the art world both shared and debated new ideas and concepts. The debate of colorito versus disegno emerged in the 16th century in Florence and Venice, with Florentine artists...
TheCollector
Why Were Jacquetta and Elizabeth Woodville Accused of Witchcraft? Accusations of witchcraft weren’t exactly rare in the 15th century, but for the Woodville women,...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Accusations of witchcraft weren’t exactly rare in the 15th century, but for the Woodville women, being clever, influential, and—heaven forbid—good-looking, seemed to seal the deal. Jacquetta of Luxembourg and her daughter Elizabeth Woodville learned that a little charisma and a...
TheCollector
How Do Hestia and Vesta Differ in Greek and Roman Mythology? Almost every famous Greek God or Goddess has a Roman counterpart, many of whom were used to name the...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Almost every famous Greek God or Goddess has a Roman counterpart, many of whom were used to name the planets in our solar system, like Jupiter (Zeus) and Neptune (Poseidon). The Romans adopted much of Ancient Greek religion, renaming deities while retaining their core attributes...
TheCollector
The 7 Best Historic Sites in Ho Chi Minh City Beneath the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, lies countless...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Beneath the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, lies countless fascinating sites. Visitors usually overlook Vietnam’s most populated city and financial center in favor of Hanoi or the country’s countless beach destinations. However, Ho Chi Minh City...
TheCollector
What Was the Phoenician Trade Network? The Phoenicians’ success from the late Bronze Age on sat astride an already strong foundation. This...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Phoenicians’ success from the late Bronze Age on sat astride an already strong foundation. This base in what’s now Lebanon consisted of three successful trade hubs (Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos). With fewer opportunities inland, they took to the seas. They sailed west across the...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of Ezekiel About? From the first chapter, the Book of Ezekiel is packed with vivid imagery and colorful descriptions...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
From the first chapter, the Book of Ezekiel is packed with vivid imagery and colorful descriptions of God’s warnings to his people about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel pivots later to messages of hope and restoration, calling on the...
TheCollector
Tantra’s Complicated Relationship With the Modern Western World Tantra is a concept at once familiar and utterly foreign. It is everywhere and nowhere. Most of us...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
Tantra is a concept at once familiar and utterly foreign. It is everywhere and nowhere. Most of us would imagine that we have a clear idea of what Tantra is and yet many of us would be surprised about how much history and complexity lies in the philosophy and the practice. In the...
Dr Alun Withey
Jolted and Jumbled: Riding in a Sedan Chair in the 18th Century If there is one form of transport that perhaps typifies the 18th century more than any other, it is...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
If there is one form of transport that perhaps typifies the 18th century more than any other, it is a sedan chair.  Recently I have been doing some work on stage coaches, and the experience of what it was actually like to travel in one. This is already turning up some interesting...
History Today Feed
‘The Graces’ by Breeze Barrington review ‘The Graces’ by Breeze Barrington review JamesHoare Tue, 08/12/2025 - 08:23
3 weeks ago
History Today Feed
What Birmingham Taught Muslim India What Birmingham Taught Muslim India JamesHoare Mon, 08/18/2025 - 08:56
2 weeks ago
TheCollector
How to Become an Immortal in Greek Mythology (6 Myths) Greek mythology focused on the deeds of gods and semi-divine heroes, with most of the humans who got...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Greek mythology focused on the deeds of gods and semi-divine heroes, with most of the humans who got caught up in their escapades coming to a bad end. But some mortals made such an impression during their short lives that they were given a place in the heavens and made immortal....
TheCollector
How Many People Died From the Black Plague? The Black Plague, also referred to as the Black Death, stands as one of the deadliest pandemics ever...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The Black Plague, also referred to as the Black Death, stands as one of the deadliest pandemics ever recorded in history. It started to spread in Europe and Asia in the mid-14th century and killed millions of people before it finally subsided. Because medieval records are...
Flashbak
The Troubles In Kodachrome: An Outsider’s View of A Divided Northern Ireland Akihiko Okamura had not long left photographing the Vietnam War when he arrived in Northern Ireland...
2 weeks ago
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2 weeks ago
Akihiko Okamura had not long left photographing the Vietnam War when he arrived in Northern Ireland in 1968 to explore John F. Kennedy’s ancestral roots. The following year he retuned to Ireland, settling first near Dublin, then Avoca, in County Wicklow. Okamura’s interest in war...
TheCollector
Was King Arthur Based on the Roman Officer Lucius Artorius Castus? One of many modern theories about the origin of the legends of King Arthur is that they can be...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
One of many modern theories about the origin of the legends of King Arthur is that they can be traced back to the activities of a Roman officer in Britain. His name was Lucius Artorius Castus. He lived long before the traditional Arthurian period, but some theorists argue that he...
TheCollector
Can God Make You Act Immorally? Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling Fear and Trembling has become required reading for anyone interested in existentialism or Biblical...
4 weeks ago
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4 weeks ago
Fear and Trembling has become required reading for anyone interested in existentialism or Biblical exegesis. In this short text, Kierkegaard poses several challenging and complex philosophical and theological ideas. Here, we examine three key ideas expressed in the text: the...