History questions not worth their own thread

[Verbose]

Why is it that in the Thirty Years' War, most armies were only around 20 or 30,000 strong, but the 18th century's wars (Spanish Succession, Quadruple Alliance, Austrian Succession, Seven Years'), armies were up to 100,000 strong? Surely the population in Europe didn't change that drastically in 50 years.

Supply systems, as said.

But it's not entirely true that field armies ranged in the 20-30 000 span. Those were the large armies deployed at the outset of the conflict. As the war dragged on, and as the armies passed through areas that had been devastated by war before, field army sizes shrank.

Thus Gustavus landed with something like 30 000+ men in 1630. But already by 1636, when Johan Banér stepped up to revive Sweden's flagging martial reputation, he had to make do with armies in the range of about 8000-14 000 men. The only time when he actually got to play with an army of the size of the initial conflict was when temporarily hooking up with his French allies.

And these smaller armies from the later stages of the TYW also displayed a much greater reliance on horses. Ideally the entire damn army should be on horses, not so much to fight as such, but to move around. Being able to quickly move through or away from a devastated area where the army couldn't be fed could be key to success or failure. The situation was such in Germany that military action ended up dependant on where troops could be supplied at all.

 

[Mirc]

Wikipedia article about the flag of England claims that it was taken to use so that English ships would go as Genovese in Mediterranean. I thought that it's coincidence that they look alike. Which one is right, me or the wiki?

I'm wondering the same thing.

 

[Volum]

Does Norway really ever get mentioned in history books, except for maybe Vikings?

We need love too

 

[Heretic_Cata]

Does Norway really ever get mentioned in history books, except for maybe Vikings?

We need love too

Other than something about aiding the nazis and being evil ... nothing that i recall.

Oh, i love till too.

 

[Dachs]

Does Norway really ever get mentioned in history books, except for maybe Vikings?

We need love too

Yeah, but usually as the catspaw of Sweden and Denmark for five centuries. Don't worry, in my "History of Sweden" book a good deal of time is spent on stuff like the issue of Norwegian shipping interests that screwed up Swedish foreign and domestic policy, and stuff like that.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I remember reading or being told once that the Romans had devised an interesting sort of "Antique Speedbump" to regulate cart and chariot traffic in their cities: there would be places where the sidewalk would cross the street, and the holes for the wheels of the chariots would only be just wide enough to fit each wheel through, so you had to go slow through those areas or you'd crash and wreck etc etc and basically die. I was wondering if anyone knew if this was true or not, and could perhaps shed some light on it. Thanks.

 

[Sharwood]

I remember reading or being told once that the Romans had devised an interesting sort of "Antique Speedbump" to regulate cart and chariot traffic in their cities: there would be places where the sidewalk would cross the street, and the holes for the wheels of the chariots would only be just wide enough to fit each wheel through, so you had to go slow through those areas or you'd crash and wreck etc etc and basically die. I was wondering if anyone knew if this was true or not, and could perhaps shed some light on it. Thanks.

I've actually seen pictures of exactly what you're describing, but it was constructed by the French, not the Romans. I have no idea if the Romans used it, or if so, if they came up with the idea.

 

[Atticus]

I've seen photos from Pompeii where there's low poles which prevent chariots passing, I'll take a look if I can find one.

In the city of Rome for the biggest part of antiquity chariots and carriages were forbidden during the daytime unless they were bringing material for public building, so they didn't have that big problem with speeding drivers.

EDIT: Found one in wikipedia:

On second thought it occured to me, that I've also heard that they're function was to aid paople cross the street. I'm not sure which one would be the right one, or were they made for both purposes.

 

[holy king]

i've only heard the street cross version when i was there. makes sense, if you imagine how the streets must have looked like during rain.

also, if chariots were only prohibited during daytime, why place a permanent obstacle?

 

[Atticus]

Add to the rain all the filth people threw on streets, and it's even more easy to understand why they wanted to use those.

I don't believe vehicles were prohibited in smaller cities, but by looking those stones, it seems that no wagon can pass them, so they aren't speedbumps.

 

[Sharwood]

The ones I've seen were rounded, like modern speedbumps, and made of wood. As I said, they were French though, not Roman.

 

[Love]

I thought they had sewers.

 

[Sharwood]

I thought they had sewers.

Wealthy Roman cities had sewers, usually using lead pipe - far more harmless than commonly believed - but average city didn't.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

I lately read on a book that Philip II died because he was sitting on front of fireplace (heat stroke) and was too proud (as a king) to put fire down himself and servant responsible for the fire was not there.

I couldn't find (well quickly) references to this online. Anyone familiar with this story?

 

[Dachs]

I lately read on a book that Philip II died because he was sitting on front of fireplace (heat stroke) and was too proud (as a king) to put fire down himself and servant responsible for the fire was not there.

I couldn't find (well quickly) references to this online. Anyone familiar with this story?

Which Phil II? It definitely wasn't the Mak one.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

If I knew which one I wouldn't be asking this.

Not the Spanish one either I think.

 

[GoodGame]

Do archealogists/historians have primary evidence that ancient Athens had a constitution governing its democracy?

I know that there are writings that Aristotle wrote regarding the Athenian constitution, but is there an actual copy prior to Aristotle?

 

[RedRalph]

What was the official name of the US when it was part of the British Empire?

 

[Love]

The provinces?

Virginia, Massachusetts and so on...

 

[RedRalph]

The provinces?

Virginia, Massachusetts and so on...

No, as a whole, were the referred to as 'The United States of her Majesty's America' or something?