Fascinating History

who the fug

theLegion wrote: »

The Phoenix Park Murders of the 19th Century is also really interesting. The top 2 men in Ireland at the time were murdered by Irish Nationalists - the Chief Secretary and the Under-secretary. They lived in what is now Aras an Ueachtarain and the American Ambassadors Residence. The police investigation was like a CSI storyline.

Also how their witness protection plan went tits up afterwards

Was anything new released under the 100 years rule about them

--Kaiser--

greedygoblin wrote: »

Greek mythology. Actually, any mythology, be it Norse or Irish or whatever.

I'm not sure if you know what history means

markomuscle

Nine Years War, Aodh Mór Ó Néill, basically any Gaelic Ulster history.

Sleepy

Roman Empire stuff fascinates me as does anything World War 2 related. Used to love the History Channel before it turned into a reality TV channel.

danniemcq

Sleepy wrote: »

Roman Empire stuff fascinates me as does anything World War 2 related. Used to love the History Channel before it turned into a reality TV channel.

you mean you don't care about pawn stars, or that duck show or anything about ancient aliens?

Rented Mule

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I was in a museum last week, and it always fascinates me how far we have come in a short couple of centuries. I know we complain away like fcuk, but in general we are a hell of a lot better off than our ancestors.

Centuries ? Have a look at how far Ireland came in a few decades.

gobnaitolunacy

Henry Ford didn't always get it right...http://www.damninteresting.com/the-ruins-of-fordlandia/

Karl Stein

Dravokivich wrote: »

They were still done for quite a while after. English ships with the "R.M.S" tag in their name were for mail delivery IIRC.

They've been using undersea communication cables ever since then.


http://www.submarinecablemap.com/

theLegion

Rented Mule wrote: »

Centuries ? Have a look at how far Ireland came in a few decades.

Pfff there was a monorail in Kerry in 1888 and a train to Dalkey powered by vacuum in 1843.

keano_afc

I'm fascinated by the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Shackleton's voyage from Elephant Island to the South Shetland Islands in particular is an incredible feat of endurance and skill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyage_of_the_James_Caird

As a Christian, Biblical history fascinates me as well.

--Kaiser--

keano_afc wrote: »

Biblical history fascinates me as well.

What do you mean by biblical history? The vast majority of events in the bible are not remotely historical

gobnaitolunacy

theLegion wrote: »

Pfff there was a monorail in Kerry in 1888 and a train to Dalkey powered by vacuum in 1843.

Both short lived and only fit for short distances or a fairground.

Irish Guitarist

I used to find Nazi Germany fascinating, albeit disgusting. Not the war but the idea that so many people could either be oblivious or just not care about the death camps.

Then there was the fact that Hitler survived as long as he did. There were numerous attempts (over forty) to assassinate him but they all failed due to sheer bad luck (or good luck if you look at it from Hitlers side).

I watched too many documentaries about this subject though and don't feel the need to watch any more.

shanered

What fasinates me most about history is all the warfare and brutality that went on, no need for examples but the shear amount of people who died fighting one cause or another just astounds me.
It just dazzles me how much violence has got us to where we are right now.

Faith+1

That Sigmund Freud was a assh*le

theLegion

shanered wrote: »

What fasinates me most about history is all the warfare and brutality that went on, no need for examples but the shear amount of people who died fighting one cause or another just astounds me.
It just dazzles me how much violence has got us to where we are right now.

I'd love to go back in time and see what a medieval war was like - did they really just line up against each other and charge. Seems crazy!!

Earthhorse

The 2nd Punic War is endlessly fascinating, I find.

In fact, the whole rivalry between Rome and Carthage is pretty incredible from start to finish. I'm surprised with the release of Rome, The Tudors, Spartacus and other TV shows in recent years there hasn't been one covering this rivalry. It's filled with huge amounts of drama and heroic acts. Brilliant stuff.

danniemcq

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

What do you mean by biblical history? The vast majority of events in the bible are not remotely historical

while true there is a lot of stories in the bible that are based on actual events although not maybe in the way they are described at times.

For example crossing of the red sea was actually the crossing of the reed sea due to a mistranslation.

The flood that noah builds the ark for, there are stories very similer to that where a farmer took some of his animals onto a raft to protect them from a flood.

Ditto the first born deaths in egypt, due to how households were the first born slept on the bed closest to the ground and there is the theory that a nearby leak from a volcano created a cloud of gas that was heavier than air and seaped into the houses suffocating those nearest the ground.

So even if you think the bible is a load of fairy tales you have to realise that lots of them are based on fact.

Legs.Eleven

Dictators in Latin (using that term very loosely) countries in the last 100 or so years. Their capacity for having been complete and utter arseholes intrigues me.

--Kaiser--

danniemcq wrote: »

while true there is a lot of stories in the bible that are based on actual events although not maybe in the way they are described at times.

For example crossing of the red sea was actually the crossing of the reed sea due to a mistranslation.

The flood that noah builds the ark for, there are stories very similer to that where a farmer took some of his animals onto a raft to protect them from a flood.

Ditto the first born deaths in egypt, due to how households were the first born slept on the bed closest to the ground and there is the theory that a nearby leak from a volcano created a cloud of gas that was heavier than air and seaped into the houses suffocating those nearest the ground.

So even if you think the bible is a load of fairy tales you have to realise that lots of them are based on fact.

That's fair enough, but those are examples of the origins of a mythology. The words 'biblical' and 'history' should not be so juxtaposed

Irish Guitarist

There was a documentary on Channel 4 a few years ago about a pygmy man called Ota Benga who was brought to America. He started off performing in the St. Louis Worlds Fair and was fairly happy but then Madison Grant got his hands on him and put him on display in a zoo. It was both fascinating and incredibly sad.

Il Trap

The Irish government's drawing up of plans to invade the North to protect nationalist communities during riots of 1969. There was an RTÉ documentary on this some time back. I can't seem to find it anywhere so if anyone has any links it'd be much appreciated!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Armageddon

crockholm

Earthhorse wrote: »

The 2nd Punic War is endlessly fascinating, I find.

In fact, the whole rivalry between Rome and Carthage is pretty incredible from start to finish. I'm surprised with the release of Rome, The Tudors, Spartacus and other TV shows in recent years there hasn't been one covering this rivalry. It's filled with huge amounts of drama and heroic acts. Brilliant stuff.

Marry me! (mormon style polygamy will do)

I first got into Rome and Carthage after reading a book called "A greater than Napoleon-Scipio Africanus".One of the few generals to have never lost a battle,and a man pivotal to history. Before Scipio takes charge-Rome is facing destruction with Hannibal advancing on the city after destroying the leigons at Trasimene and Cannae,After Scipio,Rome is the undisputed superpower."Carthage is destroyed and reduced,senator Cato used to finish his speeches,no matter the subject,with "Carthago est delenda"-carthage must be destroyed.

The battle of Zama,outside Carthage,finally faced Scipio and Hannibal head to head,they met,but there is no source available for their conversation,that would be my ultimate history porn wish-to find a first hand account of their conversation:eek:

The world today would have been vastly different were it not for Scipio Africanus

Capt'n Midnight

Steamed Hams wrote: »

I only just found out that penicillin was only discovered as recently as 1928 by Alexander Fleming

'cept he didn't realise what he had and all the hard work was done by others. And because they were too noble to patent it, the US pharma industry took over.

Capt'n Midnight

danniemcq wrote: »

Also a shame they never realised what lead poisoning was and lined aquaducts with it and used it in all their cups and pretty much anything needed to hold water

it was lead acetate rather than lead pipes that was the problem

even today with lead pipes all you have to do is just let the water run for a bit if they haven't been used in a while

lead acetate is what happens when you add vinegar to lead, you get a sweet compound which they added to wine and craziness ensues.

MonkieSocks

You think it rains a lot in Ireland now.

Wait till you hear about 2345BC…


http://www.thejournal.ie/rainfall-ireland-noahs-flood-895386-May2013/

Earthhorse

crockholm wrote: »

Marry me! (mormon style polygamy will do)

I first got into Rome and Carthage after reading a book called "A greater than Napoleon-Scipio Africanus".One of the few generals to have never lost a battle,and a man pivotal to history. Before Scipio takes charge-Rome is facing destruction with Hannibal advancing on the city after destroying the leigons at Trasimene and Cannae,After Scipio,Rome is the undisputed superpower."Carthage is destroyed and reduced,senator Cato used to finish his speeches,no matter the subject,with "Carthago est delenda"-carthage must be destroyed.

The battle of Zama,outside Carthage,finally faced Scipio and Hannibal head to head,they met,but there is no source available for their conversation,that would be my ultimate history porn wish-to find a first hand account of their conversation:eek:

The world today would have been vastly different were it not for Scipio Africanus

My interest was piqued by a boardgame, Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage. I'd heard it was great (and it is; at least, I think it is, the rules are complex enough that I'm not sure I've ever played it right) so I bought it. It's about the events of the 2nd Punic War and I found it fascinating.

Before the boardgame, I thought Hannibal was just an intrepid explorer. He was famous for crossing the Alps after all and when I think Alps, I think Hillary and Tenzig. Little did I know that he had in fact marched an army, not just elephants, but a whole army across the Alps to meet with the Roman forces. Which weren't exactly ready for him because someone crossing the Alps was just so unlikely; the move of either a madman or a genius.

Eventually he crosses swords with Publius Scipio's forces, who have their asses handed to them. Scipio himself is saved on the battlefield by his 18 year old son, also Scipio; a man who becomes important later on.

So the Romans rethink things. Fabius Maximus is put in charge to sort Hannibal out. Fabius decides that Hannibal and his men are too good for him so instead he simply hampers their efforts and avoids any direct confrontation with the Carthaginans. His army essentially march up and down the length of Rome, mirroring Hannibal's movements and preventing their advance toward Rome. It's the military equivalent of "not touching you" deployed to full effect. The Romans grow weary of this though and decide Fabius is not the man for the job.

They appoint other, bolder, stupider generals who also promptly have their asses handed to them. They rethink things again. They still have Fabius's number. They give him a call.

For fifteen, count 'em, years, Hannibal marches up and down Italy keeping the spirits of his men up, with little to no help from Carthage, and any time the Romans take him on he destroys them. It isn't even close. He is the scourge of the Roman empire.

He only leaves Italy thanks to a counter invasion by the Romans. Scipio Africanus (though not known by that moniker at the time, obviously) lands his forces in Africa and Hannibal is forced to come home and defend an empire that never really supported his invasion. He is defeated, ironically by some of the same tactics he used against the Romans.

So why did Hannibal continue on in Rome if Carthage weren't supporting him?

Because of a blood oath. You see, Papa Barca, Hamilcar, had been forced to surrender to the Romans during the 1st Punic war. Not through any fault of his own, you understand, he was doing just fine. But the Romans had naval supremacy and Carthage was forced to surrender. Hamilcar wasn't best pleased by this, particularly when his men weren't paid for their service. So he went back to Spain with an army and basically took it for his own (hence Barcelona). On doing so, he made his sons, Hannibal included swear a blood oath that they would never be a friend to Rome.

If someone wrote this as a novel it would seem unbelievable.

But even the defeat in Africa wasn't the end of Hannibal. The Romans imposed hugely punitive terms on the Carthagians after the war. Terms that most nations would have buckled under; you think the 1% levy is unfair? This was far worse. Hannibal, no longer with an army under his command, instead took up a life of politics. He found huge wastages back in Carthage, eliminated them, and began not only to meet the Roman payments on time but to create a surplus for Carthage. The man could put his hand to anything.

Of course, we all know, given how history went, that Carthage never really recovered. But even this was another thumb in the face of the Romans.

I've only highlighted some of my favourite parts of the story. I haven't even touched what a strategic and tactical genius Hannibal was (he invented biological warfare in the form of throwing snakes from one ship to another when they met at sea).

If anyone is finding that interesting reading there's a pretty cool video series being made about the Punic wars right now:

Earthhorse

crockholm wrote: »

Marry me! (mormon style polygamy will do)

There's something you should know about me...

wretcheddomain

History of the Irish Recession 2007-2013

theLegion

Earthhorse wrote: »

There's something you should know about me...

You're a horse