/r/HistoryAnecdotes

Photograph via snooOG

Home to the most interesting, and often humorous, anecdotes and short accounts from history.

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Welcome to HistoryAnecdotes!

Here, we post the most interesting, and often humorous, anecdotes and short accounts from history. History of any culture and era is welcome here.

Ultimately, the purpose of HistoryAnecdotes is to entertain and inform, but we encourage any academic discussion that may be the result of a submission. We heavily encourage other fans of history to post their own content - the more the better!


Anecdote

ˈanəkˌdōt/

noun

a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

"told anecdotes about his job"


Be sure to check out these similar subs!

/r/HistoryWhatIf


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Rules

Rule 1: All submitted content must be a historical anecdote.

Submissions should either be a historical anecdote or account. For our purposes, we tend to follow this definition. If you are confused as to whether or not your submission would qualify, feel free to contact the mods and we will be happy to weigh in on the issue.

Rule 2: Submissions must be verifiable.

Either link directly to a reliable source that supports every claim in your submission, or cite your sources in the text post. Citations do not necessarily have to follow a specific format, but they should include a title for the source-material, author, page, and year published, when available.

Rule 3: Don't break Reddit's rules.

Violations of the global user agreement will not be tolerated.

Rule 4: Be civil.

Spamming, personal attacks upon, or harassment of a user will not be tolerated.

Rule 5: Factually inaccurate content may be removed or sent to the Hall of Shame.

Factually inaccurate submissions & comments are subject to removal or entrance into the Hall of Shame (complete with Debunked! flair). The user will be notified of this in the event of a submission/comment removal, and anything being re-flaired for entrance into the Hall of Shame will be given a stickied comment from the mod team. All such cases are subject to the discretion of the mod team.

Rule 6: No pseudo-history or holocaust denial.

The merits of these things are best discussed elsewhere and are inappropriate material for the sub. This is not the place to "wake up the sheeple."

Rule 7: No politics or soap-boxing will be tolerated.

Submissions & comments that are overtly political will be removed; political topics are only acceptable if discussed in a historical context. Comments should discuss a historical topic, not advocate an agenda. This is entirely at the moderators' discretion.

Rule 8: Follow the 20 Year Rule.

We consider an event to be appropriately historical if it happened 20 years or more in the past. Anything taking place in the last 20 years will be removed. This is similar to rule 1 in that we do not allow contemporary politics and events.


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4

Debate: Was Bacchus the God of Psychedelics?

Recent findings regarding the use of potent substances in antiquity have led scholars to increasingly explore the influence of diet and pharmacology on mythological narratives. A particularly provocative theory, initially proposed in the 1970s, suggests that early Christianity may have incorporated symbols associated with Dionysus, a deity primarily revered for his connections to madness and fertility. This theory underscores the significance of ecstatic states in the cultural fabric of Ancient Greece, hinting at a complex interplay between religious practices and the quest for transcendental experiences. What do you guys think?

Who was Bacchus?

Bacchus is not merely a god associated with intoxication; rather, he represents the embodiment of the psychoactive potential found in medicinal plants, which were used both recreationally and religiously by the ancient Greeks. This thought-provoking thesis has been championed by American researcher Carl A.P. Ruck, a renowned specialist in Dionysian studies whose unconventional views clashed with the established norms of his time during the 1970s.

In 2021, Brian Muraresky’s groundbreaking book reignited interest in Ruck’s ideas, offering compelling evidence that supported the researcher’s thesis and filled in the gaps that were previously lacking. Recent archaeological findings in Ukraine and advancements in the chemical analysis of biological compounds have further bolstered the credibility of this argument, warranting a fresh defense of Ruck’s work.

The utilization of psychotropic substances in Greek religious ceremonies is well-documented in ancient texts and archaeological discoveries. Esteemed researchers such as mycologist Robert Gordon Wasson and Carl A. P. Ruck have extensively delved into the botanical origins of these substances. Their investigations have pointed to the possibility that certain plants, like ergot and psilocybe mushrooms, may have been employed in rituals within the cult of Dionysus.

When Ruck initially presented his thesis in the 1970s, the novelty of his proposition faced significant opposition, nearly jeopardizing his career. The notion that classical authors could have been influenced by mind-altering substances was swiftly dismissed by some as sensationalism or even deemed a mere “myth.” The idea of Plato, one of the great philosophers, being under the influence of a “little green fairy” was met with incredulity and rejection.

Nonetheless, with the accumulation of compelling evidence over the years, it is evident that revisiting and defending Ruck’s thesis is not only worthwhile but necessary to better understand the cultural and spiritual practices of ancient Greece. It reminds us that seeking knowledge with an open mind and embracing new perspectives can lead to profound insights into our shared human history.

The Mysteries of Eleusis

In his captivating book “The Immortality Key,” Brian Muraresku delves into the ancient Eleusis Mysteries held in the Greek city of Eleusis. Muraresku puts forth a compelling hypothesis that these enigmatic rituals involved the consumption of a mysterious psychedelic concoction called “kykeon,” which played a pivotal role in guiding participants through profound spiritual experiences.

This theory suggests that the psychoactive properties of the potion were instrumental in inducing altered states of consciousness and mystical visions during the ceremonies. Interestingly, historical accounts attribute the senator and philosopher Cicero with describing the Eleusinian Mysteries as the greatest achievement of mankind, even surpassing the renowned Athenian Democracy.

Read More on Hoppy History

0 Comments
2024/03/22
14:34 UTC

542

Did lead poisoning play a role in the Fall of Rome?

As the Roman Empire neared its dramatic finale, it faced a cascade of challenges that threatened its very foundation. Among the myriad of issues, a silent yet potentially devastating adversary lingered within lead poisoning...

In ancient Rome, wine was far more than the drink of choice—it was a way of life, a civic virtue, and an economic powerhouse. Yet, in the 1980s, an American researcher threw a wrench into this well-aged narrative by suggesting that significant lead traces in the goblets used by Roman emperors could have been a factor in the empire’s decline and fall. This bombshell sparked a splash in the historical pond, opening up a debate that’s been raging ever since.

We have had evidence of the harmful health effects of lead exposure since 1943. But the notion of a direct link between this exposure and a civilizational cataclysm was proposed by geochemist Jerome Nriagu in a controversial 1983 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He argued that lead poisoning played a significant role in the downfall of Rome.

Nriagu, using available data on wine consumption and the lead content in cups used by the Roman elite, extrapolated the empire-wide exposure averages to arrive at a rather alarming conclusion. His estimates suggested that the average Roman was exposed to a dangerously high amount of lead. He concluded that chronic lead ingestion caused widespread health problems among the Roman aristocracy, including gout, mental decline, and infertility, contributing to the decline of Roman society.

https://preview.redd.it/9p4j1sr8jinc1.jpg?width=550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6b309670918709813db6b6793e7746588e80820

His thesis was quickly (and angrily) criticized by leading Roman history scholars, primarily for misinterpreting classical sources. Nriagu relied on secondary sources to support his arguments, notably citing the Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus through a 19th-century gastronomic work, interpreting writings literally to claim that saturnine gout, a manifestation of lead poisoning, was prevalent among the Roman aristocracy.

Criticism intensified with other experts, like Waldron, pointing out Nriagu’s oversimplification in attributing Rome’s complex decline to a single cause. Nriagu defended his approach against critics, but his methods raised valid questions about the reliability of his sources and interpretations. For instance, his use of a translation of Musonius Rufus to assert the ubiquity of gout among Roman elites, without considering more authoritative translations, shows some negligence in critically examining his materials.

Full article on Hoppy History

34 Comments
2024/03/10
13:59 UTC

6

Operation Meetinghouse

Operation Meetinghouse was 79 years ago tonight. Curtis LeMay sent 325 napalm laden B-29's on the first firebombing raid on Tokyo.

Over 16 square miles of the city were turned to ash, and more humans died by fire during a six hour period that night than any other time in history.

0 Comments
2024/03/10
00:11 UTC

7

The Priestesses of Ninkasi

The historical origins of brewinginvolve the Sumerian goddess of beer and brewing, Ninkasi, and most importantly her followers; the priestesses of Ninkasi. Ninkasi’s history is interesting and often confusing, but rather than wallow in historical idolatry, let’s just accept that Ninkasi was non-human (a goddess after all), so as iconic as she may have been, what’s more relevant to this article is the priestesses, as they were both human and brewers or more correctly brewsters!

Beer in those times was considered a gift from ‘above’, and when one factor in that beer was a potable (safe to consume) drink, unlike some of the more readily available water sources and was a nutritious form of cereals, with a longer shelf-life than bread, it was both a staple food source as well as a euphoria-inducing drink – indeed a gift from a goddess!

Records show that the workers who constructed the pyramids were paid in part, with beer rations, which were essential in fortifying them for their toils. As beer was a gift from a goddess, it was brewed in temples by Ninkasi’s priestesses, which gave them both social acceptance as brewsters but also divine protection. 

The prevalence of brewsters in the brewing industry continued for many centuries particularly as brewing largely remained an unregulated cottage industry, however beginning in Europe during the 13th to 14th century, the emerging use of hops, which gave improved shelf-life of beer due to the anti-bacterial properties of hops, coupled with a more commercialized approach to brewing through economies of scale and production efficiencies, led to brewing became increasingly dominated by capital-intensive groups of brewing companies formed through the formation of brewing guilds. Cottage industry brewing, and brewsters, would shrink until a more ‘enlightened’ era dawned which afforded women more equal opportunities. Let’s look at some examples of this.   

Read more on Hoppy History

0 Comments
2024/03/07
16:10 UTC

41

Why do we say cheers and clink our glass?

Borrowed from the French, “chiere” the original word, means “face” or “head,” and it was used to encourage social interaction. The British, who received their fair share of French language influence after 200 years of Norman rule, embraced and reshaped the word. By the 1700s, it meant something a bit different. Beyond its roots, “cheers” symbolizedjoy. Raising a glass and saying this word became an earnest expression, conveying happiness across time and cultures.

The term “cheer” comes from Anglo-French, ultimately traced back to Medieval Latin cara and possibly Greek kara. All three words signify “face,” and early English “cheer” (often as “chere”) reflected this meaning in medieval texts. By the late 1300s, “cheers” shifted its association towards happiness rather than sadness, seen in phrases like “faces full of cheer” or “spreading holiday cheer.”

Over time, it encompassed joyful hospitality, entertainment, and food and drink at festive gatherings. The saying “The more the merrier, the fewer the better cheer” emerged from this concept. In the 16th century, “cheer” came to denote anything that brings joy, like “words of cheer” or “a cup full of cheer.” The verb form emerged in the 14th century, meaning to uplift from sadness, evolved into “make glad,” and eventually “encourage into action.” Sailors adopted it for ship salutations by the 17th century.

Cheers: An Ancient Bonding Ritual

Throughout history, tapping glasses connects people, forged by the need to bond and trust. Across cultures, clinking glassware symbolizes unity, a silent agreement to gather, share, and celebrate in harmony. The use of a phrase to inaugurate celebratory libations did not originate with the French. In times of festivity, the ancient Greekswould utter “to our health.” Similarly, the Romans employed various expressions to raise a toast to their emperors, all signifying the commencement of revelry or feasting. Ancient toasts were probably, in fact, even much less cheerful…

According to the International Handbook of Alcohol and Culture, toasting “is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods: blood or wine in exchange for a wish, a prayer summarized in the words ‘long life!’ or ‘to your health!’” In Ancient Peru, the Incas abundantly consumed the ritual corn beer (chicha de joja) which may have started as a ritual sacrament to the ancestors. It was common for the first sip of the brew to be ritually given to the dead.

This comes as no surprise: the two oldest archaeological pieces of evidence for fermented beverages are linked to funerary rites. The earliest documented intentional fermentation of a drink is found in Jiahu, China, dating back 9000 years. In 2003, a biochemical analysis of residues discovered in 16 shards unveiled indicators of three fermented beverages—rice (calcium oxalate), honey (traces of wax), fruit (tartaric acid/tartrate), or hawthorn.

Similarly, Gobleki Tepe (possibly 12,000 years old) reveals indications of calcium oxalate, which might also imply remnants from the brewing process. In both instances, these beverages were closely intertwined with the spirits of the deceased: the pottery shards were situated directly above tombs. Researchers now speculate that Gobleki Tepe served as an ancient pilgrimage center, potentially marking the world’s first temple.

Read more on Le Temps d'une Bière

1 Comment
2024/03/02
13:35 UTC

6

Meet Gruit : Medieval Europe's most popular unhopped beer

Today we regard hops as the only herb to spice beer. The first hop gardenswere established during the 8th century, and for most brewers hops have not been available until the 13th to 15th century. And before? How did brewers spice their beers? Welcome on a journey to the heart of medieval brewing: Gruitbeer!

Maybe the most beautiful point in brewing beer in common in brewing Gruitbeer in special we can discover in antiquity, in the Middle Ages and in modern times on all continents. It´s the never-ending wealth of nature in spices, herbs, sprouts, seedings, or barks and the never-ending creativity of brewers to make use of it as well.

What exactly is Gruit Beer?

In his seminal thesis on gruit with the Institute of Masters of Beer, Dr. Dr Markus Fohr’s master’s thesis defined as follows: Gruitbeer contains as a replacement or as an addition to hops minimum of one spicing component of natural plant-based origins like herbs or spices. As such, gruit beer would have been a type of aromatized ale, that is an unhoppedbeer spiked with a variety of local herbs.

The term “Gruitbeer” first appeared in Northern Europe. But in fact, ales such fitting the definition above were found on all continents. Instead of the term Gruitbeer often terms like Spiced Beer, Herbal Beer, or even Healing Beer can be found in history.

In early medieval Europe, Gruit meant pasted cereals, soup of cereals, or milled cereals in Northern European languages. Gruit was originally used like a malt extract also containing microorganisms to prepare wort and to start fermentation. Herbs or spices were no determining ingredients. Later on, the term Gruitbeer turned into the definition mentioned above. Depending on the region and language you also find writings like Grut, Grutbier, Gruut, or Gruiten.

https://preview.redd.it/osnsxfix55jc1.jpg?width=1096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=927d3e2676f76fe39d0ee2923e15b70c47443675

What ingredients were used in Gruit?

Here we are with the favorite herbs and spices of historical Gruitbeer (in brackets you find the German terms):

  • Gale (Gagel)
  • Porse (Porst)
  • Caraway (Kümmel)
  • Juniper (Wacholder)
  • Laurel (Lorbeer)

Read the full article on Le Temps d'une Bière

0 Comments
2024/02/17
12:45 UTC

11

What Drugs Were First Used in Warfare?

We have likely been poisoning each other for as long as we have had conflicts. Why risk close combat if you can just poison a whole village? The first chemical weapons were almost certainly poisoned arrowheads, tens of thousands of years ago. Famous Carthaginian general Hannibal’s once suggested the second century BC for the Carthaginian military to hurl containers with poisonous snakes at enemy boats. Lated, during the late 2nd century BC, Greek historian Herodian recounts how defenders of the Mesopotamian city Hatra employed clay vessels filled with scorpions and other venomous creatures against the Roman army.

Ancient Folks were likely so knowledgable about poison because they also used recreationally. Heroes of the Bronze Age were no less familiar with hallucinogenics than today’s suburban Americans. If we believe scholars like Carl A.P. Ruck and David Hillman, they were probably even more familiar with some powerful stuff too. Those two voices used to be a minor, but thanks to the progress of chemical analysis, and a wave of ethnobotanists, we are now fairly confident that healers of ancient times knew a great deal about nature’s most powerful psychedelics.

In Ancient Greece, there was no single word for drugs. The term “Pharmacon” was used both for drugs in the medical sense and for poison. Satyrical authors even talked about Pharmacon as a scapegoat. This ambiguity has led many classical scholars to dismiss the occasional recreative drug as simply a side effect. Those in the power to heal effectively had guilty knowledge that could be put to good use in war times.

Again, Ancient Greece offers what is the greatest tale of biological warfare of all time: Odysseus. Ulysses, renowned for his cunning, bravery, and occasional deceit, emerges as a central figure, earnestly endeavoring to navigate his return home following the triumph of Troy. In a strategic maneuver to extricate himself from peril, he embarks on a campaign of biological warfare. Confronted with captivity by a Cyclops threatening to consume his entire crew, Ulysses administers potent, undiluted wine, likely infused with potent herbs. Subsequently, to evade the enchanting clutches of the sorceress Circe, he is provided with a pharmakon, rendering him immune to the very potion Circe employs to transmute his comrades into beasts.

There are other examples than Greece. The oldest evidence of in the Mahabarata in India. Military tactics outlined by the Old-Indian strategist Kautilya in the Arthashastra (3rd to 4th centuries BC), which involve the use of toxic smokes derived from burning poisonous plants, insects, snakes, and other animals. Kautilya’s instructions include the deployment of substances such as Ricinus communis and Abrus precatorius seeds, which contain ricin and abrin, respectively. Similarly, during the Dong Dynasty (9th to 11th centuries), Chinese soldiers utilized toxic smoking balls composed of hemp fibers and dried toxic plants like Aconitum spp. and Croton spp., potentially augmented with snake venoms.

We have collected a list of some of the most surprising uses of drugs in warfare:

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Poison hemlock was a popular plant used for military purposes in ancient Greece. The plant contains a toxic alkaloid called coniine, which can cause paralysis and death. It was often used to poison enemies’ food and water supplies or smeared on weapons, causing the enemy to suffer from convulsions and paralysis.

One of the most famous uses of poison hemlock was the execution of the Greek philosopher Socrates. He was forced to drink a cup of hemlock as a punishment for his philosophical beliefs. However, hemlock was also used in much smaller doses as a regular additive to wine among Greeks. Karl. A.P Ruck lists many other narcotics used in everyday wines: serpent and salamander venoms, hemlock, jimsonweed, aconite, cannabis, wormwood, ergot, and probably dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from acacia and similar plants, as well as psychoactive resins and incenses.

Poison hemlock was a popular plant used for military purposes in ancient Greece. The plant contains a toxic alkaloid called coniine, which can cause paralysis and death. It was often used to poison enemies’ food and water supplies or smear weapons, causing the enemy to suffer from convulsions and paralysis. similar events occurred over centuries. However, the virulently poisonous hemlock used by Socrates likely had by then gone extinct. It is unclear which variety would have been used by Villani.

Nuova Cronica, Giovanni Vilaniecn.

Belladonna (Atropa belladonna)

Belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, is a highly toxic plant native to Europe and Asia. It contains tropane alkaloids, which can cause hallucinations, paralysis, and death. The active chemical in belladonna is scopolamine, the same hallucinogen used by the U.S. police decades ago to attempt to create a sort of truth serum.

Ancient Roman armies used the plant as a weapon to poison the water supplies of their enemies. They would also coat their arrows with the plant’s juice to cause confusion, disorientation, and blurred vision. Ironically, the first documented evidence of the weaponized drug comes from Rome’s greatest enemy: Hamilcar Barca. Hamilcar was the Carthagenese general who led a giant elephant army through the Alps and came close to ravaging Rome. Apocryphal documents describe how he would have poisoned his enemies’ supplies with belladonna to confuse and sicken them.

Read the full article here

0 Comments
2024/02/14
14:53 UTC

13

American Beer Barons: How Busch, Pabst, and Schlitz Built Beer Empires

The oil industry had the Rockefeller dynasty, the steel industry had the Carnegie dynasty, and the American breweries had their barons. The growing popularity of Golden Lager gave us three big names that became legendary: Busch, Pabst, and Schlitz. In less than a generation, these industry giants amassed colossal fortunes while competing for brewing supremacy.

At the beginning of the 19th century in America, beer wasn’t popular in the United States. Rum and whiskey were heavily consumed, but beer was not. Produced on a small scale, the available beer was heavy, sedimentary, and bitter-tasting. It was top-fermented, dark, and robust. Americans were familiar with Stouts, Porters, and Strong Ales.

https://preview.redd.it/9gaq6zp2ychc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=32e65db0661ee89400ead624e14c68829d7c5403

Despite having plenty of good land for growing hops and grains, the colony lacked many necessities, and a respectable brewery remained a luxury. Moreover, thanks to the triangular trade, the United States was flooded with cheap rum and whiskey. New England also overflowed with apples, which were used to produce industrial quantities of cider. As a result, Americans had a sweet tooth. When winter came, a second fermentation produced a very strong drink called applejack, a true gut-wrencher capable of killing a man on the spot.

While rum was excessively popular across all classes at the beginning of the century, the Napoleonic wars severed ties with the Caribbean, whose precious sugar was the base for American rum. Thus, American whiskey became America’s #1 drink. Of course, wine graced the tables of the wealthy, and it was still preferred over other beverages by beer drinkers. Beer constituted a limited, uninteresting market, with no great future ahead. But all of that was about to change with the Napoleonic wars, the German industry, and the opening of the American West.

The German Triangle: St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati

Across the Atlantic, the numerous German states were bleeding white, and the perpetual conflicts between German dukes and barons took a desperate turn around 1830 when the prices of all basic goods led to famine. Thus, within a generation, over three million Germans set out for America in search of a better life. Unlike many other immigrants of the time, a good number of them arrived in America with their savings. Several even came from families wealthy enough for their era.

It was in this context that Adolphus Busch arrived, the second to last of a family of 22 children whose parents were wealthy wine merchants. Busch was short, stocky, and stout, with a gleaming eye that smelled a good deal. Arriving in Louisiana, he traveled up the Mississippi to reach St. Louis, which was then a haven for any German immigrant. Following the German immigration, a quarter of the city spoke German. There were German churches, German schools, and even a newspaper in the language of Goethe.

https://preview.redd.it/22v2gjz3ychc1.jpg?width=1096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ae00c91da32c28be3be1f8e1d9185671a73e295

After a few jobs as a boat inspector, Busch opened a business selling brewing equipment. He saw that the Germans were thirsty, and the Americans were ill-equipped to supply them. Having already worked in a brewery, he knew what a brewer needed. One of his clients was a peculiar gentleman who knew nothing about beer and ended up with a brewery somewhat by accident. Mr. Anheuser, another successful German immigrant, was a soap manufacturer. One of his clients went bankrupt and gave him his brewery to settle his debts.

However, it wasn’t exactly this that marked Adolphus; it was rather his pretty, single daughter. Quickly, the two married, and Adolphus thus became a member of the Anheuser family.

As Anheuser’s troubles increased, the question of a partnership with Adolphus was quickly settled. In less than a year, the young Busch tripled production, and Anheuser went from a low reputation to one of the most prominent breweries in St. Louis. Adolphus worked tirelessly. Every day, every hour, he watched, measured, and learned. His effort was matched only by his ambition: to become number one.

The American Civil War: Beer for the Soldiers

The celebrations were short-lived. Barely a few years after joining his father-in-law, Busch faced a serious problem. The Civil War had just broken out. It was time for rationing. Labor was conscripted. Many breweries feared they would not survive. Others fell victim to bombardments. For Busch, the Civil War proved to be an incredible opportunity.

Missouri was very close to the action. The city of St. Louis was one of the main transport routes for Union soldiers. Since the Union high command banned the use of rum and whiskey, the low-alcohol beer of German brewers immediately became a solution. Beer was officially approved by the high command because of its “non-intoxicating” nature.

Soon, Busch began supplying troops with cheap, well-preserved beer. Not only did these soldiers get used to the taste, but they also demanded more. The Civil War would thus contribute to the spread of German lager, which until then had been mainly a northern trend.

Read the full article here.

2 Comments
2024/02/08
12:47 UTC

87

People who excelled in more than one field in their lives

I can only think of Brian May, who was the guitarist for Queen and an astrophysicist, something that I find quite crazy... What other people do you know who have excelled in more than one area in their life?

65 Comments
2024/02/06
04:15 UTC

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