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History Doesn't Repeat Itself, But It Does Rhyme
Is the world getting better? Are we making progress?...
The Late Roman Empire Army Was A Changing, But Still Massive, Force
If there’s one piece of the Roman Empire that has managed to weave its way into popular culture, it’s the army. Every decade or so, we get a new movie featuring the heroics of a Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Clive Owen (King Arthur), or Michael Fassbender (Centurion, which is an awesome action flick), ...
Attila The Hun Did Far More Than Just Leave Charred Bones In His Wake
Nearly 16 centuries after he lived and died, the name of Attila the Hun still carries overtones of wanton destruction and senseless slaughter. The Huns, unlike the Franks or the Anglo-Saxons or the Goths, have no modern politicians claiming them as glorious ancestors for a shot of cheap nationalism;...
When The Vandals Took North Africa, They Had Their Way With The Roman Empire
North Africa was one of the heartlands of the Roman Empire. It produced most of the grain that fed Rome, the olive oil that burned in lamps from Sicily to Spain, the pottery that sat on every dinner table from Britain to Greece, and the tax revenue that kept the Roman government flush....
When Rome Fell, Some Barely Noticed And Some Were Murdered By Rampaging Hordes
The fall of the Roman Empire can mean a lot of different things, depending on precisely where you’re talking about. In some cases, it meant rampaging, marauding barbarians tearing down city walls and running off with the accumulated wealth of generations of prosperous Romans. In other areas, it mean...
I Found A Postcard From 1979 And This Is Its Story
It was tucked into the pages like a bookmark, postmarked Fort Lauderdale, dated December 3, 1979, and addressed to an apartment in Evanston, Ill. There was nothing else in the book—a collection of John Cheever stories I’d just bought at the used bookstore a couple blocks from my Chicago apartment....
What In The Hell Happened To Roman Britain?
Part of our shared culture is a basic, generally unspoken assumption that things are supposed to get better. Oppressed groups will have more rights in a few years than they have now. The economy overall will grow, even if an individual’s share might not. We’ll have cooler and more useful gadgets as ...
If Rome Was So Weak Before It Fell, How Did Its Industry Manage To Pollute Greenland?
If the Roman Empire was ever something you had to learn about in a high school or college history class, a major piece of those lectures probably had to do with its fall....
You Found Our Tribute To Vikings History
Last night, the Minnesota Vikings inaugurated their new stadium with a 17-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Deadspin celebrated the team’s rich history by buying a commemorative “Legacy Brick” in the plaza outside the stadium, and asking readers to find it....
Forget What You Learned In School; The Goths Sacked Rome For Good Reasons
If you ever learned about the Roman Empire in history class, the barbarian Goths’ sack of Rome in 410 was probably one of the points your teacher hit. After all, if you’re looking for an endpoint for an empire, the looting of its namesake city is probably a good place to start....
Phyllis Schlafly Finally Croaks
Phyllis Schlafly, who spent her adult life encouraging the American courts, legislature, and public to oppress women, among others, died tonight, not a moment too soon. She was 92....
Whatever Your History Teacher Said, The Goths Crushed Rome Because Rome Had It Coming
The fall of the Roman Empire is one of the central events in human history, and chances are good that at some point in your education, you were forced to sit through a godawful lecture or two filled with weird-ass names—seriously, Gundobad? Stilicho?—and dates that you forgot as soon as the test was...
Ancient Barbarians Weren't, Well, Barbarians, Whatever The Movies Say
Your high school or college history instructor probably spent some time on the fall of the Roman Empire. If you remember anything from those hazy days, it was probably something to the effect that the barbarians toppled a declining empire like a particularly destructive toddler going after her Leani...
Michael Phelps Tied A 2,168-Year-Old Olympic Record
Another two golds last night for Michael Phelps, the most decorated American Olympian ever: That makes 21 gold medals in his career, 25 medals overall, and with his win in the 200m butterfly—a particularly personal win, given his loss in that event four years ago—Phelps now has 12 individual wins to...
The True Story Of The Fall Of Rome Is A Hell Of Lot Better Than The Hollywood Version
If you were ever forced to sit through a high school or college history class, you probably heard the story of the fall of the Roman Empire. At best, you remember that savage, fur-clad barbarians poured through the gates of a rotting, decrepit empire and snuffed out the light of civilization for a t...
The Modern Olympics Were Founded By A French Baron Who Was Sad That France Kept Losing Wars<em></em>
If you were looking to create an object that was the perfect physical manifestation of the Summer Olympics’ contradictory relationship with the partially invented history they sprang from, you could do a lot worse than the Olympic Torch....
How Did Barbaro Really Get Hurt?
As of today, it’s been a decade since Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, answered the starting bell at the Preakness Stakes, moments before jockey Edgar Prado pulled him up with a broken hind leg. Eight months later, he would die of the complications from that injury....
Who Was The Actual Best Player In The NBA Every Year During Kobe Bryant's Career?
Kobe Bryant’s career spans a remarkable amount of NBA history, from the late years of the Chicago Bulls dynasty through the rise of the Golden State Warriors. If there’s been one constant through all those years, it’s that the best player in the league has never, ever been Kobe Bryant....
The First Basketball Game Was Just A Big Brawl
The University of Kansas has unearthed a rare audio recording of basketball inventor James Naismith discussing the first-ever basketball game. The audio, recorded in 1939, is a fun listen, and not just because Naismith sounds like a real-life Simpsons character. The best part is when Naismith descri...
Watch DeAndre Jordan Miss 22 Free Throws In One Game
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan made a bit of NBA history last night, tying the record for most missed free throws in a game. While getting maimed by the Trail Blazers’ hack-a-Jordan strategy, Jordan bricked 22 freebies....