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12 Widespread Historical Myths, Debunked

Turns out, Spartans weren't actually the super-soldiers of the ancient world.

12 Widespread Historical Myths, Debunked

July 28, 2023

Ah, the myths of history! We've all heard them before, from the tales of Christopher Columbus discovering America to the idea that witches were burned at the Salem Witch Trials. But how much of what we think we know is actually true? In this list, we'll be debunking 12 of the most widespread historical myths and uncovering the truth behind them.

This list is a collection of some of the most interesting and surprising discoveries of the past few centuries. From the Library of Alexandria to Christopher Columbus, from Chastity Belts to Round Earth, from Darwin to Marie Antoinette, from Salem Witch Trials to Adolf Hitler, these are just a few of the stories that have been uncovered and revealed to us over the years.

So, if you're ready to take a journey through the ages and learn the truth about some of history's greatest myths, then let's get started.

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12

Slow and steady destruction.

CRACKED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA The Library of Alexandria wasn't destroyed in one big event, but over a long period of time. Fires, lack of care, and the fact that papyrus scrolls were becoming outdated all played a part in its destruction. — Time / The Daily Beast

11

Hysterical fiction.

CRACKED VIBRATORS AS TREATMENT FOR HYSTERIA It's a common misconception that Victorian doctors used vibrators to treat female hysteria, but there's no proof that this was ever a regular medical practice at all. — The Atlantic / Get Maude

10

Chastity belts: mostly symbolic, now mostly kinky.

CRACKED EVERLAST CHASTITY BELTS IN THE MIDDLE AGES In the Middle Ages, people talked about chastity belts as a way to keep women faithful. But the truth is, not many of these belts actually existed back then. The references to them in writing were probably just symbolic. — Smithsonian Magazine / Sarah Emily Bond

9

Round Earth: Already Proven.

CRACKED CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS PROVING THE EARTH WAS ROUND. Christopher Columbus didn't set out to prove the Earth was round, because educated people already knew it was a sphere in the 15th century. — History / John J Denphy

8

No second brain in the butt.

CRACKED STEGOSAURUS HIND BRAINS Stegosaurus and sauropod dinosaurs didn't have a second brain in their butts, like some people think. — Smithsonian Magazine / World Atlas

7

Darwin: Believer, but not in Jesus.

CRACKED DARWIN BEING AN ATHEIST Darwin wasn't an atheist, but he was a deist and did believe in some kind of higher power. Не just didn't believe in Jesus as the Savior or Redeemer. — Oxford Academic / AMNH

6

"Let them eat cake" - not quite.

CRACKED MARIE ANTOINETTE SAYING LET THEM EAT CAKE Marie Antoinette supposedly said this when she heard peasants were very hungry. But it's likely that something like this phrase was actually said by Maria Theresa, the Spanish princess who married Louis XIV a century before Marie Antoinette's time. — How Stuff Works / Into Film

5

Roman Orgies

CRACKED ROMAN ORGIES It's a common misconception that the Ancient Romans were into orgies, but there's no proof of any kind of organized group sex in Roman literature. — AFR / Wikipedia

4

Spartan Soldiers

CRACKED SPARTANS AS ANCIENT SUPER-SOLDIERS. It's a common misconception that Spartans were the best warriors in ancient Greece. In fact, there's no proof that they were particularly good at fighting in the Archaic period. Their fame mainly comes from their victory at the Battle of Thermopylae. — Ancient World Magazine / Midwest Film Journal

3

Myth-busting the lancers.

CRACKED POLISH CAVALRY CHARGING NAZI TANKS A common misconception is that Polish lancers regularly charged at German tanks during WWII. This was actually just propaganda from Nazi and Soviet sources, and probably comes from a battle on the first day of the German invasion. — The Guardian / Popular Mechanics

2

Salem Witch Trials

CRACKED BURNING AT THE STAKE AT THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS People often think that witches were burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials, but that's not true. In reality, 19 of the accused were hanged and one was pressed to death with heavy stones. — History / Britannica

1

Appointed, not elected.

CRACKED HITLER BEING ELECTED People often think that Hitler was voted into office, but he never got more than 37% of the vote in any free national election. Instead, he was appointed as German chancellor in 1933 after the President asked him to form a coalition government. — Washington Post / History

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