Give the facts
In the history of human civilization there is a place not only for heroic deeds and great discoveries, but also for obscene facts, which teachers often try to keep silent about. But, as you know, you can't hide a sewing in a sack! In our review, there are “ten” facts from different periods of history, about which it is not at all necessary to tell children.
1. A squad of flogging
Historical omission: the whipping squad
photo: listverse.com
Whipping children is usually not a disciplinary measure. But it turns out that history has had similar examples. Mayor of Bridgeton (New Jersey, USA) Arthur Whitaker organized a special "flogging squad" for young offenders in 1910. At the city hall, he installed a special machine for automated flogging and sentenced young offenders to it, instead of sending them to correctional schools.
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The duration and intensity of the flogging were regulated depending on the severity of the crime. During his seven years in office, Whitaker said more than 100 boys and several girls passed through the car. He called this experiment a success.
2. Tampons with cocaine
Historical omission: cocaine tampons
photo: listverse.com
Historically, women have been treated in a very unusual way. Even in ancient Greece, vaginal pain was relieved with tampons soaked in opium and belladonna. This absurd ancient medical practice survived into the 19th century. When cocaine began to be used as a surgical anesthetic in the mid-1800s, it was often impregnated with tampons as an antiseptic, which was then used in cases of gunshot wounds. Towards the end of the century, cocaine was considered a good treatment for gynecological diseases, so cocaine tampons were prescribed to women.
3. Riots in brothels and petition of prostitutes
Historical omission: confused petition
photo: listverse.com
In 17th century London, riots during the so-called "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras) were common. During Easter week, the faithful literally attacked places with a bad reputation, such as gambling houses, taverns and other cereal establishments. As a rule, this ended without much excesses, but in 1668 everything was different. This year, King Charles II banned the prayers of heretics. This led to the fact that thousands of dissidents began to take out their rage in brothels.
In response to this revolt, several "mummies" and their "workers" wrote the so-called "Poor Whores Petition" and sent it to Countess Castlemaine, the king's mistress. It was a derisive letter that ridiculed the promiscuous sex life of the king and other high-class courtesans. The letter ended with a request to Lady Castlemaine to help her "sisters."
4. Desecration of Constantinople
Historical omission: the desecration of Constantinople
photo: listverse.com
The Latin Empire - a state with its capital in Constantinople, formed by the crusaders in 1204 after the defeat of Byzantium - is not very well known today, since it existed for only about 50 years. After the fourth crusade, many crusaders, led by Count Baldwin of Flanders, rebelled against Byzantium, laid siege to Constantinople and plundered the city. In 1204 Baldwin proclaimed himself Emperor Baldwin I and announced the creation of a new Latin Empire as a true descendant of Rome. The plundering and desecration of the city was described by the Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates. He wrote that the crusaders took out everything they could find.
The crusaders took away reliquaries, vessels and utensils made of precious metals, destroyed everything that was in their power. The sacred altar in Hagia Sophia was smashed into small pieces that were distributed among the soldiers. However, Chonyates considers it the greatest desecration that the Crusaders placed a naked prostitute on the patriarchal throne and forced her to sing and dance there for their own amusement.
5. Empress Feet Ticklers
Historical omission: Catherine the Great's foot ticklers
photo: picstopin.com
A lot is said about the sexual life of Catherine the Great. The most famous myth about her says that the empress indulged in amorous pleasures with a horse. It is a generally accepted fact that Catherine had an extremely large number of lovers. And besides that, she had special people who tickled her feet, while telling obscene stories or singing songs.
Women of aristocratic birth were selected as such "ticklers". It was a highly coveted position due to the close relationship with the Empress. It is said that ticklers were sometimes present in the boudoir of this noble person.
6. Warren Cup
Historical omission: Secretum at the British Museum
photo: listverse.com
In 1865, the British Museum created the Secretum, a private section of the museum that housed all artifacts considered obscene in Victorian society. Most of them came from George Witt, a London physician who owned an extensive collection of phallic items. To visit the Secretum and view its exhibits, a special permit was required.
During the 100-year existence of the secret collection, there was one object deemed too obscene even for Secretum - the Warren Cup. It was a silver Roman bowl that depicted a homosexual act between two men on one side of the bowl and a man with a small boy on the other. In 1999, the British Museum paid £ 1.8 million for this cup.
7. "Porta Tosa"
Historical omission: Porta Tosa
photo: listverse.com
Over the centuries, one of the first things that many people visiting Milan saw was the bas-relief of a woman shaving her pubic hair. This bas-relief was placed on the eastern gate of the city called "Porta Tosa", which was later renamed "Porta Vittoria". The bas-relief remained there until the 19th century, when the gate was demolished and the indecent carvings were transferred to the museum.
There are several legends surrounding the origin of the bas-relief, all of which are associated with the Holy Roman Emperor and enemy of Milan, Frederick Barbarossa. One story says that the carvings simply depict Barbarossa's wife in a shameful position. Another claims that the bas-relief depicts a Milanese woman shaving in front of Barbarossa's army besieging the city.
8. Caesar - Queen of Bithynia
Historical omission: Caesar - Queen of Bithynia
photo: listverse.com
Julius Caesar is remembered by everyone as one of the greatest conquerors in the world. But during his reign he had many political opponents who called Caesar "Queen of Bithynia." It is rumored that Caesar was the secret lover of the king of Bithynia, Nicomedes IV. This could have happened around 80 BC, when the young Caesar arrived there as an ambassador. Despite the fact that today it is no longer possible to determine whether it was just a rumor or not, the historian Suetonius considered it a proven fact, referring to Caesar's relationship with King Nicomedes.
9. "Doll-bread"
Historical omission: Doll-bread
photo: listverse.com
The bread doll was most likely just a type of bread in England many centuries ago. However, it was also the name of an erotic dance that could be seen as a primitive form of twerking. In the words of 17th century writer John Aubrey, "young girls played with this nonsensical sport," standing on the table, pulling their clothes up as high as possible and swinging their buttocks back and forth as if kneading dough with them.
10. What the butler saw
Historical omission: mutoscope
photo: wikiwand.com
William Dixon is hardly remembered today, which is surprising given his contributions to early motion pictures. Starting off as an assistant to Thomas Edison, he helped design and build a kinetoscope, a device for displaying Edison movies. Dixon later founded his own company and built a mutoscope, a competitor to Edison's machine. The mutoscope used enlarged photographs to improve image quality.
In the UK, the device became known as "What the Butler Saw" - after the most popular movie ever shown on a mutoscope. It was an erotic picture in which the viewer seemed to watch through the keyhole as a woman slowly undresses in her bedroom.