Historical Misconceptions

Sooo I wanted to start a thread where people can discuss famous historical misconceptions. I think it's interesting to think about why people assume certain things, how misinformation gets spread around so easily, etc...

Misconception: Cleopatra Was Black.

People seem to have completely forgotten that Cleopatra was from Macedon, and many popular TV shows and films portray her as being black. Recently, Angelina Jolie was rumoured to have been cast in a new Cleopatra film (as Cleo herself), and it sparked outrage from African-American organizations, such as this misinformed Essence Magazine writer.

It's funny, because even the people who currently inhabit Egypt are (mostly) not black. So even if people don't know that Cleopatra was Macedonian, they still shouldn't assume she was black just because Egypt is in Africa.

Just a generally annoying misconception I've seen that really bothers me. Can you think of any other famous historical misconceptions?

That article is ♥♥♥♥ing hilarious. Nice find.

It really pops my corn when people say that the U.S. invaded Iraq because of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01.

Originally Posted by Armillary

That article is ♥♥♥♥ing hilarious. Nice find.

It really pops my corn when people say that the U.S. invaded Iraq because of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01.

It really is funny. But it's also kind of sad, because people learn these misconceptions in school.

As for yours, the sad thing is that that is how it's going to be written in history. 100 years from now, people are going to believe that. It's sad the power that government has, they can literally rewrite history however they like. Perception is reality, and they use that to their full advantage.

The fact that Jesus is portrayed as a white man. Just because Christians can't accept people who are different (I'm gonna get so much hate for that comment), doesn't change the fact that their saviour was NOT a white man. The fact that they worship "Jesus of Nazareth", and don't acknowlege that Nazareth is not in Europe, is pretty sad.

Man, I can't wait for people to argue with me.

My grandma insists that all the bailouts were from Obama.

@Jake
It's funny how people feel the need to align themselves with their idols using physical similarities... What's interesting about Jesus is that white Christians want so badly to identify with him that they have forgotten that he was Jewish and didn't look like them. I think it's easier for them to think they look like Jesus than to actually live their lives according to his teachings (which would mean actually being a good person). Now I'm taking about the majority, not all Christians... Some of whom are wonderful people.

@Nite
I think at least 10 years should pass before we think of something as "history".. But yes that is an infuriating misconception, although Obama hasn't exactly done anything to stop the bailouts. But that's a discussion for another thread.

All the founding fathers were Christian- Yes many were, but quite a few prominent ones such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjaman Franklin, and John Adams were either agnostic or atheist (it's debated which one for sure) and full hated Christianity and thought it was evil.

Atlantis is not real at all, never has been. Plato referenced said "city" twice but only as a metaphor/anecdote to the current state of politics and affairs he was dealing with in Greece.

Albert Einstein did not fail mathematics.

Charles Darwin never prayed to god on his deathbed, the woman who claimed to be an eyewitness to do him doing so has been debunked on many occasions, Darwins own daughter (who was with Darwin when he died) had never even heard of the women nor was she was there when her father died. Darwin stayed an atheist till the end.

In the bible (the best selling fictional book of all time)
The forbidden fruit was never stated to be an apple, although it was implied to be a fig (as they took fig leaves from a tree right after eating the fruit)

It never says how many wise men (magi) went to go visit Jesus, the notion that there were only three was started by the Catholic Church. Also they didn't visit Jesus during his birth as it states they went to visit Jesus in a house. If they went to visit Jesus at his birth it would've been in a stable.

The bible also never gives a birth for Christs date. Especially not December 25th.

Jesus would've looked like someone from Pakistan or Iran.

Hitler also was not an Atheist, he was a very strong believer and follower in Jesus Christ.

Marie Antoinette never actually said "let them eat cake".

Originally Posted by Dethls _Somnolence

Hitler also was not an Atheist, he was a very strong believer and follower in Jesus Christ.

He claimed to be a Christian a thousand times, it's doubtful he was though. There's no real certainty of what he believed. His followers were mainly working class poor and uneducated, his pro-Christian statements didn't have to do with his beliefs but his constituency.

Originally Posted by jellotime91

@Jake
It's funny how people feel the need to align themselves with their idols using physical similarities... What's interesting about Jesus is that white Christians want so badly to identify with him that they have forgotten that he was Jewish and didn't look like them. I think it's easier for them to think they look like Jesus than to actually live their lives according to his teachings (which would mean actually being a good person).

Yes. I'm not trying to just hate on an entire religion, which makes up a lot of the world, but I agree a lot. It seems like Christians would much rather believe they're atleast similar in some way to Jesus, than actually try to be like him.

Now I'm taking about the majority, not all Christians... Some of whom are wonderful people.

Agreed. I'd never dislike my family, haha.

Originally Posted by Dethls _Somnolence

All the founding fathers were Christian- Yes many were, but quite a few prominent ones such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjaman Franklin, and John Adams were either agnostic or atheist (it's debated which one for sure) and full hated Christianity and thought it was evil.

Damn... How could the world let that happen?

Originally Posted by Jake The Dog

Yes. I'm not trying to just hate on an entire religion, which makes up a lot of the world, but I agree a lot. It seems like Christians would much rather believe they're atleast similar in some way to Jesus, than actually try to be like him.


Agreed. I'd never dislike my family, haha.


Damn... How could the world let that happen?

How could the world let what happen? Don't exactly understand what you meant.

Originally Posted by Dethls _Somnolence

If they went to visit Jesus at his birth it would've been in a stable.

But the stable would not have been like the stables of today. The Nativity scene that is displayed EVERYWHERE, is nothing like what it would have been like. They were a lot more like houses than a few poles with a straw roof...


300 Spartans did not beat the Persians at Thermopylae. While the battle itself did occur, there were other Greek states there fighting along side the Spartans, who themselves had the Helots (slaves) fighting in front of them. (and say each Spartan had 7 Helots, that's over 2000 men). The Persians lost (one of) their kings in the battle, and they retreated.

Of course, they were never planning to stop the Persians anyway, and it was just to delay them, and to split up their army and navy (whom the Athenians were fighting at Artemisuim).

Also, the "broom" thingy on the Persian helmets did not go from the back of the head to to the front, only the Athenian ones did. The Persian helmets had it going the other way (from the right side of the head to the left).

Originally Posted by Dethls _Somnolence

Hitler also was not an Atheist, he was a very strong believer and follower in Jesus Christ

ummm..no. Hitler stated publicly that he was Christian a lot for obvious reasons (and even then it was a different, more hitler-themed version what with aryan jesuses and whatnot), but there are tons of private accounts saying that he despised Christianity - including statements from Goebbels and Speer and others. There is no way to know for sure.

Originally Posted by Dethls _Somnolence

Charles Darwin never prayed to god on his deathbed, the woman who claimed to be an eyewitness to do him doing so has been debunked on many occasions, Darwins own daughter (who was with Darwin when he died) had never even heard of the women nor was she was there when her father died. Darwin stayed an atheist till the end.

Darwin was not an atheist. He was born and raised in a protestant family, and when he wrote On the Origin of the Species, he was still a Christian. By the time of his death, while he no longer follow any religion, he still believed God was a ruling power. In modern terms, he was essentially Agnostic.

Originally Posted by Jake The Dog

The fact that Jesus is portrayed as a white man. Just because Christians can't accept people who are different (I'm gonna get so much hate for that comment), doesn't change the fact that their saviour was NOT a white man. The fact that they worship "Jesus of Nazareth", and don't acknowlege that Nazareth is not in Europe, is pretty sad.

Man, I can't wait for people to argue with me.

Nazareth is very close to the Caucasus region, which is probably why he is depicted as having "white" features. It's actually pretty likely that he did. That being said, there are soooooooo many different depictions.

Not arguing that there isn't racism though. Just saying that the majority of the Caucasian depictions aren't racist.


tl;dr: "white" =/= European

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Misconception: That George Washington had wooden teeth.

Despite what The Doors movie showed, Jim did not lock Pamela in a closet and proceed to light it on fire.

The victorians weren't all prudes who fainted at the mention of sex. They were actually a very sexual society, they simply didn't talk of it. Victorian pornography featured things like erotic spanking, lesbianism, and bondage, for example.

And no, people didn't ACTUALLY cover up the table legs for fear of men randomly humping them. That's an urban legend, first meant to be humorous, but somehow got printed as fact somewhere along the line.

Originally Posted by Anithene

The victorians weren't all prudes who fainted at the mention of sex. They were actually a very sexual society, they simply didn't talk of it. Victorian pornography featured things like erotic spanking, lesbianism, and bondage, for example.

And no, people didn't ACTUALLY cover up the table legs for fear of men randomly humping them. That's an urban legend, first meant to be humorous, but somehow got printed as fact somewhere along the line.

That's true... In the Victorian era, even gays were easily having sex quite often. It just wasn't discussed openly.

Originally Posted by Breeze

Nazareth is very close to the Caucasus region, which is probably why he is depicted as having "white" features. It's actually pretty likely that he did. That being said, there are soooooooo many different depictions.

Not arguing that there isn't racism though. Just saying that the majority of the Caucasian depictions aren't racist.


tl;dr: "white" =/= European

Meh, I still think even with light skin he would still look more Middle Eastern than we portray him as.