Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2013 November 27

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November 27

Ottoman invasion of Italy

Based on the military and naval abilities of the Ottomans in the 1450s-80s, and how swift they had expanded into nations like Hungary, how feasible could have a large-scale invasion of Naples be (had Mehmed II put more effort than that of the invasion of Otranto)? Could it have lead to its annexation (or more likely vassalization)? Thanks. 50.101.203.177 (talk) 04:16, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Given that the Ottoman fleet was dominated by galleys, the logistics seem very difficult. Getting a large army around to Naples and supplying it by sea seems impossible, at least without taking Sicily first and using it as a base. Mounting an invasion somewhere near Bari and working across the peninsula seems more reasonable, but still extremely challenging. Looie496 (talk) 05:49, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Also note that the proximity to the Vatican would cause a massive response, most like a crusade organized by the Pope, and bringing in armies from all the Christian nations of Europe. StuRat (talk) 20:43, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

50.101.203.177 -- Muslims had never conquered more than Sicily before. Given that by 1478 the Ottomans still hadn't cleared Venice, Genoa, and Christian knightly orders out of Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus, and other smaller islands surrounding Greece, I'm not sure that they were then in a good position to launch a naval invasion from or through Greece at that point. The only invasion from southern Albania across the Strait of Otranto that I know of was by Pyrrhus of Epirus... -- AnonMoos (talk) 23:27, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

See the Ottoman invasion of Otranto in 1480 which the OP references. As StuRat says, a minor Crusade was called - it doesn't get a mention in our Crusade article, but is called "The Anti-Turkish Crusade, 1480" in The Routledge Companion to the Crusades By Peter Lock (p.204) and the Turks were persuaded to leave in 1481. Crusading and the Ottoman Threat: 1453-1505 By Norman Housley says that such were the political divisions within the Italian peninsula at the time that any large-scale mobilisation of Christian forces under Pope Sixtus IV would have been unlikely and "it is impossible to gauge what would have happened had the Turks at Otranto been reinforced" (p. 95). Alansplodge (talk) 18:11, 28 November 2013 (UTC)

I'm reminded of the ancient Greek city-states, which warred constantly, but nonetheless managed to join forces when a large, external, existential threat arrived, such as Persian armies. StuRat (talk) 03:33, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

Didn't seem to work in this case, the Venetians having reached a separate peace treaty with the Ottomans in the Treaty of Constantinople (1479), were reluctant to go to war again on anybody's behalf. Alansplodge (talk) 20:49, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

Jain encyclopedia

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen this book; whose title I unfortunately cannot recall. It was a several hundred page long, (at least 700) Jain encyclopedia on google books that mentioned a number of animals and plants, but also discussed tiny life forms living in the classical elements. I've been looking for this book but cannot find it; there can't be that many books which fit that description. CensoredScribe (talk) 20:32, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Unknown Concept/Philosophy

I am looking for a page on Wikipedia of a philosophy (whose name escapes me) that states that, due to the nature of suffering based upon perception, human suffering will never decrease despite any advances in the sciences or society in general. If anyone is familiar with this concept, I would appreciate any direction anyone can provide. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.166.78.71 (talk) 20:53, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Pessimism (particularly as articulated by Schopenhauer) might be a good start. Tevildo (talk) 21:16, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Socialism. 'Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery': Winston Churchill. 86.182.25.18 (talk) 17:27, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Algerian cuisine other influence

Besides Berber influence in Algerian cuisine, what other major influence does Algerian cuisine get from? Also, which dish is which specifically from Ottomans? French? Spanish? Andalus? and Italian? Please take your time to answer this and thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.53.229.45 (talk) 23:06, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Wikipedia has an article titled Algerian cuisine, and if that particular article does not suit you needs, there are links to other articles on broader topics, such as North African cuisine, or Mediterranean cuisine. Like any nation's cultural heritage of this sort, there are likely hundreds of dishes, and many local and regional variations, so it is unlikely your going to find a comprehensive history of every single dish ever cooked inside the boundaries of Algeria. Such analyses have probably been done, but have not been all put into Wikipedia yet. --Jayron32 00:18, 28 November 2013 (UTC)

There is a substantial preview of A Pied Noir Cookbook: French Sephardic Cuisine from Algeria By Chantal Clabrough on Google Books, which might help. Alansplodge (talk) 17:27, 28 November 2013 (UTC)