History Memes For Scholars Of the Past

Author image for Ada Elder
Ada Elder
May 19, 2021 1:00 PM EDT

Things seem pretty bleak in the present. Between the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic turmoil its caused, and the insane winter storms that have crippled Texas, we're kind of over everything. Gone is the youthful hope that we once had, our plans for the future. Traveling the world and learning about other cultures is also out of the question. If we don't want to think about the sh*tshow we're dealing with, and the future is uncertain, what can we turn to? You got it, the past.

While poring over history tomes and watching educational television shows are both fine and dandy, we prefer to get our fix via memes. And history memes are far from hard to come by. They're all over Reddit and Instagram, dropping some serious knowledge and inspiring some very  hearty chuckles. Though some of these memes may feel like they require a history degree to understand, we're pretty sure even a high school dropout would understand some of the other references. And hey, by scrolling through these memes you might even learn something.

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  • 01

    They bought some vowels.

    Car - Greeks Phoenician alphabet K QM 8621 This is brilliant. Greeks Phoenician alphabet with vowels Phoenician alphabet v0B, DJ 751 K QM 8621 But I like this.
    via FitzChevalric

    The implication of vowels was not good enough for the Greeks, who altered the Phoenician alphabet by changing some of its symbols and adding unique vowels. 

  • 02

    Xerxes can suck it.

    Product - SPARTA ATHENS Ihate the Persians, you? lalso hate the Persians Cool, we can be allies until the Persians are defeated After that it gets difficult mgflip.com
    via FitzChevalric

    You know what they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. While the city-states of Athens and Sparta could generally be found battling one another, they united to fight against Persia in the Greco-Persian wars.

  • 03

    Oh damn.

    Shoe - Random Barbarian Tribe: *Insults Rome* Romans: The Gates of Janus gettyimages John Eder @spqr.rome.posting
    via FitzChevalric

    For those of you who are unawares, the Gates of Janus (the doors to a temple that also bore the name of the God) were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war. 

  • 04

    Talk about a disaster.

    Organism - a ©2021 GeoBasis-DE/BKG (@2009 Teutoburg Forest Ridge in Germany 4.2**** 225 Google reviews PubliusQuinctilius Varus 1 review ***** a month ago 0/10 would not go through again 94
    via FitzChevalric

    This meme references what's now known as the "Varian Disaster." The debacle took place when Publius Varus and his men were tasked with consolidating the new province of Germania. Unfortunately for Varus, one of his auxiliary officers was not to be trusted. While the Germanic officer Arminius had acquired Roman citizenship, his loyalty lay elsewhere. He was the mastermind behind an ambush that destroyed three Roman legions and their auxiliaries. The ambush in Teutoburg was so brutal that the Romans never tried to conquer the territories that lay East of the Rhine. 

  • 05

    Absolute King Sh*t

    Forehead - Hannibal to the Roman Guards after showing up with an elephant. you didn't expect that, did you?
    via FitzChevalric

    Hannibal was SUCH a badass. The Carthaginian general is considered one of the greatest military commanders of all time. Mostly because he crossed the Alps with elephants. Let's be real. 

  • 06

    You know what they say, all roads lead to Rome.

    Sky - LEFT EXIT 12, ROME ROME XEXY EASE SE WEI
    via FitzChevalric
  • 07

    See above.

    World - All Roads Lead To Rome Days 4.
    via FitzChevalric
  • 08

    Can you read those characters? Or do you just know the format?

    Vision care - Liao Dynasty to Song dynasty after the signing of the Chanyuan Treaty: We're equal now, S.
    via FitzChevalric
  • 09

    Double the pleasure, double the fun.

    Cartoon - Timur sacking Baghdad again in 1401, only 8 years after sacking it in 1393: oc_historymemes 00 It's even funnier the second time!
    via FitzChevalric
  • 10

    Damn, feels kind of like 2020 and 2021.

    Product - 1337 The 1342 Hundred Year War 1342 1347-1353 starts - lasts until 1453 Magdalene's Flood - (116 Years) Actually made up of several Biggest Collapse of Italian The Black Death - 1/3 (or more) of Europe's populations dies european flood of the Banks - Pretty much as bad as conflicts past 2000 years. Followed by widespread famine including a civil war in the one in France 2008 1340s European Peasants trying not to die
    via FitzChevalric
  • 11

    No respect.

    Clothing - Luther and his silly list LIVE the Catholic Church LIVE
    via FitzChevalric
  • 12
    Blue - All right, get lost, all of ya. You're fired. Go on. Scram. Get out of here, you moochers. That's right, keep moving. Except you. You stay.
    via FitzChevalric
  • 13

    It probably doesn't hurt very much. Or for very long.

    Nose - Types of Headache Migraine Hypertension Stress French Revolution @yourhistoryplug
    via @yourhistoryplug
  • 14
    Cat - @yourhistoryplug Some Icelandic fishermen British Empire Strength K Icelandic Coast E Royal Navy Guard 22 frigates 4 large patrol vessels 7 RFA supply vessels 2 small patrol vessels I Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2 armed trawlers 6 defence tugs Casualties and losses No casualties 1 trawlerman wounded 14] 5 patrol vessels damaged 15 frigates damaged(84] 1 supply ship damaged
    via FitzChevalric
  • 15

    It really depends on your definition of victory.

    Bird - 6,000 British troops: defeat 45,000 Chinese at the Battle of Canton Official Chinese battle reports to the Emperor: SUPREME VICTORKY
    via FitzChevalric
  • 16

    A wee bit nippy, eh, Napoleon?

    Product - Napoleon after realizing he should've not invaded Russia in the winter.
    via FitzChevalric
  • 17
    Head - NISSAN Jord FORD WAS FOUNDED BY A RACIST! YEAH WELL SO WAS NISSAN!
    via r/historymemes
  • 18

    Quite the double standard.

    Drinkware - claiming owning the north is tyrannical slaves Diet Coke Sprile PUSH PUSH The Confederacy OHEOO LDHE LIMON GLAS zo
    via FitzChevalric
  • 19

    South American history needs some more representation.

    Water - Eurasian Aistory Historians African History South American History
    via FitzChevalric
  • 20

    The natural progression.

    Face - European superpowers in the 19th century: It's time for Africa
    via FitzChevalric
  • 21

    Facts.

    Dog - Belgium in Europe Belgium in the Congo
    via FitzChevalric
  • 22

    Can you be fashionably late to the Olympics?

    World - The Russian Olympic team after arriving 12 days late to the 1908 Olympics because they still used the Julian calendar. /F-M-B-R
    via FitzChevalric
  • 23

    It's raining marks, hallelujah, it's raining marks, amen.

    Nature - Literally every person in 1920s Germany during the hyperinflation crisis: 20th_century_memes1 Straigntup.millionaire
    via FitzChevalric
  • 24

    Booyah.

    Photograph - Soviet Union with a closed economy Western countries during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 @yourhistoryplug
    via @yourhistoryplug
  • 25

    They're all dead!

    Cartoon - Ga 送 Stalin This is where I would put my political opponents If Lhad any
    via FitzChevalric
  • 26

    Just ignore the tanks.

    Plant - German tanks Rolling into Czechoslovakia Neville Chamberlain Promising Peace
    via FitzChevalric
  • 27

    Ach-ward

    Forehead - Some kid in argentina: "Momma why does grandpa speak german and we dont?" MOM DAD
    via FitzChevalric
  • 28

    Damn, this is dark.

    Product - 1.4 Million 117,000 US WWI military deaths after hemming and hawing and jumping in at the end, then claiming we helped win the war French WWI military deaths after fighting hand to hand, tooth and nail while their country was shelled around them. Only to be called cowards 20 years later for not wanting to go through it again
    via FitzChevalric
  • 29

    I see..

    Computer - Apollo 1 crew: *Dies due to usage of 100% pure oxygen* NASA: 吉 NOTED
    via FitzChevalric
  • 30
    Sleeve - a shit-ton of nukes a shit-ton of nukes the rest of the russia world America
    via FitzChevalric
  • 31
    Forehead - India: *Buys nuclear fuel from Canada for reactors*. Canada: ok, but don't make nuclear weapons using them India: *Makes them anyway* Canada: How dare you!
    via FitzChevalric
  • 32

    The best of intentions.

    Footwear - The US trying to help France win the war against the Vietnamese The US only making the war worse and being pulled into it @yourhistoryplug
    via FitzChevalric
  • 33
    World - Soviet Union 1991: *collapses* Kazakhstan for 4 days: "Look at me, I'm the Soviet Union now“ PaerCauntre
    via FitzChevalric
  • 34

    How quickly they forget the past.

    Arm - Islamophobic Americans who think Muslims hates the US Morocco being the first nation to recognize the USA as a country
    via u/duckman
  • 35

    Nothing but respect for these bunnies.

    World - In 1807 Napoleon requested a rabbit hunt. 3,000 rabbits were round up for the occasion. When the bunnies were released from their cages, they charged toward Bonaparte and his men. LITERALLY A BUNNY NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
    via u/VangeeOP
  • 36
    Forehead - how it started how it ended Evgeny Kobytev June 1941 Evgeny Kobytev May 1945 imgflip.com
    via u/john1enin
  • 37
    Cartoon - Greeks Original mythology Romans
    via u/hanfinho123

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Tags

history memes history funny memes dank memes Memes european history lol funny
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