Can't tell the players without a scorecard

I've always had trouble remembering names of things--one of several reasons I did not become a doctor.

So when reading history, I find that the names run together and I can't tell the Dacians from the Thracians (Ok, some argue that's fine) from the Sarmations from the Mosians from the Illyrians. Even closer to home, the Chatti, Chauci, Cherusci, Frisii, Suebi--lump them all and call them germans.

If there are visuals to go with the name: the map, the technology (usually weapons and armor in the triumphant sculptures), the costumes; or some cultural distinctives; something to hang a name on--it's a lot easier.

Or to put it another way, stereotypes make it easier to keep score in history. But they mislead--the german tribes that harassed Rome in the later centuries had adopted a lot of Roman stuff, including military organization, and they traded all over the place (always had). A lot of them had bishops--Arians, but bishops. And, of course, some of their kin were on the Roman side.

It's a bit amusing to look at a book about African tribes and see the traditional costumes. They use much nicer fabrics these days: some of it Western styles and some of it new fashions of their own. I have no idea why "Unisex Clothes" is one of the tags there.

I suppose I need to keep a book of maps handy, and maybe some thumbnail art and descriptions of the tribes, when I read a book of history. But that sounds like web pages, and trying to read and use a computer at the same time is fraught with clumsiness (the book's spine on the keys) and distractions. And the images would be stereotypes--the only remaining Roman sculpture of a warrior has to represent a thousand-year-old nation...