Knossos

Knossos

Author: History Hit August 25, 2025 Duration: 38:41

You probably know the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, who lives in a labyrinth under Knossos on the island of Crete - was there ever really a labyrinth, or a King Minos? Dan is joined by the University of Oxford's Steve Kershaw to unravel the mysteries of Knossos, trace the rise of the Minoan civilisation during the Bronze Age, its collapse and the controversial excavation and reconstruction by the eccentric archaeologist Arthur Evans in the early 20th century.


This is part of our 'Dan Snow's Guide to Europe' summer travel series.


Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore


Join Dan and the team for a special LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday, 12th September 2025!


To celebrate 10 years of the podcast, Dan is putting on a special show of signature storytelling, never-before-heard anecdotes from his often stranger-than-fiction career, as well as answering the burning questions you've always wanted to ask!


Get tickets here, before they sell out: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/dan-snows-history-hit/.


We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.


You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There’s history you might recall from a textbook, and then there’s the kind that feels like you’re standing right there in the moment. Dan Snow's History Hit is firmly in the latter category. Hosted by the historian Dan Snow, this podcast doesn't just recount dates and facts; it transports you. Each episode is built from Dan's travels to the actual locations where history unfolded, from the echoing floor of the Roman Colosseum to the silent expanse of the Waterloo battlefields and the awe-inspiring presence of the Great Wall of China. The conversations dig into the compelling human stories-the motivations of heroes and villains, the engineering behind great monuments, and the pivotal decisions that changed everything. You’ll hear the how and why behind the world's most defining events, delivered with a palpable sense of place and curiosity. New episodes arrive twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays, with additional subscriber episodes every other Friday, making this a consistently engaging dive into our shared past. It’s a history podcast that treats the subject not as a static record, but as a living, breathing narrative waiting to be explored.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Dan Snow's History Hit
Podcast Episodes
How Did the Industrial Revolution Change the World? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:02
Was the Industrial Revolution the most important event in human history? Dan is joined by economist and journalist Duncan Weldon to explore why exactly the industrial revolution started on the soggy archipelago of Britai…
The Germans Who Rebelled Against the Nazis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:17
Today, we journey back to Berlin in the summer of 1943, where a clandestine gathering of Germany’s elite quietly plots to resist Hitler’s regime. But there is a traitor in their midst...We're joined by acclaimed journali…
The Battle of Jutland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:20
On 31st May, 1916, 250 warships and nearly 100,000 sailors converged in the North Sea for the world's first full-scale clash of dreadnought fleets. Admiral Jellicoe’s Grand Fleet was pitted against Admiral Scheer’s High…
Medieval Sex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:14
Warning: this episode contains explicit language.Medieval people weren’t prudish—far from it. Dan is joined by medieval historian Dr Eleanor Janega to explore sex, marriage, and desire in the Middle Ages. They delve into…
Alexandria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:43
This is the story of a city that laid the foundations for our modern world. Sitting at the intersection of East and West, Alexandria has been home to many of humanity's greatest architectural and cultural achievements, l…
The Spanish Civil War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:28
Why did Spain spiral into civil war in 1936? Today, we delve into the grinding class conflicts and ferocious political divisions that split Spain in two, from the dictatorship of the 1920s to the ambitious and divisive g…
The Battle of Agincourt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:39
In this episode, Dan explains the dramatic story of the Battle of Agincourt when, against overwhelming odds, Henry V’s underdog English army emerged victorious over their mighty French opponents. We explore why the battl…
Magna Carta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
Dan and leading medieval historians explain everything you need to know about Magna Carta...and the story is more dramatic than you might think. Magna Carta sprang from an England on the brink of civil war; the feeble ki…
The First Trains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:05
On 27 September 1825, a steam-powered marvel known as Locomotion No.1 made history, pulling passengers and coal from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees in the North of England. This 25 mile journey, changed the world forever.Da…
The Battle of Hastings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:17
On 14 October 1066, the armies of William, the Duke of Normandy, and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson clashed near Hastings in one of the most famous battles in history and one that would decide the fate of the Engl…