What Happens in The Odyssey?

What Happens in The Odyssey?

Author: History Hit July 6, 2026 Duration: 1:09:24

Dan narrates his own epic retelling of the Odyssey - following Odysseus' route around the Mediterranean. He tells the story of the many trials and tribulations the Greek hero faces on his 10-year journey home to his kingdom of Ithaca. From the Trojan War in Turkey to Cyclops' cave, to the clutches of Circe on her island near Sicily (we think), Dan travels to some of the real-world locations that could have inspired Homer and tries to make sense of what happens on the voyage.


Written by Dan Snow, produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore


You can watch Dan's adventures in Greece in his Odyssey documentary on the History Hit TV platform. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6


Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast


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: 50

Dan Snow's History Hit
Podcast Episodes
How Did Japan Become A Superpower? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:16
In the 19th century, Japan's samurai era ended, and the country transformed from a secluded feudal society into a modern industrial superpower. From sweeping political reforms to rapid industrialisation, this is the stor…
The Scandalous Life of Lord Byron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
WARNING: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and explicit language. He appalled and titillated Regency polite society in equal measure. Lord Byron was a poet, a lover, a rebel, a romantic, an appalling husba…
Bloody Mary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:10
In 1553, Mary Tudor became the first woman to sit on the English throne - a reign of just five years, that history has remembered almost exclusively through the lens of her enemies. But today, we revisit the story of "Bl…
The Black Prince [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:06
He was one of medieval England’s most formidable warriors. Today we hear how Edward of Woodstock - the Black Prince - earned that reputation, tracing his rise during the Hundred Years’ War and exploring the nature of his…
The Assassination of Trotsky [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:35
This is the true story of the plot to kill Stalin's greatest enemy. It involves ice axe, a bloody study in Mexico City, and a betrayal years in the making.At its centre is Ramón Mercader, a Soviet-trained agent who infil…
Churchill's Secret Army [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
Trap doors under toilets, hidden radio rooms in the back of wardrobes, secret bases behind waterfalls....Dan investigates an extraordinary network of secret resistance cells set up during Britain's "darkest hour".In the…
The Siege of Acre: The Last Battle of the Crusades [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:34
The desperate, violent last stand that ended two centuries of crusading in the Holy Land. We hear how, outnumbered, divided and desperate, the Christian defenders decided to fight to the bitter end against the Mamluk for…
Eleanor of Aquitaine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:00
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful figures of the medieval world: twice a queen, a crusader, a rebel and the architect of an empire. Through her marriages to Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, sh…
The Knights Templar vs the Order of Assassins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:07
During the crusades, there was a legendary rivalry between two extraordinary medieval orders: the Assassins and the Templars. Separating myth from history, we uncover their beliefs, covert operations and lasting legacy,…