On this episode of The Express History Podcast, we're going to be unpacking the hyper-famous Classical Age of Ancient Greece. The goal is to go over the political and military history of the period and show how very unique cirumstances were created, which then allowed for the legendary ancient Greek intellectual achievements. If you enjoy the episode, feel free to follow and rate the podcast!

Key Dates:

800 BC - Approximate end of the 'Greek Dark Ages'

625-600 BC - Phanes coins of Ephesus, oldest known inscribed coins

560 BC - Supposed death of Solon, Athenian reformer

490 BC - Greek victory over the Persians at Marathon

480 BC - Greek victory over the Persians at Salamis

431–404 BC - Peloponnesian War

399 BC - Execution of Socrates

If you want to dig deeper, one of the most comprehensive accounts of this period is 'From Solon to Socrates' by Victor Ehrenberg.

As always, I would also love to hear any feedback: find me on instagram (@expresshistorypodcast), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.

On this episode of The Express History Podcast, we'll be exploring the fascinating history of Islamic Spain. Spain's many centuries under Islamic rule are crucial to understanding not just its own makeup as a country today, but also the wider development of European art and philosophy. If you enjoy the episode, feel free to follow and rate the podcast!

Key Dates:

711 - Arab armies launch the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula

756 - Abd al-Rahman I declares the independent Emirate of Cordoba

961 - Death of Abd al-Rahman III

1094 - Almoravids achieve the conquest of al-Andalus

1147 - Almohads overthrow the Almoravids

1212 - Decisive Christian victory over the Almohads at Las Navas de Tolosa

1266 - Nasrid Emirate of Granada is the last Muslim state in Spain

1492 - Final conquest of Granada, extinction of al-Andalus

If you want to dig deeper, the most comprehensive narrative history for the period (covering both the Muslim and the Christian side) is 'A History of Medieval Spain' by Joseph F. O'Callaghan.

As always, I would also love to hear any feedback: find me on instagram (@expresshistorypodcast), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.

On today's episode of The Express History Podcast, we're going to be talking about the European Age of Exploration. The goal is to look at how, in less than two centuries of restless sailing culminating in Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe, European explorers laid down the foundations for a globalised world. If you enjoy the episode, feel free to follow and rate the podcast!

Key Dates:

1420 - Portuguese sailors reach Madeira

1472 - Portuguese sailors reach Sao Tome & Principe

1488 - The Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope

1492 - Christopher Columbus sets off on his first voyage, reaching America

1498 - The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives in India

1519 - The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan starts his circumnavigation of the globe

If you want to dig deeper, my favourite source for this topic is David Abulafia's masterful 'The Boundless Sea'. It's meant to be a whole human history of the oceans, but chapters 25-32 cover the material discussed in this episode.

As always, I would also love to hear any feedback: find me on instagram (@expresshistorypodcast), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.