Share

cover art for Knossos

Dan Snow's History Hit

Knossos

Ep. 1683

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.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 1837. The KGB Double Agent Who Stopped Armageddon with Ben McIntyre

    41:29||Ep. 1837
    This is an extraordinary story of espionage, betrayal and an unlikely friendship between spies on opposite sides - and of a man who risked his life and shaped the course of history, for a deeply personal and unlikely reason. In 1981, Washington feared a Soviet takeover of Iran could trigger military intervention and potentially a nuclear war. A KGB officer - Vladimir Kouzichkin - was stationed in revolutionary Iran. He was codenamed Agent Redwood and worked with British intelligence to expose the Soviet Union's operations in Iran... in exchange for a cure to a very private medical problem.Ben McIntyre's new book is called Redwood: The Most Extraordinary Spy of the Cold War and is out now!Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.Listen to The Iranian Embassy Siege with Ben Macintyre:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Yn4pGGxsG1YLI90kf4UkM?si=sUB3ShdzQiGEDeEj9fyBNgApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-iranian-embassy-siege-with-ben-macintyre/id1042631089?i=1000670522326Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1836. The Hudson's Bay Company

    37:27||Ep. 1836
    A corporation with more forts, governors and territory than most nations, this is the story of the Hudson's Bay Company. Founded to trade in beaver pelts, it became a de facto government across millions of square kilometres in Canada. It's a tale of how profit, empire and indigenous knowledge reshaped a continent.Stephen R. Bown, author of 'The Company', takes us from the rogue explorers who kickstarted it all through to the corporate takeover that ended it.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Our subscribers can contact us with their ideas and suggestions at the exclusive email: dshh.suggestions@historyhit.com.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/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is also available on YouTube. Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastDan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1835. The Battle of Stamford Bridge Explained

    31:50||Ep. 1835
    Dan explains how England’s last great Viking invasion met its brutal end. At Stamford Bridge in September 1066, King Harold Godwinson’s army faced Harald Hardrada, the most feared warrior of his age, in a battle of extraordinary courage and bloodshed. Relying on new archaeological discoveries, Dan brings this pivotal clash to life in vivid detail.You can also watch our explanation of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman Conquest that followed, on YouTube.Written by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore.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/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1834. The Battle of New York Explained

    01:42:06||Ep. 1834
    Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Hudson, the East River - today, these are the very heart and soul of New York City. But in 1776, they were the battlefield on which the American Revolution nearly died. Today Dan explains this crucial battle, fought between the largest invasion fleet North America had ever seen and George Washington's Continental Army.Written by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore.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/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1833. The Rise & Fall of Babylon

    48:32||Ep. 1833
    Babylon has a PR problem, and it's 2,600 years in the making.The Bible remembers it as the ultimate city of sin, the place that crushed Jerusalem and dragged the Jewish people into exile. But if you look beyond this chapter, you find history's first true megacity. An ancient metropolis so influential that even the empires that conquered it couldn't resist becoming Babylonian themselves.Dan sits down with historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, author of 'Babylon: The Mother of All Cities', to hear all about this ancient superpower.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson.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/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1832. Templar's Tunnels, HMS Victory and Troy: History's Best Historical Sites with Dan Jones

    32:38||Ep. 1832
    The two great Dans of history - Dan Snow and Dan Jones - team up to explore the stories behind some of the world's best historical sites. Dan Jones explains the mysteries of the Templars' Tunnels in the Old City of Acre and Dan Snow tells the story of Nelson's last moments on HMS Victory (now in Portsmouth's historic dockyard). They explore the myths and reality of Harselik - believed to be the site of Troy- as well as Easter Island and Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed.If you want more of Dan Jones, you can check out his podcast This Is History. They are giving History Hit listeners 90% off their first month on Patreon. Consider it This Is History’s royal court with bonus episodes, BTS, ALL ad-free. Claim your place just in time for their new season, The Tudors, launching on September 22. Use code: DAN at checkout! https://www.patreon.com/c/Thisishistory/membershipDan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1831. The Malayan Emergency: Britain's Vietnam War?

    59:00||Ep. 1831
    Deep in the jungles of Malaya, Britain fought a war that few people remember - but which became a blueprint for modern counterinsurgency. In this episode, we uncover the story of the Malayan Emergency, from the rise of the communist insurgency to Britain’s determined campaign to defeat it. At the request of listener Tim Crowe, Dan explores jungle warfare, intelligence, and the controversial resettlement of hundreds of thousands of civilians. How did Britain win the war, and what did that victory really cost?For this, we're joined by Carl Hack, author of 'The Malayan Emergency: Revolution and Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire'.Our loyal subscribers can contact us with their ideas and suggestions at the exclusive email: dshh.suggestions@historyhit.com.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/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is also available on YouTube. Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastDan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1830. The Brutal History of The First Warplanes

    50:55||Ep. 1830
    Flying aces, flaming wreckage and deadly dogfights in the skies defined the First World War’s brutal air war. From fragile reconnaissance planes to lethal fighter aircraft, aerial warfare evolved at astonishing speed. Today we hear the stories of legendary aces like the Red Baron, the tactics that transformed air combat, and the brutal reality faced by the young men who fought and died in the world's first aerial war.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.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/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.
  • 1829. Medieval Krakow

    01:02:45||Ep. 1829
    In the Middle Ages, Krakow was one of Central Europe’s greatest cities: a thriving crossroads of kings, merchants and legends, crowned by a royal castle and haunted by tales of dragons. But in 1241, catastrophe arrived. Mongol armies swept in from the east, devastating the region and reducing Krakow to ashes. Yet from the ruins, the city would rise again, stronger and grander than before. Join Dan on a journey to uncover Krakow’s extraordinary medieval story - exploring its castles, streets and legends to discover how invasion, destruction and remarkable resilience forged one of Europe’s most magnificent cities.If you'd like to visit any of the locations in this episode, you can visit https://visitmalopolska.pl/en_GB for more informationThe Wieliczka Salt Mine at https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/The Rynek Underground Museum: https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/en/branches/rynek-undergroundFor more information about visiting Wawel Castle, search https://wawel.krakow.pl/enThis episode was made in association with the Polish National Tourist Office, with huge thanks to Mirosław Bartyzel, Dorota Wojciechowska and the Malopolska Tourism Organisation.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.