Islamic Spain

The Classical Age of Ancient Greece

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 [https://www.instagram.com/expresshistorypodcast/]), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.

Islamic Spain

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 [https://www.instagram.com/expresshistorypodcast/]), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.

The European Age of Exploration

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 [https://www.instagram.com/expresshistorypodcast/]), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.

The Republic of Venice

In today's episode, we're going to be talking about the Republic of Venice. My main historical passion is cross-cultural interactions in the Mediterranean, and few cities have been as prominent as Venice on this front, so I'm really excited for this one. If you enjoy the episode, feel free to follow and rate the podcast! Key Dates: 697 - Supposed election of the first Doge of Venice 1082 - The Republic obtains important trading privileges in Byzantine ports 1204 - Fourth Crusade, Venice makes major territorial gains in the Eastern Mediterranean 1403 - The Venetians decisively defeat their rivals the Genoese 1669 - Crete, the jewel in the Venetian Empire, is lost to the Ottomans 1797 - The Republic is dissolved by Napoleon Bonaparte If you want to dig deeper, my favourite book on the topic is 'Venice: The Hinge of Europe, 1081-1797 ' by William H. McNeill. As always, I would also love to hear any feedback: find me on instagram (@expresshistorypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/expresshistorypodcast/]), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.

The Conflict in Cyprus

For the first episode of The Express History Podcast, we're going to be talking about the active conflict in Cyprus. This is a special one for me: Cyprus is one of my favourite places in the world, and the conflict which still affects the island is vastly under-publicised. If you enjoy the episode, feel free to follow and rate the podcast! Key Dates: 1571 - Cyprus becomes an Ottoman province 1878 - The British Empire takes over the administration of Cyprus 1960 - Cyprus becomes an independent nation 1967 - Military dictatorship of Georgios Papadopoulos installed in Athens 1974 - Turkey invades Cyprus and partitions the island 1983 - Proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 2004 - The Republic of Cyprus joins the European Union If you want to dig deeper, my favourite book on the topic is 'Hostage to History: Cyprus from the Ottomans to Kissinger' by Christopher Hitchens. As always, I would also love to hear any feedback: find me on instagram (@expresshistorypodcast [https://www.instagram.com/expresshistorypodcast/]), or write to me at tomaso.cetto@icloud.com.