logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
50m 50s

386. The Fall of the Aztecs: The City of...

Goalhanger
About this episode

“Conquer or die! Conquer or die! Conquer or die!”


Making a decision that will change the course of history, Hernán Cortés chooses to disobey his orders and head inland in search of the gold-rich empire of the mysterious Montezuma. Ahead lie the mountain passes that will lead him down into the Valley of Mexico, a vast lake shimmering at its heart. 


In the middle of the lake lies the island city of Tenochtitlan, a vision of bustling marketplaces and soaring pyramids. But are the Spaniards advancing as conquerors - or are they walking into a trap? And just what is Montezuma planning? 


Join Dominic and Tom to explore perhaps the most astonishing encounter in all human history - not just the meeting of two extraordinary characters, but a collision of cultures that will have dark and bloody consequences …


*Dominic’s book The Fall of the Aztecs is available now from bookshops across the UK - the perfect Christmas present!*


*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:

Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in New Zealand and Australia!

Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com

Twitter: 

@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
The Trojan War, with Mary Beard
Did the Trojan War - the ten year, cosmic clash between the Greeks and the Trojans, featuring the Olympian gods, kings and heroes - actually happen? Is there any evidence for the existence of the Trojan Horse? And, why is it the war the foundational myth of both ancient Greece an ... Show More
10m 7s
Oct 8
607. Nelson’s Lover: The Scandalous Lady Hamilton
Who was Emma Hamilton, Horatio Nelson’s strikingly beautiful, and famously fashionable mistress? How did she raise herself up from dire poverty, to become a model, actress, dancer, and even an international celebrity? And, why was theirs one of the most famous love affairs of all ... Show More
1h 13m
Oct 5
606. Enoch Powell: Rivers of Blood
Who was Enoch Powell, the deeply controversial British conservative politician? Why is he the father of Brexit, and possibly even Reform? And, how did he come to make his inflammatory ‘Rivers of Blood speech’, in 1968? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss Enoch Powell - one of th ... Show More
1h 16m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
The Aztecs
Since the arrival of the Aztecs in central Mexico from the early 1300s, history has been fascinated by them. They’re widely reputed to be a savage people who left behind obsidian knives, skull racks, and disturbing remnants of human sacrifice. But in reality, the Aztecs were far ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2024
Hernán Cortés, a la conquista de México. - Ep.3 (La conquista de América)
“Os haré señores de lo que nuestros paisanos ni siquiera han alcanzado a soñar”. Con frases y promesas tan ambiciosas como esta, un aventurero convertido en capitán general arengó a sus hombres en el cabo San Antonio, la punta más occidental de la isla de Cuba, justo antes de par ... Show More
27m 57s
Mar 2024
2. Machu Picchu: The Rise of the Inca Empire
Part 2/4. At their most powerful, the Inca had the largest empire in the world. Lasting just one century from the mid-15th century, it stretched across the South American continent from the Amazon to the Pacific. The Inca developed ingenious ways to grow food in some of the world ... Show More
39 m
Aug 2021
The Aztec: From Empire to AI
August 1521: Spain’s victory over the Aztec launches colonization of Mexico, but Aztec culture will survive for centuries through preservation and practice. Aztec codices—16th-century Rosetta Stones that preserved Aztec language and deeds—laid a foundation that scholars are build ... Show More
33m 35s
Apr 2023
Alexandria: The Sunken City
The Egyptian city of Alexandria was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. Founded by Alexander the Great himself in 323BC, the metropolis was nurtured by his successors in Egypt, the Ptolemies, and flourished throughout the Late Hellenistic and Roman Impe ... Show More
36m 47s
Jan 2019
E128: “Aztec Assassination” - Emperor Montezuma II
A legendary emperor welcomed a contingent of Spanish soldiers led by an ambitious man named Hernán Cortés into his city. Only months later that emperor would be dead, thus beginning the downfall of one of the world's largest empires. But what exactly happened on the day Montezuma ... Show More
55m 35s
Nov 2022
Alexander the Great: Man and Myth
Alexander the Great is one of the most famous figures from history. Legends and fantastical versions of his life were told almost immediately upon his death, often merging fact with fiction. Through his interaction, both good and bad, with so many different empires and societies, ... Show More
46m 18s
Nov 2022
The Inca's Last Stand (Replay)
November 16, 1532. Atahualpa, the king of the Inca Empire, marches towards the city of Cajamarca in modern-day Peru, surrounded by 80,000 soldiers. Once he arrives, Atahualpa expects the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro to surrender in the town square. But Pizarro has a pla ... Show More
29m 46s
Oct 2021
The Lost Tomb of Alexander the Great
In his lifetime King Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, forged one of the largest empires in ancient history. But it was what happened to Alexander following his demise – his ‘life after death’ - which resulted in one of the great archaeological myster ... Show More
55m 55s