Entirely Unofficial Rest is History Catalogue and Interrogator

Mythic & Legendary

32 Episodes 11 Series 111 Figures 12 Events 132 Books 1 Authors

The Mythic & Legendary era treats stories from the mythic past through classical antiquity and medieval legend, examining origins, transmission, and cultural afterlives. Content includes a multi-episode Atlantis series situating the myth in Plato’s dialogues and later geopolitics; a October–November 2025 bonus interview series with Mary Beard on figures like Julius Caesar, Alexander and Spartacus; multi-episode Greek myths and Helen of Troy series exploring Zeus, the Theogony, Homeric traditions, Schliemann’s archaeology and Helen’s portrayals; and a playful World Cup of Gods tournament of defunct deities. Episodes cover Troy, Robin Hood, ancient monsters, Roman conspiracies and Q&A material. Discussed figures and events include Gawain, Rama, Clytemnestra, King David, the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Founding of Carthage (814 BC), Cleisthenes’ reforms, the Resurrection of Jesus, Philistine capture of the Ark, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Battle of Badon. Recommended texts referenced include Plato’s Critias, T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus, Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda and Andersen’s The Nightingale.

Timeline Subway

Episodes Series Figures Events Books Authors

Episodes by year

Showing 12 of 32

2025

3 episodes

Greek Myths: Sex, Drugs & Tragedy (Part 3)

Greek Myths · Part 3

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Euripides' The Bacchae and the strange, violent cult of Dionysus. They open w…

Greek Myths: Jason & The Quest for the Golden Fleece (Part 4)

Greek Myths · Part 4

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss the myth of Jason and the Argonauts and its literary afterlife, especially Ap…

RIHC: Greek Gods, The Trojan War, and The Odyssey

Tom Holland interviews Daniel Mendelson about Mendelson's new translation of The Odyssey and the poem's historical reso…

2024

5 episodes

Dragons

This episode traces the cultural and literary history of dragons from ancient myth to modern popular culture. Tom Holla…

RIHC: Ancient Monsters, Roman Conspiracies, and D-Day Gaffs

This bonus episode of The Rest Is History features hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook in an informal, wide-ranging…

Helen of Troy: Queen of the Greek Myths (Part 1)

Helen of Troy · Part 1

This episode of The Rest Is History is a deep-dive into Helen of Troy: her mythic origins, portrayals across ancient Gr…

Helen of Troy: A Family of Blood (Part 2)

Helen of Troy · Part 2

In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Heinrich Schliemann’s archaeology and the relationship betwee…

RIHC: The Worst Disasters in History (Livestream)

Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore a range of historical disasters — some emblematic, others shocking in t…

2023

3 episodes

RIHC: English Mythology, Historical Heatwaves, and Woke Informers

This bonus episode is a loose, conversational Q&A in which Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss podcast scheduling…

The Mystery of the Holy Grail (Ep 2)

Indiana Jones double bill

Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the origins, meanings and later receptions of the Holy Grail legend. Tr…

Atlantis: Legacy of the Lost Empire (Ep 2)

Atlantis · Part 2

Hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook continue a multi-part exploration of the Atlantis myth, tracing its origins in …

2022

1 episode

Tunisia: Dido of Carthage

Great World Cup Saga · Part 8

In this episode Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook focus on Dido (Elissa), the legendary founder-queen of Carthage, usin…

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Series in this era

11 series

Greek Myths

4 episodes Aired: 2025-09-21

King Arthur

4 episodes Aired: 2026-10-11

World Cup of Gods

3 episodes Aired: 2021-11-27

Helen of Troy

2 episodes Aired: 2024-06-02

The Odyssey

2 episodes Aired: 2026-07-12

12 (or 13) Days of Christmas

1 episode Aired: 2021-12-25

Atlantis

1 episode Aired: 2023-03-20

Bonus Interviews with Mary Beard

1 episode Aired: 2025-10-09

Dawn of the Samurai

1 episode Aired: 2026-04-05

Great World Cup Saga

1 episode Aired: 2022-11-24

Historical figures

111 tagged

Athena

11 episodes

Zeus

11 episodes

Homer

9 episodes

Achilles

8 episodes

Odysseus

8 episodes

Agamemnon (King of Mycenae)

7 episodes

Helen of Troy

7 episodes

Apollo

6 episodes

Hera

6 episodes

Poseidon

6 episodes

Historical events

12 tagged

Trojan War

12 episodes

Capture of Thebes by the Sons of the Seven (mythic)

1 episode

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (biblical)

1 episode

Doggerland submergence (c. 8200 years ago, North Sea)

1 episode

Exodus (biblical Israelite departure from Egypt)

1 episode

Fall of Troy (Sack of Troy / Trojan Horse)

1 episode

Founding of Carthage (c.814 BC)

1 episode

Founding of Thebes by Cadmus (mythic)

1 episode

Garden of Eden

1 episode

Ragnarök

1 episode

Books

132 tagged

The Odyssey

Author: Homer

11 episodes

The Iliad

Author: Homer

8 episodes

History of the Kings of Britain

Author: Geoffrey of Monmouth

4 episodes

Le Morte d'Arthur

Author: Thomas Malory

4 episodes

The Aeneid

Author: Virgil

3 episodes

Theogony

Author: Hesiod

3 episodes

Annales Cambriae

Author: Unknown

2 episodes

Historia Brittonum

Author: Nennius (traditionally attributed)

2 episodes

Ilium

Author: Dan Simmons

2 episodes

Oedipus (Oedipus Rex)

Author: Sophocles

2 episodes

Authors

1 tagged

Homer

10 episodes