Dominic Sandbrook

They're thousands of miles from home.

They're surrounded by 12 million people.

They're absolutely terrified now this gold is going to be taken from them and they're going to be attacked.

They've never fought an Inca army, actually.

They've attacked effectively unarmed Incas in the square.

But that's not the same as a pitched battle where the Incas are attacking them.

I mean, I'd be paranoid in their shoes.

Of course you would.

Of course you would.

So they have another meeting.

Almagro encodes a march into the meeting.

And this time, it's clear that Pizarro is outnumbered.

And the royal officials crucially back Almagro up and say, yeah, Atahualpa must die.

And so Pizarro agrees.

I don't doubt the sources that Pizarro is very reluctant because they're kind of unanimous on this point.

And he says, fine, quote, Atahualpa must die since he had broken the peace and plotted treason in bringing men to kill the Christians.

Now, the Spanish sources disagree on one thing, and actually historians themselves now disagree.

Was there a trial or wasn't there?

Because some said there was, some said there wasn't.

I think it's because the conquistadors are so legalistic.