645. The Fall of the Incas: Massacre in the Andes (Part 2)
episodePreviously titled “The Fall of the Incas: Massacre in the Andes (Part 2)” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 2, 2026
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What led to the Spanish conquistadors' arrival in the Incan Empire?
Hello, everybody. Now, we promised that we would be back with more news about the thrilling Rest is History Festival. And we can now reveal some more of the massive names who will be joining us at Hampton Court Palace on the 4th and 5th of July this year. One of them. is the brilliant Tracy Borman, who will be joining us to talk about the secrets of the Tudors. And the other, another massive fan favourite is Katja Hoyer, who will be talking about her new work on Weimar, Germany.
So I will be joined by Mary Beard to talk about what else Rome, and I will also be joined by friend of the show, Ali Ansari, to talk about what else Persia.
I will also be joined by massive fan favourite and Irish national treasure, Paul Rouse, who will be joining us to talk about the history of Ireland.
And I will be joined by Helen Castor to talk about, very appropriately, considering that we're at Hampton Court, Elizabeth I. A few names left to announce and you'll be able to find the full lineup on the new Rest Is History website very soon.
But Tom, the one thing that's puzzling me, how will our listeners be able to join us at this new festival?
Well, Dominic, the answer is very simple. They will have to become members of the Rest Is History Club because this festival is exclusive to members of the Rest Is History Club.
If you are a member, you can enter the ballot for two tickets. Now, you might think, I actually don't want to enter the ballot. I'd like guaranteed tickets. And the way to do that is to become an Athelstan, because if you're one of our Athelstan members, then you are guaranteed access to two tickets.
So you are going to receive full details via email. And if you would like any extra information on the festival, on the ballot, on the guests, whatever, then click the link in the episode description.
So for a chance to join us at the inaugural Rest Is History Festival, sign up to the club today at therestishistory.com because believe me, this is something that you won't want to miss.
Have you ever climbed a mountain in full armor? Well, that's what we did. Pizarro going first the whole way up a tiny path into the clouds with drops sheer on both sides into nothing. For hours, we crept forward like blind men, the sweat freezing on our faces, lugging skittery leaking horses and pricked all the time for the ambush that would tip us into death. Each turn of the path, it grew colder. The friendly trees of the forest dropped away, and there were only pines. Then they went too, and there just scrubby little bushes standing up in ice. All round us the rocks began to whine with cold, and always above us or below us, those filthy condor birds hanging on the air with great tasseled wings.
Then night came. We lay down twos and threes together on the path and hugged like lovers for warmth in that burning cold. And most cried. We got up with cold iron for bones and went on. Four days like that, groaning, not speaking, the breath a blade in our lungs. Four days slowly like flies on a wall, limping flies, dying flies up an endless wall of rock. A tiny army lost in the creases of the moon. So that was Old Martin in Peter Schaffer's play, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, which came out in 1964. I'm going to confess, I had no idea really how to play him. I tried out a range of tones and accents and voices. The voice changed from line to line, no? Yeah, it did. Dominic, I'm assuming that all the readings for this series are going to be coming from this play, are they?
No, I don't think they are. No. Oh, because I thought that over the process of the six episodes we're doing, I could, maybe by episode six, I would finalise how Old Martin should actually have spoken. Because his narrative stops too soon. Oh, okay. Yeah, we'll have to find some other readings for the later episodes. Okay, so whatever one thinks of old Martin and how he should be speaking, what he is doing there is describe the point in our story where the Spanish conquistadors are inching their way through the Andes towards their showdown with the Inca emperor Atahualpa.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What led to the Spanish conquistadors' arrival in the Incan Empire?
0:04–11:26
2
How did Pizarro and his men prepare for their encounter with Atahualpa?
11:26–19:24
3
What was Atahualpa's situation during the Spanish arrival?
19:24–28:05
4
What misconceptions did the Incas have about the Spanish and their technology?
28:05–36:28
5
How did the initial meeting between Atahualpa and Pizarro unfold?
36:28–46:10
6
What tactics did Pizarro use to gain the upper hand in the confrontation?
46:10–55:41
7
What was the outcome of the battle at Cajamarca?
55:41–1:05:05
8
How did the events of this encounter shape the future of the Incan Empire?
1:05:05–1:08:24
Speakers
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