After the Greek city-states united to defeat the mighty Persian Empire, peace didn’t last long. Athens rose to power through the Delian League, transforming an alliance for defense into an empire of tribute, ships, and wealth. Sparta watched with growing resentment — and before long, the two greatest powers in Greece were on a collision course.

In this Have To Know History – Story Time episode, I trace how Greek victory over Persia led to the bitter rivalry that tore Greece apart in the Peloponnesian War.

🏛️ What you’ll hear in this story:

• How the Persian invasions united Greece at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis

• How Athens turned the Delian League into an empire

• Why Sparta could no longer ignore Athenian dominance

• How jealousy, pride, and ambition led to the greatest Greek civil war in history

🎙️ This is Have To Know History – Story Time, where I bring ancient events to life through dramatic storytelling and classroom energy.

Thanks for listening — and remember, not all empires fall from enemies abroad… some crumble from within.

It’s one of the most famous last stands in history — 300 Spartans, a narrow mountain pass, and the might of the Persian Empire.

In this Have To Know History – Story Time episode, I retell the legendary Battle of Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and his small Greek force held the line against Xerxes’ massive invading army.

But beyond the legend lies a deeper story — strategy, sacrifice, and how this desperate stand bought precious time for Greece to rally and change the course of history.

🏛️ What you’ll hear in this story:

• The Persian invasion and Xerxes’ march through Greece

• How geography turned Thermopylae into the perfect choke point

• The bravery and sacrifice of Leonidas and his men

• The traitor who revealed the hidden pass and sealed their fate

🎙️ This is Have To Know History – Story Time, where I bring ancient events to life through dramatic storytelling and classroom energy.

Thanks for listening — and remember, sometimes the smallest stand can change the world.

Croesus of Lydia was the richest king in the ancient world — his wealth legendary, his confidence unshakable. But when he sought advice from the Oracle of Delphi before going to war with Persia, a single prophecy changed everything.

In this Have To Know History Story Time episode, Jason Freewalt tells the dramatic rise and fall of Croesus — from golden palaces to fiery ruin:

• The incredible wealth of the Lydian Empire

• The fateful prophecy: “If you cross the river, a great empire will fall”

• How Croesus misread the oracle’s words and doomed his own kingdom

• The conquest of Lydia by Cyrus the Great and the Persian Empire

This is Have To Know History — history you just have to know.

🎧 Like what you hear? Follow the show and let me know if you’d like more Story Time retellings alongside regular episodes!

Helen of Troy — the legendary “face that launched a thousand ships.” For thousands of years, storytellers have claimed her beauty sparked the Trojan War. But was the war really fought over love, or was it about power, trade, and Mycenaean ambition?

In this episode of Have To Know History, Jason Freewalt takes you from myth to archaeology, exploring:

• The golden apple of discord and Aphrodite’s fateful bribe

• The abduction of Helen and the decade-long Greek siege of Troy

• Archaeological evidence at Hisarlik that reveals the real Troy

• The Sea Peoples and the collapse of Bronze Age civilizations

Along the way, we’ll ask: Was Helen truly a person, or a poetic stand-in for Greece itself?

This is Have To Know History—history you just have to know.

BONUS STORY TIME with Mr. Freewalt

This is my own retelling of the Trojan War, inspired by Homer’s Iliad and told in one sitting — 17 minutes of dramatic storytelling that brings to life Achilles, Hector, Patroclus, Agamemnon, and the infamous Trojan Horse.

This isn’t a textbook summary — it’s my version, the way I share it with my students: engaging, fun, and packed with the legendary moments that made this one of history’s greatest epics.

In this STORY TIME you’ll hear:

• The rage of Achilles and his clash with Agamemnon

• The tragedy of Patroclus

• Hector’s stand at the gates of Troy

• The cunning Trojan Horse and the fall of the city

This is a Have To Know History BONUS episode — a full-length storytelling piece recorded while I prepare for my upcoming episode on Helen of Troy: The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships.

🎥 Want to watch this STORY TIME with visuals? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tv4FrjbtLO4

Thanks for listening — I hope you enjoy my version of this timeless story!

🎶 "Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posies..." We’ve all sung it. But what if this innocent-sounding nursery rhyme is actually about one of the deadliest pandemics in human history?

In this episode of Have to Know History, we dig into the Black Death—the devastating plague that wiped out 1 in 3 Europeans in the 14th century—and explore the haunting connection (real or imagined) to the rhyme we all learned as kids. Was it really about plague sores, flowers to fight the smell of death, and mass cremations? Or is that just a spooky story we’ve told ourselves later?

From medieval biological warfare at the siege of Kaffa to eerie plague doctor masks, unfinished cathedrals, and the dance of death in art, this is a gripping look at how one disease reshaped the world.

🎓 This is Have to Know History—history you just have to know.

🦠 Topics include:
– The siege of Kaffa and early germ warfare
– The spread of the plague via Genoese ships
– Cultural effects, from art to labor revolts
– The truth (and myth) behind “Ring Around the Rosie”

🎧 Also available as a video episode on YouTube: youtube.com/@HaveToKnowHistory

Newlyweds jetting off for a week of sun and relaxation—it’s a tradition we call a honeymoon. But why? What do honey and the moon have to do with marriage?

In this episode of Have to Know History, Jason Freewalt explores the surprising origins of the honeymoon. From Viking mead-drinking rituals and medieval marriage customs to Victorian bridal tours and modern beach getaways, this tradition has a sweeter—and stranger—history than you might expect.

Was it really about love and romance? Or did it have more to do with fertility, family politics, and fermented honey?

🎓 This is Have to Know History—where myths, traditions, and ancient mysteries come alive.

Alexander the Great’s Dad Tried to Kill Him? 👑⚔️

Before he was Alexander the Great—the conqueror of Persia and builder of an empire that stretched to the edge of the known world—he was a teenage prince caught in a royal family full of drama. His father, Philip II of Macedonia, was a brilliant warrior and political mastermind. His mother, Olympias, was fiercely ambitious and determined to secure her son’s future.

At one infamous wedding banquet, an awkward toast and a drunken stumble revealed just how divided father and son had become. Not long after, Philip was assassinated. Was it a lone act of revenge—or a conspiracy involving Alexander and his mother?

This episode of Have to Know History uncovers the family intrigue, betrayal, and power struggles that shaped one of history’s greatest conquerors.

A mysterious Egyptian queen wrote to the king of the Hittites with a shocking request:
“Send me one of your sons… so I can marry him.”

Who was this queen? And why would **Tutankhamun’s widow—possibly Queen Ankhesenamun—**reach out to Egypt’s sworn enemy right after his death? What happened to the Hittite prince who answered the call?

This is the tale of the Dahamunzu Affair—an ancient diplomatic scandal that nearly changed the course of history. In this episode, we uncover the clues hidden in Hittite letters, Egyptian artifacts, and the political storm that followed the boy king’s death.

Featuring: Tutankhamun, Ankhesenamun, Ay, Horemheb, and Šuppiluliuma I.

🔍 This is Have to Know History—where the past gets personal, political, and just plain wild.

Subscribe for more ancient mysteries, powerful women in history, and the strange-but-true stories you just have to know.

Henry VIII, Elizabeth I & the Shocking Origins of Virginia - Walter Raleigh, the Lost Colony, and the Queen Who Never Married

Have To Know History - What do six wives, a lost colony, and a queen who never married have to do with the state of Virginia?

This fast-paced 7-minute episode unpacks how one king’s obsession with a male heir reshaped religion, rattled Europe, and led—indirectly—to the naming of Virginia. From Henry VIII’s six wives to Elizabeth I’s iconic reign as the “Virgin Queen,” and the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, this is history with high stakes and royal drama. This is Have to Know History — short, surprising stories from the past that you just have to know. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes full of bold stories, bizarre twists, and unforgettable characters.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 – Why Henry VIII Wanted a Son

01:18 – The Break with the Catholic Church

02:31 – Six Wives in Six Lines

03:05 – Queen Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen

04:20 – Sir Walter Raleigh & Roanoke

05:54 – Virginia: A State Named for a Queen?

#HenryVIII #ElizabethI #SirWalterRaleigh #TudorHistory #RoanokeColony #VirginiaHistory #USHistory #LostColony #ShortHistoryVideo #EducationalYouTube #HaveToKnowHistory #H2KH #HistoryWithPersonality