Plato

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Quoted directly regarding Plato's view that when studying astronomy, one should 'approach it as we approach geometry by way of working out problems and ignore what's in the sky' - used to illustrate how Greeks prioritized theory over experiment.

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Referenced near the end of the episode when Tom Holland discusses how Plato's concept of philosopher kings from the Republic connects to Graham Hancock's thesis about wise survivors spreading civilization. Holland argues that Hancock's idea of 'nautical philosopher kings' scattering the seeds of civilization is actually quite Platonic in spirit.

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Explicitly mentioned as 'the most famous text that Plato writes about this question is called The Republic' - discussed as Plato's work on ideal forms of government

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The episode opens with a reading from Plato's Timaeus describing the destruction of Atlantis. The hosts discuss it as the absolute primary and only ancient source for the Atlantis myth, with Tom Holland arguing that Plato used Atlantis as a political metaphor reflecting on Athens' position after the Peloponnesian War rather than as a literal geographical account.

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Discussed as one of 'two other dialogues' by Plato where the story of Atlantis is told - the dialogue features Socrates and others including Critias discussing the ideal state

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While not explicitly named as a separate work, the character Critias from Plato's dialogue is discussed as the figure who tells the Atlantis story and has to explain how he alone knows about it when nobody else has heard of it. The Critias dialogue is the companion piece to the Timaeus containing Plato's extended description of Atlantis.

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Discussed as the second dialogue by Plato about Atlantis - 'we then move on to the second dialogue which is actually called Critias where we get back to it'

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Explicitly described as 'a book called The Laws' by Plato, noted as being 'a very kind of, compared to his other works, kind of very arid' and 'essentially what it says on the tin. It's a list of laws'

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Referenced in the discussion of Aspasia and Socrates - described as 'Pericles great kind of dialogue in which Socrates gives his great theory of love' where Socrates credits a woman named Diatima for his philosophy of love.

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Referenced as 'one of Plato's dialogues' containing 'a famous passage' about the Egyptian god Thoth presenting the invention of writing to the Pharaoh, who was 'absolutely appalled' - used to illustrate historical resistance to new technology