Download Daily Life in Tenochtitlan

Daily Life in Tenochtitlan
25.1 lntroduction
In Chapter24, you learnedhow the Aztecsbuilt their empire in centralMexico.
Now you will explore what life was like in the Aztecs' capital city of Tenochtitlan.
Imagine that you are anAztec child
living outsideTenochtitlanin the 1400s
c.e. One morning your father,a chili
pepper farmer, takes you to the great
market at Tenochtitlan.Your father finds
the vegetablesection,where he spreads
out his mat and displayshis peppers.
Then he beginsto shoutout prices.
He gladly tradeswith a noblewoman,
exchangingpeppersfor preciouscacao
beans.Later he tradeshis remaining
peppersfor a handmadeclay cooking
pot for your mother.
After all the peppersare gone, your
father takes you on a long stroll around
the city. You see the Great Temple
where priests perform sacrifices and
the ball court where noblesplay a game
called tlachtli. You gaze in wonder at
the beautiful houseswhere noble families live and the splendidpalaceof the
Aztec ruler.After the long walk home,
you hungrily eat a simple mush made of
maize before going to sleep.
This imaginary trip to Tenochtitlan
suggestsmany aspectsof daily life
for Aztecs in the 1400s.In this chapter,
you'll learn more abouthow the people
of Tenochtitlanlived. You'll explore
Aztec class structure, marriage,
family life, food, markets, religious practices, and recreation.
Daily Life in Tenochtitlan 279
25-Z Glass Structure
Aztec society was divided into five main social classes.At the top
of the class structurewere the ruler and his family. Next came a noble
class of governmentofficials, priests, and high-ranking warriors. The
third and largest class was made up of commoners,citizens who were
not of noble rank. Below the commoners were the peasants,who were
neither slavesnor citizens. At the bottom of the class structure were
the slaves.
Each classhad its own privilegesand responsibilities.However,an
Aztec's statuswas not fixed. Commonerscould move up in social class
by performing brave deedsin war or by studying to be priests.And a
noble could fall in rank if he failed to live up to his responsibilities.
Let's look at the role of each class, beginning with the ruler and his
family.
semidivine morethanhuman
butnotfullya god
hereditary passed
onfrom
parent
to child;
inherited
The Ruler The Aztec ruler, or emperor, was consideredsemidivine. Called tlatoani, or "he who speaks,"the emperormaintained
the empire and decided when to wage war.
The position of ruler was not hereditary, as it was in many other
societies.When an emperor died, his son did not automatically become
ruler. Instead, a group of advisors chose the new ruler from the emperor's family. Each new ruler was expectedto acquire new possessionsof
his own. This was an important motive for constant warfare.
Thisarnryork
showspeoplefromvariousclassesof Aztecsociety.
Usethe
information
fromthetextandvisual
cluesin the imageto try to identify
whichgroupin theAztecclass
structure
eachfigurerepresents.
Government Officials, Priests, and Military Leaders
The emperor was supportedby a noble class of governmentofficials,
priests, and military leaders.Officials in Tenochtitlan counseledthe
emperor, worked asjudges, and govemed the city's four districts. Other
nobles throughout the empire ruled cities, collected tribute (payments),
or erectedpublic buildings and roads.
The emperor appointed government officials for life. Noble
statuswas not hereditary,but most
sons of nobles earnedhigh offices
themselves.
Priests conducted all religious
rites and servedindividual gods.
Some priests ran the schools that
trained boys for governmentjobs
and the priesthood. Other priests
studied the skies and made predictions about the future. Generally
only nobles becamepriests, but
sometimesan Aztec from lower
classesrose this high. Girls could
becomepriestesses.
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Commonerscould also rise to becomemilitary leaders.All Aztec
men were trainedto be soldiers,and a common soldiercould become
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Y J'.
a leaderby capturingenemiesin battle.Military leaderscommanded
groupsof soldiersand took part in war councils.
Gommoners
The broad classof commonersincludedseveral
smallerclasses.The highest-rankingcommonerswere professional
traderscalledpochteca.The pochtecaled caravansto distantlands
to acquireexotic goods.Some also servedas spiesfor the emperor,
reporting what type of tribute a city could
provide.
Aztecoainters
createdbeautiful
murals
for emperors
andother
high-ranking
Aztecofficials.
The pochtecahad their own god and
lived in a separatesectionof Tenochtitlan.
They paid taxeswith rare goods.They
enjoyedmany privileges.For example,
they could own land and sendtheir
children to the nobles' schools.Unlike
noble status,membershipin this class
was hereditary.
Below the pochtecacame craftspeople
and artisans,like potters,jewelers,and
painters.Someworked in their homesand
tradedtheir goods at the market.Others
worked in the royal palaceand made items
speciallyfor the emperor.
Most commonersworked as farmers,
fishers.laborers.and servants.Insteadof
owning land, they were loanedplots of
land for homesand farms by their calpulli,
or ward. All commonerspaid tribute to
the nobility in the form of crops,labor, or manufacturedgoods.
About 30 percentof the Aztec peoplewere peasants.
Unlike slaves,peoplein this classwere free, but they were considered
Peasants
inferior to commoners.Peasantsdid not belong to a calpulli and were
not loanedland to farm. Instead,they hired out their servicesto nobles.
Slaves At the bottom of Aztec societywere the slaves.Prisoners
of war, lawbreakers,or debtorsmight be forced into slavery.Unlike
slavesin many societies,Aztec slaveshad a numberof rights. They
could own property,goods,and even other slaves.In addition,slaves
did not passtheir statuson to their children,who were born free. In
fact, the mother of the emperorItzcoatl was a slave.Many slaves
gainedtheir own freedomafter working off a debt, upon completing
ward a neighborhood
thatis a
political
unitwithina city
their term of punishmentfor a crime, or when their mastersdied.
Now let's look at what daily life was like for the Aztecs of
Tenochtitlan,beginningwith marriagecustoms.We'll focus mostly
on the majority of Aztecs,the commoners.
Daily Life in Tenochtitlan
281
25.3 Marriage
dowry a giftof moneyor goods
to a manor a woman
oresented
uponmarriage
polygamy marriage
in whicha
manor a womanhasmorethan
onesDouse
Marriage and family life were important to Aztecs of all social
classes.Marriagemarkedan Aztec child's entry into adulthood.Most
men marriedaroundthe age of 20, while young women tendedto
t
{alt-
marry around16.
Marriageswere arrangedby the families of the bride and groom.
The young man'sfamily chosethe bride.They then engagedthe services of a matchmaker,an older woman who approachedthe bride's
ri.
family. It was customaryfor the bride's family to refuseat first. The
matchmakerthen returneda few days later.This time the bride's family
usuallyacceptedthe union and setthe dowry.
Even amongcommoners,an Aztec wedding was as elaborateas
the familiescould afford.The festivitiesbeganat the bride'shouse.
Relatives,friends,the groom'steachers,and the importantpeopleof
S' .}l
the calpulli enjoyeda banquetwith the bride and gaveher presents.
ThispagefromtheCodex
Mendoza
showsa youngcouple's
marriage
That evening,the guestsmarchedto the groom's home for the wedding ceremony.An old woman, usually the matchmaker,carried the
bride on her back. To symbolizethe bond of marriage,during the ceremony the matchmakertied the groom'scloak to the bride'sblouse.
After the ceremony,the young couple retiredto the bridal chamber
festivities.
Canyouidentify
thebride,
to pray for four days, while their guestscelebrated.On the fifth day,
thegroom,
andthematchmaker?
the couple emergedand attended
anothergrand banquet.Then they
rl r
settleddown on a pieceof land in
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L ," .
ltuVn
t'
the groom'scalpulli.
The Aztecs permittedmen to
practicepolygamy, or to marry
more than one wife. An Aztec man
could take as many wives as he
could afford. However,only one
of the wives was consideredthe
"primary" wife, and only marriage
7
to the primary wife was celebrated
with specialrites and ceremonies.
r
If a marriagewas unhappy,either
spousecould ask for a divorce.A
man could divorcehis wife if she
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neglectedher dutiesat home,had
a poor temper,or did not bear chilc.!hS-
dren.A woman could divorceher
husbandif he beat her. deserted
wn*9t
.l ^ It
l[ 1-<e*n
;,i .^ ,'cJf
,(^^f,
to**
282 Chapter25
t*1
her, or failed to supporther and her
children.Aztec societyencouraged
divorcedwomen to remarry.
tl
+
25.4 Family Life
Men had higherstatusthan
women in Aztec society,and within
tJ
the family the fatherwas the master
of the house.Aztec women.however, had their own rightsand responsibilities.Married womancould own
propertyand sell goods.Someolder
\i
,*#,
rrl ro
!.r.r
{
women alsopracticeda profession.
suchas matchmakingor midwif'ery.
Arnongcommoners,the skills of
both men and women were necessary to carefor the householdand
ry
the family. Men built the houseand
worked as farmersor at a crafi.
Womenfixed meals.tendedthe
garden,and lookedatier livestock.
Ir
Many Aztec wollen wove beautiful
clothesof many colors.Sornemade
cloaksin patternsof sun designsor
with imagesof shells,fish,cacti.
snakes.or butterflies.Womentraded
thesecloakstbr othergoodsat the
market.
4t.
One of a wonrans mtlslinrprlrtantjobs was to bearand carefirr
children.The Aztecsbelievedthat
the purposeof marriagewas to bring
childreninto the world, so they honoreda woman'srole in sivins birth
as rnuchas theydid a man'srole in fightingwars.
tl
Q'
age.All chilAztecparentsbegantrainingtheirchildrenat a yoLln-s
drenof commoners
helpedout aroundthc house.Little boysf'etched
waterand wood. while older boys learnedhow to flsh and handlea
canoe.Eventuallyboys acconrpanied
their fathersto work or to the
Parents
taughttheirsonsanddaughsuchasfishing,
tersimportant
skills,
weaving,
andcooking.
canoeing,
market.Girls' taskscenteredon runninga homeand includedcleaning
maize.When they were aboutsevenyearsold.
houseand
-erinding
-rirls
learningto weavefrom their mothers.
be-qan
In additionto working,all boys attendedschool.Commonersprobably startedschoolaroundthe a-ueof six. bLrtthey only attendedparttime. At the telpoc'ltculli,
or "houseof youth," boys rnostlytrainedto be
instead.Therethey
soldiers.The sonsof nobleswent to the L'ultrrccuc
learnedthe skills of being pliests.governmentofflcials.or tnilitary
ti
cornmanders.
Dailv Lil'c in Tenochtitlan 2U3
25.5 Food
The Aztecs of Tenochtitlan ate both homegrown foods and foods
that were imported from distant places.The mainstay of the Aztec diet,
however, was maize. The Aztecs found maize so useful becauseit could
be dried and then stored for a lons time. Women boiled and skinned
maize kernels and ground them into
flour. Then they baked fresh tortillas
for each meal on clay griddles. They
also made tamalesby wrapping muze
in husksand steamingit.
The daily routine of Aztec commoners shows the importance of
'maize. After working for several
hours, commoners ate a simple meal
in the late moming. The meal usually
consistedof a maize porridge called
atole.The porridge was often seasonedwith peppersor sweetenedwith
honey.At midday, commoners ate
their main meal of tortillas, maize
cakes.boiled beans.or tamales.
Pepperor tomato saucesometimes
spicedup thesedishes.Most families
had only two meals.But somepeople
ate a thin porridge, usually made of
maize,just before going to bed.
Aztec commoners had occasional
variety in their meals. To provide
meat for specialoccasions,families
might raise a few turkeys or a hairless
breed of dog. Or they might hunt wild
game,such as rabbits and pigeons.
Thepreparation
of tortillasand
otherfoodswasa dailytaskfor
Aztecwomen.
Aztec farmers also grew such
crops as red peppers,tomatoes,sage,
green
potatoes,
and avocados.When crops were
squash,
beans,sweet
bad, the Aztecs turned to other sourcesof food. They caughtwater
creatures,such as frogs and shrimp, and collectedinsecteggs.They
even skimmed algae, a type of plant, off the surface of the lake and
formed it into small cakes.
The wealthy ate quite a different diet, both on a daily basis and at
the feaststhey attended.They prized delicacieslike winged ants and a
lizardlike creaturecalled an axolotl. The upper classesalso ate exotic
imported foods. They enjoyed cocoa with their morning meal and
pineapples,oysters,and crabsat their banquets.
284 Chapter25
t$
sli
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25.6
MafketS
Markets were an important part of the Aztec economy.Each city in
the empire had its own market,usually locatedin the squarein front of
the town's temple.Large towns held marketsevery day, while small
villages held them about every five days.Sometowns had their own
specialties.The peopleof Tenochtitlanmight travel to nearbyTexcoco
*
People
bartered,
or traded,
in the
marketplace
for thethingsthey
needed'
for fine cloth and to farawayAcolman to buy dogs for meat.
At Tlatelolco,the bustling market in Tenochtitlan,peoplebought
and sold everythingfrom food and utensilsto warrior costumes,quetzal
feathers,and slaves.Insteadof using money,Aztecs useda bartersystem, trading one kind of good for another.Someexpensivegoodshad
an agreed-uponvalue. For instance,a warrior's costumeand shield
were worth about 60 cotton cloaks.
Many individualsbrought their waresto market.Farmersbrought
extra crops they had grown, while craftspeoplebroughthandmade
goods.The pochtecahad a specialplace in the markets,sincethey
brought exotic goodsfrom farawayplaces.They suppliedfine green
jade and quetzalfeathers.They also providedraw materialsthat were
unavailablearoundTenochtitlan.For example,they sold metalslike
gold and silver, as well as tortoiseshellsfor making spoons.
Guardswatchedover the market to make sure sellersactedhonestly.
When a problem arose-for example,a personaccusinga sellerof
cheating-the guards took the parties to a court located at one end of
the market. There threejudges sat, waiting to hear the story and render
their verdict.
The market also had a socialpurpose.Peoplecamethereto meet
friends, gossip,and hear the news of the day. Somepeoplesimply
t
enjoyedstrolling up and down the aisles,buying snacksand seeing
all the wonderful thinss the sellers had to offer.
Daily Life in Tenochtitlan
285
25.7 Religious Practices
Religionwas centralto Aztec lif'eand society.The Aztecsbelieved
that humansneededthe godsto survive.It was the godswho granteda
1
good harvestor, if they weredispleased.
sentearthquakes
and floods.
it was importantto pleasethe godsthroughelaborate
Consequently,
ritualsand ceremonies.
Priestspresentedthe godswith flowers,ears
of maize,clothing,or imagesmadeof wood, while the peoplesang
and danced.
.t,t
The Aztecsadoptedsomeof their godsfiom otherMesoamerican
groups.For example,Tlaloc,the rain god, was an ancientMesoamericangod. Quetzalcoatl("featheredserpent")had beenworshiped
by the Teotihuacans.
But theAztecs'own chief
god was Huitzilopochtli,the sun god and the
god of war. In fact, the Aztecscalledthemselvesthe "peopleof the sun."
i,
The Aztecssaw the sun as a warrior who
fbught eachnight againstthe forcesof darkness.
In Aztec belief,the survivalof the universe
dependedupon the sun winning thesebattles.
And the way to keepthe sun strongwas to
offer hirn nourishmentin the form of bloodFor this reason.mostAztec ritualsincluded
someforrn of blood sacrifice.Every morning
Aztec priestssacriflcedhundredsof birds to
Huitzilopochtli.Priestsalsopiercedtheir skin
with cactusspikesto offer their own blood.
*
The richestfbrm of sacrifice,however,was
that of humans.The Aztecsparticularlyvalued
the sacriflceof wariors capturedin battle,
becausethey believedthat the blood of strong
warriorswas especiallynourishing.Scholars
think the Aztecsalsousedhumansacrificeto
fiighten othercitiesinto acceptingtheir rule.
In Tenochtitlan,up to severalthousandpeople may havegoneto sacrificialdeathseach
year.Four priestspinnedthe victim to the stone
in fiont of Huitzilopochtli'stemple,while
Thisillustration
fromthe1500s
shows anothercut out the living heart.Somevictimsmay havedied willingly
Aztecs
making
a humansacrifice
to
in the beliefthatthey wouldaccompany
the sungod in his daily battle
thesungod.
acrossthe sky.
The Aztecsalsomadesacrificesto othergods.They threw the sacrificial victims of the fire god into a greatblaze.To honor the goddessof
corn,they cut off women'sheads.Overall,the Aztecspracticedhuman
group.
sacrificeon a much largerscalethan any otherMesoamerican
286 Chapter25
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f; *
25.8 Recreation
While work, warfare,and rituals were
all importantto the Aztecs.they alsohad
*. 1
sometime for recreation.They enjoyed
music and dancing,and noblesliked to
go on hunts.
waspatolli, a
Anotherentertainment
gameplayedon a cross-shaped
board
\
divided into 52 squares.The boardsymbolizedthe 260-daycalendar,which the
Aztecssharedwith the Maya and other
peoples.Five times
Mesoamerican
aroundthe boardequaled260 days.To
move aroundthe board,playersthrew
a
severalwhite beansmarkedwith holes.
The holes told them how many spacesto
movethe coloredstonesthatservedas gamepieces.The first person
aroundthe boardfive timeswasthe winner.
playedpatolli,but it's likely thatonly membersof
All socialclasses
the nobility playedthe ball gametluchtl/.Similarto Mayan ball games,
tlachtli was playedon a long, naffow court shapedlike the letterI and
suroundedby high walls.A small ring proiectedover the court from
&r
gameamong
Patolli
wasa popular
AztecsandotherMesoamerican
neoples.Whitebeansmarked
withholes
werethrownlikemoderndiceto tell
playershowmanyspacestheycould
move0nthe cross-shaped
board.
eachsidewall. Two teamsfacedeachotheracrossa line that ran
betweenthe rings.The objectof the gamewas to get a rubberball
throughthe ring on the other'steam sideof the court.Playerscould
r)
not touchthe ball with their handsor feet.so they threw themselves
on the groundto hit the ball with their elbows,knees,and hips.
gatheredto watcheachgame.They often
Hundredsof spectators
riskedclothes,f'eathers,
and gold by bettingon which teamwould win.
Somepeoplelost all their wealthin suchbetsand had to sell themselvesinto slavery.
Tlachtli had religiousmeaningas well. The Aztecsbelievedthat the
tlachtlicourt represented
the world and the ball represented
a heavenly
body.Becauseof thesereligiousties.theAztecsbuilt their tlachtlicourts
nearthe most importanttemples,like the GreatTemplein Tenochtitlan.
25.9 Chapter $ummary
ti
In this chapter,you learnedabout daily life in the Aztecs'capital
city of Tenochtitlan. You read about the structureof Aztec society and
the customs governing marriage and family life. You discoveredwhat
the Aztecs ate, how they traded goods in their markets, and how they
worshipedand played.In the next chapter,you will travel to South
America to learn about another people who built an empire in the
Americas:the Incas.
Daily Life in Tenochtitlan 287
I