Download the Aztec Empire

The Aztecs
Aztec History
What was ancient Aztec art and culture like? What about the Aztec religion? And the
legendary Aztec sacrifices?
The Aztec Empire was peopled by a group that was once nomadic, the Mexicas. Their
chroniclers told them that after their long journey from Aztlán, they found
themselves to be outcasts, until they found the sign sent to them by their god
Huitzilopochtli, and began to build their city. And so the Mexica peoples continued,
and the Aztec Empire began.
The city of Tenochtitlan was soon to become one of the largest cities in the world.
The power of the Mexica peoples became more consolidated, and they began to
form alliances. Their military power grew as well, and they began to conquer peoples
in the surrounding areas.
Many years after the Mexica people first built their proud city, Tenochtitlan (later to
become Mexico City), they formed an alliance with two other cities - Texcoco
(Tetzcoco) and Tlacopan. This Triple Alliance was to rule the Valley of Mexico until
the Spanish arrived. However, over time one city become the most powerful Tenochtitlan. It would become the heart of the Aztec civilization.
As the empire expanded in 1428, it conquered more cities. Some cities resisted.
Others were conquered and began to pay tribute. At this time it was at its height,
reaching from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, from Central Mexico all the way to
Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
At the height of its power, the Aztec Empire was organized and strong, but ruled with
fear. In 1519, a clash of cultures was to take place, unlike anything before it.
Although there was much tragedy in both the Spanish and Aztec empires before this,
the meeting of the two civilizations was disastrous. In a few short years, the culture
and structure of one of histories greatest empires would have virtually vanished.
Fall of an Empire:
1517: The appearance of a comet, believed to signify impending doom.
 March 4 1519: Landing of Hernan Cortes (Cortez) on the Yucatan Peninsula.
November 8 1519: Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlán. Normally, the Spanish
adventurers would have been captured and sacrificed immediately, because that is
what the Aztecs did to invaders.
But the Spanish were lucky. They were allowed to enter the city, and welcomed as
valued guests, all because of an old legend. This legend told of the god Quetzalcoatl.
The Aztecs believed that the god of night had defeated Quetzalcoatl in a game of
tlachtli. As the winner, the god of night could decide what to do with Quetzalcoatl.
The god of night decided to banish Quetzalcoatl to the East. Quetzalcoatl had no
choice but to leave. He vowed that some day he would return, when the end of the
world was near, to save his people.
The Aztecs were always worried that the end of the world was always near. That's
why they sacrificed so many people. They wanted to keep their gods very happy, so
they could save their people. When the Spanish arrived from the East, the Aztecs
believed that Quetzalcoatl had kept his promise and had returned. They treated the
Spanish as if they were gods.
Big mistake for the Aztecs, to let Europeans into the heart of the city when they
already believed themselves to be superior to the natives!