CORTES THE FALL AZTEC EMPIRE ANCIENT HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA FOLLOW US MEMBERSHIP INDEX TIMELINE EXPLORE IMAGES TOOLS ANCIENT ATLAS WEIGHTS RANDOM PAGE LATIN DICTIONARY CONTENT STYLE GUIDE TERMS CONDITIONS JOIN THE TEAM TRAVEL CULTURE PHOTOS EXHIBITIONS INTERVIEWS EDUCATION ABOUT ABOUT EDITORIAL TEAM CONTACT PRIVACY ADVERTISEMENTS SUPPORT HOW TO HELP DONATE BOOKSHOP SHOP LOGIN REGISTER ARTICLE MARK CARTWRIGHT PUBLISHED FLOURISHED YOUNG NATION REACH GAINING FABULOUS QUICKLY THE STRANGE VISITORS HERNAN CORTS SPANIARDS FORMIDABLE FIREARMS THIRST TREASURE DESTRUCTION CONQUISTADORES IMMEDIATELY LOCAL ALLIES EAGER TOPPLE BRUTAL AZTEC REGIME FREE THEMSELVES THE BURDEN TRIBUTE NECESSITY FEEDING THE INSATIABLE APPETITE SACRIFICIAL FELL LARGEST EVER EMPIRE NORTH CENTRAL EMPIRES IN THE VALLEY MEXICO DOMINANT TEXCOCO CAPITAL AZCAPOTZALCO TEPENEC FACE TO FACE TEPANEC ALLIANCE TENOCHTITLAN SMALLER TRIPLE ALLIANCE REBEL TLACOPAN CAMPAIGN TERRITORIAL EXPANSION THE SPOILS OF WAR TRIBUTES THESE THREE OVER TIME DOMINATE LEADER SUPREME RULER HUEY TLATOQUE ITSELF THE CAPITAL REMOVE ADVERTISEMENT THE EMPIRE EXPAND MILITARY CONSCRIPTION ADULT ALLIED ELITE THE EAGLE JAGUAR WARRIORS ASIDE BATTLES CONCENTRATED IN OR MAJOR THE VICTORS CLAIMED THE WHOLE REGULAR EXTRACTED CAPTIVES TAKEN RITUAL COVER NORTHERN MEXICO AREA SQUARE KILOMETRES POPULATION CHRONICLER DIEGO DURAN THE AZTECS WIDE KEPT THE APPOINTMENT OFFICIALS INVITATIONS TO CEREMONIES BUILDING MONUMENTS ARTWORKS PROMOTED IMPERIAL IMPOSITION AZTEC RELIGION WORSHIP HUITZILOPOCHTLI THREAT HOMOGENOUS MATURE INTEREST INTEGRATED WHILST EXTREMITIES BUFFER ZONES HOSTILE TLAXCALA NEIGHBOURING POWER CONSTANT THORN TARASCAN CIVILIZATION TLAXCALANS PROVE VITAL PLUNDER CONQUER VAST FIGHTING RULE OVERLORD RUMOURS HEARTLANDS OMENS CRISIS SIGHTINGS THE COAST FANTASTIC FLOATING THE VISITORS OLD WORLD FINALLY SPANISH GOVERNOR OF DIEGO VELASQUEZ ALREADY SENT EXPEDITIONS THE MAINLAND COAST AMERICA REPORTED STRANGE STONE BRIGHTLY NATIVES WHOM FINE GOLD IRONICALLY GROUP ACTUALLY KING MOTECUHZOMA II MYSTERIOUS BEARDED LACK COMMON LANGUAGE CUBA UNAWARE MISSED OPPORTUNITY CIVILIZATION BEYOND VELASQUEZ ENOUGH THE GOLD THE GOVERNOR ORGANISED EXPEDITION CHOSE FLEET SHIPS SOLDIERS ADVENTURERS NATIVE LAW LEAVE SPAIN LUCK CARIBBEAN RUNNING CONQUEST READY STAB FAME AND GLORY CORTS DEEPLY RELIGIOUS MAN THE SPIRIT OF FOR HIM EXTRA MOTIVATION OPEN LANDING TABASCO POTONCHAN HOSTILITIES THE EUROPEANS SUPERIOR WEAPONS GIFT RECONCILIATION PRESENTED SLAVE CERTAIN MALINTZIN MARINA MALINCHE ASSET SPOKE THE LOCAL MAYAN LANGUAGE NAHUATL LANGUAGE THE WAY PARLEY THE INVADERS DON MARTIN SAIL THE TOWN CEMPOALA TAX COLLECTORS THE KINGS WORD SOON REACHED FORCE VIOLENT MEN FACING THE ENEMY MONTEZUMA CONSULTING COUNCIL STRATEGY GIFTS MASSIVE GOLD DISK REPRESENTING SILVER THE LAND FOR ALL RETURN TREASURES SO FAR ACQUIRED LETTERS ROYAL CHARLES V OF SPAIN GARRISON VERACRUZ BURNED REMIND MONTHS WAS TO IN AUGUST THE WESTERN SHORE LAKE TEXCOCO BOASTED INHABITANTS HUGE TRADING GOODS FLOWING FOODSTUFFS ENTER SPLENDOUR MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE ITS WONDERFUL ARTIFICIAL LAKES MEET TAKING THE POSITION TLATOANI MEANING SPEAKER RULED ABSOLUTE MONARCH GOD HIS PEOPLE RELATIONS FRIENDLY NECKLACE GOLDEN VENETIAN GLASS GOLD THREAD THE HISTORY OF CONFLICT ABOUT TO UNFOLD CHRONICLERS IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT SEEM POWERFUL RULER SHOULD CUT FIGURE THE RECORD EVENTS DOWN TO US CERTAINLY TRUE THAT EFFECTIVENESS WEAPONRY CROSSBOWS QUICK RUTHLESS REPRISALS PLOT NOTE THE MORE POLICY APPEASEMENT RATHER ENGAGE OPENING SEEMS REASONABLE EXPLANATION TRADITIONAL REJECTED MODERN BELIEVED RETURNING QUETZALCOATL AZTEC MYTHOLOGY INITIAL THINGS TURNED SOUR WHATEVER TWO SIDES TWO WEEKS HOSTAGE HOUSE ARREST FORCED DECLARE HIMSELF SUBJECT CHARLES CRUCIFIX THE GREAT PYRAMID TEMPLO MAYOR SACRED THE CRISIS FACE NEW FORCE ARREST DISOBEYING ORDERS PEDRO DE ALVARADO TRIED INTERRUPT CEREMONY HUMAN INCIDENT RELIEF PERSUADING PANFILO NARVAEZ BESIEGED AZTEC WARRIOR UNHAPPY PASSIVITY CUITLAHUAC CALM THE HEAD ROCK THINK IN SECRET THE ROYAL WAVES CONTROL GIGANTIC HANDY VANTAGE POINT RAIN DOWN FIERCE BATTLE FIRE BOOTY FLED NIGHT BATTLE 30TH OF JUNE NOCHE TRISTE GATHERING OTUMBA TEN MONTHS LAYING SIEGE ABLE BLOCK CAUSEWAYS THE EDGE FOOD RAVAGED SMALLPOX DISEASE 93 DAYS RESISTANCE REVENGE SLAUGHTERED CHILDREN SHOCKING VETERANS FROM THE ASHES DISASTER ROSE THE COLONY NEW SPAIN GOVERNOR THE REST DISCOVERING HELPED PEOPLES ENEMIES THE MARCH ENLISTED ENTHUSIASTIC COLLAPSE LOCAL COMMUNITIES HEAVY CAPTURE PEOPLE FACTOR PRIMITIVE WARFARE AZTEC WARRIORS WORE COTTON WOODEN REED SHIELD SUPER SHARP OBSIDIAN SPEAR DART BOW AND ARROWS EFFECTIVE POORLY USELESS STEEL CAVALRY WEAPON THE HANDS OFFICERS SPECTACULAR ANIMAL SKIN COSTUMES HEADDRESSES SIGNIFY IN BATTLE PRIME TARGET DISPATCH SHORN UNITS USED TO LOOSE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE ALWAYS BEEN TO VALIANT ALIVE MIGHT BE RITUALLY MOMENTS THE OBJECTIVE AZTEC WARFARE NEVER DESTROY OVERTURN INTENT CENTURIES MILLENNIA APART ARMS TECHNOLOGY BE ONE TARASCAN TZINTZUNTZAN MA