Warrior 032 - Aztec Warrior AD 1325-1521 (e-book)

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WARRIOR

AZTEC WARRIOR AD 1325-1521

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WEAPONS • ARMOR • TACTICS JOH~

POIIL PhD

.\D:\:\1 HOOK

WARRIOR 32

AZTEC WARRIOR AD 1325-1521

WRITIEN BY

JOHN POHL PhD COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY

ADAM HOOK

tlkiArJ:U MILITARY

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Arti s t ' s Note

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H~r9 'lU;r I..,Jt\1 tunuh: ltmr 'ho OI'IOI~ol pa nt ng' !~'1'1 .-.hk::h tl'e 00101 Qllllft k t'!ir- hrar;k \Y"rll I)'OOOred are l'ol!l!'iiblt for pio.+&le ••• ,.,lll'ti.'I'OCll..,but ~·MI'~O"is.~I)'(N~~M·II~lltn. . Nl

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hv '"''t moors. elt(l1r'OI'IIC,

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Ed itor's Note

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in!OUCEPfitydlfeci.M IJ\

lfll f PJ\Ot: This priest hat eeptvred tour of tne enemr and has boon awarded a v ariant of the H'lll xtK uniform. ThP. $wlrl o f whit e dots on bhiiCk signifies 1 ceiHtial c:onst eJiaUon ovur a ni9ht aj(y. (Author's Illustration from Code.il M endoza)

AZTEC WARRIOR AD 1325-1521 INTRODUCTION A child Is sworn to service

1,\.'1UI:-.·t; I.W Tl w HU J< ~lt rhe m icicile of rhe m1rrow room, llw infam 's father looked on apprehensively as the mid-witC cut the umbilicaJ (:ord and hcg·a u LO n:c.:ilt: Lo lib cxhau~lc:-U wifc:-: ''My Udo\t:d maiden. bl'a\'e woman. you have rentrn ed fi·orn hmtle \~r.torions.'' Thf"n .s he h eld the h:.1by up and pronounced: "Precious liuJe jewel. here you arc come into this \•.:orld. \Var i:; your lask. \~>U ~hall give think, uuuri:;luueut and t(>od to the Sllll ~md to Lhc:- carLh. The;-re;- wit.hin lhe;- bauJefield }'our name will be inscribed." \\ben news of the birth spread throughout th~ neighborhood r.htn. nig h t, rhc child's rdatives · ""fhc.~ <.l<1>· tJf l1i~ birth is marlil.<'l1i rurmh1 li, t~n eagle and i1 is a good ~ign fOr a soldier," declared the soothsayer aftt·r n.:~u.ljug- from t.he book of pi<:togTaphks. "lie will ha\•t stteH~lh and courag·e. lie will SJ>Uf Olhers to valor. J-le will hurl himself against his foes, smash their ranks, ann pm rerror into thdr hcans.''(l) And so from lhe \·cry uig:hL he \...-as Uo1tt. C:t t:u thtli was dcstim:d for a miJit.ml(Xi what was o n<:c a smaJJ viJlag·c of n:fugc..·cs caJkd lc..·nochtitlan into the capital of dte grc:-~ue~ t military en1plte lhat the wt:~lc:t n hemisphere h•d ...vor kno\\1>.

S Much of what we know of the life of a soldier come$ from the remarkable ethnographic studies of the Aztec eiviliz:aUon by Bcrn~rdino de SahagUn, a Franciscan friar who arrived In Mexico a few years after the fall of Tenochtitlan. He wu fascinated by Indian cu.-toms and commis.sionod indigenous arti&t& to paint im.ages of wh81 they re.m«nb9rod of ~ir traditional life ways. The paintings we-re then us.ed to illuS1r3te hi$ M8.sterwork, A Gont!1f/ Hlsrory of the Things of New Spain, also known as the Florentine Codex. He wrote the manuscript in tt'te Aztec

langua99 called Piahuatl. (Author's illu:Stration from a SpaniSh eolonial painting)

The story of Tenochtitlan

Cu
homdautl of C.hidtiiiK'(.: tribes who miraculous1y emerged frorn seven caves localed ar t he hearr of a sttc:re(i mmmu1in tar w the north. Th•·y eryoyeci a pe.acctltl exist.tm(:C hunting and fishing un1.il Lhey were di\·ineh· inspired 1.0 fulfiJJ a desliuy of c.:onqucsl. Tltt')' jout'Ht:yc.·d unlil ont· da~ they wit.nessed a u·ee being ripped :lstmdP.r hy a holr of lig hrning. The seven th a nd la.~r trihe r:alled d1c :\·lexi<:a too k the event as a sign LhaL the\· were to dividt• and follow their own desliu~: They c.:oulinuctl tu \\'antler for Iilany 1note year~:;, somerimP.s hnnring flnd somerinws 1\.ertling rlown ro farm , bur never remaining in any one place for very long..-'\tkr tht'

wllapsc of the Toltcc capita l at Tula. they decided to move south to Lake TeX<.'O<'O w h~I'P. rhey setrled o n rhe slopes of a rnounwin r.allc-d Chapuh.eper:. lmpovcJishcd and wit.hout aJlit'.S. the Mex.i<:a \v·erc.· soon subjecLed w all.acks by Ioc..·al Tollec wal'lords who for<.'ed them lO ret.reat lO an island where they vdtnes.sed 71 nlira('nl ou~> vision of prophecy~ an eagle standing o n a r:ar:tus. It was the sign fC>r TenochtitJan. IJ1cir tinal destination. Having· JiUJc to offer olhc..T Lhau dtdr n ·pulalion a~ fc:at~Iltt·

3

U.lng a folding boo~ or codex, • tonatpouqui or toothsayer dotonnlnes lh• proph•cy of a child._ future. Pictographs were comi)
waa so ptOPttlous tor warrlcu·a. there were undoubtodty many Ten Cagle& in Aduc 10clety. (Autho~ ilfwtratlon from the ~nUn. Codex)

''arrim"· tlu.· Mcxi(i\ had no other choke: Limn TO hin· tht"utsc..•h:t'\ flllt as rnc:Tu:narie.s to rival Tolt.t·c· faniuns. F.vcnLUally du.·r were llhh: lO afkn lhC halance uf pm.;e1 i11 tlw r·egion 10 -,m:h a rlt'grc:c that Lht·\' \ .. c:rc groHllt:U rny.-.1 maniage .... llv tht" l.:>th ff"ntun. thi\ new Tol~t•t.t· Chichimrr:t plarf" n( migin . AJchongla "1(:-nodllitl:m W<-1~ u ftiriall>' foundnl iu -, :'2:), it would bt" OH:r a rrntur> befOrt· the c:in •o..,c to it!'! tu.·igh r as. au irnpet iaJ capit.1l.

R<>rn<:<:ll I =~72 anti I 128 the Alfet: hu~· lJ,llU
of victv• ~· they succt·rrled lu ('Xpandiug their own rlnnlaiu souLh .md l."dSt along Lak.C'" Tc:Alt.K'U. HO\\(.'\'t·r. \\'hen rc'70701llOC di~d in 1427. hi, 100n ~l:uah1 )CiLnl )'K'\\cr and h.ttl Chtm.tlpopoc.a a\...:t.~~inated. ·nlt' Al.lt''t.~ t~uic:kly appointed Chi rnttlpnpoe<-t.5 1111tlc, a v.~t· caprain namt·d lLL<'Otlll, a~ tJatoani. ltz(·o::~tl ~-tJii('(i hhu~t'lf' with the rlC'po:-,c.:d he-ir 10 the thront: of T("XC'c"W"O, Lord !\'c.·Jahuako)otl. Togctlu-r the t"'O l..iuK' for ()\I..' I a hllndrcd days aJid (Jill~ attac..l..t.'tl r\Jrapou.drn. Tile s.i<'gf' nmrlurlcd when Maxth,. relmquishetl hi' 1hrone and u·trcared into exile. IL.tt.mttl ;md Nr·Lah ualc.:uyorl then rt:\V:\tdcd tlu• Tt"'JXme..- lvtds ''ho h oul ~1irled tht?nl iu O\'t'rthrnwing lhc: L)rttnt. The three c.:iLit·lC nf

'""ted

Tt"JiodLLiUau . Tt•xfm·o, anti T'l:lr~pan formulated the rlt'W .\ttc.'l l.lllf,ilt'

The Tempi• of the W•rrion at Tollan cn,1a. Hid-algo} the first

Tottec caph.at. The •tt.ntid figures are thought to re~ eithe-r the Chkhlmec Mf'O

Camaxtti4lxeoetl or htt son OuetukoeU In tM gui'M of the god of the M omfng $t.r. (A.uthor"' photo}

of rhP Tri plC' Allianc<·. lt7(0atl died ln 14--40 atul h'as .~lrrrt>~tlt'' tthtumor llhuicamina. M nlt>ruh/J)ffM l, cl') lu.· \\~lS later knO\\Il, dMrtc.·d llw cUIII'C fot . -\t:tt--c t·~paa•~ioni'rn lnr Ihe l't'maindcr of the- l!nh fenuu' \'·'c. hi lei. Cuauhtli "ould hd\l' fi,u·nrrl intenth to the stmic.o; of ahe r,unp~u~u' ul his fOrc-futhPr'-and the: \U.iUU!ot cn('mi("'i; that thC1 had lou~lu. -a., tht• \\t ' ' of the:- Ba~in ot Ml·xko hw the founic.lalJic Tara....-.An~ who dnnuo.Uc.'(l .1 ric:h crade in )tlXUI ''~:;uucl' 1har mtwrd along the Pacific- ro.t.\ll·n ""',, Kuiu~ .sailing rafbi fi-nm South Amtrk.t to t.ht> B~a Peniu.,ula. f u 1lu: '-4mlh ;md east were we;;a)thy con f'rrlPr"nfi t~, cIt UJJimw ..·tl by the Zapoi('C',, M i\ H'( '· .md F.n.~lt''fl) ='laJnm:;. the laUt'r hC'ing kin~men of the .-\.zteo. h111 nu It''' t,illt'l ri\'a}s for ciomin~ti<)n c.•( tlu: SoU( fwrn -~4exican highland~. 'J ht• high pde:;L T hu.:aclel cmm:wlefl f\·f otccuhzuma 1.11al the impe rial .u1t1in \v011 ld fair beucr by fiJ-:-il t'sl;t hli~hing h(l~S o( operation on tht' fJt'liJ1IH·dt·~ ul these more pO\\'Crlul .o;tal(' ~. \·lo rrnlhtoma Lhcn:fon· initiollNi c·.•mp.H'-'" ' into ~-lorP"lm; and Gllt'llt'IU J1urr1 \\hic h hi' impe-n:-l l ~~~·•n• cs cnul
Tenochtitlau lJ, nmtnhuung m:uer iab iUJc.llabor fOr the COil'll Ut trun ul rhf" C.reat Templt: dc..·c.Jk~•u·d 10 1he ancienl Tolle.."<: ~tom' godl1.1k'< .uuJ the Chirhimrr hero lluiiJilopochrli. Bring allied Willi oolll ''"' """"'' and t11c: ~tern N
l

5

l..ingclmu ~'~l~ su~jug;.-t.lt:d in 14:•3. Choo,ing r.o a~o1d i\

conf.-ommion ,,;th tht~ E.., ..u~n• Nahua.s of Tia:<"ll). the .~u.:o then mu,c..·cl ao,ahbl thP llna~l<'cs and Totonacs of the .\!Iamie Gulf Cu.L'L U~iug a \atier~ of ingt-ninu~;, ~tratr-gie-s. UJJ)>("ri::tl armip;; 't)Ofl ovpn·;m 11111fh of 11o r1Ju.:111 \'("rarn17 fhcrcby asstuing the cmpirc J~('h tl'ibnrt> in (':\OLic: sltdl, l:uUon, cacao. gold. a nrl the pt ll"f"I•·M: ff':.thP. rl\ o f trnpif·;LI llirc ls. Alan11egdom of Coixtlahuaca. Oaxaca. Arrorrling w ,·a_rious acc.:ounl~ the t:xpediLion wou1 urgantled by \forpcuhtoma llhni nuniua lu .l\c:-ngt the murder of ltSO mcrch;.utlS b~ \.nr'OII.lhlraC;l's l.ord Atm1al. I Jo,,c,c:-t, at 300.000. thl· 111\.t)ion foJce was dt-arly inrPnrlt>d OL\ more than simply a punitin• <.. x,)(·ditiun. Atonal inuucdi:uely ~ummonf'rl th<· help of numerous MixH•r kingdoms iuduc.lin14 Te poscolula. Ti lan w ng;o. and Tlaxiaco (1" wt->11 :ts 1he FHstcn1 No.•hmt city-s tates of Chnluln. H ucxotlinc.:o, .. nrt Tlaxcala with whom Coixlla huaca was couit.·c.kroHL·c.l: bul t..he plf':. ""~c:. .~nr roo !are. CoixllO\huaca ,.;a~ deteau~d lx:ton.· u.·lid c.:oultl arri\"C". \tonal was hrarroted and man" of his men were tdptut cd and later sacrifk~rl lx-forr the Cu....Al Temp1to ofTPnochritlan. Sc un· .. nf dl.v-st.atcs and kingdoms throughout l'uc.·lJia and n a)(;'lf:a wt·rt· '""med by the defeat. ll was th<' beginning ul tilt.· end <•f an tor;} nf tmpn•ct·dc:nwd

independence

and

pros~Jtril)'

ll• auu~·l•rJ«.Jl

\'1t·~nanlc·rint.

Mulcndt.toma was SllCC'f'C"ciC"tl hy his son ~\.,fwtu•i\11 it'l

1168. A..,; a prince. Lhc ~ucn·~r had p.-oH:n him!tot'lf a Gtpable milit:u\· rnmmanrler b,·

leading an expedition ag-.Un.r tltc Zapot<'Ci of Tl"hnantf'")'M"'C: now he sought to c...tl)itotli.a- on the <.:unqul')b

uf hb illusu iour;~ frllhf'l'" hy t>ndrely

:,urrounding the kingdmu of Tlaxc.:ala aucl c:>.ptH'I<'iing imp~dal control over Lh(' Ilua..xtecs anc-1 f'-·tixw(:s. Ac.:cordiuK lU lc:p;end AX7l}'~lr.atl ~uuJ ltis uude Tltlcaelel commiso;ioru:d a new monumc1H for Tenochtirlan '!\ <'t'utral religious

6

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By AD '750 1 Ttollhuaean, once a thriving mttropolla of over

100,000 peopl•, lay abandoned. Auording to teo•nd urty band11 of Chlchlmeca then began tQ move into the .-.gion under the ....,.hip of man gods: •uch MiAcoatl. MiACOOIIU O$tablllhod the comm.4.1ntty of Culhuacan, t hen Ns ton, Quetu1COAtl1 fOUnded a new ea.p.ttal at TUia oiO mile• (Miun) to U... north•wH\. E~lly factional atnfe be~een rival Tula c"ltt dlviOod the Toltecs and many retumed wuth to found new klngdoma atong the shoree of ~· Ta• coco betwH-n AD 1 000 and 1100. The last Chichlmec tribe to arrive we,. the Me11:ica. After in&utting th• IO«i of Culhuacan, the Mexlca were driven out on to an leland In Lake Taxcoco where they founded tlwir own town of TenochtiUen. The Basin of MexiCo was a-ubaequantty dominated by the Tepaneu of A.lc.apotulco throughout the early p•rt of the 15th C«"rt:vry and ttve ~k a thrtved IS 4

tno;r me~. When the Te921nee tyrant T~omoe died, the throne was seized by Maxtla. Me.atla a•ecuted the Mo.iea king Chlmalpopoea. The Mexica lt'tan e1ected ttz.coetl •• king. tttcoatl formulated an alliance with Nez.ehuak>oyOtl. the e.xUed heir to th9 Ac:olhu• throne of Texcoco, and the two allies destroyed tht Top.anoc capital. Tepano~ loyal to the new order O$t3blis.h0<1 n cnpltal at Tlacopt~tn ttn.d together the Me~ens, tho Ac olhun•, and ~ Tepanve• founded the Axtoc Emt>ii"' of tho Triple Alll&nce. ttzcoatl'l flrt:t campaigns were against Morem In the south. Evontu.ally tho Aztecs tumed on the Eastern Hehuet ta.-getlng the •nelent etty or Ctlaleo. (Author'l llluatratlon)

image or the sun dedkaled to war and the: <.:ouquest.s of Lhc eJJlpin:. A:-traditioTJ dicl~tt.c·:d t.lu~y ren~ivt>d aid in thP. fo rm of m<:o. Tmoquihuaztl i of Tncuba, a.nd the other Aztec city states: '"Oru:c chis stont: hurl heen pur in place. a ll the principal men who were present di:K·usscd the ,,,..ay lhc festivities wonkl h e he lei for rhe inangurarion of the Sun Stone and whert: <.'
Mkhoaran. m~aning PI::J('P or the Fishes. constituted tht· C.:4.:1llLT of tlu.: Tar•.t$can empire of over one million people ruled by an hereditary lord whose capital was loc:ar<:d ~tt Tzintznntzan on l .ake Patzcuaro. Altho\.sgh Axayacad had mobilized an army of over ~0.000 men he ~oon encou ntered <' fOrmidable Tarasc.an army nearly twice t.hat size. Apprc.:hcnsive hur not clc:trrn-·ci. Axayac.ml rlin~rrerl hi~ rrr•nps 1n ~ll~ck . The btlttle ttlged thrtJl•glwut the d ' wowukU, Axayacall was f(>rccd ro make a fighting rf'tr~a t b;.-.rely reach ing Tenoduitlan wilh less thau a fifth of his army still alive. T h<: Sun Stone ciid not receive its pn"Jmised ctibute of hearts and blood and the U(:fcaL sent sho<:k waves throughout the e-mpire. Be fo re long many ciry-states wen.· rising in an ucd revolt in order to explo it rhc: c.haot.k sim;.-.tinn. Ry 148 1. .Axayacatl dled. He was SU('Ct:t:dt'd Uy fizoc, who ruh:U Uridly but ineftewmlly. \·I any suspect lhat he v.oas even as~assinated by members of his own (:ourt. In 1486, tht' tluow:: 1Ji.-t$:ittl to Tizoc's ~,o ungcr hrorher. :\h11itzotl, who provert hi mself to be an o utsl~:mding military commander. Ahuit.:r.otl reorganized the arm.>1 and soon regai.t1t'd mw.:h of the t<'rrito r y lo~a UIHier rhe previous admini.slratious. He the n initiated ~~ program of long-distance cam.paigni.ng on au unprecedented scale. By-passing the Tarascans he succeeded in conquering mn<:h of r.oasr.al Cnerrero g~ inin g frt·c ac.:c.:L·ss to the .stratcg·i<: u·ade romcs alo ng

The island on which the Medea settled was ori{linalty,dtvlded

IXtlwcun two communities, Tlateloleo ~nd Tonochtitlan. During

th~

n:tign of Axay..catl,

hOwevet<, Tl3tCIOico was subjugated following a disputo and its ceremonial precii\Ot WM

Incorporated as Tenoc:htiHan'$ principal market center. Tho C~ity then became a natural tor1rC$$, virtually impregnable to out~dc attack. (Authof"'s illustration)

the Padfic Coast 1hrough Acapulco. In J497, he rcc:onqllf:rcci m 1ar.h of ()nxac.a mrtr('hing thfough Tdmauu:pc:c iu(o Chiapas .as far cast a.'i rlH' GnatPmaJnn horrler. Fearing tha l he -wO\Jld outdistance h is sources of supply he rh e n auempted to feturn UtH found that he had been herntyeci hy the Zapo1ecs. Only lVhen he had agreed to an unpn:c:edcnteci roya l n1arriage bclwccn tlac Zapolcc.: k.iug Cocijocza and o ne his daughters. as well a~ ceding governorship ovt-r l ilt:: new!y fOlH}llf'recl pnnin('e of the Soconusco. was peace linally reso lved. Ncvenhc:ks;;: the empire reached it~ apogee undel' Ahuiuoll dominat.i ng- as

LAKE TIXCOCO

7

many (1<. 25 million pPopJe throughout rhe !\:fexican highland~. \Vhen .Motc<.:uht..oma Xoc.:oyotzin gained Lhe Lluouc: in 1~>02, he Luo wa~ c:agt:r

to cxpanrl to t.hl: sont.h and east auacking first the Mixtec coastal state ofTulutc-JJtT aw.llatc-t sponsoring conquest~ lo the east into Tabasco. By the rimP. rhP. first Spani~h ships of the Cc)rdova exp edition of 1517 had been sighted oft t.ht' l;utf Coast, .M ou.·c:ullLoma 11 was <·v<·n cmtLcJJtplatiu~; an itwasion of lhe kingdoms of lhe :vlaya on the i'ltcatan pt:'ninsl tla .

CHRONOLOGY OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS AD 1325-1521 1325

TcttodttiLlan is founded by the ).·f exica, a u·ibe of Chichimer: hu n(en;, foragers, anrl cxpcdirionary traders who had migr~ued inLo the Basiu of t\ ·lc-xico from the- northern deserr~.

1426

1427 1428

Tczot.omoc.: lx ·couK·-, dtt' lepanec tlatoani of 1\zcapotzako and begins to su l~jugcue rival Toh~c;J..(;hic:himc<·a d(~· smws SUITouuUiug Lake: Tc·xcoco with th~ help of the .\·l exica. 1372 Acamapichtli is made the tirst tlmoani ofTP.norhtitlan . T h<" <:ulhua<:an prince boaslc.:c.l a royal liuc.~ c.·xtt'Oding diret:tly back to the anciem Toltec c.apital ofTolla n. HP marries a.c.; many as 20 high-mnkiug C lticllimL·c \vumc::u whose children sttb
Cuitlahuac. two anrit>JH king arc

\\~ith

Azcapot.zalco, the ~·lexka <:onquc.:r XalwcaJt, Texc.:oc:.o. Chako, aud otlttf k.ingdon1s Wlh P. P.;}!=.f of

Lake Tex<:oco. 1417-1425 Chimalpopoca. son of Httitzilihttitl and grandson ofTe7.o7.omoc. ac.<:e
His son> 1'\t:zalluakt)yotl.

tkcs to naxcala.

8

Tezoi".ornoc dies. (;himalpupot:a sides against Maxlla in ltis atlcmpl to usurp llu: Tt•patJec LhruH«.: of .i\.t.t'aJ.X>lLtllco. Chima lpopoca is execmcci hy ~·faxlla. ltJ:coatl i~ appointc.:d huc.:y tlatoani. llLcoaLl aJJiL's ltiutsclfwitlt Nt"7a hl t::~koyorL Toge'lher they <:onqucr Az<:apotzako and 'l'cpancc ove::rlorc.ls Lo found the .:\..Gtec Empire::

of the Triple Alli•nrP.. 1429-1439 l t'.J:<·oatl ini tiate~ cunpaigns ag-..tinst dty·sl.atc.:s ill ~'turdos a_JI(l Guerrero to

reassert conu·ol over former Tepanec tribut;"~ries

1440

l r.~:<·oa t.l

t hrough out the region.

dies and is SIU:<:<:edcd hy

I\'tot(;cuhzoma

Ilhuicamina.

1441-1449 Motewlvoma campaigns in (~ut~rn :ro a ud c.:ugag·cs iu a protraoed \\'ar against Chalco. Thf:' Basin of ~·texico suffers a series of natura.! disasters indudiTI1j a cl<:v;L'\I.ati•tg flm>
and a locusl plagul' cau-,ing rampant

food shortages. 1450-1454 A troth<:r

Tlacaelel mastermind a sel'ies of long-distance c.ampaigns initia(ing att;tc:ks first ag:aitlsi. tit<: Huaxu:<:s a11
1458

160 merchants :are a~~:t.\Siltdtt·c.l al Coixtlahuaca. . \ll anm· of 300,000 i'
the A7.tec·s tirstm~yc.u

1468

1172

1473

1480

long~rli:-;t:.aru:c campaign in{O southt-ru Mt:so~mPI"irn . MoLecuh1.0ma die.< :md i• succeeded hy Axayacatl. Nt'.tahuakCiyoll. Tl"xroro's hrillianf "(.(holar.,. king. die~ and 1s )U('('~~rl~rl hv his sun Nc.tahualpilli. Alwt·r uf Tiateloko, A.xayacatl L.ilb lb tJatoani, Mcx1uihuix, iu pt'l~o•lal combat anrl incorporates the fol'mPr ··~ister., dry iJtlu TcwJt htill7ln. The Azrec army surtC.;r~ <.l tkvaswling dcfc:at at Lhc hands of the Tarampc-rur willc\t:l' attempt a din-ct attat·k again'' thi<. formich1hk

1496-1497 Capit.<~1i7ing on his sucu::\'C:" 111 the),fi.Mct(l ..-\Jla . .:\JluillutlllloH·' against the Zapo1ccs ,,·hn '"·nuualh ,,llu\\ his army to pa.\.' rhrunJ.:h thc \'oalln· ofO·.Lxaca lO lllc P.tliJic Coast :n Tehu:anrPpt-c. 1499-1500 Ahuittotl invades con>ral ( :hi.q>.~s buL di•f·icks 1101 LO pn.:s.o; ~Ill altat k ·IKliin:sl the <.!uicht' ~nd C::lkf'hi()twl \lava of highland Guatemnl.l. choosin~ •., rC'1tlnl 10 Tc.·tmdttitltut itiSkdtl. 150t AJnuvoll d•e~ and , .. ~urrt·..rkrl h~ \fou~·<'uhzoma Xoco\·ot7in l.l'iO~ 151!j ~nw dtangc in atlmini\ll.ttiuu Ul')(JUt"'> •ebelhon arnong tht· \ltxl~n. Succt:~ive campai~n' of n·t OUCJ.llt'it an· directed ::tg::.inRr Arhiucla,

1515

foc again. 1481- 1486 Axapcarl diPs ;md is sutcccdcd by lizoc. ·nzc.x.: b ttlt'l a~"\ssinated. :>I any conquesL states declar.. their independence f'rom riH• t'lnpin;. 1486-1488 :\hui17.or.l a<:r.ecks tu Ih e throne. H<: initjatc~ a w.:w sc:ri..,·s ur campaigns against rhr Jo:a,lt' rn Kahua~

finally Sllltiug'atltl.l{ bolh

Hucxotzinw ami Cholula. naxrala is now enrirf"ly nu oft h·mn all uf ib IOnner alliance p;trllll"f' 1489-1491 Ahuitzotl embarks on a M"ries or c.:;,uupaigOS intO ('O
1517

l.tlu·pt:c:, Tlaxiaco, Yanhuitlau , "m~ola. 'l'ulUll'JJl'C, ~tnd Qut'IJ.alh'fWt .unnng Other kingdoms. l\t·1.ahualpilli. son ol Net.lhu.d("' otl aud llatuani ofTe,C<){u, rlu·, Motffllh7oma insrigart"' .t \\·;u ul ~mnihilation ag-dinst 'll.t.x(.tl.t hut'' dr i\·en IJacl in deft:at. I let nanclc:-1 de Corctoha lt·.ocJ, rlw tlrsr Spnnish expedicion from ( 'ub~' lu tltl'

"'k xintn Gulf Coast. 1518

J uau c.1t: GrHalva Jead' f ht" 'lTtm{l ~P'"' i.;,h C"'Xj)C"'ciirion ro lhf' C.ull Coa.~L

1519

l·kn tau Corte-s iuvatk\ \'t·• iu.. • " ' i:mtl on Tenochtitlan u'ing naxrala a~ a ba.or.e of oper.uiull' MuLccuJuoma i.s lillctl. Gotlt."' j, dn,en from Ten()('hrirlan ;md n·rrPO-u..:; m~u·ches

1520

lO

1521

Tl:.:l.>.cala. Cuillahuac

j,

.,ppmntcd

hm•y t.l.tt.oaui but die\ hum ."illl~t11vux. Cu:wllll'IIIOC:: Lhen in he• i1s lht-' lhl'uuc. ~umerous di~putt·s dividt.' lht.• rity-st:Hf"s of th<· Rasin ot M,·xi< o. 111 April, Corte~ maJthl·\ on Tcnocht.itlan at tl1e head of an .lllit·d Indi-an army of on-r 50,()()() 11 cH,JJ'l1•c battle for· tlte em "al:''' ccmcjnuou.sl)' o,·er the (our~· nl tin~ mtmrh:-;. Tcnoduillan fall\ iu \uHtt't .utd l.uauhlemoc su •'fi'IHI{·I~ lntnging ,ut ~nd LO Lhe :\nee Empi.-r ol Ihe Trip le> AIJi;Jnc·c.

9

EARLY YEARS - THE GENESIS OF THE WARRIOR 0<'rward w but. a youthfUl life of toil. His education between the :rgcs of thn.:c.: a11tl fifu:cn wa~ t'IIU'liStecl to his part>nro;, who ranght him all that he

$lwuld know of his calpulli (or town distri<:t) and the role that he should play in sening it. At first, Cu
An earfy Aztec king awards a

valiant warrior a xicalcoliuhqui shi&ld, a t&ahuiztli, a featner back

omamtNtt, and a c;ape ornamented with the ptctog~

tor a star. (Author's Illustration trom Codex XoiOH)

10

center of the dry.•. Ar seven he '''aS trained to manage his family\ hoats awl to fish ou Lake Tt:xcoco. \•Vhen h(' \•.::-vm 't participating in some r itu(ll feast. Cua.uluJl \•.:as <·n<·uuragt'd to subsist on relatively meaget amount'i of t()orl heing given only a half a cake of JmtiLc per 1m~al at age thre\.:, a full Gtkc at age fiv(;, and a c:ake. ::mrl a half at age twelve. Out' day he m.ight have to march for days without any f(>oci at a H. Punishments fo1 idle ness Wt:J'c: ~e\'<.'H.: aud taugcxl from Jxaliugs w stinging \\~th agave Lhorns or even ha\~ng hi!' face and eyes burned with the smoke of roasted chili peppers. At 15, Ct~auhtli cousidercd applying to the c1lmer.ar. or rPmpltsdlOol ,.;here h e- would hP. trainP.fl ffu' o:~ life in the prk">tlwod, but being Ooru luto a couuuont'r Hunily he dcdded to e nter the telJ>Ochcalli, the young men's house nul by mastt:1-s chosen from amongst the ralpulli's veteran warriors ::1nd (l quicker route to advancement il• Lite 111ilit.ary. The. day he anivcd at. the sdrool his p:rrenrs rook him before the telpociH.Iato or "ruler" of the school aud the saued image of thr god of the youths:

"llere our lout h t-Js plar.ed him . Here you undt:J~U:uuJ, you arc uolifit'll that o ur lord h<.ts gi\'en ajcwd, a precious fea r he-r, a <"'hi ld h:.1s aniv~cl . Tn your laps, in the cradle ofrour nrms we plac(.. him . And now we dedicate him to the lord. sh(atlow, wiud, T<'znttlipora and pray thar IH·wm su..;fain hi m. \·V<" letlv<" hin11o hr't·o u w ;a youug,,..~-t l'l'io r ·. l k will Jive: Ju:n.· iu llu: houst· of penance where the eagle \.;arrior and th e jaguar warrior are born ... (aciaproci from Sahag(in 1950- 1982 Book :l: 51-5~)

Three contemporary reconstructions of Aztec dress by the author. From left to right, a noble warlord wearing a yellow feather ehuatl and jaguar h-elmet. an otomi rank soldier wearing a green feather tlahutztll, and tho huey Uatoanl Moteeuhzoma 11 wearing the- distinctive blue royal cloak or x:iuhtlalpilli dyed or painted with gJyphs signifying turquoi&e mosaic.

In arlrlidon to his daily chores botll al ho111c aml at du.: ~chool. Cmmhrli ,,,..as expected to <:oopcratc with teams of other boys in public works J)ankuJal'ly the cleaning and repairing o f the aquedu lhat crisS,IOsM:J llH.' dty aud p1m·idcd vital link~ tCu· lrausport.ation. According to lcgcnr1, the \·f<"'xic::. h::td ftnce iwmltc:d lhc: Tollec lofd of Culhmtc.m who lht:n tlrovc t he tribe om on to rhe "-m.aJI island ofJ the western shore of Lake Texww. 1krc 1!1<: t<>n:fal h<'r' han m;.Jn:.Jg<~cl ro $Hrvive by learning to Hsh and harvt:Sl a sl·asunal bmtllt\' of 1 Nild hird~ anrl other fOodstnrr.~. l.al ef' lhe rnc:-n <.•f t
11

&CAL!

'

"""'

< "

""" AlliMu

I.

C\.o.i~e/1 7o;:~­

,

... . . .Ill

, . , ...~I'll»

0.

·..::.:~

f..

'· ..__, 10. -.(.. 1un, r.,.....,, ...... ,.,.,

-.._'lt,.~lJ.oe.

1

,._

c-~~~~

·:. ••Qefllll'l

,:. r. ....o.~oc:..:

... ,....,..

' 1, Atl.lol" ~

I 'I.C~!'il

~

A'f'l

t l . .......... ~. ,~..Ol~.O

tJ

''"~~

llO. fuoncu·o:. :.'1. C:IXJ.,IIf~

. ..-. i4.r-.

.::.

?T,

"'· v. .....u... t9

XI

J• ~-~ Nll•-'1\>lri

tl, Adllo!JO

chinampas we1 c Llwu ferrilizcci hy rcc:yd ing rhe human waste from the t:O JJIIJIUil il)' it~df. T hb i ngen iou ~:. system of ··edamadon soon allowed the fVh:xit:a 1.0 g;row ;1:-. mauy 11s 1 h l't"f' crop.~:. nf cnrn per years and to quadruple the islaud','i lau(l mass. Tlw lake: Slli' I'OliiHiing- thf" i ,~;.l:':lncl hatl ='upplicd a natural h:ulier lO enemy al.ta<:k, a strat<'bric arlm nr:tge when the \fex.ica hegan to hirt> themseln~s out ~IS Jm:n:cnarics during the dry ~<~ason. A
J'>l l"l"l 't' l il}

illCI(.'(I"l' d ,

hmvcn:r, so did the ueerl for a more permanent line of essenli;,~J suvply f1uw t rack with rhc kingdoms SUITOUJ)ding Lake 'l C·xcoco. An agfeemenl was fir·s t arrangcrl v..irh C h::tpuhC'pC'r to t:ouslrucl an ~tqu educt that brought fresh water to . rhe dty from where it had o n<".e harl to ht"' t ra n sportNi l>y catJOL'. Soon addiliouul causeways wer·e constructed that linkc:ct Ten oc::htitlan to bulh tht· uortJtt·rn a ud ~outhcru ~horcs, Uut tilt· .\·k xka had the forethough t ro inc:orporare a system o f hrirlges rhat c:o11lci he removf'rl duri ng periods of threat from outside attack. Jn this way the city could be fraTtsfontted iJ1to a Tlt~arly impn:gJtahlc fin· tn:ss. By lhe middle o f the 1.5rh cen tury. t he \ ·fexi('(l were growing l'ich in war tribute and the emerging <'lite sought to increase their nmk and pn:stig<' hy rcdistl'ilmtjng d1is JH:w found wealth through a sy:o;tcm of aunuaJ ft'asl!!. dt'dicatcd to tht: pantheon of gods. Jn ord t'J' to mav;ni1y tlu: imporranc:e of these tesrh:ities they hf"g~m tn rtirf'c:t rhf' c:onstrunion of <:rtonnm1s u:JIIJ>Ic a Tul plaza pn:dncL."i. 'J'IH: C(>mpl<:xc:s sc:n·ccl smncthing

~: ff=~~::.~?~~;:>~:· .,

.

~~

:1

fi!ooom
~~~.·-~

Jt. OI.CJtot•

•), Moq..loo:htl 41,

laf;N.o

•l. """' Mh:.O -

"l.

Between AD 1150 and 1450, the Eastem Nahuas, Mixtecs, and Zapotecs used royal marriages to create a confederacy that united their petty kingdoms U1roughout southern and eastem Mexico. Calling th•mMiv•s the ..Children of Quctnlc:ootl" they m41ntalne-d a grN:t pilgrimage and merchant center at the c:tty of Cholula (1 ,. In plannlr.g their first long-distance campaign, the Aztec strategy was to break the back of the confederacy by fil"$1 att
12

like theaters for the reenactment of religious dramas that bound the families of each caJpulli togctlu:r both ritually and socially a n d it. '"'a-" IH.'l'l' that IJol.h the prk-stly calulccac ful' t.h(' high born and the warrior lelpochcalli for the commo ner were located. Man~· of the telpoch calli masters were hardly older tJmn Cuanhtli himself. It was tltdrjob to watch
Eastern Nahua kingdoms consisted of dense populations of people living in la1'90 communities on the broad plain of Puebla. Their ctty.stat" were usually governed by a council of four tlat~ue . Thlt ~onstructlon lllustrat" • tyolcal Nahue city center tying southeast of the Basin of MeJtlco with the volcanoes of Popocateptl and lz:too Cihu~U aPPG~ring on tho horizon. fAvthor"$ illu-lrtration)

and dcatll siwmions o r real c.omhar. If <:uauhtli pcrst'VL'l't'd lll· wuukl ltt:: pro muted l O become a ma$tcr of youths and perhaps l:u.er in lite even a telpochrlaro, a man respou~ilJic fot uaining an entire generation of seasoned warriors, upon ,.,·hich the empin~ cit->pc:ndc:d for it:-. survivaL Drunkt uuess itl general was t(nbiddc n in At::tec society and ev~n punished \\>irh rlcath. The 111osl. e1~joyment a telpochc..alli student mig ht hope f(n chrougl•uut his Svanan Jjfe w:ts rh~ right r.o keep a mistress if he: muld afford one. Li\ing " ' the tdpodH:alli. CuauhLli had linle time for the academic studies and rdigious exercises th~t \1•.'~ re "'n importan t to tht.: trahling of lhc noviliate prie-sts, children of promim:Itl farnilies t!un had been sent co (he (:almc<:ac.:. t::.vcrylltiug was done strictly ro prepar~ <:1 tauhtli thr· war a nrl hack·bt·caking labor was the means by whidl he would lx.· l CSl Cd throughout <.~~ch c-"' nd evt"'ry day. The only relaxation he could e1~joy was during the eve.nings spent siugiug and dancing. exe.rr.i~e~ that wonlci bond the bop; of Cuauhtli's calpulli roget.he r spiritually 'tS well '" training thctll iu agilil>' and coordination that would become so essenLia.l lO bOLh hand-ro.hancJ comhat and troop IIIOVt:JUt Ul. ~Man.y of the songs were dedicated to the cxploilS of the gods, ('lllmre he.roes. or wartion~ of rh e <:n rlH~Y nccdcct i1 111ost aud \\·atch as they desu-oyed themselves. It was surdy no coincidence tht>n rh~H Qucr-t;tlcoatl w<~s venrr.H.eci as r.h c patnm god of lhc calmecac where the \irtuous ideals of the.· elite we.-e t-mph::l(;i7erl rhrongh sdmlasLic and dc\·oLiouall~arning.

13

TRAINING Boy~ W<'n' ittuodull-d t.o the actu::ll violt"nrP nfw:.tr d t nua~lt Lite p 1im.:ipal rdigioul\ f<·,thdl\ that \\ere held throughout tlu: \C\tr u\ lenochntlan'~ ccu~tltcu:monial prC"'c-inrr. Towards the end of the dry ~ason berween fehnoan· nnrl Apnl. k-,th,tb de-dicated ro hmh rh.- hr.ut•d in Tt:nuc.hull._uJ '-., malll cc:rcmunial c.catter tx-forc the Gr e-at Temple. llcn.· thOU\,"\OdlO of people wot1lrl garht•r ro n·ldw..tlc t.ht' c:ondusion of rhr '\\-ar tinu.· .. ..trtd t..hc on!)Cl of the plauliuo ~l't.,!~Ull \••ith fea~ring. rl;mdng, ~mtl !\ingiu~. Tht' featured events hO\\'t\'~r , ..·en.. the xLagt:cl lKtLLlc~ dw ing whirh high ranking enemif'" t';'IJ'IItr('d ·ouths Lo haudk all of Llw ba~it. \\C:-'J>On' '\UC'h a_l\ ~lings, bows. arro'"-s and ~P~"" · Th<" mon· promi10ing 'rmlnu}l wen: :,oon advanced to training in the usc o1 the ""·ord .md )hu.·ld :\o te ...-. ~qonual to dc,cJopiug agilit), ~NI . :'lnri ,.nrlur.mrr ,,-a_os the hall gam(', ~t '}XU' l c.l~tt.ing to at lea~r rht> St"Concl millcnmum u<..:. Once th(•,· h.ul di~V\C:lt"d the re~ilif'nt properties of tubber. Mc:~1mericans crt.·atc.·d i\ \:'II i~tv nf rliftf:·rcnt vers.iou.s of the game" '"'ith rompc:tition:; in\·ohing anywltt.Tl' lx..·L\\l't'n one and ten m t=>n fm a sich ·. 'l'ht.· )(.um: i~ sLill pbyt•fl in pan~ uf Mexko today. The ottiC."n is inLcll~cly l<:uilorL:1.l with two Lcam,) "ullc:~ing thP hall hack and forth until o nt $id~ i11 no longer ahlt> rn kt•t•p i1 i11 ill<: air. Al th~ poim whert> the h;lll hit<~ Lhc grouud. .-<'1 (-r('(·s rn:u·k d u: Lenitory that is lost to the opposi Iiu 11 . The.: w atch is f()ff(·it wllc 11 Ollt' kam is driven so far into lite end to ne lhttt th~y ran no ln ngf'r t>fft>rrh·c·lv mancu,cr. By lale i\.Ltec dme~ rlw g:n'lw~ honkred on sociaJ 111.mia with dhe ancJ )l<"'ttvmrs ttlikc· wag('riug Lhch cuLUt: foJtunes

14

The nJgged mountain terr~~Jn ol Oa11:aca was not eGnduchle to dense setttement. Mb:tec and lapGtec populatiGna dltpef'Hd tnemsef\oes over landscai)M dominated by iaofat.cl roy11 palaces constructed on low·l)'lng hills. During tlmot of a<~rlou 1 attac-k. the population often fled to tl'\e prote-ction of more lncloef'lt fortffl<:•t~nt bvllt "OP neerby mounta.lns.. (Author's lllu.tretlonl

on the outcome of a single gan1c. Jn some <:ases matches ,.;ere a\:luaiJy playc:d as an adjunct to , ...-ar. A.xayacatJ provokt:tl the king of Xorhimilro into playiug· a hall game anci wage-r~d rht> rribute of a Jnunber of kingdoms t~ ht' was n:conunended tOr recruitmenl. Being Uoau d u ri11g rhe reign o f' .:'\ huitzoLl there \\·oukl have bccu no shortage- of opportuHi tie~ l.o prove himself on the hattlefield. I lis fu·st ass.ignmcnt \•;a::: trJ serve as a porter to an o lder boy fTom the c.a.lrnec.a c who ltaJ r co.:niJ}. ~11<:c.eerled in capturing a Huaxtcc. Achievement in tlw Ancc fmpel'i::tl a rmy was tlt:peruknl. ttpon the m1m~r of captives that one took in batt.le and the status that each captive he lrl arnong his owu J..K.!Upk. T1u· Hw1xr~<:s were frowned llpon as rdaLivcly uuwonhr opponenro; and so those who Gtpturcd them \•len• nor g ra nted panicula.rly rich r<~wards. A warrior who SlU.:CCL'dccJ in capturing a Tlaxcalan on the other haud was highly revc·rcd. C'.Amsccju<:udy, Cnauhrli's mother ,,t;~o; wcn·dc·d that this ~olrlier wa.~n 'r exp~riP.n rNI e no\•gh lO prot,·ct h<.-r son. Everyone in Llu: c:alpulli knew that the older boy had (3j}ed Lo take any c:apl ivcs at all after pankipating in rhre~ Pndiel' baltles. T ltc: ~chool masters haci evf"n forn~d him to wec.U' th e c:ucxpakhic:ac:pol or ..hnhy'' h~1idtJ<.'k" in sltauu..·. tltH then: \\•as lin le thar Cuauhtli's family t<)llld do. a...-. they did not lta,·c t11c moue~· 1.0 offer '1 more experienced warrior like lheir wt:allhitr nt:ighbors, anrl so th(·ir son would have to watch out t(lr hi mself. In 1499, Cuauhtli pro\'crl himsrlf for rhe fir:'ll 1in\e in a Xo(;hiy;wy01J or "1<1ower \Var.. against Atlixco. a kingdom long con(ended by bot.h t.hc .'\Lt.ccs anrl th<> Eastern 1'\ahua.s. Cuauhtli packt:cl f(>t for both hi msell and the older solclicr. Then he bid his parenLs goocihy~. picke-r! np his shield and spear and rnarchcrl across

Students: arrive at the t elpochefliU or young men•s house. Note the father gpeakln.g

to a euahchic about his boy. (AI.Ithor's illustration from the FIOtenUrte Code.(}

the

Coyoarau

u-tuscwa)'

ke('ping ~ re~pt>ctfnl diswnce behind the o lder soldie1. Th~ trip wutl1 inw Puehl"' \\~"' not pa1 ticularly anJuous and t h e young

);

men were well fC'd from )/


15

in con1nH1niUe s aU alo ng t.he ro u te of advance. By tJ 1t: lime th«-'y rc-'ad 1e
three

days

later.

the

T laxcalleca W\.:n: already o rganized in h<·rs that had just begun lO fOnu up. Some o f IIH' r•mthchit', or Shon1

Ones, had already begun to e ngage: d te t;llemy (JI.I.t:mpl· ing to dr11w out tJle foolh>~rdy "nd

open

thereby break

Ll1<.: d e n se

cnc:my

rormation. T ht- exact f11nrtion or

High ranking captives were often g iven the opportunity to
th(' Xochiyaoyotl or FJm,.·cr Wars are still debated by ~cholars. T he A1.rec:~ t.h e m~t- l ves main t.a inC":d t hat. t h ~y were rt·,ughl hf1l h to uall1 thdr -:,ol<.lkr-:,
rhar rheir fearsome god< d~manrled. Or·iginally the banles were waged something along the lines of the European Medie,~ll melee. EmJ.>Ira:;i• wa•

f~$1 Of TI~C<'t.XII)O.hU;;lll:r.tll.

more 011 d u_: f J>rowcs.~ d mn tlu· l<>tal defeat of the e ne my. 1'\o,~ces

( Auth
foolish or careless enough to get capmred got what they deserved. fu nhern1.ore. ear ly ..J.\.ztec politics \\'aS factional and any chanc<: of cs<:a ladng a Flower \ Var into fu ll cornha t \\-a.s to h<; avoirlcd : this year'" rof' m.ight ver y well beccune next yeat's aU)'· The: kl('aLiou of t.h<.' coutest.s was o rdinarily p rcciet.cr m incd throug h regula r d iplomntic channels and gcucral:; from 1Jo1.h sides served a:; referees. lly tlH.: late 15 rh C:('n tur y, h owever, Ahu itzotl \.,.·as becoming increasin.g ly desperate w defeat t.hc Tla.xc:alr.ec:a a n rl their allie~ so hattles herween t.ht- rivnl ar mies tlt t hat time wen: lxgiun ing to lx: wage d as "Flm •.icr \·Vars" in narnt: only. Cuauht.li would have been astonished to see the Aztec army ill full array at Atlixco,

each solclier going to great lengths to dtsplay h is lavishly oruamontcd hauJc..gcar. facia l j ewelry, and o the r gifis personally grant.e.d hy a grare ful cmpc.·ror. l i e qui<:kly hc:Jpcd the sold i<.-r h<.' v.o;.ts assigned to escort in to hi~

armor. secured the shield to his arm and slipp('U t.hc knot of hi• mac.n ahuitl over h is h a nd. Having perfo rmed h is msks (lnrifn lly. a senior <:a p tain tlu:-n dir~c.·ted Cuaulnli t<.) p articipa te;: in th<.' battle h imself by

wielding a long tepn7.topilli fro m tl1e rear of the line.

WEAPONRY AND PROTECTION T h e weapo nry wit h whkh C:uauh lli v,:a~ trained h a d mnch in rornmon with ancient at'lnies th roughout t.he world . The sons of f~tnners. th e

majority of the peasant population. would have been sclf·u·aincu with the ..;ling in o rd et· to supply t h e .c.;m::.11 gam e rh:..t thriverl in thP fif'ld~ rrw 16

the household d inner table . T he weapon could be sim ply tinger woven of maguey iiber~ ar:t}·Wht:tc am.l at aur time. A five-foot ( l.52m) loop of

cor·d was passed through a thong to hold the pmjcrtik in plan·. One cnrl wa~ \'irappPci ilrnu nrl thf' rh ree inrle x ting<'r~ ;mel tiH' mlu·r ""'·'' ht·lcl het~ccn

the tuu:tiugt.:r

~md

t..lu: thmuU. Munu:ntu.n

\\,l\

hwh

UJl

by

""i"l:,'ing the loop O\Cr one's head four or more time< and rt>leasing the thwub dl lhc:' poim in thf" arr , ..·hrn rhr thong , ..-...~ nrirnrr-rl ro\,·arct a targf't. F.mplou•d in .lrU~.&,I combaL the sling , ..-~u c.t.p.dJic ut prupcllmg small mal ~tone' )pcc.:iCit:all) ~lct.lt..--d for tlu·it d.t.:rvd~namilS (,ll,light through~ man·~ skull in excess of a range of 200 y:mt.. F\4:-ing t hf" origin:tl w#"apons of the ir Chich imcc ancc~tnrs. bovs were tr.tiuctl i u LJ u.: usc u( du.: U.uw and auov.· and they ptaclirt:d 1hei1 ~;,kill in group h unts held in the ~:urroundlng mountain" during llw rdigioulr(, festival nf Qp l'r ho lli. 1\ows varied in Jcng-th dcpt nd in.l{ o n Lhcir inli:ndcd u:-.t:. llu· h)JJgc.'it Uciug up to Ii\t' ft:t:l ( J.!J2m). T ltc b c:.tl wc:•Jc made of hickoq' ~ nd :l"h wood. the srrlngs wen· madt: frmn I': I\\" h iclc: nr animal tendon~. Arrows wt-re generally made trm u \•ilm r11um and .~tmightc-n c•fl h)' rqu.'otiC·cl applicaliou:, of m o isllln: o.t1HJ hcdl. T ile "'ttuck'' or cncl u l
o,·c1-rnn .mel ~h.mghtcrcd a t dose range br more h~:l\·llr armed oppc.m<:lll~. Tiler 0 1Uinat ily took their pl<~<'tS fCtl' \\~ 1d in rtr
The two shf"inH &it1.1at H et the top of th• a,...t T*"'P.. of Te~htftf.an ~
17

The drudgery of dolt, cl\oros w .. reUeved through b&N~pl'-'"flnog ol'tCI

dancing, aett\lttles which emphasaU'CI sw•tt mOOtement •nd

ooordl:na:tloil'l.. E~an artist Christoph Weldhi aketohod these two Aztec p&ayen volleying •

&Ofid rubber baH w.rhout ~Nne it with their h.anck. COf'tM had btought them from Me•ieo to

present to Chartu V In 1528. (Author's lltustratlon from W•klitz•

l ' n._ILit·,tiouabh. ~ft:soamerica'~ most ancien I wc:otpou v.·as lhc.· spear toge1her ,,.Hh the- spear thrower or atlatl. Jt now .tppc.•ttJ"S lJtdl Ute.· Clovis ,ulatl 'f>t";u''f>Hinl tr.uiitjon of Pak(')o-fncHan timC'~ w:l-. <\C"tn:'llh introduced 1,\ Solutri.m peo1Jic:;o, eng-Jgt:d in coastal umi,tL hunting tor \\·aJ•·us and \\hale ht-1\\t"t"ll nntlht"J n Spain pear rhrm\"f"r< nn l:mrl wa.; 1har rh~· allu\o\c.."tl (.UtJJduMtt·d ~tuup'!l of lumlc..T~ to humc..h u.:pc.·-.,u.·d debilitating auacl..' a.g.lin,tl.tq.~e ueatUJe~ lil..e bi.~u and m
to eng.tge lh~m ph,sically. Aztec spear lhrO\vers ranged m mples are about th·o feet (0.6 lm) in lcnl(th. The thrower ""'' ~rMpNI lw tOrn~ of' :'H 'I'I"' ~~ r~ngth ~lnnf'. M~··~ \H'W "'·'Ku iru c:ndy r:o-n vt~t..l ! ttJJJJ l•
om:mwnwl rlt-signc;. St-•-pentc;; were ~spec-ially Hwoted and e ndowed the in~1nnn<·m "~1h lht· l-ipiritua.l qualirks of a li,ing hc-ing: a.nri so thC'y arf" I:!Qillelime) Oe:>4.r ibc:U in legends. De-:>IJilt' ib \\'ic.Je:tiJJ c:~tU uM: b). t11c TH)Jihu:tr.1nM, \fixtff-.. 7.aporH"s, <1nci \fa\-a, rht"rt" i\. vmw rle"b:ne a~ to hem mufh the.· a\IHt> \\t":li"M'ln. h ic;; llt'll:rthlt- rhf'•t·fm•· rh;H 1t ~'1-'Vt-"~U') mwt

trequrndv in the hands oL\ztec gods.

18

Cluh:-. ancl ax<·;~~ \\'<·n· wirlcly crnploynL Roundht·acl rlnh'li callr:rl ntauholo11i '"eJ c: t:~u \t:tl uf hard wooU. lite\' were t~tirh t:.t~v to produce ilnrl Wt"ff" t-~rH••rially ravorf>d by the Hua'Xtf·('.~. Tfttasc,ws aw.l oLlu:1 tC.H·ciyu pc.:opk~. llal'ir inL<:nl \\'<.tS lO knu<:k a mau lllt<'Oil!'cimt~ until he co uld h~,· hr'>~·tied up and moved to the r·ear t..•( tht' liut'. A.x~s wt-re proh.lhly a,li o ld a~ th(, ~pe;lr rht·owt>r. ( ltiliwrinn in rh.,.it· origi n, they appcat i11 c~u h OluK·c arL Ualiug; LO 1000 tiC a~ w;;u· impkm<·uc:-~ in t.hc hand~ of l)aramount chiefs. A.xes \ti ;l J')t'ft111 t r,( ;:~ wooden hancfh·. 1 ht:M' hc.·o.l\' l\'l'apons appear tO ha\'C )}('pn 11-.;.('fl in t"
By f- ;.lrmit>-o;. o f rommonf"ro;. a~ quickly and elllciently as possible. During the Co nquest, o ne Spaniard cieo.;(·.rihed sc:dng '"an ludian fighting <:t gainsl a wouut.t:c..l mau . am.l llu:: Indian gave the hOI'<;(' of hi~ :mragonit;f, snrh;.} h low in tlw hrPas• rh:.u ht> opened it to the enu·aiJs. and it fell dead o n the spot. And tJ1e same day I saw anoth €'r Indian brivc: anoth e r l1orsc a b low 1.0 the neck tJ1at :,lH~Lc.: heU it out dt·~td al his fc:t:t." l'torn .~nch ::.ccoun1~ WP lt":ll'n rha r rhP nlarnahnlrl had liLLie other purpose than to severely maim if not. actually dismember the <~nemy. T he Azi.('CS also c:mplo}·(:d a doscly rdat.cU \H.:apou <.:allc(l a t.epoztopilli as a halbetd. These were carved fro m wood and fehaped head fined with a row or obsidian blade< much like dtc:" Hli.\t.~uahui ll. TI'e}' \'-;tr of rh e- line- tmci ~hove or jah rhe v..·eotpo n , haras~ing th e enemy ffom a safe di.St.l.nce while t.he more exper ie n ced w;:w1·io1'" fough 1 iu ltaml-t<.rltaud cumUat. at the front. of the line. T he i\7.tec.s rlid not haw~ so m ud l of a Stone Agr cullun' a.-; a u obsidian <:ulturc. Obsidian is a volcani<: glass fOrmed by t h e ,·apid coolin12: and solidification of Lhe silica-l'ich pan s of exLruded lava. Often thick vcut..s of obsid ian ar'e sul~jer1 ro ~rosirtn , .«) lh;tt c.onr.C"ntrarions of rolkrl anci bau~>rerl nodules appear in vast sur Htcc deposit~, Lht· l(irgc:~t o l \.;hic:h wen~ located arounU T ulancingo, 05 miles ( J05km) n onh-east. of Tcnochtjthm. Eas.iJy LJ··anspol'ted back t.o the (i(y. t he nod u l<"" \.;ere 1'edncerl 10 "rores" in rhf" mark~t pJ:l(:e~ and di~trihtHcd to hundreds o f c:raft spcdalists who manul~u.:lU rcd al'row point.s. knife blades, spear heads, and thousands of micro-blades usee! horh for 111ilirarian and milicary p111·pow~. Obsidian is a disposable LechnoJogy, the antithesis of

,,;m

CodoA McndOzb was commissk>ned bV New Spain's fir~.t viceroy for presentadon to Char1e6 \t It eventuaHy tell Into French hands. possibly through pirates, ~nd now I"'!'SSdes at the University of OXford. tt includes an excellent pictorial acooont of the lives of sddiers. Here a high ranker i5 shown marching with a Shlck:t omamcnted wtlh f~thet's and a point:tod war SUCk e,.led 8 huitloctl'i. He Is escorted by 8 youth of the telpoehc8111 carrying food and suppiJes for the two as ~~ as his own weapons in a huvy woven basket. The third sold~r I& armed with a teportopilli, something like a halberd. He carries a cacaxtfi, or carrying frame. to which arc bound additional $\lppfte$ together with o.')nC for m..'lklng arrow $h3ft:$. {Author~ utustratkln from Code• Mendo.zs}

19

An axe head cast in &Oiid copper. (PTivate c:olled:ion)

20

exp<'usivf" anrl lnbor intensive iruu or Sl<'d. An obsidian worker can prod uc.e a blade in a maltcr of sc..:(:<.HHls, usc it unril ir becomes dull or broken, and then ~imply strike a JIC\.,. blatk to rt'fit a weapon under vinuaUy an},. kind of field conditions iududiug (;om hat ibwlf. ThC' uovd weaponry rleveloped b_v the Azwcs fost( -rt:tl a neC"d for e()Ure- genel'ally about 30 iw.:hc~ (7tkm) in diamcrer. The ~;rrongest wert· constYucred of firehardPn~d cane or wooden rods interwoven with hei.l\')' c.:oltou. The},. were fnrth('r de.ronned with a lower friugc of fc~uher, lt-arher. or cloth strips to provide additional prorPction co lhe legs. Others were com posed of solid wood somC'timcs slu.:at.h<~rl in copper. Shields ~\·tTc lavish ly p:tinrefl or ornan1ented wiLh fe::aLhc.:rwork in a \...;rte variety of hlTaldic designs thar d<·mon~n·ar.Pd rh<"" prowess of Llil' uwuc.:r, the mnst. popular being the xicalcoliultqui ;_utd n .tCX}10 designs. There were variou.~ forms of hearl proteccion al)d even the stanrlani war rior'(, h airstyle O l' (emilotl formed by g:.uJH~ ring ttp rhe hai.t' ofllt<.: lop of the head w t<>nn a hroaci top-knot, would liaVL· impcdcci any direct hlmo; ro the skull cousidt•t«Uly. Protc.:<:dvc caps or hats '"'ere also worn "'' ith certain f(>rms of battle dress. Elite w<.trriors anrl fielfl con'llll()Uth;r~ comn1only wore hdrnc:t~ of hard wood carved in lite form of a ll sons of fancllttl c.reatutt's iudutli ttg jag:ttars, eagles, pt,nots, rnonkcys. wolves. and n>yotes. Tlu~y were consu·uctc:d in such a ,.,'riY that lltey tul.;.-tlly enveloped the hcarl. somPthing like au American foothaH hf"hnPt, aJ}O\"'ing lite: fat:t: to prolnHie t hrough rhe opening iu the IH;raldic par ron '!> month lO unpl)· tltalth<: man wa.~ essen dally one witlt his anirmtl c.:ouuu:rpart in religious belief. ~eatly all soldic:rs wore armor jnckeb o! couon quihjug <:
The author's reconstructlon of a

hetty tfve·toot (1 .52m) long vergion of the macuahultl. The weapon was secured to the wrist with a &Jip knot. The effectiveness of the sword waa. dependent upon razor sharp blades of obsidian struck from the platform of a prepared core.

dosed Se\..~n mnic made of colt.on ornanwnrert wil11 animal :;kin u 1 te:nhe-r~. ThP. ehuad \Vas aho distiugubhcd by a skirr of !rather OJ' doth :;u·ip~ aud fcaLhers thar protected the thighs. Aztec emperors wen"' known to have favorc:d an chuatl of red spoonbill ft'atl1cr.s \vhL·u tJu·y personall} took to ll1L' field. Ann a11d \~tTisl hancis a~ we-ll :.1-; g1·t-a\'e$ of wood, hark, :.m
DRESS AND DISTINCTION \'\''hen Cuauhtli jf>ined lhe hauk line at Atlixco, hr must han· b<:"en h('wilrlcr('r) hy rhe '-h<"'l?-1' var·iety of IJatOc:d.rc..·ss. I Je would soon lea1 n th a t tlu:sc riwaJ g;anue::nt'i :1<:mally composed {he basi:; fur a sophistinu cci system of uniforn1 disliHnious. In most r.u1mrrs, unif<'wms ~we: uS<"d to diff(~rc~ntiat~ n n irs, hut in the Aztec army, uniforms served to ditf(·rctitiatc men , ..;r.h different levels of tnilitarr cxp-crictHT within rh C' same unit. Ncarlr cvcr~·mtc in ~t xiq11ipilli or rPgimf'nl was clost·ly rd~tu:d because troops \•icrc recruited within thf" same calvulli uc._·ighlx>J hood. Cnit. mom I<"' i1nd mutu:~l re:spousiUiliLics were thcrcl0r<' de pendt"lll 011 family tics anci it wa.~; the S\V'OI'I1 <'hll.'}' Of the Veteraus to look OUt for the t'eCt'uits. ThC' display of their lavish un ifOrms mu;,t have Uct·n a u·cmcn dous symbol of pfid~ and c1u.:ouragt:mcnt m the yon1h10 whn fought alongside th t:rn. \·\·1H~n Cwm hrli joined the ~-u·my. he had little rno1·e than a breech clout t'aJlcd a maxtlatl, sandals. and a ;,horL cape Iha t his mother had woven for him. Ilc \•las lat<:r taught from a pi<"10g1·aphu: book hy h is u~;tc:her~ whar each \Inifonu was <:a11t:d, how it was c.:mtstructcd, and \\:hat it. signi fierl. Rank disti.nctious in unitbrrn bcn.\>'ccn warrio1·~ depe nded upou how many r.apt.ives each individual had takeu. A solrlif:'r rrainf>d in the tdpoc.hcalli who h;1d r.apmrt:d tl'iO of the ew:my was cJttiLkd m wettr rhe t·ucxlt·c:atJ, a u·oph~· unifbrm derived from the militaq1 dress o f th t.. Htmxtecs in comrnemoralion of tJu:ir ddCat. under rvJott>nlllZoma J. Tht! outfit t:onsist.crl of a right·fitring body $uil caHet..l a t.lahuiLLii, thai wa~ woven of collon and to wh ich were sewn red. yeiiO\\'. b lue. or ~rrt>t~n feathers. A conical hat in matt:hing c:olor was worn a~ well. A soldkr wh o suthP.r with a back ornament shaped as a bultt'rily. ;\ so1di('r who succeeded in capturing four of dtt t llt:my \,:;L'i awarrlnl a

21

jagmu suil and helmet. and those who capntrNl fh'(• of Lhc l'Ht.·my wen..· aw;a rriNi a gn't'll f(·athC'r dahuiJ.Lii aJ uJ a hack untamcut t..:allcc.l thc xuvilli or "claw·. Auumplish~u ><.>lui~I'> -.ho decided to b<"come "life,.· wPrP. giv<"n ·' dmkc ju p1omotiou to a command po'ition. or tt(llbre, to a uoop or ('Uahrhii'JIH\ rh~ -~w-~rkf'....... of the Ancc· IIIIJX'rial army. Tht> prir't' of the c-.t.lnR·cac '"·en: siluilarl\< n.·\,,u"
ro rhc·ir dmit·~ .n the temple~ priest.s ''ere S\\.Ol n tO po\tort\' and required to \\e(u Ol 'irolli, :t ~implf' unarlornnl rononjarkrr •hat th·d .at the- ITont. On rht> h.tttlt•ticld the\' '"ere rewcu-dcd ''ith gatmc:nb th.-u were ever} bit Ia'''" ,,, the ...u' io1~ of the telpochcalli. Those \\ho hacl captured two of the ent·rn~ ,,·ere aw·arded a whir.e rlahni1fli and a h.tc·k ornamc.:nt~ in re{l1iry thf' ri 111:11 .o~t:1ff of t.hc goddess · n~uolu:otl. ' I'h1•.:c c~tptivt·~ e<:u·ned 00(' th<· righ1 IU wear a gn.:cn Llahuit.tli and a pam iLl 01 flag J.minted With n·ct aud white :,tripes topped by a panache of p1·icele!i!i g reen qnet7tll feathc:l.S. P1iesl~ who haci rapn1rc"'ci four of t h <' trH:my W('ft; m"·arcl<.:d a CllP'eiet\". B) the l.lth n•nmn tht.· ~itiuu hac.l bct-omc tantamount to ~mperor. ~In\~ tht.· thtt~tni \\il\ a rlas..c;;: of pP.rty king5 or print'P\ r.lllt~d tetecuhtin ( tt'"cuhcli. sing.) ri.r.J.wn from the pipit tin (pilli, :o~ing.) m loa c.l~. I Iowt'\'C:J, amhirirmti rommom·r,.; <:ailed macehualtin (macehual. sing.) could attain priucdy totuk LluouKh (tdtit:\'ement in warfare if lht"\ ~un.·hefl. Thi~ wa.~ acrompli;;ht>ci hy promotion t hroug h a s<:tic:s c•fnllin·r l':utk.'t ofwl1kh we know 1hr I'Hli'IW'\ o r at. least 10. in addition lhcrc "•'C'J'C four conunanding ofticcr-. (tloulJtk~~ murt:" •e~ll'icted lO t he pipiltin ) Nl.ll(>d lht: llac:uecatl, 1h~ rl;arnrhralr;l11 1 rhc: huitznahuatJ, aud the lit:t>q·H IIlt(tt:t-~. LI . fhusc who wen: pt'OIIIOtt.·(j to the: raul. of captail'l and highr1• wrrt :~warded l:wish uniforms equal lO their high status, the mo~r rlistit1C'1i\'C' <'1<-'ment being the largt> fe-;uh~r hark omanwnrs lhat emthlc·clllt<·m tu OC ca!>.il} seen lJ) lhrir mt•n ·" ''""' W
'L'

22

By far the three moat common shields awarded to Arlee soldiers were the c ueJf10 de•lgn {right). a cue.yo wartent foeturint

water crescent pietc.g,.,ln (leftt and the lduJcolluhQul or grcce GN;ign (~•4 ~ ilrustration from Code• MMdoa)

~1ou:(;uhLm,,a Itad sc.:n'<'cl tts T lacochcakad before they were pi'OmOled w hucy rlaroani. The nn itOr rn includ ed a frightt·uiug hdmL'L th <.-tl. n:pn:scnrc:d <-t lziu.imi tl o r demon t hm \\~' hP.Iie-ved to lake vicious rcvc:nge o n all enemies. \\~tell no( weariug 1h dr hartlt>'flt>'l"rs :.md offirf>r:c;. ;dik(' W('I'(' als(.l (.'lltillt.•d to wear a distinctive cloak called a tilmadi. The cap<:s ranged in size: from four to six ft"t"f ( 1.22-1.83m) in lf'ngth and wert' n.•-,touJaril)' Lit'tl at the righr .shoulder and allowed to f.1l1 loo::-ely over the body. Like the mili~ary unifhrms t.hcmsdve's the rihn~tli wt~s orn:unenled in suc:h a way that soldiers could be re<:ogn h:erl fOr their nccompli:)}uucul.\ t.ltroughout the dty: fhr cxampk, a con11none-r who had captured one of Lht' t•nc:my was av.tttrded a t.ilmatli ornamenff'd with f}(w;er~, t.wo GtplivL·.s earned the rigltr to wear a rilmarli dye-d orange with a su·iped border. Cons.eque nrly. £he higher he Cldvanced in rank, th~ morL' elaborate a Lilru~tl,li he was entitled to wear. The richc·st were woven, dyc:rl, hand painted, and embroidered \•.:it h ..;o much auenLion to det.ail tltat Europeans c:omparerl thf'm to th(.' tinl'sl garrm~ nt...; c>f ~ilk. As Cuaultlli sw od anxion~Jy in rhe line, he was con~cious o f a towering o~je-ct. moving through t he c:rowrl of troops to his right J lc soon re<.ogni7ed it as the emblem of an old war ctptain named Ocelotl. Ot:clotl moved out fi·o m rhe ra nks and l\u·ned to address th(' h'ClOps:

"In the \•tords of Lhc.: legendary Tlac:aelel, J wish to givl· more c:onrage to rhose of strong lwan aud embolden tho'e who are weak. KH ow now rhm l he Emperor has willed that the golden gadands. the: fcalhcrwork. lahr~ts, ea rring~. aauUaud~~ \•/capons. shields, insignia, rich cloaks. auU bn:ec.:hdot.hs art- nor ro he purdtased iu dtc mark~t hy hraw~ men. O ut' sovcrdgn ddivc:~ t hem personally as payment fo r memorable deeds. Cpon n:rttrning thm1 the war each of you will recdvc rewards ;1er.o rdi ng l O his Tltc.~rits so thar you nm display proof of your wm·Lh to your farnillc:s aud your g ods. If any of }:ou s.hould think to latet ' borrc.)\•.:' snc.h g lory, remember that. the only reward rhar awaics >10u b c.:xc:cnr.ion . So flg ht on, me-n, and earn your wealth anrl repum{ion I ten~ at l.ltis rni li wry marke. tpl7~r-e~ ..(3) The <:omparison to a market place \v·a.s more than meraphorkal. Cuauhtli knew that in ~mrie.nr societies, •nud1 likt' tlte Mixrc:r.s anc1 Zt~pQ(ecs o f hi) own tiuw, Lhe proc.hH:t.ion anc1 r.onsumption of luxury goods in cotton anci if-at hers w~1s restl'iCled to the: c..·Hte. Commoners like himself were (•vc·n forbidden to wear jewelry. Royal wontL:u were the principnl craft producers aud so the kinbrs sought to rnany maO}' wives uot o nly h<'GlllSC' they r.on1rl fru"g"e ne\ot· alliaun~s Uut be<:ause they c.ould tndc:h them~t·lvL'S br exchanging their nnisdc cretHion~ through dowry, bride,...·eah.h, auc.J oUter gift-ghing nct\\•orks. Considel'ing that ._, king mig ht marry as marry as 20 Limes. each palace c:onk1 produce luxw y

A shield bearing the feather euexyo Cklsl-gn lllust,.atlng strips of !-&ather added to the lower rim to prote<:t the l&g&. This shield was reconstructed following the dlmenslon.s of tho tow .survNing examples at 27.5 Inches (70cm). Slgnfflcantty tho proportion of these shields to the human body was then found to be l3rg• r than what is portrayed In C«/e)( Mendon. Tlle feather dotlgn

was created using an adt.Hivc, originally Oerived from plants of the orchid family. (Author's rcconstn.l-ction)

go<.Hh lo Uc measured iu ron nng.,. Ry !\.0 1200. roy>~I

palaces

throughout the

(:cnrr..tl anrl

~out.h e rn

high

Jautl.-, bcgau to cnt:;ag:c in

fiercely competitive reciprocity sysrem.s in order to c:ultaucc their position iu allian<'f" nerworb. \·fany would be quick to pcn;civc that the greatt;r a royal how:.e';e; ahiliry ro ncquire exotk matedals and to r:raft th<.:m iuto exquisite jc:wds,

textiles, and featherwofk. bener marriages it

the

fOH ici nf"gmiare. The hener marriagl'S it could ncgo(i(He. the higher t he rank a royal house. r:onlci ac:hi~ve \.,.·ithin a coufcdc~u:y and in mrn rhe heue f acce.s.s it wo1 tid have t.o more exm.ir: materials. merchants, and c:rafts people. (n

promoted

short~

rovn.l mardages

~rndicat~~-

The A7tec str(ltegy through military conquest was to subvert dH! htxt try <'C.onomics of for~ig n scare~ by forcing them to ptod u<.:t goo<.hi for thdr own uuiT·c served as g raphk proof o f rhe- kind of rrm;hing tribu te demands the i\.ztec etnpi.re c."ould inflict as M::ll. SurviviJ,g· n:<:ords tdl u~ thar no ffo\;,·er rhan .~o.oon r:lo;1ks a month were sent by th e.· conquered pl'ovinccs to 'lCnochtitlau. The prospc<:t of being f(nc:eci co subven their anlslic skills to Lhe pl'oduction of military uuifo nns that were rhf'n redistrihttrt"rl f(t an ever rnon:· g lory-hungry army· of pdw.:es awl <:OHHnoncl~ alike must have been a tl·ighu;ning propositio n if not an

O\lU'ight insult to those who would challeng-e tloc e rn pin:. As Cuauhtli pondeoed the wou.b of the old capL
24

refuge of tJ\Cif comrades. T heir in~ull'i had gotten t he ~nrmy so angry that their first HUlk had fonunl tl1em:,dvt:s up inLO a flyiug wedge ro rry ro sma.o;h t hrough the Azrer: hart.le-line-. Cuanhtli W::l~ nei'\'OUS but felt P '' t l ty su,·e o f hi rns,elf slandiu~, uc>..t to out: o f hb c.:ousius. a burly veteran wearing an impressive green feather ocomi suit. The young soldier he had hcen assigned t.o serv<' was "isihly shaken though . Hf' ronld see the beaU~ r)[ swt'al ou tht: Uad •. of his pIS heading right for him. I k

A holmet of carved hard wood, b"lllantly painted to repre&ent a ferocious Jaguar. This ex.ampte is executed In a traditional style of Mexk:.t,~n wood earving directly dertved from Pre-Col~.tmbian antecedents. (Author"$ reconstJUCtlon)

d uS4.:d hh c.·yt·~, gdtt.t·...l his lt't:Lh, « 11d secured t he tepoJ(opilli against h is

chest. Seconds l~uer it feh as il

t'V<'r}'

horw in his hociy w~1..; :o~h~ttrc·ring

fro m lh ~ imparr a.c. thr T laxrahc·r.l rlro\'C' t h <•msc;I\'('S t h roug-h t he line. Cua ultt.H o pc u ct.l hb q L'S wic..lc only tv find laiua~c.·lf slat inK irnu Lhc fact: oJ the: young soldt<·a m fr<•nt of him. c;;rreaming ~..; ht- was draggt>rl bacl..-wards b} the hair into the enem~· S\ofarm. Cunuhtli struggled tOr·ward to hf"lp hi~ romrack halt ")nn fcHmc l hllu~c.·lf:HuTmmdcd. Tic in.slim.:Li\·dy S\"·ung t.hc butt. ol hb wc~cvou .uuuud .uad "'ll'l~'twd onr Tl(l'ntrnp rho.,. 100 late to Oee ro.· rh~ir lin"~. Thrn olcl CKdnll ( ,tlh-d 10 llu· IIIt'll al the.· htKk uf the linr: ·o,·rr hen· ... Cuauhlli', !_(Ol hi> fir>t captl\c:· I \\0 IOUlllS <"Spe<'Jall\' a~sib'll<:d t.u tl1c ool.. imHK"tli,ttc:h hUll ic<.l f01 ,,-a,J d with 1ope), hog-tied Llle da.OPn mllar O\'er h is ne(k, anrl rlraggt·rl him tu d1e n·.tr of dlC: liuc. Cuauht.Ji had made h i!<. tirs.Lcapture aml HUW lac: wuuld :tLand wiLIJ tlu: \'clc:Ji.-Ub tlLU iug tlu: corning festh'<'l or T la('ClXIJ)Phllalinli ;HHi r~r~ivf' 1ht• flowc.. r rloak of a t rue W
In addJtion to dtstinetiont In

rttual dress.. warriors were enttt1ed to wea~r their 1\a:•r In styt.M appropriate to thM rank. The solcUe-r on the len is .,..,..no the more typical top-knot temUotl-style. The euehcNc on

the right has s haved his he.c:l t o form a central crest with

two

$ide tufts. {A.vthor*s lllua.tretionl

CAMPAIGN AND SUPPLY ln 1505. Cuauhtli was singing a song dcdi<:ated ro (he new ernperor, .M otec.uhzoma XocoyoL:du. Logc£her \"ilh Lhc other soltli~ro,;, around a

c·ampfire in front of their tents and awnings of wovc.:n

gm~s

mars. Arter

making his fhurth <:apmre h~ wa~ pro11d w have earnt·d tlu.· right w wc.:ar the nacatmiuqui, a Lhu.:k and ydJow doak with a rerl ornamenlal border. I .ife h:;ui been good evel' since his first battlctield experience iu tht: Atlixco Flower \,Var. \.Vhe.n he had llllHt<.l 21 Lhc previous llHHHh, Cuaul1t..li lm.U sl
ha.ve organited such au army.

A simple cotton quilted armor jacket was the most basic warrior garment. Worn under the tlahuiztli or the ehuatl, it gave a soklier a formidably stout appearance. (Author's reconstruction)

Although many scholar10 f"JUPsrinn l hf' sil'.r:' ot Al'lt'C ~nudes described in Spanbh Colonial historic:al acc:onnrs, the fac.t wns that such large armies were indeed feasible if lhr no other n :a...;on rhan thP. fan chal tlle Altcc.:s (:ould amass food and resoul'ces unmatched by any other civilization in the world. \\'c a.•isume that the inerptalities bttwc.:cu ruk-rs nnd f'Uied. a touc.litiou of aJil·arly civili:Lations. first. cic:vdoped with the c:onsoliciat.ion of social power by ancient tribal ''big men··: 1he:o:.e dominated socic~· by coordinating agric:u ltnrallabo1 aud supcnbing Lhc ~iloragl· t-uHl rcdi.slribution of c:rop surpluses, that insured group survival against drought. A plant ancestor maize caJJ~d teosinte may have iir~L bt::t::ll uurturc-ci in the \o\tJlci hy prehi .~>toric shamans as '·mcdic:iHe·· in the

or

treatment of disease as early as 5000 BC.

26

F.ventually human sdtc.:tion ctu:ouragc:d the planr 1.0 evolve inr.o a ~npple mencary feasting foud enl)JJoyt"d Ur iudividuals set! king to en hance t11eir social status as paramount chiefs. (;rains of inc:ipicnr maizf>', for example. \litre too small lo <.:oitstit.utc a staple. Jn~f.f"ad it was prohal>l}: consumed as atoll-, an intoxic:at.ing brew that continues to be used as a celebratory drink throughout rural .M exico today. Ouc.:e dOml'slkatL·d f(>ods had hee.n e'ta hlished as .;;raples, however. they b~c::ame available to any Prc-(.:Olumhian population Ullerc:actl i11 sltifdng ftotu huuliug awl f(>r.tbring to agrir.nhm'f' and sc.:rlenrary life.. Pre-Columbian agricultut·t:: allm-.·cd societies to inc:rcase t heir popuhuiou~ LUl this iu tutu t..Ttttlc.;c.l a dcma.ud for rnon.. intP.nsivec:ulriv:uion. The Aztecs met lil(• <.:ha1lcngc by developing a ,.;ide variety of agrkulll,ra1 tech 11iquc:s: frwn con ...;tnu:ring rerraces on momHain sjcles to di~ing hundreds of rniles of canals and even creating arlifidal wetlands. M~ite

"-•b th~ Pquil-alcnt to "he-at in Europe or rice in Ac;ia. \\'hat mac.k tht\fc1\C.Mnu..·rkau c.fir-1 ~ .;p«>cwcuJarly rkh in protein. ho,-.C'\er. W'l\\ the stc.ld) diet of mai:zt.· tu~c:lhc• with beans and )(luash, ne.arly pn~duding thf· nPP.rl for meat.

'l'hl· ouly d cn'l'l~~:,rinuc•rl.mimals the Ancr.:ot rclic:d uu were the rlog and d1c turkey. On<:c Lhc lidds horl heen plantcu. the crop• naturally lu red elect and prr.cary (wild pigs) out of U~e· wild that. hunters could kill th(...mimals on the ~;,pot or capture them and l..cqJ Lhe;.·m at h(un~ In u:llu:ru1g In ~rling a nrl nunuriltX ~l.uw, in •u·arUy gardens. Mt•n "P<'Jtl most of their dnH.: l<'borin~ in rhf' tidfl.~. 1'\uwhcl'e in the world was " ) mnch c:n<:rg)• in ve;:::.ott:d j_n domcstic~uing plan r~ flnci , ....(: owe a debt o r grathudc lO the M'lt'iPnf AZI.<'<:S fm nc::Hill~ what wvuld e'\'C"nntalh b<·lumt' the staple~ of our O\in rlinnrr 1ahk\: an<. "''uash, tomatOf>l< """ a host uf oth~r IOO
co"""""'

SahagUn's Prl,.,.,. M.-lnorUIH depicts 411n Aztec ~lain weerint 411n tohUJtl o.- tunic of feetnera ••wn to • cotton becking. Although te•the,. c•Ninty employed to ornemont thO sk.irt tor ritual dress, tho Author'S

w.,..

reconstruction fnturee heavy leather atriJ)II more conduc.M 1o battlefield condftk>ne..

27

Tt.e hfgtHMt porcontago of warrior outrltl dOI'nllnded by the Aztec empl,.. In tribute wore the

Hu..tec end Pouar styto unlfonna. Note tho vnrinnt of tho

Huaxtec ~met complete wrth false wig end eplndl• whorl$ d~orattd wtth un·tpun cotton

eommemor1tlng • t•rtlllty ooctde.u c.aiiH TSnolteotl. CAuthon ' Uuttration from Codu M
28

ec:onomles o f aJli<'d n:nio u~ a~ possihlf". Any sedous dcva.~t.lli() l1 hy .111 army 1.0 crop~; or the men and women whn grt>\~ du: •11 w<:t~ tu Uc a\'oidl'd under all drcumst:u•H·f>~. Cllliuhtli 's falhcr 111ight h:n:e h een a ('1'0-Jil.'ml.Ul hu1 he was l'X)JCl'Lc U 1u pnl in his ~:.hal'e of labo r in the calpuJii'~ communtll fie ld14 as wc:ll. O ucc the ha r ve st w~ ac.:apcd in Ortulwr, rlw m~ti:t.c: was hu!"kt"fl. d 1ied. ;Jntl g 1uuml in the famil y fn m pe)und with ma n os and mctatc:, of 'ltuw. T hf> pulverized mea.l was t hen mt,i,tc.·nc.·d "'-ith water. shaped in 'ix·inch ( 15cm ) round flat cale~. auU to.t."'ll'd un a hot. flat ceramic:: rli,..k. \\'ith the OllM:l of the \\~..tr p<·~ ;md other season inK~ a..' wt'I),,,, Jf'rl\ of dri<·d •cniwm , ~ccan, and tu• L<-v, all lmingly pac ked mto ,, l.trge basket to lx: t.:a 1rit·d h, llw IPl pochcaW boy "ho would ~rvC" \.uauhtli chui ng the comin~ camp:tib'lL rh€'n Cuauhili's family wit hdrt"'"" 1n ' t>t.•nrl fimr clays fasting and pra' ing w th e goci'> fo r hi~ "a ret~· Latt·r his fa th("l would makt: rlilily rC'n ilf'rUial u fft:rings Ur dr..twing h lood wilh lhUI II"i frorn h i' wngt~t·. t•aJ'~, ~•nu"i, anci lt-g~ to insure dral. t h e god" hHHrght h is son home ~afely the- fullo wiug o,;pring. Dur·ing lire £i1 sL lo UI:{..(Lisranr e rnmpaigns, the Triple Allinn• t,; lr~ td tu rely on portf' r" ('::tiled tl;ttut.·wch(lue r.o u-anspoJ t tire bulk o f chr provbious a nrl t>fl_Hipm t>nl. 'lu ft·wc r than 1()0,000 h tul (t('COmp.tnicd [hi'" troops tha Lalt.:..Kkl'd Coix rl:l hu:ara in J458 with each carr)'inK d~ ru ulll ~'' 50 pound~ in mau~·riC'I. L•uer. a~ tOre.ign kingdo m~ thruughuut ~u uhrrn and eastern :\l t''-iro ~\cu.· ;uLju~atcd, 1ht' ~m pire required th.u tht..\ JUaiJlt.aiJI JXTIIIdllt' lll .'
had litl.le u·oublc lll.lintaining annie~ in thE" hundreds or thvu.,aud~ iu the (jeld r(H }t\'U ') at 41 timt: if m.:cU l.x.:. The ~·1cxin.t :..Hill} \\·1'~ rnnhili7erl on tht> h~l''ii-.. nf uni1~ of R,OOO men called XJqulplllJ dr-J\\1l h·nm €"ach or the 20 calpulli nt lt>nMhritlan. After each xiqulpilli hm.l I.M;.._•n mubilin·d Llu: hut:) tldlVdHi dntl J.j, aclvi!oo<)rs had tn clc-tt>nnint" tun" to lll&\t effecli,·eh mme u 0111 of the cilY. The solution wil' 10
in the m~·wch on I unuepec wo uld have nccc~sit:ued 1he need lO desig nnte ditl'e retll departure days fbt cadt xittuipilli. Cunsickring 1h~11 tit<: T c nod 11 ithm a nny Will\ t h en joine ci hy an army t tl :~IIi~ ·~ in t:<: ~uggc~t~ thnt the Aztecs ~ere I'Chin~ on \uuu·thing n'SC.·mhling tlw "'Corp~ d 'Armf.e"' ~mplo\-f"cl in IRt~'lnd J9th rlhirlt>rl

into selt sut1iot-nt hnclit"-. of uoo~ that fllO\t'd t"' IJUI.))t' ~tiVII!) )Cpantte btu paralld IOUlf..'') IO\\'£ttt1 a pn.--dct.cnninc:d dc~ljnatinn . Tht- l:\Ciical a_~cmmptinn \\'";~ that t-ach corps would be large enouJ,th 10 pin rl~,, an}' OJ.>po~illt.t .tnm dl,t1 go1 in its way untjl it t.vulU lJoL· jninecl hr annrhn \\1,en an enemy had b<'<'n fh Jh r

,.rom tett t o n yhl "'"' yn uloml rank &ult w;ul UM:t • uvilli ut "claw.. back device. a ttAMtoefttl e~uttn wi th the qua.~.04oU back dewice, end a U.COC:hutc.aU

cap tain'S

captain's outfit w ith • tttt.dmh.l demon helmet. ~ ilhn t ration from c:.o.... Mendo.r•)

e u gttgc:tl, tltc l.W p s t.tHIIIII-

ander WO\Jid set'ld I'Uiln('rs o nt ro alrrt rh<- r("C\t of the aJ mv wltu d tt'll t•tulca\·on·rl lO ~u t i\'t" at tltt; 't'Cilt: uJ hatrlt- wirhin hour~ and attaclthc c:ucm' ':t t~xpo..'\t·d nank< or r.-ar Sined of "lit;IH inldnln •. any corp' could mon~ fast whf'n lht- 'itu
such massive troup mm·c:menc.'\ wou lrl hm·~ rlepended on ~ body ol well·tnoined ollicers. llow Lht' t·haiu

of t nrnm;mrl

acnmlh· luncuon,,:d rc:maith unknown ho~r:H"I. Tht· h11C'1'

thUO.il111

" '!I(

fhf"

129

comw~mJet-in-chier and often wok a pe··~n~ l rok in fidd combat~ especially cluring· the cady day:; of the empire. Second in command \,~as the Cihum:oatl or Snake \'\:oman. <1 position of parauaown i111poatauce in rh<" priesdwod that ,,,as first attained by the .\'iotccuhzoma'"' younger haJt:brothc:r Tlac;~e-IPI tmd wa..;; suhs4.:4.1ucutly passed on to his son and grandson. The Cihnacoatl was rcspoilo,ible ror govPrning TcnochLidatl ill t h<" ahst"'nn· of the <.:mpcrot, bul could also act as comm~·m dee-in-chief on the battk·fitld ~-- w~ll. Normally the :;upn:me council of fOur cou unaml~::I~> , .. c::re dire(tly responsible fol' the :3rmy rluring carnpaigu. F~rh fulfilled a dillercut aolc:: in terrn~ nl' organizing :;upply line~. planning the routes of march. dcvisi11g hattJcfitld :,tJalegy. cl.J.ld di recting tltc actual attack. There were otlker ranks ecplh"llf':nr to lltos4.: t>f JJtajor, colone:l. c:aprain anJ.H.lllt:t.l h~· rwrrnancllL garri:;ous of •.1\.J:ter. troops. Following the conquest of CoixtJahuaca, the empire had dcvisctl a uumkt of U1gen ious stratc:gies for dh'iding up the <·nnfCxkrades of Eastern Nahtm, Mixl c(:, ;ut4.1 Zapolt:c (i(y-o;.rarc..;. lnit·ial ta<.:tks were fUtll1es:;. U nder rvl o lt'Cuhzorna 1. defea{e-d

30

C
unkC.'mpt and matted with bJood from the penitential offeriniJS they were expected to make by piercing the-ir ears. (Right, author's illustration from Codex Mendoza; center and left, author's reconstru<:tion)

The prieet on the lett httl captured fowr of the en~y and ha.& been ewerded • variant ol the Huaxte4; uniform. The awlrl of white dQta on blac:k aftntlted a celesUal c:on.at..tt:ab
ornament togetMr with e eh'-ld ornamented wtth en Ngfe'a foot. (Authon Illustration fr"Om CodeJC Mendoz:e)

pop u lation~

w..:n: cit lu·r snlc1 in ro sla\'f"f)' or· brut.ally c:xccutc:d hcfon tlw

C:rt>ar Temple of Tcnochlilhm. Tlw In« of valued labor "·" 1lwn n•pi:.Jced by Anec populations who in~timtt-fl new gon·•mnc..·net muddt·cl o n local protOf1'pP<-. Thi .. w.1 .. c..·~.,..·c..ialh· true of Huaxyacac (0<.L'<-'t~• ( :m.) \\hic..h eveu appointed it' uwn l ing. In olhc..·r cdSCs, the .·\ nee' \ou~o:IH tu mainrain local poliuc:,\1 ~\MCm\ hut sub\eJtcd them h~ ,.,plnllllli{ factional diflf-renc~ ,.,illtiu ro).tl familit~. \ '\·,. tf>nd to thmk ul .mcit·na Mexican k.ingdnm' a' 'rahlf• f'IHIII(~ ruled O\'cr by omnipotc:nt \\dllurfl, ,,·ho claimed di\i1w right' to theil Lhatmc' aJtcl marrif'rl man\ tlllll'' tll•l only to expand tJu. . ir a.lliaun• nrrwo•k' btn also to iunvo:s"'e tht'it \H'olllh. This prac.tk r. hO\\e\'(" 1 JJIUdttt'c:cl un spring who. lllOJC..' fu·qm·nlh lh;tn not, disp Uie d t illes inhe ritanct• a ucl he('at11(" embloilc:d in w.trl\ of successio n tha t cli :-~ipal ctl nat i::Liahu;:u:;,tlOr cx:uu p lt• inflir(l tt" that. following Atonal'~ dt:'.ll h , ~~~~ lll'it was a ppo intf':rl from a 1 iv~tl dvu.lsty wh itt" one of Atouar~ \\'1 \'t'' wtt~ appointt'd ta.x collt-rtor. l11 olh\-'1 ct-.c:o,, tho;.;<· desperate enouKh to ''h..'lrgain , .. ith the dt"\'il .. might arnt;\lh· in,ite the Azte(' drm\ iutn llll'll wrritory in order to settle: ._t dbpurt>. On orhe1 Ol«.:a:tion~ tJu: di"irupuon of political insrimtion~ (ould l.M..· hdpt:d along rhrough mnre dnima' mcthCH.b. Among IIH' 1-:..."u·rn Nahua , \ILxtecs. Zapote
or

31

nn·al

m..tni.t~otc..•:r. \\tTl"

o lku

pla111tc..·cl ~l'tlt'trllions in ad,':lnce. Once the A"ecs had t'('U'If'J1U'"rrrl .mv !iinglc ntc'mbt·t uf .1 c..oukc.ic-rdtinn. the hue..') t.latoanj ot •• ranking nnhl~ mighr rlt>m:mrl a marriagt· wilh a local \\oman oi ao~,d blood. Su('h a('t~ not onlv honnrl rhf' Anf'r tf)\,tl lirw to that u f tk dclc.llc<.l !Jut ~l•o disrupted predetermi ned m arri~gr all ia.nrc patterns. "n malt('t' whi<.:II su·ategy was c tuplmcd the goal was lO ('OOiit'IH;l ll\ ('"p
an,· AJ'I('C .11111\ lltatuc:c:dcc.lto ulo\e tbaough lheit ll'rritm' in thr: c.:0\11~ of a campaign. Su f"u thing' hact nm ~noothl\' for Cuautli'' ~iqniptlli . Tlw nwn , .. en: wdJ supplicl Lluough .\t:~ttlan. loatnc.·al~ an ally of Tumrf>Jlf>r. hm Mt'r

>ince the doome aHd .-ebellinn. r.mmhrli SU)()d guard Lhat n ight nervo11sly listening 10 1he

ho\... IS or

(I))'Otc'"~

in the nearby hills. Suddenl):

h t> he;nrl rlw .' iolutd ot tOoLSlt'}J) and ch~·dlenger1 Lhc.: iuu udcr. Cu~u htli recogni7t>d rhe man

and bt:cJ..oned him 10 rw·..t.n1. He was a fc1mou\ rntorrh:tn l who h..td been leading- u-ading expctliLioH) tu the: Pdc.ific coa.s.r for over 20 vrar~:

32

btu hart a rt>puwrion tC:lr hdng a.JIIullg tl1c lx:)t ol firP. ,.\s Cuauhdi trnded to hi.\ ""'ttnd~t hf' twgan to dc..xrilJc: what had takt-n plan· in ' I ulutepc:t.. Motecuhzonta Xocoyor1in ltc.·aHI l1141l lht"" lapirl:trif"(, of rhar dty·srarc· possessed 1:1 specia.l somd with unique.: prop~..·rtll.'\ for pnlilpec: fine doaks. jcwds1 :md pn:dm l\ lc.::.H itcJ work as a gesture- nf goortwill. 1-k lkving the amba~s..1.dors to be spying t(>r an AzLec invasiuu fou.c, Llu: IUJ d of Tutmt>pPr hart 1h(• mt·n·han ts murdtTcd aud thdl' bod ie~ thrown into a riH•r 10 rcmu:al du: C:\idl·ul.·c. This man harl ,..~raped hv f(jigning cit'ath. ~OW 'ful\Uepec Wa\ f,IIJ)' aY."-rf" hlodtt"'d \l.irh rrf'f' lnm"-'· rock,. aut.l

EaiJJe warriora appear In atol\0 &c:ulpture and In tome indigenous Illustration• auch aa the Uenzo de Such unlformt we... rare and appare-ntty they wert ,.......,ed tor • special order of noblea.

TJ••cal•.

£A.~

UluttraHon)

-

Cuextecatl sol dier with tepoz.topllli (AD 1500)

50

f

6

,. ,.

.. .

'

-

A.riK bat11e line CAD 1500)

••

Aztec weaponry and oquipment

61>

The siege of Tenocht1tlan (AD t

br~uTtblcs. pl'otnL~d

The merchant got up. swille(l rh~ l:~st of some hot <':.lrao ami Cuauhtli that he would cast a :-opell over the entul\' in the morning that. would dc.:stroy tJu.:iJ spiJ it tu fight. Cua\th lli took thi.;: t'<"m
seriously. Son:ery was a critical clement in Aztef: warfare. It uaig ln appear w Uc lildt: more than hocus pocus ,,..i1h mt~gtri~n;: performing rituals and making btlrnt offt'ri11gs lu.:fore the ou~cl. of hallie to invoke the gods to punish the erwmy. The darker reality o f their craft tar wid1 US<.' of p lants lik<: o lt:atH h:r

Following 1t'lefr eonftnnatlon as 1•t.euhtln, all Aztec lords were tntftled to wear the royal diadem or lllhult z:olll composed of a mosaic of prieele&& turquoise tenef'&e affixed with adhesive to a wood or leather backing. [Author's reconstruction)

from

\•il ti<'h the}

g t'llt't'ale
FIELD COMBAT 'Vhen t h P A7.r~c :urny arrived at Ttuul.<'p<:c Il l<:}' wert:: confronlrd \... iLh

wh;u appcan:tl to bL' i.UI imp n ·gn;.lble po.:;iuon . T he" Pilnfir ('(I;!SI or Oa.xaca \Vas hot. desolate country overgruwn by an imperH~Lrablc JoreJ'(.>. foolhanh· enough to t r y to swim f()r il. ~·lmccuhzoma had no\" PL'l':,onall> taken charge of the otff.:nsh·c. Jle imanediately ordered his ofricers to lo(':~te tn·(:s of balsa wood fi'Ofn whi<.h fn build a flotilla of rafts. Brirlgf's tor usf' al 11;:.11'1'0\V~ furt h e r up river WtTe <:oustn.u..:tcd by \\'c.:aviug I'OfJL' u cl.s frum vines a nd roots. ()nee these dcviC<:s \V'L'l'C: complcled tht· Azlt'('s planned a nig h t-lime o ·o!'l!'ling !'!O d1al dtt:)' would h;.:we tht: en Lire army as~embled lx:forc the \~t'aJis ofTututepe-r " t ciayhrf'ak. Cwmhrli \\~ ts lw lpC'd into his ornale red fea{her tlahni?tJi h~' t.he youth assigned w sen<.' him. lit· sec:urcrl his jagua r hdmcl LO his htad, look. up hi:, macuahuitl. and joinc:d an ;.l dvance assault group ilr th~ riv~r·s cclgc-. The f\ztecs were nor usually <:o ncerned with positional war, or war tor t he posscssiou of a defined battlefield area un less it sen·ed some particular purpo.~P.. Tlu~ir goal w;L;,; m tu;nu·m·ct· tlw ene-my into situa(ions of ent.rapm<'nt and this demanded pC'rftct coordination and timing. The: fin;t unlt:r of lm:;ines.s was LO raise a system of bcmleiield ~iguals. T his was ::.rhiP.\·t:rl hy e~mhlishing a command po"i hcf\,wcn the xittuipilli, a:, \\·Cl'e "'heliographs·' made from polished iron pyrite m irrors. \\~hen t>-ngagi ng in ac:nml comh.-tt~ hmwv<:r, rouuna mlcr~ relied 011 the

43

A steward removes uniforms and weapons from a palace armory and di:&plays them before Motecuhzoma 11. (Author•s illu&tTation from tl\c

Florentine Codex•

44

t:Jtonnous muamculal ~lamlanl:i lUgeLhl'r wj(}, <::om:h ~hell ltoru~ ami rlrmn-.. T.ifring anrl \-v'tl\ing \\~l' thP. principal mP.::tn' of gening the at.t.cnti<>n of the specific unit signified by a particular banner. Variance in Lhc <:adc::m.:e of Lite JJIU:')i<:aJ in:'>lrumcJJL'> din::clt:d Lhc Utlil i11LO acljcul. Fie I< I officer~ watched and li5tened for the messages. Once the.· be.nred it$e-)f. Thre~ts of exrre-rne rort11re and can nibalisrn were nn1sidcrcd t'spct:ialJ~· it1fl;.-umnat.ory. IIostilities generally opened with a mutual barrage:: of arrows, darl..s, and ~liHg bullets at DO >·«I'd~ in an efforl to disn •pt fcnmations. Till· Atll' l-~ e.mployerl bowmen and .slingers from conquered prm~n<:es who <:ould he. deployed as mobile units either at the front of the line to instigate

comba£. after whidt dH;y retired to the rear, or directed to the Hanks to lay dowllltarassiug- firt:. FrOJtt1hlc veteran~ were rdialll 011 their superior armnr an(l heavy, hro;.td shiP.lds rn wirlu.rand rhe- l'.il in of enerny pr~jcctilcs; bnt suflidcnt. injuries were ~oon inflicted among the yonngc~t and mo~t lightly n-ont· (•ngagcmcuts so tltal

they could swing tht'ir deadly W<'aJ><.ms unhindered. Slashing and parr)·i ng with

tJu~

macuahuit.l and shidd
expenditure of energy and so men '>~ere circulated e\'eq 15

miuutc~

iu

order w keep t h e (:enu.~r $tnmg. Otficc.:·r~ kept a shaq> eye our for any wc;tkncss<·s in t.h(; c:nerny's forrnation and dir<:cu:d "flying" rc~crves of vdc:1an~ (o fiH g<~J-1~ among t hei1 own JUt:u ·· lite .-\necs preferr~rl to surround their crH:rnics ;nul enrntp them hy rlouble envelopment.. This tactic: could he dangero us •ts it. nen'!ssirareci cxtcJKiing LIK· flauk~ at the expense of ll)aiJatainint:{ a :;uung <.:L'tltt-r. '1'1 lc

Aztecs off-.set the problem by insuring that they had alv.'
In more traditional Mwoamerican societies like the Mi.x.tccs and Zapotecs, the con sumption of lu~tury 900ds was rc$lrictcd to the eltte who Inherited their rights to rule by divine descent. LeAaer ranking royal women and their chlldmn fulfilled the roles of prtnclpal craft producers and merchanta for their royal palaces. The production c:ap.aeity of a palace 1htreby bocame dependent upon how m•ny women a lord coukf afford to marry and how well each was tralntd In fine ar1. (Autl\or*t illustration)

( Second Wife

LADY

LORD

45

the death ir ther thought their

live~

were at stake.

r\.zlct: coJJJJJlaudcrs Llu.:n ... ..

fore

tried to induce controlled retreats along pn:;O:>t'd lO ta~>· slauglll~r

hy in

46

AbOW. a page from Codex Mcnc/o$ Illustrates the trtbute In gold, jado, tc:rthers, :and mllttJJry uniforms collected Nch year from the principal Mi.x'tOC: kingdoms of Oaxaca. Below, the Fl«enUne C«
reserves adjacent

r.on r.ea Jeri corn ~ticlds,

Lrtu<.:ht.s~ fox-holes~ autl e-ven HIHier pile.:. of loose grass ~md kavt·s. At day break. the Mixtf:l'$ ~wokr. ro find that the Imperia] army had >ucceetled in fot ding the rive-r cinring rhe nighr ~md teams of men were already tearing into the lowt:r tit·fensin· wtdl wiL.h !Jkl<.s. Soon Cnauhtli wns running lH:adlong; up a scaliug platform of bound cane through a breach. One hurl>' 1\·fixLt::<: prince shm au atlatl dan >traight tlHough his shield coming with in in<:hcs of his <:hcst. ( :uauh Lli dccapi La led Lhc man before he could even draw his axe. As t he A7.tecs poured into the c:ity1 they found then-.seh'es emb•·oiled in a vidous .srrc.:<.:t fight. Then just as suddenly the enemy ·was nowhere to be found. \·f os1 appt:an:d to have run off into the hills. Acliug 011 Llu::: aUvi<.:t of dte ml·n:hatll he: had nlel the night he ron~. Cwmhtli rlirt>r.ted hi.o.;. sqn71ci thtough the ball court to where they spotted the f•rnous House of Heaven dedioHed ro rh<'"' \Hxtec: man-god !\'in<: \Vinet. They dashed up the stain:ast: and iuw lltL' tc:mplc: lO seize the god's image and the sacred bundle containing his holy relics. Then they put the thau:h of the r<>of to (he torc:h ro send a signal to f\·1otcnthzmna and Lhc supreme couJKil that tltc city hat! fallen. Driven by the prospen of hoory, the Aztec army had broken inw a disorg-an ized moh hut the vicwry <:dcbraLion was sltoft-livcd. LiLtle did they know Lhat a second Mixle·c army was already re-form ing t~t 7~nother til}' lO the north in hopes of e n drd ing Tumt.epec: t.hem~elves anci u·apping the Anecs within t he lahyrinrh of the .street..,. and houses. Whcu

~1otecuhLoma \•<'as alerted of che drs. Thm night the \·lixtecs sang to the Aztecs in order to let them knO\•l that they wen: aware of Lhdr lllO\'C illt'llL~ dtt:JCIJ}· fntSlfaliug an}· Ch~UK t' o(' a second Sl•I'pl'ise auack. \ ·Vhen ?\·fot~ruh7onla re::.lizeci 1ht~1 thr: only rt>"-01'1 ·was a prolonged siege the tOBov.ing morning, he addressed his men:

"'C:0\11'11geous Ane(;ll., Texror~ms, Tepanecs. anrl a ll 1lw nwn from the pro\inces: there is nothing we can do here but conquer or die. For Lhb rcasou we ha,·c come. Our cucmy sho\v~ valor anti a lJaavc heart an
Sotdlerg captured on the battlefield were immodi.atcly bound by hand and foot. Many were furttHH inca.p tH;:it3tcd with heavy wooden eollat9 through whle.h thre(Hoot (0.91m) long cano$ or woodet'l rood9 were $COurcd wlth attached rings. (Author's Illustration from COde~ Mendoza)

\\~1ile he was speaking. Mixcec o·oops began co form outside the walk Th ~ir joh \•..-tL'i t.o "h it. and nm ·· harassing fmpcrial division'i who attempted to attack the ''aJJs directly and chen just a~ quickly retreating into che surrounding fOrrnations of namral roc:k for prorertion. i\ :forec.nhzoma gave the o rde r for tJu: AL.tcc.:s, Chakas, and Tlahuic.:as lo move first. As Cuauhtli's xiquipilli advanced \\1th scaling ladder< they WCll' :soon beset h>' the Mixl~(.~ fforn all sict~s. The righting la~lf'rl a ll dav. Ry suns~t Cuauhdi had killed 1mmy mcu but he was badl)· woutukd aud exhau.sccd. lie was thankful when he heard that the Texcocans and Tq>, rcportculy 100,000 >IJung, wctc to take Ulc field i11 the morn ing. Tlwlr f"ffnn.'i Wt-'rt> ht~rrlly more .successful. After six days of alntost continuous fighting, the ,·\ ?.tees ;."~lld 1heir :. ll iP~ fin;."~ lly .succeeded in takinR Lhc tir~t Hue of Queczaltepec's defenses. Fortifying rhc.msf>l\'es against ~ltl;.t<· k from wiLhout Lhcy set abouL LuJmcliug into th<' city. \l~1en a breach was finally madf' they waitecl until night and then poured in to the citv just a~ lill')' ltad at T ullltl'J)L't:, Uuruing tmd looting. But again the inhtthit;.\JHII. had lied into the hill.• where they n:mainnl uud1 a pcac.:t: trcal} was

negot.hued. The campaign had come ro a draw. Cuanht.li had enriched himself iu gold. Lur4uobc. and other prerions stones that he had plundered but there would no t:hancc.: of laking auy lruly \\c princes back to 1enochtida n chat year.

47

BRINGING HOME THE WAR: AZTEC RELIGION AND RITUAL ln thr \r.u' 1h.11 (nll'""..d the Tunuepec- camp.tign. thr.· 'l l."rothcGt had renewed 1heor etlon.• 10 expand their sphere of control 1>\ fomenting tnmhlc· .1mnng cli'i..tll('clt'd ricy states 1hroughou1 P1H'hla and northern O.L,~n~• l.uup.ti~lh toutillut'd lO be wo_tgt'd ~t~~Uihl 111.111, Mixrcc kinl!"dom< as well as the HuexoiZ.inca. Cholulteca. and thcio Ea. teon 1\ahu:;t allic•,: alwa's pnl\irling Cmmh11i wi1 h ll('W npporlunilif'l\ 10 ri~~R t'\t'J funher HI> lht· lo1dder of JllHitary promouon. In l 51Y. lhl· ~t.'a!:.oned Yeter~n ~to()d wi th his sixth capth·e belOre Lhe Grei\l Temple. As he li~u·n<'d lo tlw ' IH'<'C'hc•s given hy the o ld gcucralx lw gaz(•ri ;H o nnd lh P. plata ~H tJtc mulliludc: of th o usands who l1ad to11tc LOwiu l CSS 1he 1riumph or thal dtw. II i~ own family ,,..as lhere. H is fa.the t and Lll H.k·) wc•c bcautiltg \\~th prirf('. Hi~ rnothC'r knew th:.t t she· wnulci liv" our lwr ~·t•:.:n11 in rf'al comfort atu:t' .lliiL• ot wil. llut. Cuauhtli'~ wile w·~~~ tutu:cnu:d it he \'iOuld chou><: to wl.c a poomolion ~>ith the office• coop>. a:; >he hupctl. o r whf"thf"r hP ,,·nulrl flf'rlir:ue himself to rhar f"lire rr~lmem ~worn to etel'nal romhou. thf" cirf"arltd rnahrhiqnf" . •U CtMuhtJi got .t tinul't gtip ou lltl' baiJ uf hb. ten itict.l pri!i~uncr kn~~ling :11 hi< fl'rl h~ look~rl npon th~
"Mv elder brothers. she has dishonored us. we can onh kill o uo rnnrtwr. rlw

48

\drkc~ci

nne• who is n m ..· ,.,;,h rhilrl.''

At lir\l Co.ulirue wa.~; terrified dl whdt hc:r rhilclu·n "''"' pl01ung. Then ju1au~ ltl. CoyrJIxmthqui rlft"'l·wci to cht- top o r th~ hi ll bul ll uilLilopochtli struck her down ,.,:ith a migluv hlmv from his spear tho·owt·r and lopped on he• h~.,d. H~• bod) no.i~IPrl •1nrl rurnPrl a't it ft>ll to tht.:. ~round ~u the toot of

Mu$1c1Ms suoh as thoe.o woro s tationed with ft algnal banner

corps to relay moesngot Kto!l..
tepon.azul, a huehuou, t'lnd a conch shell trumpet are featured. (Author'a Uluetratlon from the Flo'8ntfne CocMM}

A popular instrument among many ancient c-ivilizations, the conch was capable of i&win.g a modulated, bellowin-g sound tl\at could be hoard for mites.

Lh e mouutaiu. IluiLt.· ilopoduli n1sr down the 400 broth ers in equal rucru,urc, slew Lll<'m, ;.~n· o f eadl anrl Pvery :\11Pr c;okli ~l' 10 f':ll'l'}' on the: legacy of the !(•eat pa(rian:h 1-l ltitziloporhrli, rh <" Hwnn1ingbinJ oJ the Sou th; to be ever vigilam. ever p repared to proten his tilmil)', his (:alp ulli, anci his r ity from thns<" who \\10uld de:..;u·oy all tlmt his anceslOrs hatl \-.·ork(:d so h ard to accom plish. Ry no·w the capthe had

resigned himself to his fate. lie knew the fortunes of war wh~n he joined his own a rmy. "'\.H;;l11 hl li, now l go wht'rt' l wiU wait for rou. I go proud!}' aud lhcy will sing- ofmt: in ID}' h omela nd '' hf' sai(l. Cuauh Lii wl1ispt'lc..'ll in response: "Today you ... lumun uw me." Then the pri<:sr.s approachf"d and (;u auht.li mac-It> rh~ p re-sen t::. tio n: ''1 Jere is my \\''C'II beloved son, .. and the captivC' f(·Sp OJH.kd: "Here is my revered tbt.he r. •• ~ow was Lht: time for t he finnl conllkt. the triumph, the t:oudu.sio ll of battle to h(' ppn;onally \\~IJu:ss<:d rlu~re in t h e c~nr n1l p reci nct by all U1e Aztec people. Even' captive waJkiug; up th ose ~t;tirs t hat rl~1y rf'presented the hatt·d siUJing1-i who in their jealousy would have slaiu llui lzilopoc:htli. F~rh would rPPmKt rh~ ro lP. of the cosmic ene.·m>·· lh•ing; proof of the god's o mnipotenr p ower rn;m ifest in t h e abilities of his spitilual d(:sccnrla nt..;, his mighty wafl'iors. to rc.;pa}' hi111 for his hk...;.~i ngs, indeed the veJ y livelihood chat they eJ~jO>·ed. \"/'h en Cuaulnli's <:aptive reached rhe top of th<: st~1 irs, h e wa." sn·f'tche-r1 out o n his back ove1· a sLOne and hdd down hy four priests. Then a fifth prit'st drove a knif(: into thf" cttptive's ('hest. the tnuuna of r.he h im.; killing him nearly instaJ)taneously. .J ust as quic:kly Llu: pdestslit t he arte ries of the h~an and li fting the bloody ma~~ il1l0 the air pronou nced it to Ue th e ''prc<.:ious eagle cactus fruit"': rht> .ompreme o fl'e ring to rhf' Sun god Ton ~tiuh. The heart was tltcn burned in a srwcial vcssd cuvcd in t h e .shape of an eagle. The lifeless <.:orpsc of th<' (·aptivr was lo~~~tl Um...·Jt fh c staircase when; it GUll<" ro rPst n<"'XI 10 1hr "tone im •g" o f the tlecopitated goddess Coyolxau hqui. Among more ancient .MesoaJl)el'ican sodcties li ke th(· f\·tay;:ts, Tvfixtcx:s, and Zapotrc:sl \\'at' wa!". t h e provinf'P or elite tactitHI.S. close rehnives and kin, that sei:lc:d cac.:h other's lands and property by pn-:sent.ing rival d aims of legitimacy throug h
49

) ··--"lJ..f Merehant& operating out of their headquarters in Tlatelolco served as the vanguard ot Aztec

expansionism. Prosperous as they wet>e, they were permitted to travel virtually anywhere in Mesoamerica wh9-re t1"19Y traded for goods such as e.~totic parrot

feathers from Veracruz or ~ld and gem& from Oaxaca. Merchanb even f unctioned ~•

&pie& going -.o rlilr at to anoct

accents, team foreign languages, ttnd e,..~te dlsgul.tet to inveStigate kingdoms on which they sought to make war. {Author's Illustration from the Florentine Codex)

60

human life. Andent. ~o<:tcncs harl no nlmp;m1hlc way t.o nmv~y thf' imag·t· of balllc:, so hc:ad'> rJl sl~dc: d r:vi::;c.·d \,:ays of n.•-(.T<.' aliug c.·vt'Hl.S through fesdvaJs in order to foster public txust. Nowhere did this pr.:tnic<-: find g rcalcr expression lhan anwng· the :'\:i.Lccs. Thousand~

of ;\£lee: people pan.idpated in these events, reassut'ing

themselves rha r t heir invesm'lt!llt in supplying f()CHi, ma.king we:-1pons anci C<]Uiprncnt. and comtuittiug the Hves of their children would b,'Tant t11cm t.ht~ hendit.s of <:onqut:st IJ aat thdr emperors guaranlct:d. \\~trfarc, human vu' 1iri ,~r-, :~nd l ht- Pffu'l'lnaion (t( ;:,g,.i r:ulmf<=~l ff:flili1y w~f~ inexu icably linked in relilo,rious ideolOlo,')'· Azte<: songs and smric;: <:OTIIH'CI.t'd to ~uch a ptaclice as it "':as latel' cao,t on lh(•Ju by Ew·opeans. For them il was nexdaualli - saCJ·ed debt pa)'ment to the gods. {:llallhlli Sf()Od in the patjo <)f his f..unily's Cult obligat.ious Lo the st.alt, Uul

t\'tll insHred a place fot his ~nUt t.he raub ofthc: A.tlc<.: noUiJiLy. As Cuauhdi ar rh(~ hoy pl;J)ing in the- gan1en , ..i rh rh~ ()(her ('hildfen. he ltalit.t:U Lhal hL· could now atlbrd w scud h im to the calrnccac: to he cciucarcd ~"'sa scholar. I Ic wa:, fcliC\:OCd when he tJwught of 1J1c mmH:roiL'i tinws thar ht" had almost been slain. <"aptu red, or L"l}' badlr wouu<.lc::d iu :KJJJK" rL'mok liciU iu a tar fti~tant l;md. B1tt 1here w;L"' a ciarkc-r "'icie to his son's fumre. Shortly before sr~Jrt>rl

he died, :-.iezahualpilli, the son of Nezahualcoyotl and Tlatoani ol' Texmco, prophe~icd

a n <:nd to the empire, tt"lling :\:fotf'r:u hzmn11 :

..):bu must be on guard. you musL be warn<.:d, hccaus(: T haw· discovered that in a very few year~ o11r r:iti~s will ~ f:l\11lged and destfO)•ed. \'Vc: sky th at will appeal' as ~m orntn of wh~tl I ;.-uu ~ay ing-.., ( l)w;_IJI . 19~H: ·152) The A7.u:c p<~opk hrgan to s rhe> sign~(,( f':~I11Sli'OJ)he evt-r>·wherc. ln 1517, ;_.t Lung:ul' of flame rose in tJ1c cast. and poinH;rl inro th e- heavens like

Mcrehunh;. provided t he Aztec CmJU)ror und his w<~r council

wfth detailed p.'tinting$ for

military logistics. Here a map hJ presented to two tctccuhtin or high-ranking lord~ ~cribing how the defenses ot a city, appearing in the upper r~ht­ hand corner, can best be penetrated. (Author's illustraUon from the Florentine Codex)

51

a

daggt·r.

Then

Lhc

Tempt~

ul llui11ilnpo<"hth mysrPrinuc.h burned. A

comet appeared in hroact da}li1-{ht hur-rling 1h1ouxh rht> (>ar· of lire. Then the watc 1-; of l.akrTcxcon> hc-g;m 10 turn and boil auc.l t.hrc.ttPn f'd 1(• IJUIII hou-;es aJo nK tJ tc l~tll · :dum·. Some j"'<>pk r·vm reponed seein~

(Wo-tw.trirtl monstt:t ')

in thP strttb uC Lht.-· lit\·, hm CuauhtJi Lm·w that oft~n ~urh qori~ W(.' l c

made up 1>\•

disafl(>cted iuJivirlu.rls. [Wr·

ltaps souu· prinr~ who ltad been su·ipp<·rl nl his tille in d isgtm:\.' \\·ho hoped to ovc:rlhrow the S{O\·crnmcnt h.im seU. l.lut in I:) l 9, th.:rc

v.-as ne":, uf rtH' arriv
( rom the cast. dre."""l·d thPnv-.l~ht...... iu dothing vf .)ih-c.·• mcral and rode to war on lhc back.~ of giatll dCCI", 1\~'tnre liJIIK, v,.o nJ •·eacht·<.l ~·lotcxuh1 oma lha( Ga:-.1 tlu· Toronar.s and dtt'll tiH' Tl:n:c(llteca h:"'d Ckdart:d Lh(~ lc.:afler of I his IJit.:u I'L' t:JIC.~IIlr 1.0 he nothing" lc ~S I han the gn•.11 god Q."""V~-tkuall, now n •1urned to reclaim hi!' kingdottt fro111 his mvr ud e ucmics, Tezcatlipoca ..md I l11i t7.ilo poc:ht1i. Tlu·u· Wf'r(' fliWtl}"S prophecie.) of doom hut thi\ Vlll' wa.., Lu ht• con..,irlt>rt"rt a )(.•riou~ thrt"al. 1 hr F..-"lll;ff>rn l\:"abum., )lh..lt'( '· •mel 7.apntecs au n.'"\Crt·ct the: rtumcd Sc:1 JX:Hl d~ Lhc·ir pmron god J'hcir kin~ and qut.--ell~ \\·crf' f"\·pn <~H"Ihfnme
An onomy generally admitted defeat when the Aztec army tuccHded In burning the temple or 0 town-. principal god. Note ttl~ HUOII'Otz.lncan warrior covering h it mouttl in utomthm..,t at Oil ~niof" tOfC:hM thit temple. (Author""$

iUu.'trat.i-on trom the F'loreMJne ~.,

ilnp<·•·iali"-lll forever. In n •a liry. there \\'t't t· lJLuulf'(•ch of Cunuhdis in AzH'<' "CtC"iNy, each fig ht ro th e d eath in d d cnsc o f the ew~ire ..,.., ir harl ht-f"'n prniNC'rmint·<.l b) lhc c:alpuiH's lonalpouq ui ac:rorrling w lhl· Ualc of a t:hilcl'' hinh. \\'e can onh im.if.."tnP wh:u hecawt· of cad1 nt rhe\e highh· tr.•iut..·tl .uu..l fcarsomP indi\-idu,tb iu thdr war against the SJMniartlo~;. and tlwir Indian allit""l.. ~ta11' would f.-11 at t11c battlf" of 011uuiJ.t ii){hting ,,tli~tuth '"irl1 rh~ Cihuaco~tll. UtJwr.; woutrl defcut.l l t'HtK'IIri11:m to 1he n'l:ln ''ith Cuauht.cm or:, th<"' vali~unla\1 c mp<·ror of rhe o n ce: omnip o tent .-\71Pr F.n1pi1 t' of the: Triple AllianrP:. c.lt:~LinL·tl to

52

P.vucl c•f
1·his i \. tmr glmJ Jld..., is )'Our mmm.ttnd uh GiFer u{ Life! Ha-t''' this in m~nd, oh prolUS. d<> no/. Jin-grt. it. l·\'Jw rould

conqu~>r 'J fnachtdlm~ {

Wlw cuuld >hake the fuwiCialiurt uf lmww ?(4I

(Below left) A colossal statue depict s the decapitated mother of HuitzUopochtli, Coallicue. The dual snake head$ signify blood gushing from lhO wound (Autkor's illustration). (Below rfght) Huii!IIOpOO;hlli appears atop Coatepec or Snake Mountai n dl$mCmbering hi& $ister Coyolx.auhqul end her four hundred brothers In the ~cntin& Codex. The religious story wa."i a fu sion of h i$tOry, I<."QUnd, <.4nd cosmic allegory in which the A.~:tec hero rcpr<:cscnting tho sun each day struck down the moon, the lrtdy of tho night. (Aut~'$

illustration from the Florentine Codext

NOTES (I) Arlnpre.rl fro m Sa h'gii n I'150-- 1!)x2, Rook f): 17 J-J 72, J 7H, llook 4: :18-:~9. (2) l n earlier publications I referred to the Eastern Nahua ns lhe A.tt<:cChichimecs Ot' Tollcca-Chich imcca lO dislinguish them from th<· Aztecs of rlw B>..in of Mexico (Pohl 1991 ). Historian .James Lockart (199~) advo<:au:s Eastern f\lah u;t and I have fou nci ir a useful (erm. (3) Adapt(;d from a spct'ch allriuult'
53

BIBLIOGRAPHY ;\.nawalt. Parric:ia Rieff 1977 What Plice ALlee Pageanu·y? A•·d•ac.>log)'. Vol. :10 (4}. pp. 22f>-2~<\. 1981 Indian Unthing Btjiffe i.:m"les: Mesoawricm> Cosmm-. Jmm. thr. CndirPs. ~orma u: Cniversity of Oklaho ma Press. 1Y82 Undc:rS11l nd ing Anf'c. Human Sacrifice . .:1n:lu.u:ology. Vol. 35 (5), 1>P· 38--'1 r,. 1 99~ Riddle of the :v.le~ Royal Robe . .4.1(·/uu;ologJ. Vol. '16 (!11, pp. 30-36. Berdan. Fnmc:es F. and PaLrkia J{ieff A.na"~lt B-)92 (.'(}d.e.'(, :Vlnul{JUJ. Foul' Volumes. Berke ley: University of CaJiforuia

Press. Boone. Elizabeth H ill ICJ
Rem~·

Pre!->. Washington D.C.

Broda. Johanna. David C.arrasc:o and Etluardo MalOs .Moccen1ma 1987 Th' r;,·ent 1i>mple nj'l f:rwrhlitlun: Ceultr am/ pedpher.~ i>~ lht A.!tr.r H·'Qrut, lkrkdc:y: U ni\'ersiry

or Califo rnh1

Pn;ss.

Brum.fiel. F.l i>.ah~th M . 19R7 Eli u-' and Clilhariau Craft:, in the Anet.; Smte. [n : Specinliuairm, J:;,,dtange and Compln.· Sorirli«. Edited by t::lizalx:th M. Bnuufid and T imothy K. Earle: pp. 102-118. Ccuubt'idge: Cambt'idge l:niversiry Press.

c:arrasc:o, Ouvfd at ttl Eduardo )
1971 Social O rganuauon of t\nci~nt \ texico. In: Hmulbm>k 11{Middle Amau·' "' lt1dians. Vol. 10: ~49-37.';. Edited by Cordon Ekholm and Ignacio llcrnal. Austin: University of TeX(IS Pre~s. Ca.so, AlfVuso 1D78 The Az.tl'r.'i, PwfJ/;• oftlu• Sun. Fiftlt £c..litiou. ~o1 man: Cn iver~il)' of

Oklahoma Press.

54

A seven-Inch {17 .Scm) long obsidian knife blade. {Private collection)

Clcndinnen, 1nga

1991 Azlfr.(: ;\n lnt~rtn¥•lation. C4:ttnbridge: ( :ambridge L niversity f'1·ess. Da\ies, Nigd l980 The Az.fecs, A HifiJ:rr.~t. 1'\o rman : Uuh·crsil>' of Oklahoma Press. Duran , Diego 199·1 '/'he I /islol)' r!f "" Nt1liFt.< nf ''"'" Sjwin. Tl'an sla ted. /\.nnot
Fagrk: W.H. Frccm;ul 'md Co.

de Fuentes. Pmrida 1993 Th;. Omqu.i.Jtndors: N.,sl Ptnwi .4ccv~wts ~/ tJlJ' Conquest oj .Mesico. Norma n: Uuivt'l~ily

or Okl.thnma

Pre~:\.

Floresc.ano, F.nriC"JtH<>: 1993 £1 Mito de Quetzalc6atl. M(,xico: Fondo de Cultt.na Et.uuUmita. Gillespie, Susan n. 1989 The ,1ztfC Kings: n .. UmSII11CtiO>> of Ru/enhip ln .Mf."\it'a HistOt)'· Tucson: U niYt>n:ity of Ari1ona Pn:.o;.."i. Hassig. Ross 19HH tlzln: m,rfi"•· lmfmial Expamion and P(J(iticu./ Ctmtrol. -:\onnan: t .l nivc:rsity of Oklahom;l Press. 1992 l4:flr and S()ciety irt .ltuit'nlll;fe.soomet·ira.. Berkeley: "C n.iversity of CaHf()rnhl Press. llcaLh, !au 1999 .>-\1'mifl.~ of the St:'
Conquisuulom, 1150-1608. Guernsey, Creal Britain: Founrlry Rooks.

Klein, Cecelia 1987 Tlw: lckology of AuLOsacrifk<: at Lhe 'l 'cmplo Maycu·. In: The Azt.N T,.,~plo Mayor. Edited by Elizalx:th H . lloo u c. pp. 293-~{70. W;L,hingtoll U.C. : Dum barton Oaks. Lcou-Ponilla, Migu~l

1969

PrF--f~/u.m.binn l.il.ert.ltu·n:.s ()/ l\-fcxiru.

1\onnau: llniver"sicy of Okl:;lh oma Pn:s.s. Lockhart, .James 1992 '11.- :Vahuas tifln' lhe CuTICfM>I: ,4 Socictl and Cttllcnul I lislurJ of tile Indian.< nf Cmtml

Mt·.
Press.

"\(:;lro"' ~·lloclrt.mua, Eduardo I 9/lll 'JJ>r Grl!(ll 'Ji•mpl' of the .'UU•ts: 'futl.Stllt< nf '/i'Juu·htithm. Londou: l11atncs ~uld Hudson. Nicholsuu, ll.B 1071 Religion in Pre-H ispanic ( 'entral Mt·xico. Tn : Hmulbook ()f:\:fitld/P.'\mn;.aw lruli.au:5. Vol. 10: cl!l'>-'1'1li Edited by eordon l~kh olm aml lg uado fk1 nal. Au ...tin: ll n h·Pr..,ily of Tf·x:.l..:. P 1TSio.. 200l 'IQ{Jiltt;u Qurttnla~tll <'/ Jili(lln: 11 JJmM•ut m ild1;.nHmterirau Ethu(l/tisun.v. Boulder: 1 Iniw:r,~ti ty of Colorado Pr('i\S. :'\licholson. I J.U. v.rit.h Eloise Quiuoues KC.:'ber 1983 t1rl of 1Uiu Mt~iw: 7iU>rs. lllackwcll Publisher>.

Soustelle, Jacques 1962 F/r.r Dnily /.if' tiftlrr i\Lir« 011 thr t:Pe of' thr Spani>h UtiUJlle>/. :-lew \\)rk: The M::trmillan Compiln~·. Srewan, (;enc S. 198 1 Thr Migf,ly Aztca. \·l'ashington O.C.. The Nacional (;eogn~phk SoriCL)'. T0\\1lSPnrl. Richard H)~):l The ,\:t..:r:~. Umtlou: Th~u uc:, & Hw..buu.

55

GLOSSARY atlatl (ot~I~H) • spear thrower Aztec _ "People or Aztlan• ex Place of the Heron. collectiVe name lex the Nohuotl spcolC (caiHn
a...t7"""""'

calendar cuexl•catl {kwey~th~tay~cot)

s.pecial warrior rank ehuatl {ay. whot) a bt~ttle tunic worn by noblemen lchcahulpilll (onch·co· we· pee·lee) - ootton quilted ~rmor Huaxt&e (wash· tek} Indian people of northern Veracruz huey tlatoanl {way·tla · toe ~oni) -great speaker. i.e. the Aztec emperor Huitzilopochtli (wheat· zeeloh-poch·tlee) =Hummingbird of the South, ptllr<.>n yod of theAzteco macehual (maa..aay·wall) = peasaru

macuahuiU (ma·kwa·wheat) =sword Mexi<;a (May·ohee·ca) • the Aztec tribe thozoloOQtl, parron god of Tlaxaca and Uuexomnco Mixtec (MMah·tec) - lndoan people ot

notttoom and WOSiom 0oxac:t Motcc:uhzoma (moc·t"))·coo·zoh-ma) • name ~Of two famous Aztec emperors Nahua (na·wa) - populat on of Indian people llv1ng throughout central Mex.1co, the AztactJ wt:tlli H hnuu:h of lhH NrthuJ-~s Nahuatt (ne-we· t} ... IAn!JUA!JA <'>f thA Nahuas Nezahualcoyotl (nez·whcrall-coy-oatj: famous tlatoani ot Jexcoco ne~elluualli (nesh· tla-wally) = dAbt-payl•)g,

ATtAc tMTI for nnr..rlflcn Ouetzalcoatl (Kate-zahl·co·ot) - Toltec cu turo h&ro of tungdoms throughout central a.nd $OUthern MexJco Tara.s~n (bU'•IIM·CIIn) & lnrhHn f>AClpiH ur Mtc:hOt'lcttn tnOrft pmf)Pity knnwn ~ Purepecl\0 Teno<:hbtl.on (ton·oh<:l•·teet-loo) • capilal city of lhu Muaic.;a Alloc teportopUII (tay-pose-toe·pee-lea) • hallctd '""uhlh (lay-coot·IMI • land""""ong tord tolpochcalli (toll-poch-ca-loo) - young men's

hooGO

wo:~rnor

::chool

tllmatll (tlll·mot-lee) • cape llatoani (tla-toe-oni) - ·speaker". high ranking tecuhtli tzitzimitl (6ee-s&e·meet) = clttnHifl tonalpouqul (toe-nal-poo-key) = soothsayer xiqulpllll {she·quoe-poe·l&e) - unit o f 8.000 men Zapotoc • l ndi~ people of Oaxaca

56

The FlonntJM Codex derpiet& the execution of war captivH whoM l'tMrts wet'e tom from their bodio$ ~ off.,., to the s;un. (Author's HJU$tnwlion)

COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS PUTf. A : CUEXTECATL SOLDIER W I TH TEPOZTOPILLI (AD 150 0) SokNra who succeeded in capturing two oncrmes were a•Narded a untform consisting of a body sul't called a ilehulztll, o ta.ll conic..lJ cap <:
The tlahulz.Ui was made of ~Awn cotton. ned, yellow, Ulut! ur greoo foother& were meticulously stitched to lhit clulh iu the +A'~hOP& of oonqv~rad city..states and sent to lenoehtitlan C3Ch year l!A trihuiA. The design of the cap (1) was cn.lopted as a trophy emblen"l from the Huaxtev~ oll.Wtlilal Voro.cruz tolowing Motecuhzoma llhuicam•na's :wbtug3tton of the

region bel_, 1469 3Jld 14S1. The tram. was eonstructed d .,..,.. The H..OOec area held • poli11Cular 13SCination tor 11>o AziOC$ because ~ was rich in conon. The goddess of s.pinners and weaver$ was called Tl.a.zofteotl For thko rH:tson

the SOldiers 1hought it appropriate to wear hanks ot 1 n..spun

cotton through their ear spools (2) as w.. as the yacameztl 0< -nooe moon• on gold (3) in 1v:onot of her- . . • patnJn of the moon. In addrtion to the banle suit, the ..._., tewardod SOidterS With a dlstlllCtrve cape (alfted a t h\atli that allowed them to dtsplay their rank when off·duty •• wei (4}. The loin cloth ()I' m~ldlatl (5) was hand woven and embroidered by the ~nldl9f''s own wife or mother (S.a) fhe method of wrapping the cloth around the body and tying the ends t'lt the front wftl\ ft distinctive fashion tor Aztec men (~b). ThA knnt wA~ then passod through an opttnlllij m lh~ t1Ahul7tll. ~ndals (6) were woven with thtck grtt:.!i :-tullr.:i tu whiCh w&ra Stl1ch&d a cotton strip to 9upJJ(X1 tho wtklo and

ties. Tradrtoonolly u,.lorms were burned upon tho pyres ol 0\YnetS al dt..tl1, bul cJunng Span""' Cclonial limes the Ind.., deocendw•t• of goot Wll1l10r.i conbnued lo preseMt the garments as v"'ued oo,ccts of onhetllonoe and even entltktmvnt.

lhcir

Attnough much of the bate of the platfonn tor the

or~lnal

Creat Temple at TenochUt.lan wat recowere
appearing In the COI:Mx lrtlfbcochltl . (AuthM'I llluet.l'at5o.'l)

57

PLATE B: AZTEC BATTLELINE (AD 1500) Two cuahchique stand forNard shouting insults and mocking the enemy in an effort to provoke the foolhardy to break ranks and attack the center ot their main body. The Aztecs

favored the deployment of troop::; in extend~ btttllelint:r.) in their efforts to entrap their foes through double envelopment. I he seemingly h aphazard d•sph:ly of nuhtary

pageantry is due lo the fttcl tlll:ll sokl•er::> of 1.hffE:uiug t. Having proven themselves competEmt fighters and

an ehuatl or tunic ornamented with rare tropical bird

feathers. Coyote ears affixed to his wooden helmet and tipped with the paper banners of a penitent symbolize his name. I he small huehuetl drum slung over his back was u:;;~ to ptw~om.dly i:;;~u(:! 1Jtttlh~fi(:!4r.J conmltmr.Js. High lorr.Js and others who could afford them wore greaves of metal. Solr.JI(;!f::i on lh(;! mwch wor(;! r(;!hl.ll'l(;!ly ::;uupl(:! clothing. R
by tho e:mpe:,.of'::> own hSiyned to them for training were responsible for packing basic supplies and carrying extra armaments.

eager to earn even greater rcw~s. the majority of front-line

soldiers are of cuextecatl rank. They are easily identifiable by the cone-shaped copitli headdress. Soldiers of the more advanced jaguar and otomi ranks have moved forward through the mass ot raw recruits gathered ~t the rear to prepare for lhe ~ho<.:k of ,:tr) i(flfJAI)(Jing All~ck . ThA magnificent starldard rising up ovet the back of the batUelioo signals the a rrival of a captain who will evaluate the likehhood of an attack and relay the message to tho supreme cornmandefs who would be obscNing the situation from an

adjacent promootory. PLATE C : AN INVASION COLUMN DIVIDES (AD 1460) Following the defeat of an Eastern Naht•a city-state, Nezahualcoyotl explains to a Mexica Tlacochcalcatl the need for divid•ng troops into two columns of march. The strategy was intende-d 10 conserve local agricultural resoorr;l:*> hy rHCJudng lhA COI)Swnptive hnpact of armies thAt enulrl rangA upwards of 50,000 men. Nezahualcoyotl whOse name meant "Fasting Coyote'' was forced into exile as a youth after the assassination of his father hctlilxochitl by lhA hatHd TepanQC doopot Tezozornoc. He later succeeded in formulating an alliance with the Mexica under ltzcoo.tl and togeth« the two tlatoque destroyed the Tepanec capital of Azcapotzalco. The unrt0011 of the Tlacochcalcatl is based on a plate from Codex Mendoza. NezahuaJcoyotl's outfit comes from an illustration apperuing in Cmlt-~x lxtlilxuc:hill. He wAars

58

Ono of ~ very few Azto.e pyramkls wittt a temple that ~ould be r..-tor.d accurately by arc::haeologltts Is preserved at Santa Cecelia Aeatttlan in MelCico City. Such pyramids were located at the center of every community and served a& a la&t re fuge for defense. (Author's photograph)

PLATE D : THE SIEGE OF COIXTLAHUACA (AD 1458) lcfd Atonal battles AzlE:K: squaiJrons employing brood. light· weight scaling-frames of t.>ound caf.e or timber. Tho king himself wears the turquoise crovm of a Tottec tecuhtfi as well as a long x.icolli favorf;
thA Central Mexican llighlands with Veracruz, Oaxaca, and

Chiapas. Every ~rcor merchonts from an over Mesoamerica attended this IQngdom's great mario;et to trade in gold turquoise. tropical bird feathers, cacao. scarlet cochineal d}'E!. and even a special fabric made from woven rabbit hair. Lord Atonal wielded tremendous political power by negotiating alliances between the Mixtecs. the Chocho-Popoloca, thfil Eastern Nahua. and half-a -dozen o ther ethnic grouPS that occupied the region. Searching for an excuse to dtsmantle this ancient confederacy. the A:ttecs accused Atonal of assassinating a htJndred and sixty of their merchants. MoiACuhzoma I and Nezahualcoyotl then organized an army of 300,000 men of whom no fewer than 100,000 served as porters for what would become the Triple Alliance's first longdistance campaign. Atonallought valiantly bullhe Aztec host soundry defeated him belore tm:1 ulh ~ cuui
PLAT!! 1!: AZTI!C WEAPONRY AND I!QUIPMI!NT I:S~I l!J lu1y~y w• Q11ny of lighl lf)filnt.ry. the Aztecs ma1ntilincd o relatively limited ilr~nal ol offensive weapon~ in compari~n to other armies throughout the world The most ancient were the spear thrower (l) and the axe (2). Earl>' ~p~;;~a1 lh1owers wore composed of little more than a stick CiliVCd w ith a trough and a hook to e.ect.•re the shaft (1a). More sophisticated versions featured $ip&eial loo~ for the forefingers {1 b). It bP.<:arne A most Affactlve waapon for medium-range combat In the hands of noble 'Ararrloo; specially trained in its use. Being essential to agricuttu ml production, most prehistoric fa011ers fought for their tribal chiefs with axos of ground stone. Tho widAspread adoption of m etallurgical technology from South America attar AD 900 fostered the development of the more vicious cast copper axe head as a special weapon. The bow (3a) and arrows (3b) were adopted rather late as hunting tools in Mesoarnerica, but in the hands of the Aztec's Chichimec ancestors they soon became fundamental to laying
59

wwpon. Many were carved or paln1ed With lntr.c:ate design&

(4a-.:).

v,,lo fr<>nt-nn< wooiors engaqed In slashing matches W!lh the macuahulll. troops armed wtth tho ti!PO'fopoli Of llollbetsed an enemy by thNStong Of stabbing from the ~ar of the lme. All Aztec sold1crs wore armAd with sh1eld~ Tht:f r~w ex.wnptes that survive 1n collections both in M oxlco ond Europe are all approx1mat&ly thirty inches {76cm) in dlomotor (6}. Most are parade shields featuring remarkabiA heraldic dosigns in fealhers such as the t~tepped fret (Sa) b3sod on on example pn~served 1n the WOrttembergisches l 11ndesmuseum. Stuttg~rt. Getmauy. umJ ~ :.mgmg coyote (6bl PMMWVed m the M useum fur VolkOikumJI!, V1enna. Aw;trlll The cuexyo shiekf (6c) is roconshucted from a<:<:ounts 'mm dcsai>o banlo sho
oyaw•....._•

"·'OYeO

11\e Aztec e.m.peror.s commissioned sculpture• end erect..:! them In ltnd ar"OUM tt.e temples of the o.ntrel J)(ednet of Tenochttttan t o conteat~lize the architoeture with lrnage.s from ~ atories.. OW,. suceMding centurift many of

tne.. worb were rediscovered 5n the courw of excavations tnn:u,;ehout Mexico City. Thlt 19tttocerttury IMtern a.lide of the original muaeum at Casa de Mortodo (1880· 1014) decMcte HYHal famous carvings lnc:lvcUno " throo•foot (O.ttm) high jaguar c:uauxicallllrt whJch the hoart• of execut.c~ prl•oners were bumed $t offorfnv• to thv gods. The colonal diorite portrait in the eentor Ia thot of HuiU:IIooochtll~ sister Coyolxauhqul. Jutt behind the hC3d of the moon goddess is the Stone of Tlzoc tha1 was empto~ for Ofa
60

PLATE P: H! L M!TS AND ARMOR Nearty al WQI'III)IS W\!re rssued wrth some fonn Of the ~IAptlt (1 and 2). The most baSIC lonn of this cotton qurhod arRl()l' wa~ a puU-over shirt. It was alWays wom under both tho llahutzti and the ehuall and gave tl>e SOld ..a very muscui.Qf t~ppe.arance. Other examples appealing 1n pictographic hlstofies suggest that rt was olso worn as a tunic or j:ackot by itself an•ong h rgh ranking lords. Mat~y wNA Oyfllrl in vibrant huos of red and blue, The ichcahulpiUI w.-.~ nerlectly ndo.ptod to the hot humid climoto that j')ArvllriM> much of Mexico. The lhE:<.>ry IJeh•nd 1ts use was more llkA A r.nntAmporary bullet proof vo~l lor ubsorbing the blow of a wa~pnn rather than anompt~nv l<.> :~!up fl. like mecheval metaJ armor. Helmets were Cn ol vengeance" styles. However. hiOh ranku•g nobihty could commission helmet~ for them$$lvoo •n all sorts of hm<.:ilul heraldic forms wllh &::tglos. parrot~. vullurtt~. n1cmkeys. bears, wolvAS. and crococ:hles being E:!~ipecJit~lly popu lar. PLATE Q: BANN!RS AND FLAGS The largo ouWlmunl~ Of bamers secured to the ~~~del's and tx>ck• of high tan!Ung soldiers and olficers were essentbltO coordinabng !lOOP movements They had to M fairty loght weoght so they were created by arttsans lrom wiekE!f covered 1n cloth sewn w1th hundred3 of feathers. Acr,orrtong to Codex Mendoza, the quOJgnla (5) woo """"'t to represent a buttertfy. The caquatM.!IIklh O'l&..11tt hteralty tho ble~ck emU yttlluw troup4al feather sun Insignia (6) Nowhore was the strategic significance of auch banners more graphically illustrated than dHfino thA b(lttle of Otumba. AlttH tli~:ty had succeeded in A~r.arfno A death trap in Tonochlillon, Corl6s led his troops north around Lake Xaltocan to Otumba located near the ancient ruins ot Teotihuacan. Cross•ng a broad open plain, he was suddenly surrounded by an army of over 10,000 Aztaca. ExMur-;.1ed and outnumborod. Coo
Clnuaco•ul or Snake Woman proost (/). Corth boldly mounted his hcn.e, charged through the Otl<:on11ny Aztec army and cui down the Cihuacoatl. Tho offect was devastating. Not noly were the Aztec troops demoralized by this desporato Allmble, but they appear to hovo boon un~:~bJe to coordinate any more effective movomont thdll lv withdraw In total confusion. Later tho Tloxcollecas presented tho p rincipal sign"l banner c~llod the .xopllli or -claw" dev•ce to Cortes in honor nf his. hero,sm.

PLATE 1: TLAHUICOL DEFENDS H IM SELF tN GLADIATORIAL COMBAT BEFORE TH E GREAT TEMPLE

Thluool was a llaxealan captain, sworn flf'WimY' ot tl~ Artecs

•nd u- halod empora. He was caprumd and. duo to l>!s hlgn rank, forced to participate in the ritual of gl~dlatM,,I r.omb3t belor~ the Great Temple at Tenochtitlan. Arnw1 only V.'ith mock weap<;mlJ, his wrts, and his fists, he succeeded in ~ingle­

In tM yMtw p.Needint the arrival of the Spin lard .. omens. In the fonn of blu,.. n l•stial phenom~ ~ w ttne.aed and l.merpr.ted •• s}9ns of disaster. (Autnor"a Ulu.atr..tion from the Flo,..nt#tte CodeX)

PLATI! H : AN AZTEC SQUADRON SURPRISES THE HUAXTI!CS (AD 14541 TI1~ A.tt~ctf

Jraquently em p loyed a ruse. pretending to r~o~huut i11 o rUcr tu
doseng8ge

•n retreat The

eage< Huaxtecs

loiiOw«< Ill hot

into u- midol. tho socrot t~tnny thftn htf'fAify m!"e trom the ground and SbUghterocf the t&rrlfied enemy. Such war by deceptiOn was war by evasion: 11 was only executed successfully with careful planning, effective signaling, and periect unrt maneuvenng. The Huaxtecs spoke a languagA <:lo~Aiy rAIAlArt 10 lhAt of the Maya of Contra! America but linguists still clehll l ~ when they actually established themselves on Mexlr..o's Gulf Coast. The Azte<:s described them as frighten1n9 in th~P.ir appearance w1th heads purposefldty elongat&d or flattAnM havu~ had lhaor slwlls boood as inlants. Some had their Ieeth llled to po11ts and many sported mtncate tanoos. Many shumed the maxuau or breech clout. and !hoy _.a accusOO uf 00..'9 laSCIVIous drunkard5. Accotdlng to ooe pursu~ .

Once they had passed

legend Tozeotllpoca seduced the daught"' of tho 1<1ng ot Tollan by posing as a Huaxtec chili seiiQf', the "Chill" 1n m1nd referring tO the Huaxtec's member.

handadly kUling no fewer than eight heavily armed laou:u and eagle wurrlora. He was subsequently offered a comm.:lntl pos.lion rn tho hnpenal army. He declined declaring It In hfll an insult and voluncordy offered h1mself rn sacnflce to the Aztec war-god Hu1tz1IOpo¢hUt whose temple k>oms tn the background The . . . . - roua1 ~ wtlh wh•:h noi1UCOI -s

x...,

dre5sed is tho ...,._,. o1 a wtJJ 90
sponsoring IMIIvnl ~>~l~nue of this kind. the huey tl~t00n1 clearly JOU9ht to combine spectacular

showma~hiJ>

wtth

personal prOf)IOinda by ramlnding the au of entortamment Qllmenng popular adm1rabon and Ql81rtudA Ac<;ording to lt90nd. Quetuleoetl (lett) founded Tula .-.d Nled ~$ high prio• l thuro until he fell under the apel of hat rivNt TC%Q3tUpooo ('lnd Hultzi~ochtli (right). Tricked Into committing ael$ Of drunkonnoe.a find Incest, Ouetzakoatl was lhamed befonl h is pvoplo and dri¥en out of the chy. Alter fo~lnt a new euH OOf'!ldr Pl Chokila., the man-god )oumeyed to the COitt ol Vencnu and omiNIIUd oo a raft ot Mrpenb V'O'Wtno to rebJm one dly Mel redltiM his kingdom from hit rfrwMt. Hef'o

legends became the ...... bf whid1 ,.

•......... - -

Ct'05S-'CUl clf'f~ In lllnguage ,..... c::ustoms MnOft9

tt.r

and fact~ W'ltemational allance buldineo 8ut ae al glUt ,..igklus traditiona. the teacl\lngtllnctuded ·~lyptic propheej,es tNt •lk»wad the disenfranchised to ~ dfMont as well. (lwthol"a llustraUon from the FlcKentine CocMt) ~

61

Cortes Is pre$0ntcd with tho ritual dress ot the god

Quetzalcoatl whose dMno repl'eS;e.ntattve he wa$ proclaimed to be. (Author's illustration tram the Florentine Codex)

--:j('::!~·. ~I

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,·:~·•:'*\~;/'!' :•;t_.; (' '•.\

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)}·.::;:.;.:£;.;~;,;:~1~{;,_~;:,~ :~: ·:, TIENOCHnTLAN

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, ,, .\"~""': .. ·~•. ~iC"tt:N,M

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&UU Or MEHICO

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...

.....

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By 1S1$t, the Azteca had

succ..s.d in domin~ting much of Central and ~ Mexico. o.,ly TlaxeaJa had remained

uneonqu•M. (Author"l

152

lllustraUon)

PLATE J: THE SIEGE OF TENO CHTITL AN CAD 1521 1 Mer two yMrS of lailod negotiations, '""'· and plague. the Azt~ Md alectod a new emperor, Ct8JIIttmoc, and begon to lo<11!y Tenochtitlan in prepano\ICJtl IUt a ""'9" by 50,000 troops from Tlaxcala. Huexotz1nco. Cholul.a. omong oth~ <:ity atotos, together with the~r Spii1U$h alhes. The enPmy :utnckod the crty by bo th l~tr1d ~m.J wutor. But once they had broken into the city, lhf!Y quickly themselves Wlpped within the labyrinth of c•ty ~mooto tlnd canals, Man~, waro lurod Into dead ertd~ whet& lhey wero e11s•ly C:I\I.Shed to death by s ton6t4 •:md ruUUI!ii cast down by troops poM.ioned

rouoo

on the roofs of buildings. Those v•tho sought tn hlciA or pillage became lost '" the mazes of small room• And patios of pnvate e< roof and plaster ¥tal$ of tin QP3ftment compiAx to 11'W'(';Iklaty ontrap and haCk a noxc;uon and his Spanish ally to preces. The Spani,nrd •s a. captain and mi'l~tAr $1W(')I'd~an. The nax.calan

wears the red and white head band of a nobiOinar' 01nd holds equal rank. His st~ ~word 1S a pn2ed 91ft from the Sparuard Whole ~~ 11111 thv enemy down fiaO adobe bnck walls of the room to surpnse Md couiCf tho onomy One os a noblenHtn .U'iH'Itl~d~ by h•s ehuad Of tunte. The other 15 :'1 wamOt Urw~ "' o tlahulltli llOd helmet ropra&Onting a legelli.ICiry rlu!ulny cuyotc. Such !>tratogic uoo of 1h• · urb.1.n sett•ng foreod Cort&: to fir$t retreat and thfln to IMI.1tA thA :$1lii9EI all ovec nonin only by dismantling TAnor.hfltiAn hoii!.A by house In what would become the longest continuou& battle 1n h 1~tory

1be four UatOQue of Tlar;e.t. sed an atll~mee by o·Hettng their daughMrl In m•M~ togetMr with Gifts of dowry to

tta SJ).anl•rdt. Cofth Pft~des over the negot141Uont •nended by his mlstrfts, La Malinche. (Authon llluttr•tlon from th• Uenzo de Tlaxcala)

63

INDEX t(.ood I 0. '!,;\

'ot'IIIJliUt""' fi('l

'ha•lrl.< t.fi, I. Ht, I !t, '_'I},'!!,'!$, $1, hll :t~uudllu~

,l~u .d-. 1~H. 18. 19 ...)(.i..tl:tltU(UU<: ZZ-:?3

11·12. 2&27. 28

:\Jw itto>d. Fmpt"T<'>f 7-1\, If> aUiance~ ;wmt~oT

12:, '!1. 31, zn il'l, 6:'1

:m-:tl. 16, t>f)

1'1-:t,

<•lffi•~>~iualiou ·l~

.o\lhx•·••. lmjol.d nm v(

Awu.:d ,

l<.~fd

:\.xa~-a
1 :~1(,

D. 6. So
hai..nyks 15. 20. 2:i

501ll=:l

headdress A!. -!3, 5i' hehucts fi'$-J. ~0. 13. ~. ~. ~9, till I h•ax-t«'. th,. IT. li. 15. li!. .'i7, 6 1

sootlt~yC'rs

lluil.dl\lpud,t.Ji 17. ~. ;,3, GJ, Gl

~au:lS:r

;,huh.

JtzCOiltJ, ftnpt:r<,\r ·I

Z., '.!'.!

IOI<;ti<;<. H , II\, 17,

M.u.tla 4

mc-rcbatm 50. .Sl. 59 Mt
CM:t.ls 11 capti\'
Chich;rocc u-ibc$. ori~in of

pric~t

C.r.o
Ci', 00


31. e>l xkg•~ ot

J· .,~

llll' :>un :>l611(:

r,;

T~~:.:csll.iz>OCl

Gl Tc:wxo.U.\tc- 5 .

11.1!!.~!!

Tt•Tnulip 11tl'm tn> 'l ~~1)(.'0 ~IIIJ'I"fOf 'J 'l l,.h mrnl I, f\ 1 J l:•h••.hllll 1'1 Tla~caLl. );jt~dom <.of j , 6, 63, 63 'l'laxc:,\lt('COI, the lij., -llj., 5'!

Oax...w i, H o bslcUan Hqw. 21, 34 Qftkl"r.c 27, '1'1, -1.\, ,;.1\ ()lltt'IIS foJ.'i2,Gl

S-9

Cthuaen:ul. Stuke Woman

~
&

Ch im.1lpt>pnc71 1 rhin:uup:~• I J.l'l

•11 ·hi, !'oM, til

Ta. ...,~;..u , t.l•\: ~;. 7. IS temple.; .5. 12. !Jt. !Ji. !1S.U9 Tel\ocbtilLm, d ty of I. 3. 4,. J. t;, 12. 00. 32. ~.

b:\11 i;f.unr. the H 1!>, 1R lo;1ttl,._,. B. 43-46. :;a huth :l

~~. 1~.

u. ·17. :.y

lll t'l7'

h:llllii'OI ( i, till

,,f

J. f;, I !':I. :li•. S2. lli•. 6t. li!\. 63 C. 12. 24, !)8

41J.~

/ ute<:s. cmpirl.' 4, 5-ti, 7~. ~LL:101, 61

l.hwmJI(~}'

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2')

C.h:tko, dty·.•~H(;

3. 4

4J

Y.>rt("rv

;ttpplic5. l!S-16. 19. :!'i-:!8. ~8

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:\z.l!., !'1'9. f)(o VI)<;~\UWI.IJVn

13

Tmon;.r:, tht: 6, .'>t U;!iuiu~ lO· ll. 12· 1'3. 14-16 tributc- goods 6. 24. 46

Ot'll:llllCI}I.; A. !)7 OtumOO, b.'ttd<" rA' f>2, 6U

'l'vw «:fl«', city of

priests l. lQ, ¥-..!.30.31, ·19

\lnitom'~

:w. ..t3• .u~.r;

( :Oixtbhu:.r:t, kmgdnm ,.i U. 6 , ."I~ (:u:u,JIIIf'IIIIX',

F.u!p,..m• 5?. (,.'1

Cu:mhth 3, 10·11. IS. 1!>. l !l. 23. 24-25. 26. 30,

.....~t~.· ...:uli(JI~

punt
3't. 43. 4G, 4i. 48. 4'J, 5(1.5), f>~ d edication u a "'ilrrior $, II dooo~tk <~nim:•lo; 2'7 d~'<'"''< A4-5. t;, 10. II. 21, 'Z1. 21. ~ . .>7. ~

Qu.::uakvatl. G<..d 5. 13. ~::! . 61.62 Qucualtctx'C, city of -17

dnun!'l C., Ei. 5R 00 d •un L.cl\u('}S l:l

r;ml..~ ~ 1-'l'l, 'l'l'!Ji-,

t
H. li. 2.5. 1~0

·n.'<'t

War~ (),'ll(hiyoi!Jr.t/;

t!f. :so. :.!\

li.X<'$

't4, 2~. 29,

~2

E2, l:J. 20. 5
hmv\ :me! lii' YoY"':I 1':.1, duh' 18

17, .'•~

fA, 19. 20, 21 , Z.'I,!'~,O J(o.l7

m;~n~cJwo!l ~iu)\li

spt'an £). 18, ~~l

15.51

1;,., lh

'l~, ·n·t;,i,

...·capous 16. 19

r"hW1•11 l 'l. 211. .'oil t"""-':tJl6 10 I~ 1~.

A, G, I, II, j! t

~1. ·1<1. ·UI,.'•7, .'•~

p r<,\mlll'icm 2'2'

""rntkr.< •N , .')(), !m Saloagtm, IWl mudi uu d,.. S ...:1ml:1b AG. :~i

ll"jJ•W
t:."o,

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C OMPANION SERIES FROM OSPREY MEN·AT..AftMS

ORDER OF BATTLE

o\n uuri~alkd suuu:~: of itlf(J(tll:J.tilin Ql) ~ o~at)IZ:mon. tn>•forrns .1.nd equipment of the world's tir.htinJC mr.n, ra'-1 anolp~em. The ~>cries o:•1''(.1'lC hunJI'I.--d.~ of louloio.'-'b l>J.Ii\lllli.ng S,
T he: m1li:'ll ~kt ~i k:J m(l)tm:Uim, .:ro:r l>uhlisho:J (Ill tho: unilS whid r

10ogh1 hi;ro,•y'~> ~tc:u b:.nks. E~ch 9~c book oonmins comprebt
F.:...:Jt ti1lo: odsn im:luJo.~ a laJ~;..· fvlJ -out lllb(· IJCA.J).

phr.t"' nups 11nrl d•ll(.flll'l\'\ nul t:iy;ht mJ,u pb.tes to( unifcwn'!~ figure;.

l lll'hW.ll:'> llntqt M; 1111r.r\'I(:WS witlt ~UI\1\111)1; 111'1$ SIY.Ifl.'r.ll :OIIn~lit:nll\· o::1d1 •olum.:. f.;u.:lt ?fi-p~~.,_. ~~~hum: \.'()l!lains up II) .J(l r.pn'idt.\·

NEW VANGUARD

cotnmission<:d 1111'\'rQrl:(., urm li$1in~ new ,;o::rle pUn• :rnd t he: hc:<.1 :m:hi\'llpl11>1(1j;rll)hy a•·...ilabk

('.otn~ll~h(':)'l$1\'f' hw" nt':< t!ot 1h1• de<~.l,."'1 , deo.·dt•pmct1t ar1d upcr.ati111111 u:.e ui tl•o: .,.,tiJ'~ at·mv•~-' w1Lid~~ and atlilk~. ~h 48-p:tj!~ book ~'\'ltuain~ ci:;ht po:cs of fU:J-<'Oio-r anwork includmtc a det.1il«l a tt:l.,.\ly.

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( :Ou~-i..c, sothtM'iUii\'C accooms of history's d«i~i\'(' miJitar} ..-noot~Qit't's J.::acb 'Jib-p~~ book oontams l)\tt ~fl ,n.,.,-m11i1.ns TndmJi u~ maps, ••...:lcrs "fh~ul~, •x*~r plu<'S, .1.11d d tn:\: (limcn..i•>tn llJUttlt maps.

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\\".\RRIOR AZTEC WARRIOR AD 1325-1521

According 10 one popuJ:ar imagt:, the 1:\7.1(;~ ~rmy w:ls 11 ruthless and ef'licic:n1 "--ar machine, 1h;a1 cs~hlh:hcd :m c:mpire by cQm·incingly cl\'crwhclming i1s ncighOOrs, sacrificing- thousand,. to bloodthirsty gods along the w·a). From a contra..uing perspccth"C:, its nati,·e w.~rriors we:re no m-atch for the: modem warring me-thods ofCortCs' greatly ()ulnumbercd Sp;aniuds., who dt"Cisi,·t'l)' dcft".lted them. The rcalit}' of the N::tf.'(" w~rrior's '<~billly 11nd eJfoclh-eow lies

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