The Aztecs sent even more gifts, and this time the Spanish liked them better. They included items made of gold and of quetzal feathers. With all these gifts, the Aztecs were trying to impress the Spanish. They wanted the Spanish to see the great power the Aztecs had and make them realize they could not compete with the Aztec army. If the Spanish feared the Aztecs, perhaps they would leave.
The Spanish, though, did not understand the meaning of these gifts. They thought the gifts meant to please them, when in fact, they were subtle threats. And once the Spanish had seen the gold, they were determined to march on.
This was another way that the Aztecs and the Spanish differed. The Aztecs could not understand the interest the Spanish had in gold. To the Aztecs, gold was valuable only for the beautiful things that could be made from it. The Aztecs did not have an economy based on money—goods were exchanged by trading one item of value for
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Another. The Aztecs did not have gold coins; they had works of art and jewelry.
The Aztecs also highly valued quetzal feathers, cacao beans, and shells. To the Spanish, gold was the most valuable thing in the world. They did not treasure it for its beauty, but for its value as money. They did not appreciate the works of art given to them. Once the Spanish got their hands on gold, they quickly melted the art and jewelry into bars called ingots, which were easier to transport.
Finally, the Spanish arrived in Tenochtitlan, with thousands of Tlaxcalan warriors and other allies by their side. By this time, Cortes had heard much about
Spreading the News of Destruction
This is how the Spanish described their attack on Cholula and the terror that followed.
When Cholula had been stormed and destroyed, and a great host of people killed and plundered, our armies marched forward again, causing terror wherever they went, until the news of the destruction spread through the whole land. The people were astonished to hear such strange reports, and to learn how the Cholultecas were defeated and slain in so short a time, and how their idol Quetzalcoatl had not served them in any way.
(Source: Leon-Portilla, Miguel. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Beacon Press, 1990.)
Motecuhzoma II and Motecuhzoma had heard much about him. The people of Tenochtitlan came out in droves to see the strangers. Gossip and rumors filled the air, as the Spanish marched over the causeway and into the city. People sat in canoes on both sides of the causeway and lined the streets.
Motecuhzoma II met his guests at the gates to the city. The Aztec tlatoani wore his finest clothes and jewelry when he met the Spanish conquistador. He sat on a litter, a type of portable couch, and was carried by the nobles of the city. He stepped down from the litter and placed necklaces of gold and precious stones around Cortes’s neck. Cortes placed a necklace of pearls and cut glass around the neck of Motecuhzoma, but was held back by two lords when he tried to embrace the tlatoani.
Motecuhzoma II reportedly greeted Cortes in a manner that is typical Aztec polite speech. He suggested that the Spanish were welcome to treat the city as if it was their home. But Cortes did not understand the customs of Nahuatl speech-making. He chose to see the speech as meaning the Aztecs were ready to surrender to him and King Charles. He then wrote back to the Spanish king, making it look
As if Motecuhzoma II was willing to submit to him. In fact, this was not true. Cortes’s mistake was a combination of misunderstanding and exaggeration. He exaggerated because he was already in trouble with Governor Velasquez and hoped he could win the favor of the king.
The Spanish were very interested in what they saw of Tenochtit-lan. Cortes described the city as built on an island in a great salt lake. He said that it was as large as Seville, a city in Spain. The layout of the city—half streets on land and half canals—impressed the Spanish. They were also interested in the temples, the palaces, and the thriving market. The Spanish may or may not have noticed that the city was remarkably clean—something that could not be said for Spanish cities in the 1500s. The Aztecs bathed daily and kept their streets and homes clean. The Spanish bathed rarely and cleaned their streets even less often.
Aztec Markets
The Spanish admired the large, orderly markets of the Aztec cities. After seeing Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan's sister city, Bernal Diaz del Castillo wrote in The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico that "each kind of merchandise was kept by itself and had its fixed place marked out. Let us begin with the dealers in gold, silver, and precious stones, feathers, mantles, and embroidered goods. Then there were other wares consisting of Indian slaves both
Men and women____In
Another part there were skins of tigers and lions of otters and jackals, deer and other animals and badgers and mountain cats____"
While the Spanish were fascinated by everything they saw, they were not impressed with the Aztec religion. Motecuhzoma II arranged for Cortes to visit the Great Temple, the holiest place in Tenochtitlan. The tlatoani went with them, and the group went up the 114 steps to the top of the pyramid. Cortes asked to see the Aztec gods, and was shown the many idols that were kept in the temple. Three sacrifices had taken place that day and blood covered the walls. The hearts of the victims burned in front of the idols.
The sights and smells revolted Cortes. He wrote that he told Motecuhzoma II, “I do not understand how such a great Prince and wise man as you are has not come to the conclusion. . . that these idols of yours are not gods, but evil things that are called devils” (quoted in Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico). Cortes had offended the tlatoani in the worst possible way. He even asked if he could place a cross, the symbol of the Roman Catholic Church, in the Aztec temple.
Cortes and his men accepted Motecuhzoma II’s invitation to stay at his palace, although they felt nervous about their situation. They were outnumbered and, even with their superior weapons, they knew the Aztecs could easily kill them. Cortes wrote to King Charles that the tlatoani was under arrest, but that is very unlikely.
Eventually, though, Motecuhzoma II did come under Cortes’s direct control. The constant presence of the Spanish, with their strange and fascinating ways, slowly influenced Motecuhzoma. They began to surround him day and night, and eventually separated him from his lords and priests. Then they used the threat of their superior weapons to take him under their control.
Under an armed Spanish guard, Motecuhzoma II led the Spanish to the royal treasure room. The invaders ignored the things the Aztecs valued most and collected all the gold. They set fire to the feathers and other items they did not want. The Spanish also went through the royal palace, taking whatever precious stones and items of value they found. Cortes and his men had found the fortunes they had hoped for. Bernal Diaz del Castillo wrote in The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, “When I saw it, I tell you, I was amazed. . . . [I] had never in my whole life seen riches like it before.”
Since Cortes and his small force could never directly take over Tenochtitlan, he made a more subtle plan. He wanted to keep Motecuhzoma II as a prisoner in his palace and use him as a puppet. The tlatoani would rule the Aztecs in whatever way the Spanish wanted. This plan never worked out, though. As soon as the Aztecs
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Two Versions of Motecuhzoma’s Speech
The Aztecs wrote down their version of the meeting between Cortes and Motecuhzoma ii. here is a modern translation of part of the aztec tlatoani's greeting.
Our lord, you are weary. The journey has tired you, but now you have arrived on the earth. You have come to your city, Mexico.
You have come here to sit on your throne, to sit under its canopy.
The kings who have gone before, your representatives, guarded it and preserved it for your coming. The kings Itzcoatl, Motecuhzoma the Elder, Axayacatl, Tizoc and Ahuitzotl ruled for you in the City of Mexico. The people were protected by their swords and sheltered by their shields.
Do the kings know the destiny of those they left behind, their posterity? If only
They are watching! If only they can see what I see!
No, it is not a dream. I am not walking in my sleep. I am not seeing you in my dreams. . . . I have seen you at last! I have met you face to face! I was in agony for five days, for ten days, with my eyes fixed on the Region of the Mystery. And now you have come out of the clouds and mists to sit on your throne again.
This was foretold by the kings who governed your city, and now it has taken place. You have come back to us; you have come down from the sky. Rest now, and take possession of your royal houses. Welcome to your land, my lords!
Cortes also wrote to King Charles V of Spain, offering his view of what Motecuhzoma ii said.
Realized Motecuhzoma II was being controlled by the Spanish, they stopped obeying his orders.
World History
