Is peace merely the opposite of war? If so, there were many peaceful periods in Aztec history, but it is difficult to distinguish these intervals of non-war from respite between wars, and there is little evidence to suggest that peace was a goal in itself. If, however, peace is viewed as a philosophical, religious, or political ideology, it was lacking in Aztec society and its absence begs explanation. But rather than seeing peace as a natural state and its absence as demanding explanation, it is perhaps more useful to assess peace in relation to social systems, since some appear to foster peace and others do not. In short, rather than simply existing in peace, societies encourage it or not, and even then, it is not societies as wholes, but groups or institutions in societies that can translate their goals to the societal whole.
As far as can be determined from the extant documentation, the Aztecs lacked a peace god, lacked rites for peace, and lacked any ritual cleansing for the readmission of soldiers into peaceful society.2 Conquest was a primary political goal, and war, as its necessary handmaiden, was suitably exalted. Death in war was the most honored status one could attain, and warriors slain in battle went to the heaven of the sun from which they returned as precious birds and butterflies after four years (Sahagun 1950-82: 3.49).
The question for the Aztecs was not how to coexist peacefully with other polities, but how to bring all other polities into a hierarchical relationship with themselves on top. There could be peace only with the subordinated, the dead, or with those too distant or yet too powerful to be conquered. This did not prevent the Aztecs from entering into alliances. They did, but these all proved to be temporary.3 Throughout most of Mesoamerica there were courteously observed manners and conventions regarding wars and foreign relations, such as inquiring about one’s intentions before engaging in war, or observing the immunity of foreign ambassadors (Clavigero 1787: 1.355). Long-term peaceful relations, however, seem not to have been a goal.
If there are to be peace movements within a society, regardless of whether peace is a major social goal, the groups or institutions fostering peace must have interests that are better served by non-war than war, whether these groups are religiously or intellectually committed to it or simply see it as more beneficial to other economic, social, or political activities. But where are such groups or interests in ancient Mexico? To inquire effectively, the differences between city-states and empires in Mesoamerica must first be explored.
World History
