Monument of Cuauhtémoc, the last tlatoani. The Infamous Eagle Warriors: Elite Infantrymen of the Aztec Empire.Was the Ahuizotl an Aztec Mythical Creature or a Real Fisherman’s Foe?.Montezuma Zoo: A Legendary Treasure of the Aztec Empire.Additionally, they served as high priests, received tribute, and resolved judicial disagreements, amongst other things. For instance, these were the supreme land-owners of their city-states, or in the case of the huey tlatoani, of the empire. The victims of these rituals were often war captives, hence bestowing a sacred nature on warfare.Ī tlatoani had other functions as well. The Aztecs believed that human sacrifice was necessary to sustain the gods, who in turn ensured that the universe continued to exist. For the Aztecs, the goal of warfare was not only to gain tribute and to expand their territory, but also to maintain the universe. Indeed, military leadership was one of the most important aspects of being a tlatoani. The Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl (here written Ahuiçuçin = Ahuitzotzin, an honorific form), in the Codex Mendoza. The huey tlatoani Tizoc, on the other hand, is recorded to have captured just 40 prisoners, which indicates that he was not worthy to rule. One huey tlatoani, Ahuitzotl, is recorded to have captured a total of 80,400 prisoners, certainly more than enough to prove his worth. The new huey tlatoani was required to go to battle to gain tribute and to capture victims for the human sacrifice that was to be carried out during the confirmation feast. ( Public Domain )īy contrast, the third part of the inaugural ceremony was the ‘coronation war’, which was designed to prove the new ruler’s prowess in war. () An image of Huitzilopochtli is seen in the background. This stage was meant to gain the approval of the gods.Ī European depiction of an Aztec temple, from ‘Americae, nona et postrema pars’ (1602). Additionally, the new huey tlatoani would make regular solemn visits to the shrine of Huitzilopochtli, incense was burnt, and a blood-letting ceremony was performed. We know that the inaugural ceremony for the huey tlatoani lasted for a period of time and consisted of several different parts, each of which prepared the ruler for his new role.Īs an example, the first part of the inaugural ceremony was religious in nature and involved a retreat with fasting and penitential observances. Once elected as tlatoani, an inaugural ceremony would be performed for the new ruler.
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