Rob Edwards
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, “The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico”
Castillo (1492-1581)
accompanied Hernando Cortes on his conquest and wrote a first hand account of Montezuma and his courtiers
Montezuma is a powerful, happy looking man that had many women as mistresses
He commands power and respect from everyone
All people that entered into his presence had to put on very cheap clothes to humble themselves in his presence
Even foreign leaders were forced to show respect
Rumored that he would eat the flesh of young boys, although his feasts were always so extravagant that it was hard to distinguish one thing from the next
Cortes was forced to make it clear that he did not want to be served any human flesh
The dinners also include smoking a mixture of sweet gum and herbs called “tabaco” by the Aztecs
Another house holds many Idols that are the fierce gods of the Aztecs, as well as a ton of carnivorous animals
Often make a human sacrifice to these idols, which consists of tearing out the heart and then eating much of the rest of the body
The aztecs also keep many snakes to also feed on the human sacrifices
Every man who is employed is incredibly skilled, whether it be gem cutting, painters and sculptors, or the women who did the weaving
There is a humongous market called Tlaltelolco
Large slave trade in the empire
Very advanced water system
Cortes tries to erect a cross and is scolded by Montezuma for denying the authority of the Idols
Cortes and others find the humongous storage of wealth in Montezuma's palace, and say that it is most likely the most valuable collection in the world
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