Legend of Tenochtitlán

Legend of Tenochtitlán PDF Author: Rebecca Hinson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781942765424
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description
Legend of Tenochtitlán tells the story of the Mexica people who founded the city of Tenochtitlán. The history of the city is linked to legendary gods and goddesses. Huitzilopochtli led the Mexica people to their new home, where they found a golden eagle clutching a serpent perched on a cactus growing from a rock in a lake. In 1345, at the site where the eagle had appeared, the Mexica tribe began building the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlán, a temple that would rise 164 feet above the city. Tenochtitlán grew to be the largest and most powerful city of Mesoamerica. Under a succession of emperors, the Aztec city expanded into a vast empire, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. In 1519, Emperor Montezuma anticipated the return of the god Quetzalcóatl, who was prophesied to arrive from the ocean in the east, sailing on a serpent-shaped ship to claim all Aztec lands in his name. Instead, Spaniard Hernán Cortés arrived in November that year. Days later Cortés imprisoned Montezuma and took control of the Aztec empire, but was later driven out by the Aztecs. A year later, the Spaniards and their allies retook Tenochtitlán after three months of battle. This victory marked the destruction of the city and the fall of the Aztec empire. In all, the land of the golden eagle had lasted almost 200 years. During Spanish rule, Mexico City rose above the ruins of Tenochtitlán. The Metropolitan Cathedral was built near the former site of the Great Pyramid. After 300 years, the Spanish withdrew and the land of the golden eagle re-emerged as Mexico. The site, where the tribes are believed to have first seen the golden eagle, is located in the Zócalo plaza in the heart of Mexico City. There every morning, a band plays the Mexican anthem as soldiers raise the Mexican flag with the symbol of Mexico: a golden eagle clutching a serpent, perched on a cactus.

Legend of Tenochtitlán

Legend of Tenochtitlán PDF Author: Rebecca Hinson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781942765424
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description
Legend of Tenochtitlán tells the story of the Mexica people who founded the city of Tenochtitlán. The history of the city is linked to legendary gods and goddesses. Huitzilopochtli led the Mexica people to their new home, where they found a golden eagle clutching a serpent perched on a cactus growing from a rock in a lake. In 1345, at the site where the eagle had appeared, the Mexica tribe began building the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlán, a temple that would rise 164 feet above the city. Tenochtitlán grew to be the largest and most powerful city of Mesoamerica. Under a succession of emperors, the Aztec city expanded into a vast empire, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. In 1519, Emperor Montezuma anticipated the return of the god Quetzalcóatl, who was prophesied to arrive from the ocean in the east, sailing on a serpent-shaped ship to claim all Aztec lands in his name. Instead, Spaniard Hernán Cortés arrived in November that year. Days later Cortés imprisoned Montezuma and took control of the Aztec empire, but was later driven out by the Aztecs. A year later, the Spaniards and their allies retook Tenochtitlán after three months of battle. This victory marked the destruction of the city and the fall of the Aztec empire. In all, the land of the golden eagle had lasted almost 200 years. During Spanish rule, Mexico City rose above the ruins of Tenochtitlán. The Metropolitan Cathedral was built near the former site of the Great Pyramid. After 300 years, the Spanish withdrew and the land of the golden eagle re-emerged as Mexico. The site, where the tribes are believed to have first seen the golden eagle, is located in the Zócalo plaza in the heart of Mexico City. There every morning, a band plays the Mexican anthem as soldiers raise the Mexican flag with the symbol of Mexico: a golden eagle clutching a serpent, perched on a cactus.

Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan PDF Author: Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781984959515
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
*Includes pictures. *Explains the history of Tenochtitlan from its founding to its destruction by Cortes and the Spanish. *Includes descriptions of Tenochtitlan by Spanish conquistadors, including Cortes' 1520 letter to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. *Describes the layout of Tenochtitlan and its important structures. *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. "When we saw so many cities and villages built in the water and other great towns on dry land... we were amazed and said that it was like the enchantments they tell of in the legend of Amadis, on account of the great towers and buildings rising from the water and all built of masonry. And some of our soldiers even asked whether the things that we saw were not a dream... I do not know how to describe it, seeing things as we did that had never been heard of or seen before, not even dreamed about." - Bernal Díaz del Castillo Mexico City is now easily the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, trailing only Tokyo internationally, but unlike the other great cities of the Americas, Mexico City is not a new place. Mexico City instead has much in common with cities like London, Delhi or Cairo in the East in that it is an ancient city dating back centuries before the arrival of Colombus in Hispañola. For, while much (including the name) has changed, Mexico City is the mighty Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire and the great American metropolis of the Spanish Empire. There has been no break in occupation, and despite much devastation in the Conquest, the city was never fully destroyed. Indeed, from the moment Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés first found and confronted them, the Aztecs have fascinated the world, and they continue to hold a unique place both culturally and in pop culture. Nearly 500 years after the Spanish conquered their mighty empire, the Aztecs are often remembered today for their major capital, Tenochtitlan, as well as being fierce conquerors of the Valley of Mexico who often engaged in human sacrifice rituals. But thanks to the Spanish conquest, even though the Aztecs continue to interest people across the world centuries after their demise, it has fallen on archaeologists and historians to try to determine the actual history, culture, and lives of the Aztecs from the beginning to the end, relying on excavations, primary accounts, and more. Much of what is known today does come from the Conquistadores, and what those men encountered was entirely unexpected: one of the world's greatest cities, teeming with over 200,000 people, built on an island on a lake and connected to the shore by a number of long, broad stone causeways. On the water itself were remarkable floating gardens, on surrounding shorelines were sprawling suburbs, and behind them was a dramatic wall of mountain peaks. Tenochtitlan: The History of the Aztec's Most Famous City comprehensively covers the history of the city, examining what life was like in the great city, who ruled the city, and what the day-to-day existence of all sorts of Tenocha (people of the city) was like. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about Tenochtitlan like you never have before, in no time at all.

Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory

Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory PDF Author: Frances F. Berdan
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521881277
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
This book provides an up-to-date synthesis of Aztec culture, encompassing topics of history, economy, social life, political relations, and religious beliefs and ceremonies. It offers an integrated view of Aztec life, grappling with thorny issues such as human sacrifice and the controversial role of up-and-coming merchants. The book meshes data, methods, and theories from a variety of disciplines including archaeology, ethnohistory, ethnography, and art history.

History and Mythology of the Aztecs

History and Mythology of the Aztecs PDF Author:
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
ISBN: 9780816518869
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
One of the great documents of colonial Mexico, the Codex Chimalpopoca chronicles the rise of Aztec civilization and preserves the mythology on which it was based. Its two complementary texts, Annals of Cuauhtitlan and Legend of the Suns, record the pre-CortŽsian history of the Valley of Mexico together with firsthand versions of that region's myths. Of particular interest are the stories of the hero-god Quetzalcoatl, for which the Chimalpopoca is the premier source. John Bierhorst's work is the first major scholarship on the Codex Chimalpopoca in more than forty years. His is the first edition in English and the first in any language to include the complete text of the Legend of the Suns. The precise, readable translation not only contributes to the study of Aztec history and literature but also makes the codex an indispensable reference for Aztec cultural topics, including land tenure, statecraft, the role of women, the tribute system, warfare, and human sacrifice.

Conquistador

Conquistador PDF Author: Buddy Levy
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553384716
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description
In this astonishing work of scholarship that reads like an edge-of-your-seat adventure thriller, acclaimed historian Buddy Levy records the last days of the Aztec empire and the two men at the center of an epic clash of cultures perhaps unequaled to this day. It was a moment unique in human history, the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico, determined not only to expand the Spanish empire but to convert the natives to Catholicism and carry off a fortune in gold. That he saw nothing paradoxical in carrying out his intentions by virtually annihilating a proud and accomplished native people is one of the most remarkable and tragic aspects of this unforgettable story. In Tenochtitlán Cortés met his Aztec counterpart, Montezuma: king, divinity, commander of the most powerful military machine in the Americas and ruler of a city whose splendor equaled anything in Europe. Yet in less than two years, Cortés defeated the entire Aztec nation in one of the most astounding battles ever waged. The story of a lost kingdom, a relentless conqueror, and a doomed warrior, Conquistador is history at its most riveting.

Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest

Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest PDF Author: Matthew Restall
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199839751
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 403

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Book Description
Here is an intriguing exploration of the ways in which the history of the Spanish Conquest has been misread and passed down to become popular knowledge of these events. The book offers a fresh account of the activities of the best-known conquistadors and explorers, including Columbus, Cortés, and Pizarro. Using a wide array of sources, historian Matthew Restall highlights seven key myths, uncovering the source of the inaccuracies and exploding the fallacies and misconceptions behind each myth. This vividly written and authoritative book shows, for instance, that native Americans did not take the conquistadors for gods and that small numbers of vastly outnumbered Spaniards did not bring down great empires with stunning rapidity. We discover that Columbus was correctly seen in his lifetime--and for decades after--as a briefly fortunate but unexceptional participant in efforts involving many southern Europeans. It was only much later that Columbus was portrayed as a great man who fought against the ignorance of his age to discover the new world. Another popular misconception--that the Conquistadors worked alone--is shattered by the revelation that vast numbers of black and native allies joined them in a conflict that pitted native Americans against each other. This and other factors, not the supposed superiority of the Spaniards, made conquests possible. The Conquest, Restall shows, was more complex--and more fascinating--than conventional histories have portrayed it. Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest offers a richer and more nuanced account of a key event in the history of the Americas.

The Aztecs

The Aztecs PDF Author: David Carrasco
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195379381
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
Illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. Readers meet a people highly skilled in sculpture, astronomy, city planning, poetry, and philosophy, who were also profoundly committed to cosmic regeneration through the thrust of the ceremonial knife and through warfare.

Fifth Sun

Fifth Sun PDF Author: Camilla Townsend
Publisher:
ISBN: 0190673060
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Fifth Sun offers a comprehensive history of the Aztecs, spanning the period before conquest to a century after the conquest, based on rarely-used Nahuatl-language sources written by the indigenous people.

The Venetian Discovery of America

The Venetian Discovery of America PDF Author: Elizabeth Horodowich
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108687245
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
Few Renaissance Venetians saw the New World with their own eyes. As the print capital of early modern Europe, however, Venice developed a unique relationship to the Americas. Venetian editors, mapmakers, translators, writers, and cosmographers represented the New World at times as a place that the city's mariners had discovered before the Spanish, a world linked to Marco Polo's China, or another version of Venice, especially in the case of Tenochtitlan. Elizabeth Horodowich explores these various and distinctive modes of imagining the New World, including Venetian rhetorics of 'firstness', similitude, othering, comparison, and simultaneity generated through forms of textual and visual pastiche that linked the wider world to the Venetian lagoon. These wide-ranging stances allowed Venetians to argue for their different but equivalent participation in the Age of Encounters. Whereas historians have traditionally focused on the Spanish conquest and colonization of the New World, and the Dutch and English mapping of it, they have ignored the wide circulation of Venetian Americana. Horodowich demonstrates how with their printed texts and maps, Venetian newsmongers embraced a fertile tension between the distant and the close. In doing so, they played a crucial yet heretofore unrecognized role in the invention of America.

The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City

The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City PDF Author: Barbara E. Mundy
Publisher: University of Texas Press
ISBN: 1477317139
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Winner, Book Prize in Latin American Studies, Colonial Section of Latin American Studies Association (LASA), 2016 ALAA Book Award, Association for Latin American Art/Arvey Foundation, 2016 The capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, was, in its era, one of the largest cities in the world. Built on an island in the middle of a shallow lake, its population numbered perhaps 150,000, with another 350,000 people in the urban network clustered around the lake shores. In 1521, at the height of Tenochtitlan's power, which extended over much of Central Mexico, Hernando Cortés and his followers conquered the city. Cortés boasted to King Charles V of Spain that Tenochtitlan was "destroyed and razed to the ground." But was it? Drawing on period representations of the city in sculptures, texts, and maps, The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City builds a convincing case that this global capital remained, through the sixteenth century, very much an Amerindian city. Barbara E. Mundy foregrounds the role the city's indigenous peoples, the Nahua, played in shaping Mexico City through the construction of permanent architecture and engagement in ceremonial actions. She demonstrates that the Aztec ruling elites, who retained power even after the conquest, were instrumental in building and then rebuilding the city. Mundy shows how the Nahua entered into mutually advantageous alliances with the Franciscans to maintain the city's sacred nodes. She also focuses on the practical and symbolic role of the city's extraordinary waterworks—the product of a massive ecological manipulation begun in the fifteenth century—to reveal how the Nahua struggled to maintain control of water resources in early Mexico City.