Ahuitzotl

Ahuitzotl

▪ Aztec king
died 1503

      eighth king of the Aztecs, under whose reign (1486–1503) the Aztec empire reached its greatest extent.

      The aggressive Ahuitzotl succeeded his brother, Tizoc, to the throne. He proved an effective warrior, conquering tribes as far south as present-day Guatemala and in territory along the Gulf of Mexico, using such tactics as forced marches, ambushes, and surprise attacks. His men feared and respected him, and their king, after conquering a foreign city, chose to camp with his men rather than stay in a captured palace. Conquest brought enormous wealth to the Aztec empire as tribute poured in from all the vassal states. The capital of Tenochtitlán grew to such an extent that Ahuitzotl had another aqueduct built. He built the great temple of Malinalco as well. The king imposed tight bureaucratic control over the empire.

      Ahuitzotl is known primarily for having occasioned the greatest orgy of human sacrifice in Aztec history. In 1487 he decided to dedicate his new temple at Tenochtitlán. The ceremonies, lasting four days, consisted of prisoners of war forming four lines, each one extending over three miles. As the captives were marched up to the altar, priests and Aztec nobles, including Ahuitzotl, had the honour of cutting open their chests and tearing out their hearts. Although actual numbers remain in dispute, as many as 20,000 prisoners may have been killed this way, while guests from the conquered provinces were asked to watch. Ahuitzotl was later killed when he hit his head on a stone lintel trying to escape the great flood that devastated Tenochtitlán in 1503.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ahuitzotl — dans le Codex Mendoza. Ahuitzotl (nom nahuatl faisant référence à une créature légendaire souvent identifiée au « castor »[1] ou à la « loutre de rivière »[2] et également orthographié fréquemment Ahuizotl en …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ahuitzotl — Infobox Nahua officeholder name = Ahuitzotl caption = Ahuitzotl in the Codex Mendoza . title = 8th Tlatoani of Mexico Tenochtitlan term = 7 Rabbit (1486) – 10 Rabbit (1502) cihuacoatl = tlacochcalcatl = tlacateccatl = predecessor = Tizoc… …   Wikipedia

  • Ahuitzotl — Auítzotl im Codex Mendoza (16. Jahrhundert) Auítzotl (auch Ahuitzotl) war der Herrscher der Azteken von 1486 bis 1502. Er war der Bruder seiner Vorgänger Tízoc und Axayacatl. Die Azteken waren aus der Regierungszeit des Tízoc außenpolitisch… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ahuitzotl (Fabelwesen) — Ein Ahuitzotl auf einer Glyphe aus Tepoztlán Als Ahuitzotl wird ein Fabelwesen in der Mythologie der Azteken bezeichnet. Der Name kommt aus dem Nahuatl und bedeutet so viel wie „Wasserhund“. Er sieht aus wie ein kleiner Hund mit schwarzem Fell,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ahuitzotl — …   Википедия

  • Pseudoeurycea ahuitzotl — Pseudoeurycea ahuitzotl …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Pseudoeurycea ahuitzotl —   Tlaconete Estado de conservación …   Wikipedia Español

  • Aztec Triple Alliance — This article is about the Aztec Empire as a country. For Aztec society and culture, see Aztec. Aztec Triple Alliance 1428–1521 …   Wikipedia

  • Historia mexica — Teocalli contemporáneo de los mexicas. El inicio de la historia mexica está lleno de concepciones míticas y religiosas que por desgracia se han malinterpretado por más de cuatro siglos, muchos datos han sido tomado como literales cuando en… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Aztèques — Aire maximum approximative des territoires tributaires de la triple alliance aztèque …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”