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. Tunnel to Two Previously Unknown Chambers Found in Mexican Temple Mayor.Ahuitzotl: Powerful Ruler in the Aztec Golden Age.Cuauhtémoc, The Last Aztec Emperor to Fight Against the Spanish.
The council, however, reserved the right to remove the tlatoani, should he prove to be unworthy. Instead, the Aztec tlaloque were elected by a city council, and once chosen, served in this position for life. Nevertheless, this office was not inherited automatically from father to son.
This was important, as the Aztecs believed that a tlatoani’s right to rule rested on him being from the correct lineage. The office of tlatoani was hereditary, as it was kept within a particular lineage in each Aztec city-state. This title may be translated literally from Nahuatl to mean ‘one who speaks.’ He has a number of important prerogatives, as well as responsibilities towards his people.Īcamapichtli, the first tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, as depicted in the Tovar Codex. ‘Tlatoani’ (the plural being ‘tlatoque’) is the title conferred on the ruler of an Aztec altepetl (equivalent to the term ‘city-state’). Whilst each Aztec city-state had its own tlatoani, the tlatoque of Tenochtitlan, since the establishment of the Aztec Empire in 1430, held the title ‘Huey Tlatoani’, which means ‘Great Tlatoani’, and was the supreme leader of the land. He was the ruler or king of his people and was thought to speak for them. A tlatoani sat at the top of the Aztec city-state hierarchical structure.
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