Did Montezuma betray his people?

His figure has remained controversial in the historical record, as some have seen him as a man who betrayed his people for his own ambition, while others have seen him as a brave warrior who fought against the tyrannical rule of Moctezuma II and liberated the peoples he subjugated with the help of Hernán Cortés.

Was Montezuma a traitor?

Moctezuma, the last ruler of the Aztec empire, was not a traitor who sold out to the Spanish conquistadors, a new British Museum exhibition will claim later this year. To date, history has cast him as the man who ceded his empire to the Spanish in 1520 largely without a fight.

What did Montezuma do for the Aztecs?

Montezuma was commander of the army and organized extensive expeditions of conquest in deference to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and of the sun. Through astrologers, the god instilled in the emperor a kind of fatalism in the face of an uncertain future.

Was Montezuma a good person?

He Was a Great Warrior and General

Montezuma was a brave warrior in the field as well as a skilled general. If he had never shown great personal bravery on the battlefield, he never would have been considered for Tlatoani in the first place.

What did Montezuma do Cortés?

Montezuma collected women, wolves, and dwarfs. He led Cortés and his bosses to Tenochtitlan to add the pale Spaniards to his menageries and palaces. The Spanish factions had no choice.

Montezuma II: The End of the Aztec Empire

Is Montezuma's revenge?

Also known as traveler's diarrhea, the main symptom is, well, diarrhea. Diarrhea is defined by an increase in the frequency of watery, loose stools. People who have Montezuma's Revenge typically spend a lot of time in the bathroom, which is not where you want to be spending all your vacation time.

Who kills Moctezuma?

The Spaniards say he died from stoning by his own people, and the locals say that Cortés and his men speared him one night through the groin. A third, also indigenous though less well known, account states that Moctezuma could have been strangled to death before their retreat.

What is the story behind Montezuma's revenge?

Etymology. Named for Montezuma or Moctezuma II (c. 1466 – 1520), the last Aztec ruler before the empire was conquered by the Spanish. The condition is seen as “retribution” for the slaughter and enslavement of the Aztec people by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on 13 August 1521.

What happened when Cortés tried to embrace Montezuma?

Cortés placed a necklace of pearls and cut glass around the neck of Montezuma, but was held back by two lords when he tried to embrace the emperor. The Aztecs led the Spaniards into the heart of the city where Montezuma showered them with more gifts and then quartered them in sumptous apartments.

Who betrayed the Aztecs?

A young native princess named Malinali from the town of Painala was sold into enslavement sometime between 1500 and 1518. She was destined for everlasting fame (or infamy, as some prefer) as Doña Marina, or "Malinche," the woman who helped conquistador Hernan Cortes topple the Aztec Empire.

Did Montezuma think Cortés was a God?

An unnerving series of coincidences led Montezuma to believe that perhaps Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day to reclaim his kingdom. Quetzalcoatl, "the feathered serpent," stood for the solar light, the morning star. He symbolized knowledge, arts, and religion.

How did Cortés treat the Aztecs?

They subdued the Aztecs street by street, slaughtering indiscriminately and looting what they could. Houses were burned and temples destroyed. After the sack of Tenochtitlán, Cortés declared the city his on August 13, 1521.

What did Cortés say to Moctezuma when they met?

Then he addressed him in these words: "Our lord, you are very welcome in your arrival in this land. You have come to satisfy your curiosity about your noble city of Mexico.

Did Montezuma eat children?

It is said that he ate the flesh of slaves, youth, women, and children etc. depending on which god the sacrifice was directed towards.

What happened to Montezuma's gold?

“Montezuma's treasure is in some place in North America,” said Matt Brown, a journalist and historian in southern Utah. Some believe it's in Kanab and that it's hidden at the pond of Three Lakes Ranch. “Archeologists believe that the Aztecs thought of this as their homeland,” Brown explained.

Was Moctezuma killed by his own people?

The Aztec emperor Moctezuma was murdered by his Spanish captors, not by his own people, it will be argued in a new exhibition attempting to rescue a shadowy figure from the propaganda that portrayed him as a traitor.

Why did the Aztecs turn against their ruler Montezuma?

The Aztec people, however, resented the emperor's frequent demands for tribute and victims for religious sacrifice. So when Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519, Montezuma saw some of his subjects turn against him. He was killed soon after, and the Aztec empire came to an end.

Can you get Montezuma's revenge twice?

You can get the same infection twice in one trip. You can also get two different infections on the same trip, or even at the same time. You can get the same infection again when traveling to a different place.

Can you become immune to Montezuma's revenge?

FALSE. Shlim has spent 30 years studying travelers' illnesses in Nepal. He found that long-term trekkers and expats will eventually build up immunity to diarrhea-causing bacteria. But it takes years, not weeks or months.

How did Cortés capture Montezuma?

Capture of Montezuma

A Spanish garrison left on the coast had been attacked by some representatives of the Mexica and several of them were killed. Cortes arranged a meeting with Montezuma, accused him of planning the attack, and took him into custody.

What did Montezuma look like?

What did Moctezuma look like? A Spanish soldier described him "of good height, slender… the natural shade and colour of an Indian… scanty black beard…his face somewhat long, but cheerful". A Spanish priest calls him "astute, discerning, prudent, learned and capable".

How did Cortés feel about the Aztecs?

Cortés Travels to Tenochtitlan

They hated the Aztecs because they had raided their cities for people to sacrifice to their gods. Montezuma II tried to keep Cortés from getting all the way to Tenochtitlan, but Cortés continued his march. He destroyed the Aztec religious city of Cholula along the way.

Who betrayed the Aztecs and helped the Spaniards?

Between 1519 and 1521, Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, overthrew the Aztec Empire. This event is called the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Cortés helped old enemies of the Aztecs defeat them in one of the most important events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Who helped Hernán Cortés defeat Aztecs?

The Spanish army had help in sacking the city. Though Cortés enslaved much of the native population, other indigenous groups were fundamental to his success, according to Cosme. Among them were the people of Tlaxcala, who helped him regroup and take Tenochtitlán.