What did Cortés give to 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.
Why did Montezuma fear Cortés?
Much has been made of the Aztecs’ “superstitious” belief that Cortés was a god, and that Montezuma was paralysed with fear by a series of omens predicting the downfall of the city.
Why did Montezuma welcome Hernán Cortés when the Spanish conquistadors first arrived?
With La Malinche and Aguilar in tow, the conquistadors made their way to the island city of Tenochtitlán where they were initially welcomed by Emperor Moctezuma II. In fact, Montezuma believed that Cortés was perhaps the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, coming to reclaim his kingdom.
Was Montezuma a weak leader?
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.
Who is god according to Cortés?
god Quetzalcoatl
History tells us that Malinalli, like other natives, thought that Cortés was actually their god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent who, according to prophecies, was meant to come back to free the Mexicas from Huitzilopochtli, god of war.
Was Montezuma an effective leader?
Montezuma was a brave warrior in the field as well as a skilled general. Once he became Tlatoani, Montezuma carried out several military campaigns against rebellious vassals and holdout city-states within the Aztec sphere of influence.
When did Hernan Cortes conquer the Aztecs?
Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztec is the riveting and vivid account of Cortes and his brutal conquest of the Aztec empire in 1519 – 1521. Montezuma, king of the Aztecs, ruled over 15 million people when Cortes arrived with a few hundred Spanish soldiers and Cuban porters.
Is the story of Hernan Cortes a fair portrayal of Montezuma?
He does tend to be harder on Cortez and the Spanish than on Montezuma and the Aztecs in terms of their motives and behavior but the book, on the whole, seems a fair portrayal.
Why was the meeting of Hernan and Hernán Cortes important?
It was a moment unique in human history, the face-to-face meeting between two men from civilizations a world apart. Only one would survive the encounter. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived on the shores of Mexico with a roughshod crew of adventurers and the intent to expand the Spanish empire.
Why did Hernan Cortez want to destroy the Mayan civilization?
Ironically Cortez, while preaching Christianity, was willing to kill and destroy their civilization in order to acquire their wealth for himself. King Montezuma had people sweep the ground he walked on and his citizens were not to look upon him under penalty of death.