One of the most famous is the Mendoza Codex, which was created in 1542 for Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor. Some were commissioned by Spanish colonists as a means to better understand and control the Mesoamerican peoples. Production of such works resumed after Tenochtitlan’s fall. These were pillaged by the Spanish and sent to Europe, where they are now held in several museums. Many were destroyed during the Spanish invasion, but five survived. They took note of their ancestors, their deeds, their faith, and their practices in these documents.
These accounts were created by the Mexica in recorded histories known as codices. The Mexica portray themselves in their records as a people predestined for power, who, after overcoming numerous obstacles, eventually control a wide-ranging empire. The region was rich with other cultures and city-states, but more is specifically known about Aztec culture because of these plentiful sources. Much of what is understood about Mesoamerica during the time of the Aztec comes from either sources written by the Mexica themselves or by the Spanish after 1519. What has unfolded is a compelling, complex story of how an alliance among Mesoamerican city-states quickly rose to power, only to lose it. Many European chroniclers focused attention on the conquistador Hernán Cortés, but renewed focus on the events of 1521 is placing more attention on the Aztec themselves. Surrounded by modern architecture, the archaeological site of Templo Mayor is revealing more and more about the Aztec city and its inhabitants-a reminder of the people and culture who were subdued and absorbed by the colony of New Spain. Today what remains of Tenochtitlan lies underneath Mexico’s thriving capital, Mexico City, one of the most populous cities in the world. We have chewed dry twigs and salt grasses we have eaten lizards, rats and worms… The shields of our warriors could not save it.
Written in the Nahuatl language, using the Latin alphabet of the Spanish invaders, it is the earliest native account of the sufferings of the Aztec people and their defeat 500 years ago in 1521: Our inheritance, our city, is lost and dead. Following the fall of Tenochtitlan, an Aztec poet composed a searing account of the capture of the capital city.
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