Warlords of Ancient Mexico by Peter G. Tsouras

Author:Peter G. Tsouras
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Ahuítzotl name hieroglyph.

In effect, Tlacaélel was promising to act as regent. With that reassurance, the lords of Tenochtitlan followed by great crowds of the people went to the calmecac school for highborn boys and escorted teen-age Ahuítzotl to the palace and to the jaguar-skin covered throne of the tlatoani. There he was addressed by Nezahualpilli, who told him that it was time to put away the things of childhood,

‘. . . now you must know and care for all things under the heavens. For this purpose you have at your side the mighty lord Tlacaélel. Follow his footsteps, observe how he rules and you will not err. He will watch over the way you govern so that you do not let the load that been given you fall upon the ground.’17

Tlacaélel now consulted with the great lords of the Eagle Council to decide against which nation to wage Ahuítzotl’s coronation war. Handy candidates were provided by the seven cities of the Mazahuacan region to the northwest of Tenochtitlan. Conquered by Axayácatl, they were now in rebellion. The contingents of the Triple Alliance army made a rendezvous at a place called Cilocan, fewer than 20 kilometres from the capital. It was an apprehensive army that watched the arrival of the young Ahuítzotl and his escort of nobles. The empire was plainly wobbling; the Tarascan defeat followed by Tizoc’s impotent stewardship had clearly undermined the morale of the empire’s fighting men and incited widespread rebellion. Now a boy was tlatoani. Tlacaélel may have been regent, but he was too old to command in the field.

The nobles dressed Ahuítzotl for battle and gave him his royal insignia. Young he was, but the army could see a certain bearing and boldness in the slight schoolboy figure almost overwhelmed by the magnificent war costume of a tlatoani. He addressed the army through a herald. The army listened and would wait to see. They did not have long.

The first city, Xiquipilco, was stormed and sacked. A few other cities shared the same fate in rapid succession. Tlacaélel had put command of the army in the hands of competent generals. After the five cities had fallen though, it was clear the army’s stamina was weakening as desertions increased. The chronicles are not clear on exactly what happened next, but the schoolboy-tlatoani suddenly asserted his own powerful personality. He ordered death for anyone, no matter how high born, who absented himself from the army. They were to be hunted down and killed, and every man was ordered to ensure that his companions were at their posts. Then he speeded up the tempo of operations by ignoring the day of rest after the last battle and pushing the army towards its next objective, Chiapan. In doing so they arrived outside the city without the enemy being aware of their presence. At the last minute, sentries gave the alarm, and the men of Chiapan rushed to arms. Now clearly in command, Ahuítzotl pushed the Allied and vassal contingents from Texcoco,

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