The Zapotecs: Monte Albán and the Cloud People

The Zapotecs: Monte Albán and the Cloud People

Long before the Mexica built Tenochtitlan, the Zapotecs ruled the Oaxaca highlands from their mountaintop capital of Monte Albán. Lucas and Luna explore this earlier civilization: its origins in the San José Mogote settlement, the rise of Monte Albán around 500 BCE, and its famous 'Danzantes' carvings—stone reliefs of captured enemies that may represent the earliest writing in Mesoamerica. They discuss the Zapotec writing and calendar system, the role of the rain god Cocijo, and the city's eventual decline after 800 CE. They also touch on the post-classic Zapotec state centered at Mitla and the diplomatic manuevering between the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs. The conversation highlights how the Zapotecs were contemporaries of Teotihuacan and the Maya, not just precursors to the Aztecs, and how their legacy endured through the colonial period and into modern Oaxaca. #Zapotec #MonteAlbán #Oaxaca #Mesoamerica #Danzantes #Cocijo #SanJoséMogote #Mitla #Mixtec #Teotihuacan #Maya #PreColumbian #Lienzo de Guevea #Alfonso Caso #AncientWriting #History #FexingoHistory #TheConquistadors Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Siege of Tenochtitlan: Cortés's 93-Day War of Attrition

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the brutal 93-day siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521, exploring the key military strategies, the role of indigenous allies like the Tlaxcalans, the devastating impact of disease and famine, and the final assault on the city. They discuss the leadership of Cuauhtémoc, the use of brigantines on Lake Texcoco, and the harrowing account of Bernal Díaz del Castillo. The conversation also touches on the controversial question of just war and the legacy of Cortés's victory. #Tenochtitlan #SiegeofTenochtitlan #Cuauhtemoc #HernanCortes #Tlaxcala #BernalDiazDelCastillo #Aztecs #Mexica #Conquistadors #FlorentineCodex #LakeTexcoco #Brigantines #Mesoamerica #SpanishConquest #1521 #History #FexingoHistory #Warfare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Siege of Tenochtitlan: Cortés's 93-Day War of Attrition

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the brutal 93-day siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521, a turning point in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. They explore the tactical innovations Cortés employed after his defeat on the Noche Triste, including the construction of thirteen brigantines to control Lake Texcoco. The episode details the crucial role of Tlaxcalan allies, who provided tens of thousands of warriors and logistical support. Lucas explains the devastating impact of smallpox on the Mexica defenders, who fought under the young emperor Cuauhtémoc. The discussion covers the systematic destruction of the city's aqueduct from Chapultepec, the use of cannons and crossbows, and the final desperate defense in Tlatelolco. The hosts also examine controversial aspects: Cortés's use of indigenous allies as front-line troops, the mass starvation and disease that decimated the besieged population, and the ambiguous fate of Cuauhtémoc. Drawing on accounts from Bernal Díaz del Castillo and the Florentine Codex, this episode offers a granular look at the campaign that ended the Mexica empire. #SiegeOfTenochtitlan #Cuauhtemoc #Cortés #Tlaxcala #Brigantines #LakeTexcoco #BernalDiaz #FlorentineCodex #Smallpox #Tlatelolco #Mexica #Aztecs #Conquistadors #Mesoamerica #1521 #NewSpain #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Cholula Massacre: Terror as Spanish Tactic

In October 1519, just months after landing on the Mexican coast, Hernán Cortés and his army perpetrated a massacre in the great religious center of Cholula that killed thousands of unarmed nobles and commoners. This episode examines the Cholula massacre as a calculated act of psychological warfare that shattered indigenous resistance before the final march on Tenochtitlan. We explore the political context: Cholula was a city-state allied with the Aztec Empire but also sacred to the god Quetzalcoatl, making it a crucial diplomatic target. Cortés claimed he acted on intelligence from La Malinche about a planned ambush, but indigenous accounts from the Florentine Codex and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala suggest a premeditated slaughter designed to intimidate Moctezuma and secure Tlaxcalan loyalty. We also discuss the Cholulteca leader Tlaquiach and the aftermath that turned Cholula into a ghost town. This episode fills a gap in the show's narrative by focusing on a specific, pivotal act of terror that forever changed the course of the conquest. #CholulaMassacre #Cortés #LaMalinche #Tlaxcala #Moctezuma #FlorentineCodex #LienzodeTlaxcala #Tlaquiach #Quetzalcoatl #Mesoamerica #Aztec #Conquistadors #SpanishConquest #PsychologicalWarfare #1519 #History #FexingoHistory #NewSpain Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Mexica Flower Wars: Blood for the Gods and Politics

In this episode of The Conquistadors, Lucas and Luna dive into the xochiyaoyotl—the 'flower wars'—that shaped Aztec warfare and religion. They explore how the Mexica of Tenochtitlan engaged in ritualized combat with neighboring city-states like Tlaxcala and Huexotzinco, not primarily for territory but to capture prisoners for human sacrifice to Huitzilopochtli. Lucas explains the strategic genius behind these wars: how the Aztec Empire used them to demoralize enemies, train warriors, and secure a steady stream of sacrificial victims. The conversation also covers the controversial theory that flower wars were a form of ritualized mutual combat agreed upon by both sides, and how this system was exploited by Cortés when he allied with Tlaxcala. Drawing on the Florentine Codex and accounts by Bernardino de Sahagún, the episode reveals the complex interplay of religion, politics, and warfare in Mesoamerica. Listeners will learn about the role of jaguar and eagle warriors, the importance of capturing rather than killing, and how the flower wars ultimately contributed to the fall of the Aztec Empire. A must-listen for anyone interested in pre-Columbian history and the conquest of Mexico. #FlowerWars #Xochiyaoyotl #Aztec #Mexica #Tenochtitlan #Tlaxcala #Huexotzinco #Huitzilopochtli #FlorentineCodex #BernardinoDeSahagun #JaguarWarriors #EagleWarriors #Mesoamerica #HumanSacrifice #Cortés #MesoamericanWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]