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They were not called the Aztecs -

The word Aztec was invented by Europeans in reference to the city of Aztlan, which historians believe was in the northern part of Mexico. They actually called themselves Mexica, which is the root for the country name of Mexico.

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They had a specific method for deciding where to live -

According to legend, the wandering Mexica people chose where to build the city-state of Tenochtitlan by looking for an eagle perched on a cactus. This would indicate the fulfillment of an age-old prophecy. The coat of arms on the modern Mexican flag is inspired by this legend.

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They founded Tenochtitlan in 1325 CE -

They saw the prophecy of the eagle on an island in Lake Texcoco. The city-state of Tenochtitlan was founded on this island on March 13, 1325.

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Their capital city was among the most impressive in the world -

Like Venice, Tenochtitlan was a city of canals and was regarded as spectacularly beautiful by the Spanish invaders. Bernal Díaz del Castillo, one of the conquistadores, wrote that the Spanish were left in disbelief when they arrived at the capital.

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They originated from northern Mexico -

Nahua-speaking people began to migrate to the Basin of Mexico around 1250 CE. They were one of the last groups to arrive in the region. 

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They loved sports -

Their national sport was called ullamaliztli and was a team sport that used a heavy rubber ball. The object of the game was to smash the ball through a stone ring. The ball was not allowed to touch the ground, and players could only hit the ball with their heads, elbows, knees, and hips.

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They were chocoholics -

Chocolate originates in Mesoamerica and was regarded as a gift from Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom. The cacao seeds were even used as a form of currency, and it was prepared in very different ways. Cacao seeds were crushed and served as a bitter, frothy drink mixed with spices. 

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They had never seen horses before the Spanish arrived -

Before the arrival of the Spanish, horses had never been seen there. They reportedly had a massive psychological impact on the Aztec society, who originally mistook the mounted Spaniards for centaurs. 

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Education was important -

The Mexica were one of the first societies to introduce compulsory education. Every child was educated, regardless of whether they were nobles, commoners, or slaves.

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The empire wasn’t strictly an empire -

The Aztecs didn’t rule over their subjects in the same way the Romans did. Rather than direct control, the Aztecs subjugated nearby city-states but left the local rulers in charge and demanded regular payments. 

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Their religion was based on existing Mesoamerican belief systems -

The polytheistic pantheon that the Aztec religion was based upon had existed for thousands of years prior to their own civilization.

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They had a different sense of style -

It is believed that they would file down their teeth or fit them with precious stones. Women would also stain their teeth red with a dye extracted from a parasitic beetle that lives on cactus plants.

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Their combat was focused on capture over killing -

While the Aztecs did engage in pre-arranged battles, it became something more like a blood sport for them. Ornately dressed nobles would attempt to make their enemies submit so they could be captured and then sacrificed.

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There were over 200 deities within their Pantheon -

Aztec gods were divided into groups, such as for the weather, agriculture, and warfare. Their patron god was called Huitzilopochtli and was associated with war and sacrifice.

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They lacked metallurgy for warfare -

In terms of technology, the Aztecs hadn't developed bronze or iron to create weapons. Instead, weaponry was based on a volcanic glass called obsidian, which was sharp and strong enough to be effective in battle.

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They were advanced in architecture, art, and astronomy -

The Aztecs constructed many great religious buildings and placed great emphasis on intricate stonework. The impressive 24-ton (24,000 kg) Aztec Sun Stone consists of detailed motifs that mark out the Aztec calendar.  

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Montezuma was emperor of the Aztecs when he met the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés -

Montezuma was the ninth ruler of the Aztecs, reigning from 1502 until his death in 1520. Under his rule, the Aztec Empire reached its greatest size, but was also conquered by the Spaniards. 

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They had to rely on man power -

There were no horses, cows, or sheep native to the region. This meant armies could not be easily supported, and any infrastructure was built purely by manpower. 

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Having multiple wives was a status symbol -

Aztecs practiced polygamy, but only the first marriage would be publically celebrated. It helped improve a family’s status due to the sheer increase in workforce and income.

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Maize was the main crop -

Maize, also known as corn, was the staple of the Aztec diet. It was so important to the Aztecs that they had a god for it, Centeotl, which translates to god of maize. 

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Their religion practiced human sacrifice -

Captives would be sacrificed to please the gods, which was common throughout Mesoamerican religion. This practice increased under the Aztecs.  

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Montezuma was facing internal problems when the Spanish arrived -

Many minority tribes under Aztec rule were very discontented. Having to pay regular tribute and provide sacrificial victims caused a lot of resentment. Cortés managed to exploit these poorer communities and turned city-states against the Aztecs.

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Native people were instrumental to the downfall of the empire -

The Empire demanded massive tributes from the subjects it had conquered in Mesoamerica. When the Spanish arrived, many of these native groups saw an opportunity to bring down their greedy rulers. As the Spanish made their way inland towards Tenochtitlan, they enlisted the help of native allies who fought alongside them. 

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Tenochtitlan was one of the largest cities in the world by 1500 -

One of the largest cities in the world, its population was over 200,000 by the early 16th century. Only Paris and Constantinople were bigger at the time.

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They were actually defeated by disease -

Historians estimate that more than 20 million Aztecs died from illnesses like mumps, measles, and smallpox in the five-year period that followed the invasion. This facilitated the fall of the empire. 

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They were master accountants -

The Aztecs kept perfect records and had a complex writing system. Their alphabet was a series of pictures, written by scholars and priests, and inscribed on deerskin or tree bark.

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They were agricultural innovators -

The region had complex irrigation systems called chinampas which the Aztecs developed for large scale cultivation. Soil from the bottom of the shallow Lake Texcoco was piled up to create ridges between ditches, which formed small rectangular fields. 

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The empire was crushed by the Spanish conquistadors and their allies in 1521 -

The conquistadors were forced out of Tenochtitlan when they killed Montezuma. They rallied allied city-states like Tlaxcala and Texcoco to build a vast force. They besieged Tenochtitlan in August 1521 and finally crushed the empire.

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Mexico City is built upon the Aztec capital -

The capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan, was built on an island in the heart of a lake, which is today where Mexico City is located. 

Sources: (History Hit) (The Culture Trip) (History)

See also: Facts about ancient Rome that you had no idea about

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