History Lesson _The Wise Aztecs

If you were to fly over the Valley of Mexico any time between the 12th and 15th century, you would be blown away. A thunderstorm may be brewing, or it may be a perfectly sunny day. Soaring mountains to the south, east, and west surround this part of South-central Mexico.  But if you were to zoom in, upon closer examination, you would begin to see the outline of cities, houses, and gardens. The beautiful view would be credited to the Aztec people.

You would not only see temples, but that the Aztec’s lives revolved mainly around their religion. “Life was ruled by fate- from beginning to end, your family life, occupation, and success depended on the important dates in your life and the structure of the universe and the nature of the gods…” (Aztec-history.com) Similar to other Mesoamerican religions, the Aztec’s were absorbed in the appeasing of their gods. Their creation story is what dictated most of their rituals. In their homes, they would have an entire wall dedicated to the gods. They thought that five gods were mainly responsible for the creation of the world. Argument after argument caused many gods to lose track of the task at hand. Finally, after many failed attempts, the sun, earth, humans, and universe were created. However, because of the sacrifices the gods had made, the humans were indebted to their creators and have to pay allegiance through the sacrifice of human life.

This debt to the gods is what spurned on the Aztecs to gain more territory. For with territory, come new resources’ including humans for sacrifice. The Aztec military was successful because of numbers, yet they knew numbers alone could not win disputes. Therefore, they formed alliances. The warriors were fierce men, who from young ages, were instructed in the ways of warfare. Children as young as four years old would be treated in like manner to full-grown warrior men.

            Gender roles were clear and unbroken. Everyone had his or her own task and it was expected to be done. The jobs varied from the glorified priests to the lowly, yet respected farmers. Farming was the Aztec’s primary trade, thus most men were involved in agriculture. As previously mentioned, at a certain age, a young boy would start to be trained as a warrior or into a different trade. Girls would be trained in the ways of child raising, homemaking, cooking, and other entities. Women would weave cloths, both for family and to possibly sell. It was acceptable for them to open a little shop, in their homes, to sell their goods. Women were also responsible for keeping the household running smoothly.

            It was not uncommon to see a row of houses built together. In this case, extended families would build directly onto another family member's house. Typically, the construction of a house started with the digging of a moat type foundation. Then it would be filled in with large stone that would be cut to fit like a puzzle. From there, a wood brace would be built and filled in with earth. A common building material for the Aztecs was Adobe bricks. These were made by mixing water with clay, and then adding sand. The floors were generally constructed with earthen materials, but sometimes plaster. It was common to have one main room with others added on. Ordinarily, there would be two doors and no windows.

            The family unit was the basis for the structure of the government. Surprisingly, they didn’t govern how most imagine. In cities, government was more family related and focused on the best interests of the people rather than regional. The rulers weren't interested in taking away the people's freedom; their main interest was expanding their borders. Even once they would take over a nearby town, they did not demand anything but some type of tribute. The Aztecs type of government was called Calpulli, which was a group of families, and one person would protect and take care of his “clan”. There weren't that many laws, however, the laws that were there must be obeyed. It was actually against the law to be drunk in public unless you were over the age of 70!

            A smile might be the same in every language, but a smile won’t allow you to trade, worship, govern, or advance. Even though the Aztec empire stretched over a great distance, most, if not all, the people spoke Nahuatl. Of course, with distance there is bound to be difference in dialect. Anyone who wanted to trade with the Aztecs would need to learn this language. The Aztec language was written with symbols of little images and sounded similar to spanish.

            The poetic and symbolic nature of the Nahuatl language certainly merged into their music and art. Music was not only used for entertainment, but a way of passing on culture, sharing an understanding of religion, and making emotional connection with life events. Diego Duràn said the songs would sound like nonsense, but upon relistening and discussing the words, the poetry and wording was very admirable.

            The way the Aztec people lived was very remarkable, all facts considered. They used the resources that were available to achieve beautiful and impressive things. Chewing gum, Popcorn, antispasmodic medication, the calendar, and chocolate are only a few of the Aztecs accomplishments.

          If you were to zoom back out of this area, and circle back for another look, would you see the same thing? Just a beautiful collection of houses and gardens in a city? The Aztec civilization was complexly simple. They were wise and knew that if you “Take care of today’s thirst and tomorrow’s headache will take care of itself.” They prepared for the future and didn't hold grudges. They wanted to please their creators and live responsible lives, making the best out of every situation.