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How the Aztecs Fell: The Temple Massacre of 1520

Hernán Cortés' arrival in Tenochtitlan in 1519 marked a pivotal moment in Aztec history. Emperor Montezuma II initially greeted Cortés, believing he might fulfill an ancient prophecy. However, Cortés soon seized Montezuma, turning him into a puppet ruler and igniting unrest among the Aztec people.

In May 1520, while Cortés was away dealing with rival Spanish forces, the Aztecs held a festival at the Great Temple to honor Huitzilopochtli. Fearing an uprising—or driven by greed for the Aztecs' golden treasures—Pedro de Alvarado ordered a brutal attack. Thousands of unarmed nobles, priests, and dancers gathered at the temple were slaughtered by Spanish soldiers. Those attempting to escape were either cut down or plunged to their deaths on the temple steps. Witnesses described blood cascading down the stone stairways, pooling at the temple’s base, as the victims' screams echoed through Tenochtitlan, spreading panic and outrage.

The massacre triggered a full-scale rebellion. Furious citizens rose against the Spaniards, rejecting Montezuma's rule. During La Noche Triste (The Night of Sorrows), the Spanish were driven from the city, suffering heavy casualties. Though Cortés returned to conquer Tenochtitlan in 1521, the massacre marked a turning point that hastened the fall of the Aztec Empire.

The ruins of the Great Temple, rediscovered in 1978, along with unearthed skeletons and artifacts, stand as a grim reminder of the violent clash between two civilizations and the resilience of the Aztec legacy.

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