Ancient Voices: Aztecs - Inside The Hidden Empire

Plot

This documentary is a general overview of the fascinating Aztec culture. The warlike Aztecs invaded and conquered much of Mesoamerica in the 1200s, assimilating advanced cultures like the Maya, Toltecs, and Zapatecs. The film details the agricultural and architectural achievements of the Aztecs. There are excellent shots of the pyramids -- the legacy of the Mayans -- upon which the Aztecs continued to build. Examined is that most infamous of Aztec customs: human sacrifice, which was an integral part of their religious ceremonies. When Hernando Cortez and his Spanish soldiers reached the Aztec capital of Tenochtilan, they found a vast but vulnerable empire. Montezuma II, the Aztec emperor, did not have governors or standing armies to control his holdings. Part of the reason the Spanish were able to conquer the numerically superior Aztecs was the collusion of rebellious tribes, smarting under Aztec dominion. The Spanish also had guns and horses, and had brought disease with them. But perhaps the Spaniards' most potent weapon was that the Aztecs regarded the fair Spanish as descendants of their god Quetzacoatl. The film follows the Aztecs towards the setting of their sun god, passing into memory as one of the strangest chapters in human history. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

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