Aztecas

Timeline
1100 Aztecs left homeland in search of new home.
1195 Aztecs arrived in Valley of Mexico.
1250 Aztecs settled near Lake Texcoco.
1325 Tenochtitlan was founded. First temple built by Aztecs.
1350 Causeways built with canals.
1370 Tenoch, Aztec Priest-Ruler, died.
Aztecs ruled by Tepanecs.
1375 Acamapichtli becomes first ruler of Aztecs.
1400 Tepanecs weredefeated.
Aztecs expand and rule whole valley.
1428 Aztecs joined forces with Texcoco & Tlacopan formed Triple Alliance. Atzcapotzalco conquered.
1440 Moctezuma started rule.
1452 Tenochtitlan destroyed by flood. 1452-4 Famine.
1458 Moctezuma sent armies to conquer lands.
1469 Moctezuma I died.
1486 Ahuizotu became ruler.
1487 Great Temple at Tenochtitlan dedicated.
Aztecsexpanded southward into Mayan territories.
1502 Moctezuma II became ruler. Aztec Empire at height.
1519 Cortez comes to Mexico. Moctezuma II killed.
1520 Cuitlahuac elected ruler.
1521 Tenochtitlan destroyed.
1522 Tenochtitlan rebuilt, named Mexico City. Declared capital of Spanish colony of New Spain.
Aztec Gods and Goddesses
 Talocan | Home of the Aztec gods and goddesses. | Coatlicue | She represents the pain of life, has a serpent skirt (poverty), claws and heart necklace (pain of life). |
 Tezcatlipoca | God of magic, war and death. Has missing foot which was eaten by the earth monster as he dragged the earth from the waters before man was created. He's called 'smoking mirror' or the dark side of life. |
 Xipe Totec | God of spring and new life and the god ofsuffering. He wore a human skin. At his festival a prisoner was skinned alive and the skin was worn by priests to show new life bursting from the old. |
 Xochipilli | Prince of flowers, god of dawn, dance and love. Shown as eternity. |
 Huehuetecti | God of fire. Shown as a toothless old man. |
 Tloque Nahuaque | Lord of everywhere, the one supreme force, both male and female. |
 Quetzalcoatl |God of knowledge, creation, priesthood, and wind. |
 Chantico | Goddess of the hearth. |
 Tlaloc | God of rain. Recognized by his fangs and eye rings. Thought to be half human and half alligator. |
 Mictlantecuhtl | God of the dead. Those who died of natural causes went to live with this god. On the way to him their skin was ripped off by a wind of knives; then they lived as skeletons. | Chalchiuhtlicue | Goddess of the lakes and streams. |
 Chicomecoatl | Goddess of maize. |
 Tezcatlipoca | God of fate and creation. |
 Huitzilopochtli | God of war, sun, and the nation. Shown holding a fire-breathing serpent and a shield. |

 The Sun and Moon Story |
The gods wanted to bring light to the world and they asked for a volunteer to become the sun. Not one, but two godsvolunteered - the rich Tecuciztecatl and the poor Nanauatzin. At midnight, after five days of preparing to be sacrificed, they were taken to a terrible fire. Tecuciztecatl was told to throw himself into the flames. Four times he tried, but each time the flames drove him back. Then it was Nanauatzin's turn, and he rushed straight in. Tecuciztecatl tried again, and he followed Nanauatzin into the fire. Inthe morning, Nanauatzin rose and shone brightly in the sky. He was the sun. Then Tecuciztecatl appeared. He was the moon. To send them on their way, Quetzacoatl, the Wind God, blew hard until they moved through the heavens |
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Sports and Gameses |
The Aztecs had two different games - tlachtli and patolli. Tlachtli was a ball game that was played between teams using rubber balls. The courtwas shaped like a capital I and it was 60 meters long by 10 meters wide. One person on each team would have to shoot the ball into a vertical hoop high over their heads with their knees without using their hands. The hoop was placed on opposite walls at the midpoint of the court. In a way this game combined modern day soccer and basketball. Whichever team made the first basket won the game....