9. The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds (Part 2 of 2)
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THIS IS PART 2 OF 2. FIND PART 1 HERE: • 9. The Aztecs - A Clas...
Beneath the busy streets of Mexico City, a buried god lies waiting to be discovered...
This episode, we look back at the age of the Aztecs. Learn how this society grew from nothing to create one of the world's largest cities in the middle of a lake. Discover Aztec riddles, poetry and songs, as well as the bloody ritual of the flower wars. And hear the remarkable story of how this thriving empire collapsed all at once, in a matter of days.
** Fall of Civilizations the book is now available to pre-order: linktr.ee/fallofcivilizations **
Full references and reading List: / 32391451
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Digital reconstructions of Tenochtitlan by Santiago Ferreyra and ADVEstudio: www.advestudio.com/
Paintings provided by Rick Ortega and Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau
Voice Actors:
Jake Barrett-Mills
Rhy Brignell
Shem Jacobs
Annie Kelly
Lou Millington
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: incompetech.com/
Title theme: Home At Last by John Bartmann. johnbartmann.com/
In today's age, the ability to grasp someone's undivided attention for 3+ hours is a remarkable feat. Amazing content, never stop setting the bar so high; thank you.
Try not to take it to work today or today
@@tulsafarm7 human sacrifice?
That's because it's bull...a story by well paid propagandists...fiction is more interesting than TRUTH
I was going to comment but read yours and you said everything I would say so I'm just going to parrot yours. I agree completely.
You show us a lot of respect with the native people. This very important to us, Latin American.
As a Mexican, I must say this is hands down some of the best storytelling regarding our country's history. Congratulations and keep up the amazing work.
Too bad mexico went from aztecs to the weak embarrassing country it is now.
The heart of darkness is white ..Hendry Conrad's Book needs to be rewritten
@@Mendelmandela Isn't that the actual theme of the book? That the true heart of darkness is that of european colonialism? That's the point Conrad makes. Why does it need to be rewritten?
@@karwashblark7499we freed the then of ritual sacrifice we saved them from themselves
@@LoveOfLam how by killing them all off?
This episode is particularly excellent! For anyone who wants to really cry more, "The Broken Spears" details the conquista in more detail from the Mexica perspective. Gives a true sense of their pride as a people in what they'd built and how harrowing the siege of Tenochtitlan was watching it be torn down around them
''Instead, they sent him twenty turkeys, as a gift.'' Brilliant, imagine Cortéz' reaction.
I also found the part where Cortez hoped to use the lake bed to grow crops only for it to be to salty to do so to be brilliant. It's quite an ironic fate and punishment for arguably one of the most salty men to ever exist
@@physetermacrocephalus2209 At 2:13:15, the documentary states that "in the 1600s...efforts began to drain the lake...," well after Cortes had died (he had died in 1547, aged 61 or 62).
Lol burning the city and completely destroying them! Yeah so hilarious. They were fools to challenge the Spanish the way they did.
Don't have to imagine, be it directly or indirectly (smallpox) they slaughtered and enslaved and converted them all, sooner or later. Sass is always punished.
Most documentaries never discuss what the peoples ate. You not only covered the foods they consumed but how it was prepared. Thank you for this excellent series.
Yes, that really gives an interesting glimpse into their day to day lives. I also loved the part about the Aztec love for riddles, and even a few examples of them! Or the part in which that one King went to speak to the Emperor about a banished Prince(the son of a murdered rival) and convinced the Emperor to let him come back and life in his city with him. It just humanises them so much. Even their notoriously 'Evil and ruthless' Emperor wasn't incapable of showing mercy and humanity. I wonder if they exchanged some riddles and shared a meal while discussing the return of the Prince.
You think mexica culture ended with the Spaniards ? We still have many things on our every day life linked to our ancestors, specially in our gastronomy.
agreed with the comment above. Such details paint a much more complete picture of an entire culture
@@juanmp30 Food seems to be something that has a strong tradition, might in part be bassed upon what grows in a region, too. But when I was in Mexico, you could feel there is a lot of old tradition still alive or just slightly changed by Christianity.
Hey Monte... Pass the Baby Relish...
Your seamless blend of art, poetry, and historic facts makes your documentaries so poignant and visceral. You bring the amazing Aztec city to life with such depth and emotion that the audience can sense the humidity of the lake air, feel the beat of the war drums in their chest, and smell the smoke from the smoldering buildings. All your videos and podcasts are absolutely amazing. Please keep up the incredible work!
Couldnt have said it better myself. ty
Totally agree
Paul Cooper may be the bravest man I know -- not only to have gathered together and faced our species' monstrous record of cruelty and stupidity, but to have catalogued and illuminated it with such relentless yet evocative precision. He knows, surely, that his work will mostly come to naught: For our future history will repeat (or at least rhyme) ALL of this horror. Are we better people for having faced four hours of all he has found that unfurled on Lake Texcoco? Let us all hope so. If there is one thing all mankind's cultural cruelties have in common, it is this: Religion. I challenge anyone to find the exception to that rule.
@@BobStBubba based on your last statement about religion I would definitely agree with you. But the today's way of spreading "religion" is using new wording such as " my faith" or my beliefs..... etc.
This
I honestly think this is one if the saddest things I've ever heard. Thank you so much for posting, you've made the Aztecs really come alive for me.
why is this sad or rather why is this story particularly sad? To me all these fallen cities of any civilization (including ours) when seen from the distance of time will be a saddening experience because they are gone and there is nothing anybody can do.
Yeah, I too was saddened by Cortez’s end.
A pity you could not make the untold hundreds of thousands slain by the Aztecs "come alive for you" as well.
@@hanskloss7726 It is sad that humanity never realizes that greed is what drives us to ruin
@@hanskloss7726 lost? Jaja as a mexican i Can say Aztecs and Tenochtitlán is quite alive. Our cultural baggage inherited by our ancestors will never die.
I love that Cortes asked the Tlaxcalans for 4,000 warriors and they sent him 20 turkeys. I love stories from centuries ago of people being sassy, to know that that impulse has been around for as long as human culture itself.
😂 May the fire of our intrinsic sassiness never extinguish! 🔥
I *coughed*laughed* hearing it told so dead-pan.
it is funny in more ways than you think, the joke is on Cortez but also on them. They were cowards… and proved it. We did not think of that slant. I can’t say in anyway that I like the personality of Cortez, but if this story is true, he is incredibly brave and resourceful.
I wonder what happened to Tlaxcalan. How did they meet their downfall and whether their city survived the demolition.
@@est9949Survived and assimilated
The best and most extensive documentary on this entire subject that there is. This should be shown in schools and uni’s. Unreal work here, I enjoyed every second of it. Thank you.
Very hard to learn about the brutal colonization about the Americas :(
Fall of civilizations is actually a podcast if I remember correctly. I agree with your sentiment though. It’s very well made.
@@The_Bobby_Jay ) P
@@dayglowfunkyjunky ggģggggggggggggggggggggggg
That Piano intro though. Gets me so hyped every time! Such an incredible series
I came home after a long exhausting day of work then fell asleep watching a video about insane car crashes and woke up to the beginning of a Aztec documentary and actually watched the whole documentary. I didn't expect to be educated but I'm grateful thank you.
Wow. That's one of the positive things about youtube
My 3 main takeaways from this series, and I’ve watched all but one, is that every single empire since the dawn of agriculture was insanely violent, slavery was ubiquitous, and competent leadership was rare. Also thank you for producing these. Truly exquisite work.
It puts to perspective the injustices, cruelties and problems of our modern world... Not much has changed at all in the grand scheme of things.
@@coffeefordinner What an absurd statement. This story does offer persepective, but now how you are suggesting. Things are 1000xs more "civilized/humane" in so many places now. We've come a long way. Not there yet in some places and some ways, but relatively speaking--it's night and day from 1520.
@@voltaire6668 I’d agree with you here on having come an incredibly long way. Comparing the modern world to the civilizations in this series is truly eye-opening. It’s incredible what they were able to accomplish yet also disturbing to learn about their myriad flaws, a number of which we still suffer today. But it’s also incredibly heartening to see how much we’ve improved upon the civilizations that came before our own.
It's no different now. They're just better at lying.
I agree with you. And slavery most definitely exists today.
Everything about this documentary puts the History Channel to shame. The visuals, narration and narrative weaved through the story, the detail, simply everything is great. I hope you expand your channel and and its success.
You have a way of painting with words. The writer immerses the listener in a long lost world, feeding us nuggets of truth while doing so. Absolutely amazingly, enlightening & entertaining.
Thank you, very kind of you!
@@FallofCivilizations Excellent content. Thanks for producing and sharing.
So much this
Like, ditto.
This is definitely the best documentary about the Aztecs that I've ever seen, and I thought I knew the basics, but knew nothing at all. I could almost feel the sadness of those who lived to see their civilization and way of life to be torn appart so fast and so cruelly. Even for our middle ages standards what happened was outrageous, and thus Cortes's end was not by chance. I can only imagine what could we have benefited today if these civilizations weren't razed and had a chance to have contributed to our life today with their knowledge.
cortes chased glory to no avail. his childhood seems to have produced a messiah complex,he just really needed peace.
An encounter with an European civilization was inevitable, if not Cortes would have been someone else, Moctezuma understood this and accepted it, that’s why he chose to learn more about the Spanish. Of course Cortes was ambitious, but war was not his ideal plan, it was a consequence of the events known as “la noche triste”. Let’s not forget that Cortes and his army of native peoples entered Technochitlan peacefully and lived 8 months among them, and the fact that the Mexica people have previously invaded the valley 150 years ago and subjugated the locals. Human history is full of conquest and assimilation, we are violent by nature. If you put a tiger and a lion on a cage, what do you think is going to happen?
They could’ve benefited us with art and perhaps some aspects of their culture. But there is virtually nothing they could’ve benefited the old world with technologically
BINGO!
@@Wombat_Astronaut it’s called conservation of the earth
I have seen many documentaries about the Aztecs and this is by far the best one that has ever been done, It's like getting into a DeLorean and traveling to the past, Just excellent work done on this documentary by everyone involved in making it. Thank you.👏🏼
Guys...this is one of the very best podcasts I've ever heard!!! Listening to it for the third time in a week and still hear new things. Thank you so much!!! I love the pace, the side info's, the voices. Everything!!!! I'm just sorry I didn't listen to you guys earlier , your podcast is THE most recommended on reddit. Keep up the amazing work! ❤
This series of documentaries/ podcasts are probably the best I’ve heard or seen, regardless of genre or subject. The makers and contributors to them should be extremely proud. Thank you 👏🏻
You have a way of painting with words. The writer immerses the listener in a long lost world, feeding us nuggets of truth while doing so. Absolutely amazingly, enlightening & entertaining.
I've never in my life listened to 2 and half hours of lecture while in Uni. But i stayed up all night listening to this. It's like watching a movie with you as the director telling the actors in your mind how to play out the scenes according to the narration. Amazing experience, learning and enjoying at the same time. Wonderful piece of work! Bravo!
This was such a sorrowful episode, I cried during it. They way you’re able to paint with words is amazing, I feel like I was there and remember every major detail about the events that occurred. This channel is astonishingly great at educating you on ancient world history. They should show these on TV, in schools... Bravo. I subscribed on Patreon to show my support.
I absolutely love this series but this one is particularly hard to listen to. It's just such an intentional destruction of a people for no real reason other than power.
I cried when super bud killed everyone on the kami lookout, not this stuff
Aww I'm so sorry you wish the Aztecs was still around and allowed to cut the beating hearts out of children as human sacrifice.. I can't imagine how much this loss must hurt you...
@@65thhitman86 And Spanish treated the natives so much better 🙄
It is a sad story, but I didn’t cry. Most civilizations are incredibly cruel to their neighbors, no exception here with the Aztecs. II am pleased they were Conquered. Even if it was by the evil Spaniards. Pre-colonial Mexican empire, so incredibly evil, none of us would want to live under those conditions. A little too much laughing over human sacrifice in pre-colonial Mexico. It’s just the way things are done in a politically correct world that can actually tell the whole truth..
The entire history of the Aztecs, to the clash of the "Two Titans", and eventual fall of both Montezuma, as well Cortes, will forever strike a nerve in me for reasons well understood... Other than that, I must absolutely admit that this channel and specific video itself presented this dramatic piece of history in an impeccable manner... Bravo to the amazingly high production value, and extremely appreciated dedication that you put into every factor possible! Best education, ever!
"Moctezuma" un cordial saludo.
Cannibals sacrifices. Horrible history
K@@jallenw.67
They do not teach Mexicans this history.
@@jallenw.67yeah could you imagine those Christians seeing things like that? They must have thought they were all demons lol. They were fools to attack the Spanish the way they did. Montezuma was the only one smart enough to realize the best thing they could do was try to be allies with them
Smallpox has since been eradicated, but I fear that other ailment the 'disease of the heart that can only be cured with gold' will never go away.
Unless we find enough gold that is (without the gold becoming valueless which it would and then what's next?)...
Yep, unfortunately I think it's that disease of desire which will finally spark out exponential exploration across the ocean of vacuum and radiation which separates us from the other land masses in our universe.
The foundation of an arguably failed concept............capitalism
The problem of starvation could have been solved by eating the Spaniards. I hear that long pork is very nutritious and tasty
@@compassioncampaigner728 No, that's the foundation of a war economy (I hope you know that there's a difference). Also, how so is capitalism a failed system? Take a look at every successful economy today: it is a capitalist economy. Moreover, it seems that every failed economy seems to crawl back to capitalism, till this day. Russia did it, China did it and currently a similar process is happening in North-Korea; why would that be?
Is am from Mexico and this is the first REALLY EXTAORDINARY well documented and nicely enhanced with beautiful paintings!! documentary / film about Tenochtitlán and its murderous conquest!! Thank you!!
¿y las de decenas de miles de mexicanos que los españoles salvaron de servir de plato para cenar a los aztecas? que cansinos sois, poneros a trabajar, que así a lo mejor dejáis de ser el tercer mundo.
@@Javier-bw1qj Ten cuidado, se te nota la ignorancia cuando abres el hocico. Mejor educate y después hablamos.
@@Javier-bw1qj Como si españa fuera tan gran país. Porque no le preguntamos a los Vascos?
@@Javier-bw1qj Exactamente javiersito. españa no llega al primer mundo tampoco.
@@Josh_728 that has more to do with the cultural eradication that follows Spanish conquest. Once the conquistadors moved into native land, they genocided the culture -- destroyed cultural landmarks and relics and forcefully Christiansted the survivors
It makes me so sad they destroyed the city of Tenochtitlán, what a joy it would be to walk through there like we can places like Pompei.
I’m not going to lie, this made me weep. You beautifully blended this, the ultimate tragedy of the last 500 years, seamlessly. Thank you.
@@StopFear I was being serious, but you are welcome to disagree. See we are all entitled to our opinions “StopFear”, All of us. Cheers.
The conquest and the ensuing enslavement that occured in the Americas is the greatest genocide and tragedy in recorded history.
You elegantly explained the factors that led to the technological disparities between the Europeans and American Natives. Whereas many people would lazily chalk it up to innate "cognitive differences," you provided a sophisticated and logical explanation based on geography, ecology, and the degree of inter-civilizational contact, which the Old World enjoyed immensely and the New World lacked completely. I can't thank you enough for not falling for the racist and pseudoscientific explanations. They would have been so much easier to invoke, especially here on KZhead where such sentiments are echoed time and time again.
Montezuma seems to act from the start like someone deeply depressed. I wonder if the Aztecs were a bit unlucky to have an absolute ruler with a serious mental affliction just when they faced the first onslaught of the Old World. Smallpox probably would have all but wiped them out anyway a few years after Cortes annihilated them in warfare on first contact.
@@daraghosullivan1157 I did not get quite that impression. He sought and got all the intelligence he needed and knew the odds he was up against. His mistake was letting the Spaniards into the city and getting himself captured. The Aztecs learned too late how to fight against Cortes, and could not at first figure out the Spaniards' technology.
@@daraghosullivan1157 Maybe. Though for the insightful Aztecs, the situation must have been depressing. They were sitting atop a volcano, ruling over a network of tributaries who hated them. It must have been clear they had repeated the mistake of Tepanec, but so hard to see how they might reform the way things were run to put Empire on more sustainable ground. And then out of nowhere came a bunch of deeply alien and terrifying foreigners, just the sort of thing a rebellious coalition would love to form around. Perhaps Montezuma's problem was just that he was intelligent enough to see how terrible the threat was, but didn't quite have what makes a ruler one of the Greats.
Racist?? Facts aren't racist they are fact
@Tony Mx Mexico is in North America. Also maybe spell check your comments before posting
With utmost respect: the narrator knows how to tell a story.
Are you saying something that could somehow be taken as disrespectful? If not then why the need to say “With utmost respect”? Just say that the narrator is excellent if that’s what you mean.
@@The_Bobby_Jay He means he is full of respect for the narrator
This is some of the best production quality on youtube. Up there with timeline.
@@minavaan yeah but the phrase “with the utmost respect” is usually used before saying something that would normally be perceived as disrespectful. Or I might be confusing that with “with all do respect” but I sort of used them in the same way. If I’m wrong sorry I am a fluent English speaker but French is my first and better language.
@@commanderpinnacles Okay, English is my second language as well! I just understood the comment meaning utmost respect for the narrator and the phrase different from "with all due respect". I speak fuent English, but I'm certainly not a scholar and would not argue about it.🙂
One thing that is unknown outside of Mexican scholars is that the Tlaxcala & other allied chieftains became vassals to the Spanish Crown. They weren't subjects as slaves but noblemen of high rank with their own coat of arms & titles. The vassal status changed when Mexico became an independent country & took away the indigenous rights granted by the Spanish Crown.
Much later, but I was wondering what had happened to the Spaniards allies so thank you for the post.
@@DarkSideBrownie What you may not know is that many of these native allies sided with Spanish Crown during Mexican War of Independence of 1820s. After gaining independence from Spain an entire history of Mexico was re-written in spirit of indigenismo which is still a backbone of modern Mexican nationalism.
I heard they event fought against pirates in Philippines, mind blown ..., And later in the WWII a squadron of Mexican pilots would fight against japanese in the liberation of phillipines
Did the huastecos take part?
This is not entirely true! This was actually a false friendship. Many of these native allies had their chiefs assassinated by the Spaniards. They made false promise. My family is from the old Tlaxcalans lineage, we still have our band name(surname) like many other Tlaxcalans. The Tlaxcalans were used in many wars, while their leadership was reduced through covert operations. The Europeans had 0 interesting in maintaining any of the old powers. Many natives realized too late this was a false friendship.
When he says image what it was like all I could do is shed tears for the people.
This is an absolutely astonishing piece of work. I watched most of the first part of this story and thought the previous stories were better. Then you shifted gears suddenly and this story has escalated to heights where I can safely say that I've never felt this wounded by the story telling of a fallen empire. It's 3.30 am and I feel shell shocked at the loss of this empire. Thank you for amazing work.
I feel the same. Flabbergasted that Cortez got away with it so easily.
If only they could have continued conquering, subjugating and enslaving, then ritually sacrificing not only their neighbors, but their own people. So much was lost, what a tragedy
@@joelkurowski7129 do you think murdering them and destroying their culture was th answer? You sir need to relisten to this series
Take it easy, it’s a tv show. Go to sleep and get up early.
Thank you for this. This is one of the saddest ones. It ended with me in tears. I remain your loyal fan.
They deserved that
Why tears?
@@baneh1329 Hopefully the tears were for the boy who ultimately cased the empire to fall because his people decided to cut out his still beating heart at toxcatl. After weeks of peaceful rule under the Spanish who showed them that their lives would continue to be normal as long as they conducted no more human sacrifices.
This documentary is incredibly well done. The CG renderings of cities surrounding the pyramids bring these places to life again. I'm fascinated by pyramids and the cultures that gave rise to them. The series is filled with artwork, letters from the time and historical accounts from the Florentine Codex. These details provide a factual foundation for the rich storytelling by the narrator. The narrator's voice is very pleasing to listen to, which really matters for a documentary of this length. Actors are used here and there to animate the story, which draws in the audience and helps break up the narration. Highly recommend!
This intro music is so perfect for the theme it gives me chills every time. Perfect set up for learning and entertainment.
Your documentaries are amazing quality and deserves to be on TV.
The language in his documentaries has a lot more poetic embellishment compared to documentaries on TV. It's one of the things I really like about this channel, but it's not status quo for TV
Sadly, that probably won't happen.
TV networks have lost their lustre and are no longer worthy. Lol . . . for real though.
@@gaslitworldf.melissab2897 Exactly. These guys are embarrassing themselves saying "this deserves to be on tv" and "sadly it won't be on tv." As if to say that this is somehow incomplete because it's not nestled between two modern garbage episodes. Do you guys even 2020?
They deserve to win awards on TV.
I love how you go into detail about the sources and how much credible information can be gleaned from them as a whole. It's always important to keep perspective on how much we are dependent on imperfect sources. So much of "history" has changed since the textbooks I was taught from were written, even just in re-examining the sources, let alone discovering new sources.
And slicing away some of the encrusted prejudices. Getting a glimpse of what actually lay beneath.
Yes, you're right, and what we are taught now can change in another 50 years. History is much more affected by the zeitgeist than many historians will admit.
Paul Cooper's podcasts turned into video documentaries are perhaps the best history productions you've ever seen. After you watched one topic you won't be able to find a better one
Rarely does one hear history so compassionately and respectfully presented!
I have an hour before bed...I guess i'll be sleeping late tonight Thank you SO much for these vids. Most comprehensive and poignant historical overviews on youtube ❤👌
i just woke up and found this lol :)
@@shaylax02 by
Made me cry, really deep. It would be enlightning to see one of the Fall of the Inca Empire
Yes, it would be great to explore more of the Old American empires!
He has already made a "TV" version of the Mayan episode, and the Inca episode would be the one he is working on right now. If you go to the "Fall of Civilizations" KZhead channel, you can listen to the Inca podcast, but I guess if you wait 2-3 months, you will get the "TV" version.
@@anydaynow01 Ask and you shall receive
As a Mexican this made me cry as well. So much was lost. I wish we would have learned this in high school. It has made me feel more connected to my ancestors and more appreciative of my own culture
@@jaso681 the treasure was hidden. The Conquistadors only got to see the treasure of Axayacatl a previous king that had lived 30 years prior. The treasure accumulated was around 200 pieces. The last Mexica king is said to have given the treasure to an elite group of warriors to hide. Once it was hidden these warriors were always placed in the front lines. The treasure is 100% still in Mexico waiting to be found. Have you read any of the literature?
The story of these two cultures meeting is just astounding. I never knew the details of the Cortez voyages. You couldn't even make up such a dramatic, adventurous, utterly tragic story! Bra--vo for giving (and showing us) the lowdown. But I have to say that Monteczuma does NOT seem to be any great leader at all, but, rather, a coward out to save his own skin. Holy Suffering Saint Cecilia!
The reading of Nahuatl by Yan Garcia was hauntingly beautiful and an invaluable contribution to this podcast. Nahuatl is such a gorgeous language and I wish I could have listened to his recitation uninterrupted and heard the translation after.
I’m glad I didn’t have to it was annoying
Paul Cooper, you are a MASTER STORY-TELLER ! You narrate the story with great clarity, and enriching the process with the quotations from past writings, beautifully spoken by your co-presenters. The amount of detail is extra-ordinary and must be the result of much research. Excellent series, and very much enjoyed. The series helps us to enjoy passing the time watching these shows, staying home and staying safe in these turbulent Covid 19 months. WELL DONE and KEEP IT GOING ! THANK YOU !
This is the BEST documentary I have ever seen. Absolutely brilliant. My partner and I are obsessed with your channel. I hope you make it big big big!!!!!!! Outstanding.
Thanks to both of you for listening!
@@FallofCivilizations 😊😊😊😊
I went to bed listening to this superlative podcast. My dreams then full of nightmarish fear of the violence and bloodshed in which I was a hunted fugitive. I do not have the words to describe the effect it has had upon me. This Fall of Civilisations podcast on the Aztec empire and its destruction is a masterpiece. Thank you.
I’m in Mexico City right now and WOW. This is one of the best and most thorough accounts of the Aztecs I have ever heard. Thank you for bringing this to life. Hearing this is wonderful
this documentary is fantastic, to make something of this quality with what i presume was a very limited budget is truly a titanic achievement. you're doing some incredible work.
@@user-ko3tv7jl2r not really
Here’s 20 turkeys, have a nice battle. 😆😆
Let the turkeys fight we don't want to
Lol, yes I cracked up so much when I heard that! Classic!!
I bet Cortes still used them though...
Well said
Laughed hard at that part...
This was a production of unmatched quality. Thank you for taking the time to produce such an enlightening piece of work.
This two part series was exactly was I was looking for. Absolutely beautiful work
This made me realize how strong the native people of Mexico were. I hope the bravery and achievementsof their ancestors is thought to the natives people of Mexico. They have a lot to be proud of.
We are.
@T Paine I read somewhere else that they would also wear the skin. I don't know how true that is, but I wouldn't doubt it.
@T Paine Yep many cultures in Europe, Asia, and afirca did the same thing
@@dephkononechicago7079 Be progressive, learn from the past. Be reminded that being brave and proud is borderline idiotic.
We can only learn from the past but can't wholly respect.
Being 1/16 Cherokee and living in western NC, I appreciate what the Aztecs must have felt. My grandmother's father moved his family from the mountains of eastern Tenn. to Fl when the feds were rounding up the remaining Cherokee on the east coast of the US to place them on a reservation. I'm so thankful that folks like you are saving and sharing the Aztec's history, THANK YOU!!!
1/16th.... what a joke.
I’m 1/1024 native, I understand what you’re saying.
The only take-home I got was the one that was intended (as you can clearly see by the *name* of the KZhead channel). Many were there long before you, many will be there after you are long gone. Everything you know will disappear, in its time, under the ruins of a long-forgotten world, even what's there now, probably sooner rather than later. The earliest inhabitants of the land weren't even human, and they were wiped out by a wave of destruction *far larger* than that seen in this episode, and *far larger* than any that has ever been, or ever will be, wrought by the hands of humans and non-humans alike, no matter who and where they be in this Universe. So, don't get too attached to who or what you are: because for each of you, both individually and collectively, a today shall surely arrive that has no tomorrow.
An epic story that saddens my heart. The evil of men, eventually catching up to them no matter the “status.” Is it so hard to understand that we are all here on earth to love and to create? So simple, yet so deeply misunderstood.
This was the saddest series I think, as most other falls have been due to either climate change, power grabbing greed or poor decision making, these people were forced into a war that would have taken a miracle to win. Fantastically put together as always! I am a new patreon and looking forward to more!
To be fair, the Spanish would not have succeeded without the aid of the enemies of the Aztecs so it was partially their greed that caused their downfall
All I can say is "WOW"!!! What a wonderful and extensive documentary there is regarding the Aztecs people.
I cried listening to the depiction of the destruction of the city, the culture and the people. It was especially painful despite having read about it before. A very well made documentary.
After seeing how the natives enslaved and mistreated their own women I don't have much pity for what happened.
@@stevencooper4422 That doesn't justify the destruction of a whole culture, language, peoples and identity for a mass of gold; which ultimately was the Spaniard's motivation.
You cried over a “culture” of death and cannibalism being erased? These people were just as bad as Cortez
@@samstrange1543 Much of that sacrifice as explained in the video, if you have watched it, was viewed as a necessity- often it was seen as an honour. Ritualistic killing is no different to killing on the battlefield, it's no different to the public executions and witch hunts of medieval Europe or even the lynch parties of post modern America, cultures change, they are not stagnant, they do not need to be destroyed and most importantly it does not justify the indiscriminate enslavement and eradication of an entire peoples.
@@TNAOD was it a honor for the native captives of war to be sacrificed like that
This is truly another masterful documentary, that puts the documentaries of many publicly-funded broadcasting organisations to shame. Superbly researched, brilliantly presented and very engaging at the same time 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
What a majestic resource I've found to utilise in my History classes on this topic! Thank you for the eloquent attention to detail, carefully composed language and genuinely interesting and empathetic lens in which you have created this. It's much appreciated 😊
You're very welcome!
I've listened to the audio only version of this about 10 times. Incredibly well told history! Nice to finally have some visuals to go with what I was imagining.
Hopefully this means they'll be something new in terms of the pod cast in the near future
The amount of time and effort that must have gone into making this video/podcast is stupendous. We are grateful for your passion.
This is one of the most incredible stories i have ever heard. Unbelievable piece of art you created. Thank you so much. Again...👍
Just discovered FoC last week. Tore through almost all of them at this point. This one blew me away. So well done. Thank you.
Thank you for such quality work and really should be shown to all people. We should never forget our past or else doomed to repeat it. I live in a nursing home alone because of Covid 19. So now I save my families history on my wall and in books for no one. But you Sir save our history for all.
This made me cry. I swear I could hear the cry of the Mexica.
I was in a funk too for a few days afterwards... And the fall of Constantinople too, only 70 years prior. A lot happening at this time.
Vaya mamon
I’ve never felt like crying after a documentary, this was so well done. Thank you thank you 🥲
You have a gift. I am in trance with your storytelling. I catch myself breathing the air of the many scenarios you paint, I also catch myself crying with how you, so kindly, asks us to "imagine", while unaware to us, listeners and viewers, you conjure our empathy which travels through time, like something thought impossible suddenly happening. Your podcast is magical. I have no words. Thank you for inspiring people like me to pursue history. Thank you so much.
It's strange, they where both monsters, but I fell sad for everyone. It's just tragedy.... and I want to cry with the last poem. What a great job you've done!
My only points of reference are 9/11, as people watched others die helplessly, and the burning of Notre Dame, a treasured temple of our own. Both were poignant and tremendously sad for me, I cannot imagine it on a scale some of these civilizations experienced.
Actually the righteous judgment of millions of innocent lives fell on the Aztec. Cortez was no angel.
@@haleypowell9060 Imagine that it was just one of the civilizations in America. Now get that EVERY civilization in America was decimated, from Canada to Argentina.
Seems to me like the basic injustice here is Cortes just plundering a sovereign people without provocation.
@@PirataDani hi Daniele, I have an entire degree in Anthropology and as part of that we did in depth readings and study on the colonization of the US. I know the Aztec are one of many. In my comment I was trying to imagine seeing my world fall apart in real time as so many of them did, and I obviously cannot. Thanks for weighing in.
Better than a big budget Hollywood film! Bravo!👏🏾
Wow!! Mr Cooper, you and your team deserve a grand standing ovation for the two part Aztec episodes. I say this as a proud Mexican, and as a fan of your work. My heart still feels the profound sorrow of the decimation of our Aztec ancestors. And I admit, that I hold some small prejudice towards Spain, which are also my ancestors. I still wonder what could have been of the Aztec culture if the Spanish hadn't landed, but I fear the western world would have ,inevitably at some point, incur a similar fate of conquest/war crimes. Again, thank you again for your eye opening, educating, and wonderfully heart breaking Aztecs/Mexico serie. Bravo!
Agree with all however..........cutting hearts out of living people for sport must nevertheless be folded into the Aztec image.
@@compassioncampaigner728 if you had listened to the podcast you'd know it wasn't for mere sport
@@traaztek1996 Uhhhhhh.......there is no human. quantification
Thank you for this series I remember when I found out about Tenochtitlan - I was in Mexico and we were in the place where Cortez bones are interred. The murals or Diego Rivera were across all the walls, and it showed the conquista of the city. I was shocked to learn that this had once existed, that European culture had ground such a rich society and history into dust. It was so sad. We went to the Museum of Anthropology the next day, and the big stone was there with a huge wall to wall picture of Tenochtitlan. It was astonishing.
For goodness sake they are people
Mexica culture is pretty alive in modern days. The city might me underground but Tenochtitlán is much more than stones.
Yes, it’s very sad what the Europeans did to my people and our culture! Europeans caused so much destruction and death to all our Native American people 😔
I want to say I absolutely love these videos. The way they're set up, the research behind it and the mix of both global and also very personal and detailed history is just great. Keep it up!
Absolutely amazing. These videos should be shown in all schools. We learned such a different history in the 60’s. Thank you for opening up my mind so completely.
They are indoctrination centers.
Another amazing documentary in this series, my favorite one so far. I found the poetry truly remarkable and haunting. "Like emeralds we gather the lovely songs. Sad is my heart, I am a singer. I sorrow because flowers are not gathered. Songs are not gathered, there where his home is. Only once shall they live upon the earth. Friends, let us still rejoice. Oh Friends, be not sad. It is true the earth is nobody's possession, none shall remain upon it. Feathers of quetzal are torn, paintings they are destroyed. Flowers they wither. Everything goes to his home. Only a brief moment we wander intoxicated besides you at your side oh giver of life. Everything goes to his home. Even flowers, even songs, oh what shall my heart do? In vein we have come to abide for a while upon the Earth. The earth is only a place of forgetfulness. In the end only our songs, our flowers will be remembered."
So much more than just names and dates! Beautifully made! History often deserves the tears it brings.
The Decline and fall of the Roman Empire: Edward gibbon. Fall of Civilisations: Paul Cooper. Same shelf. Outstanding.
these documentaries are SO well thought out, SO well researched. you need to be on a a channel for tv. this is so addictive.
KZhead IS the new tv
I love how someone passionate about history on KZhead can create documentaries far greater than any of the garbage the "history" channel produces. I hope you reap all the well deserved rewards for your undoubtedly countless hours of work for our enjoyment/consumption. You are appreciated
This channel deserves recognition. The narration, the narrative structure, the stories and sources being read...everything went so well. Thank you for opening our minds on the Aztec Empire.
Absolutely fantastic. On my 2nd run-through of this series. Feels like im standing on a near-by hill watching these events unfold. Bravo sir.
I still cant believe that all this happened in the 1500's.
Comparatively so recent! I read somewhere (and I’m unsure if it’s true) that Oxford is older than the Aztec Empire. So young compared to Europe and Asia.
@@haleypowell9060 It is true. Oxford (the city) was founded sometime in the 8th century, and the university was founded about 1096. Both happened even before there were Aztecs in the valley of Mexico.
If your talking ancient.....like in BC ....... then it was the mayans
Why not?
This (along with part 1) is just an astonishing piece of work. I've learned things in the last few hours that will stay with me for a long time. Truly a masterpiece. I can't believe this content is free!
The best documentary about the beginning of Mexico
So Mexico is part indigenous tribal people, part spanish?
A trilogy of hours long movies could easily be made about the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the Americas. Why has no one made it it puzzles me
How, in this day and age could such a work be accomplished with any degree of balance? Everyone on this thread will have long been dust before that trilogy will be in a theater.
There is a British documentary series called Conquistadors. Some of this series has been downloaded onto KZhead
Because the Americans do not want to give credit to Hispanics for the building of north America .
It's not retold because Cortes has been villainized over the centuries. Today, statues of Spanish explorers are torn down all over America. My ancestor, Captain Blas De La Garza Falcon does still have a statue of him on the Corpus Christi Texas bay front. He came to America in 1720. Playing victims from centuries ago, is a popular pastime today.
And isnt the evidence there for their atrocities?)))
This is the best documentary series that has probably ever been made on ancient civilizations. These two episodes crown the whole series in details that have never been heard by so many. Keep this work up. Thank you.
Wow, thank you!
@@FallofCivilizations brotha, the way u put this episode together its like the Spanish were 500 Mike Tysons on their way to a pre-k school to fight youngins at nap time...its crazy how the fight was not even close to being fair and the Spanish maybe the winners of that moment but i think they're the weakest ppl in history
i've been a student of this era of history since my teens (i'm 55) and i learned TONS of new stuff in this episode. your vids are all excellent but this was the best so far. i literally didn't want it to end. now on to the one about easter island......
Probably tha saddest conquest story of all time. Your documentaries are just extraordinary. Thank you for such a huge and excellent job.
The Spanish literally ended the last practices of human sacrifice.
Human sacrifice continues today in every single war.
Such fine detail and so many first hand accounts i’ve never heard. This is fabulous!! Well done!!
The ending was so sad...I could literally imagine what he was saying about the city being destroyed.
@@froggleggers1805 😆 i won't.. your comment made my day..
my heart broke and breaks with the knowledge of this history :_(
The is a story of conquest echoed throughout our regretful history and of conquerors who become conquered in a never ending spiral of blood letting. As a reader of our history, tears flow out of me every time I read or hear stories like this, and have done since I was in my teens. Well done Paul for bringing this one sad story alive, back into the present as it were. I only hope it's impact will beg us to push our leaders for The Criminalisation of All Military establishments worldwide.
What an amazingly substantial teaching on the history of the Aztecs. I will certainly support you on Patreon. We need this content now more than ever.
Thank you Charles, I really appreciate the support!
The work you put into your videos comes across as extensive, that you truly care about every subject and every detail. It's never absent from the overall tone, of every single video I've seen, that you are talking about persons/people. The fundamental mechanics of your research and editing the copy, voice/s and visuals to be so fluid... it has almost the feeling of being in the same room, across a dinner table, and even "you" speaking from a chair next to my bed - it's a wonderful quality! (I watch/listen most while I'm in bed...) I wish I had a better vocabulary to explain/describe my feeling of assuagement from knowing that what you're putting into my ears is all truth and realness, and with a very human-to-human connection... and also feeling like I've found something that was sent out into the universe, almost like luck/chance, therefore all the more special. TL;DR: cool videos, dude.
No lie, this was simply amazing. Thank you so much for this and the time and effort you and everyone Involved in making this. Thank you thank you thank you.
Brilliant, top drawer. Love the reliance on primary sources, and dispelling some myths.
Glad you enjoyed it
Gripping incredible story AND amazing story telling. I listened to the podcast and have watched this through twice, leaves me speechless
This is so depressing... yet, at the same time it must be told.
This 2 episode Aztec taught more than my basic education in Mexico, Thanks Paul for this great resume with my ancestral Mexicas, and How down this empire on Cortes´Hands, Cortes remains in our minds how brutal man and it's great to know that He ended went cruel. We received the catholic religious for them but remains in our heart too many traditions of them like their food, cultivate and language and over it all have knowledge who were they...Mexicas...Aztecs! Great documental
37:55 Nice story but if you are counting days of the week, you won't ever be more than 3-4 days out, so he couldn't have been more wrong! Great couple of videos, i love how you keep looping back to things you covered at the start.
You're right!
Wow wow wow!! This is your best yet, mindblowing. Great to see you tackle this mighty topic, always love your videos.
Brilliant! I have been studying this in anthropology and to hear the emotional story behind this is just great, brings it alive.
kept me up all night, biting my nails till the end. thank you, sincerely
The story and its recounting through this humble medium each cause us to marvel at what a few can do to and for so many.