The rise of the Aztec empire | Ed Barnhart and Lex Fridman

[@LexClips]

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6vddmp9hNuMsJo Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: lexfridman.com/sponsors/cv8033-sa See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *GUEST BIO:* Ed Barnhart is an archaeologist and explorer specializing in ancient civilizations of the Americas. He is the Director of the Maya Exploration Center, host of the ArchaeoEd Podcast, and lecturer on the ancient history of North, Central, and South America. Ed is in part known for his groundbreaking work on ancient astronomy, mathematics, and calendar systems. *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* Ed's KZbin: youtube.com/@archaeoedpodcast Ed's Website: archaeoed.com/ Maya Exploration Center: mayaexploration.org Ed's Lectures on The Great Courses: thegreatcoursesplus.com/edwin-barnhart Ed's Lectures on Audible: adbl.co/4dBavTZ 2025 Mayan Calendar: mayan-calendar.com/ *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *MasterClass:* Online classes from world-class experts. Go to lexfridman.com/s/masterclass-cv8033-sa *Shopify:* Sell stuff online. Go to lexfridman.com/s/shopify-cv8033-sa *NetSuite:* Business management software. Go to lexfridman.com/s/netsuite-cv8033-sa *AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to lexfridman.com/s/ag1-cv8033-sa *Notion:* Note-taking and team collaboration. Go to lexfridman.com/s/notion-cv8033-sa *PODCAST LINKS:* - Podcast Website: lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 - Clips Channel: kzbin.info *SOCIAL LINKS:* - X: x.com/lexfridman - Instagram: instagram.com/lexfridman - TikTok: tiktok.com/@lexfridman - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: facebook.com/lexfridman - Patreon: patreon.com/lexfridman - Telegram: t.me/lexfridman - Reddit: reddit.com/r/lexfridman

[@danmarino1720]

I’m I’m gonna have my dad take care I have my phone with my dad right 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@danmarino1720]

I’m I’m gonna have my dad take care I have my phone with my dad right 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@Da_wise_1]

Let me tell you guys this. this is absolute nonsense. They made up the same exact story up with knight templars from Jerusalem hmmmm🤔 The Catholic monarchy - We killed them for being sinners! So you killed them for being sinnners with another sin? hence u becoming a sinner at the end lol 😂 Make that make sense

[@Da_wise_1]

Oh, and tell France to give back the codex Aztec aka the codex Borgia

[@lineupcomedy]

This is HILARIOUS! These people are advanced and didn’t do any of this. This is what the colonizers did to them. Then they lie. Unbelievable.

[@DukeKaboom17]

18 minutes of Aztec history is just scratching the surface.

[@sarupadilla]

and most of it is very innacurate

[@robertedwards9861]

Obviously

[@munchingpickle623]

@@sarupadillawho even knows you can say it’s accurate and inaccurate the only history that’s for sure is since video game so like the 60s everything before that who knows

[@csfischer007]

@@sarupadillait’s very simplistic and with not a lot of detail or context, but I’m curious what you think is inaccurate??

[@KangzWeWuz]

@@csfischer007 oh i don't know, maybe the fact that he said that the aztecs practiced cannibalism regularly

[@Montu96]

All those People saying "I'm born in the wrong century or wrong era" have been real quiet since this dropped

[@Catolicodeguerra]

Idk why Americans and whites always make videos about my raza y nuestro historia but never ask actual Mexicans 😂😂😂😂😂 literally every podcaster does this Que raro 😂

[@jraymondjames5809]

And yet people are trying desperately to Go back, Again!💙💙💙💙

[@arizonacolour8793]

Yeah you don't want to live anytime before 1950s 😬

[@cizia69]

Hernan would disagree...

[@Catolicodeguerra]

@@Montu96 lex couldn’t handle my comment Zionist hate free speech

[@dustybrand]

That king who gave the Aztecs his daughter only to have her sacrificed is only part of the story. The really horrifying aspect of it is that he realized his daughter had been sacrificed when he saw one of the Aztec priests wearing her skin as a cape and her face as a mask.

[@jobbrown7847]

oh dear

[@Dovahkiin0117]

Metal as fuq bruh

[@dustybrand]

@@Dovahkiin0117 cueing up "Dead Skin Mask" by Slayer.

[@Lagggggv]

What is your source?

[@dustybrand]

@@Lagggggv I honestly can't remember. I think it may have been from a codex or related to the Spanish. I have read so much about the conquests of the New World over the years that it is impossible to remember.

[@pushinpete1791]

We need an Aztec videogame.

[@theTBwearsducktape]

Don't let ubisoft make it

[@pushinpete1791]

@@theTBwearsducktape right. I would go with sucker punch productions. Basically the Aztec version of ghost of tsushima.

[@jtapia92]

Ya, its out man.. (Ecumene Aztec)no problem 😊

[@CrimsonAltar]

Dark souls but Aztec theme

[@sleepyswan]

Aztec redemption 2

[@Gwathlobal]

3:45 lol, the note is about Tenochtitlan, but what is shown actually is Teotihuacan which is a completely separate thing.

[@peterjobovic3406]

exactly

[@summerwell8262]

I was about to write the same

[@2717-k7r]

At least he's trying

[@F30586]

He didn’t edit the video. Lex’ people did.

[@Dr.House92]

They always do that, in most discussions or documentaries made by English speakers they totally butcher the history of the native ppl of America. There's a very good doc here on KZbin called "Rise of civilizations Aztecs" something like that it's very well made if anyone is interested.

[@richorman1422]

Hummingbirds are vicious when fighting with each other over a food source. If you have ever seen a hummingbird fight, you will understand why they would be the war god.

[@dustybrand]

I was out watering my flower beds one morning about 5 years ago and a hummingbird flew into my face and blacked my eye with just the tip of it's wing. The entire incident was maybe 1/4 of a second. It's amazing to think that such a little creature could do that but when you consider how fast their wings move it's not much of a shock.

[@MR-MR-ud5oo]

Just watched a video of them. they're like F ing roosters!

[@Hateyou512]

I get the sentiment but it’s also deeper than that. On top of we never used the word gods, we didn’t believe in GODS. Don’t mean to sound rude or like I’m attacking you. Just passing along knowledge.

[@NELA213]

So the praying mantis must be the almighty then.

[@blizzard_of_Za]

I saw a praying mantis eat a hummingbird

[@carrcorp2]

The Aztecs were an absolutely interesting and terrifying group. It’s interesting how they also predicted their end to the tee I really enjoy learning about them

[@Da_wise_1]

the knight Templars got kicked out of Europe by the The catholic monarchy and the knight Templars sailed to the Americas With Christian pilgrims in the 1300s Right around the time the Aztecs showed up coincidentally out of the bloom. Oh, and get this the knight Templars also got set up and said that they were worshiping false gods . Coincidence I think not

[@ernestoregaldo]

If I was a lowly peasant and had to choose between living in the Inca or Aztec empire I would choose the Inca empire. Learning into their history, the Aztecs were just too bloosthirsty. I’m Mexican by the way

[@alx.8721]

It’s two white guys speaking on em, watcha expect?

[@alx.8721]

@@ernestoregaldoyeah but Aztecs also adopted other peoples cultures. Literally consuming them in mind and body. How crazy is this? I feel you tho, but nahhhh id take my chances. I bet the world would be a lot less pussified if rituals like these were still around. Think about it, all the soft ppl in this world now - all I’m saying is there would be a lot less of them and they’d probablybe the first to go, nomsayin?

[@nascr7_47]

@@alx.8721tht take is a bit unhinged

[@SarcasticEnchilada]

What this guy didn’t mention is that the ruling class had extensive knowledge of astronomy, and kept logbooks of the weather patterns, the elites and shamans knew when to time their sacrifices so that their subjects believed they could talk to the gods, the sacrifices were also a tool used for control and power, people never talk about that aspect

[@bend4236]

The chimp who ripped that woman's face off ate french fries, but no one ever talks about that, just the fact he ripped her face off..... Tons of cultures had an understanding of astronomy, but they weren't cannibal savages.

[@Dovahkiin0117]

They got another clip talking bout that stuff

[@SarcasticEnchilada]

@@bend4236 did you even read my comment? I’m talking about the timing of the sacrifices lining up with the weather patterns, eclipses, movement of stars, the elite clearly used this knowledge to manipulate even their own people to stay in power, I never mentioned their cannibalistic practices

[@SarcasticEnchilada]

@@bend4236 that’s not even what I was talking about but sure they were brutal, comparable to the nazis or imperial Japan. Now moving on from that, their culture is pretty complex and fascinating once you actually learn a thing about them besides their brutality, like the fact that they were pretty open minded about transgender and gay people, they perfected the art of growing crops by building floating gardens that fed itself called chinampas, had fresh running water, they had a schooling system, urban neighborhoods, used cocoa beans as currency that you could literally grow in your own backyard, they had thriving open markets, were close to perfecting their hieroglyphic style of written language etc etc I think at the rate of progress they were going, the people would’ve had a revolution that overthrew the elite class, and would’ve prospered thanks to the Aztec’s advancements, like how the shogunate overthrew the emperor in Japan, you could even describe the conquest of the Aztecs as a revolution. You have to remember this civilization was brand new, only 200 years old, they didn’t get a chance to course correct and have the whole civil rights talk

[@sebastianbenitez948]

@@bend4236 you just want to justify your peoples existence on land they have no ties to

[@sallismail8165]

The cartel didn't fall far away from the tree .

[@SamuelClemente7718]

I dont follow

[@renecasas7484]

ahuevo

[@erenjaeger1738]

​ @SamuelClemente7718 like how bloody they are. But half of mexican cartels are also spaniards as well. Not all mexicans cartels are indigenous Americans

[@vincenthernandez8]

What about the tree the federal government fell from. The most corrupt deadly institution known to man?

[@Dev-In-Denver123]

@@erenjaeger1738I mean it doesn’t really matter does it? It’s a cultural thing. They’re all the same culture now. Just like how all white people weren’t Germanic or Scandinavian but they all like vikings and norse mythology and roman and greek customs even though they’re not Greek or Italian or Scandinavian or Germanic lol.

[@-Prestoned-]

My wife extracts hearts the exact same way. Except her technique, unfortunately, lasts a lifetime.

[@ihatesnax]

underrated comment

[@BloodRavensAlexa]

@ her and let us know the results

[@-Prestoned-]

@@ihatesnax 🙏

[@Phxdavinci727]

​@@-Prestoned- RIP😂

[@-Prestoned-]

@@Phxdavinci727 SAVE YOURSELF!!!

[@TINMAN-jm9sw]

He got the Noche Triste story completely wrong. That was battle that Cortez lost trying to escape, and that night many died on both sides including Pedro Alvarado who did the massacre and because he was offered human 😅 That night of defeat Cortez laid on a tree and started crying for all the lost including around 3000 allied Tlaxcaltecas, by the way, that tree still exists in Mexico City, before Tenochtitlan, the biggest and most populated city of one of the greatest empires, The Aztec Mexica. Oh, and in Mexico it’s known as La Noche de la Victoria.

[@tritosac]

No he didn't. He provided more detail regarding the circumstances as to why Pedro De Alvardo went nuts & massacred people. All of it was documented by Sahagun.

[@alejandroalonso5386]

It’s not called La noche de Victoria. That’s some modern stuff. I go to Mexico atleast once a year and go to cdmx, Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and have never heard it called that. P.S. my wife’s family is from Ciudad Sahagún. Named after fraile Bernardino de Sahagún.

[@elzurotsyry]

@@alejandroalonso5386 I'm Mexican and I know it by noche triste, noche de la victoria is just another ideology attempt to rewrite history (not saying noche triste is ideology free)

[@jimmyg5102]

Yeah sure cortez cried over the natives dying. Get real bro the Spanish sources are so flimsy

[@ramongarcia9307]

Note that in the eyes of all the tribes sorrounding Tenochtitlan, the Mexica were the bad guys. From the point of view of the Tlaxcalans and others, they were using the spanish to defeat the aztecs. If cortez called it La Noche Triste, he was playing good politics with his native allies.

[@ChanesMr]

3:35 That is not Tenochtitlan, that's Teotihuacan...

[@F30586]

He didn’t edit the video. Lex’ people did.

[@EricM-gm5wz]

@Simi_gplike what… tell us all the truth oh genius one

[@jonathandiazmayagoitia5909]

​@@EricM-gm5wz Well, for starters, they were the mexicas, we don't call them aztecs, they are the Mexica Civilization. Why do you think my country is called Mexico and not Aztlán or Azteco? Secondly, his approach is holostic, so he prints A LOT of his own ideas into it. Here’s the list of prominent Mexican historians who specialize in the study of the Mexicas, along with some of their important books on the subject: 1. Miguel León-Portilla The Broken Spears (1959) The Inversion of Conquest (1964) Toltecáyotl: Aspects of the Nahuatl Culture (1980) 2. Enrique Florescano The Myth of Quetzalcoatl (1993) Mexican Memory (1987) The Origins of Power in Mesoamerica (2005) 3. Eduardo Matos Moctezuma Death Among the Mexicas (1986) Life and Death in the Templo Mayor (1980) Death by Obsidian Blade (1999) 4. Alfredo López Austin The Human Body and Ideology: Nahua Concepts (1980) The Myths of the Tlacuache (1990) The Indigenous Past (1996, co-authored with León-Portilla) These books provide a thorough and scholarly perspective on Mexica culture, from mexicans with access to information this guy will never be granted by the government because he's a foreigner 😉

[@jonathandiazmayagoitia5909]

​@@EricM-gm5wzAlso, the name Huitzilopochtli is derived from the Nahuatl language, and its meaning is often translated as "Hummingbird of the South" or "Left-handed Hummingbird." The word "Huitzilin" means "hummingbird." And "Opochtli" refers to the "left side" or "south." In the Mexica cosmology, Huitzilopochtli was the god of the sun and war, and his name symbolizes the idea that just as a hummingbird moves quickly and relentlessly, so did he in guiding the Mexicas to victory. The association with the "left" or "south" has cosmological importance, with the south being linked to the direction of life and growth in Mexica beliefs. Additionally, hummingbirds were seen as spirits of fallen warriors, reinforcing Huitzilopochtli's role as a war deity. 😉

[@tbid4061]

Tomato tomata

[@c3920]

So many experts in the comments for this one.

[@rayray9865]

Its not about being experts but it’s about calling out some wrong things that this guy is saying for me personally I study meso American culture and history and what this guy a lot of times is saying is more of a shock factor than actual Things to educate the audience for example it wasn’t as common for the Aztecs to eat human flesh when they did it was a few times a years, and it was majority reserved for strictly nobility for ceremonial purposes. It wasn’t an every day thing that’s just one example.

[@Lance_Manyn]

Hey, man. I've seen Apocalypto.

[@MoneyMotivationYT]

Not a bad thing for people to say stuff and other people correct them. It’s called learning, try it.

[@FelixGalvanArt]

God forbid we know our own history, I know, it’s mind-boggling.

[@thatsTylerDurden]

I saw a comment using their being a Mexican as a way to verify their opinion. “I’m Mexican, so therefore I know all about Aztecs.”

[@happylostsouls3327]

Aztec death whistles are one of the most horrifying things you'll hear 🙉

[@alexb8926]

Yeah I seen a video on KZbin and Was like a dog with its tail tucked in 😅😂

[@peterlynchchannel]

I wish he'd use the name "Mexica" instead of just saying Aztec. There were numerous Aztec states, but the Mexica founded Tenochtitlan, built an empire and gave their name to the modern country.

[@halholland1637]

We have 500 years of saying Aztec. Please un-wad your panties!

[@peterlynchchannel]

@@halholland1637 LOL, no.

[@cenovio]

@halholland1637 not even close to 500. It originated in the 1800s. Get your facts straight....

[@jondiaz6652]

Let’s cancel him

[@KangzWeWuz]

I wished he didn't come on this podcast and reinforce Spanish propaganda

[@louieBlaster]

My people we're the chichimecas. The nomads of the north. Enemies of the aztecs and the Spaniards

[@RocketRod4290]

My people were the purepecha, enemies of the Aztecs and fought them off many times

[@cesarsanchez5633]

I'm the descendant of a jaguar Aztec warrior I'd eat your heart princess 😂

[@dustybrand]

My people were the Ashkenazi, who never met the Aztecs but could have sold them better weapons at a wholesale price.

[@M10-i6b]

Mu people were the Spanish, who with their Allies defeated the Mexicas and their evil ways, and created what is now known as Mexico.

[@JJRamos14]

@@RocketRod4290The purepechas are legendary,to this day they’re still holding it down never truly got conquered

[@concernednetizen975]

Those interested might like to hear the Aztec history lectures of Dr. Roy Casagranda at The Austin School, all available on KZbin, where he goes into much more detail about Aztec culture and practices and why and how they were developed.

[@matthewcepeda1563]

Though his reading of Aztec culture is sometimes a little eccentric.

[@Zenboy23]

Meh. If you want an actual expert that has devoted his life to study with academic rigor and literally dug out the Mexica culture (wrongly called "Aztec") you should look for lectures by Eduardo Matos Moctezuma.

[@carloszenteno]

@@matthewcepeda1563 And has some possible errors too, but it is pretty good.

[@jimbobrobertson3285]

By the way, the picture you showed as “Tenochtitlan” was actually Teotihuacan

[@caminossuizos]

That is why I was so confused! I understand Teotihuacan was founded waaaaay before the Aztecs existed.

[@jimbobrobertson3285]

@@caminossuizos If you have never gone before, you should definitely see Mexico City and the Pyramids (sorry, temples).

[@oqk1014]

These people don’t know anything but to push their own agenda

[@NoIllusionsMedia]

This was the best person Lex could find to talk about the Aztecs? SMH

[@edwinking9438]

Exactly. You can see the BS spewing from him

[@JA-SF2TX]

I'm glad I'm not the only who felt like that! 💯

[@wesleyhenson3603]

His resume would indicate he may know a thing or two. But since you don't like what he is saying he is full of it. 😂 Happy Columbus day!

[@DonSolovino]

The Aztecs would go to the ballet... 🤦😂😂😂

[@JA-SF2TX]

@@DonSolovino 😂😂😂

[@jkyet]

I hadn't heard before the theory that Alvarado was given human meat and that it triggered the massacre. Not sure from which source this is coming...

[@barano9729]

They were in the midst of sacrificing people and Alvarado snapped.

[@Warrior_By_birth]

No.. I read that there was a festivity and that he had overreacted thinking they’re were going to be attacked and attacked unarmed Aztec “royalty”.

[@Gekumatz]

@@Warrior_By_birthyeah I jeard he was extremely paranoid, this rendition is just spanish propaganda

[@captainplan3t250]

Community is the best way to describe the tribes that already were established at that time!

[@Mr-E.]

He makes it sound unusual that the Aztecs could be so violent but also recite poetry and have flower gardens, museums, etc. To be honest, all the crazy dictators that committed violent atrocities also had that "side" to them. Saddam Hussein would enjoy flower gardens and art, Putin can be seen listening to children sing angelic choir songs, playing piano, appreciating art. Stalin was the same way. Hitler enjoyed all of those things too along with gardens, museums, etc. In reality, it seems that many people are great at compartmentalizing and switching on and off.

[@mahadism7455]

George bush? Steven harper? Barack obama? Joe biden? Winston churchill? You forgot a few

[@Gringotomi]

Id sooner compare the aztecs to the greeks or romans as the Spaniards themselves did.. "civilized pagans"

[@dustybrand]

I had an undergrad class where I compared the Samurai of Kamakura Era Japan with the culture of the elite Jaguar and Eagle Warrior classes of the Aztec military. The similarities were staggering. For example, both cultures revered poetry. And they existed at the same time on the other side of the world from each other.

[@Gringotomi]

@@dustybrand that sounds like an interesting read

[@NaneuxPeeBrane]

Almost like they had to do mental gymnastics to keep them from thinking of the atrocities committed... The frontal lobe was screaming some kind of moral code had been broken but poetry and art allow them to think of themselves as civilized and proper .

[@gzfashions]

“ That can Only go on for so long until revolution happens “ Beauty of fighting the good fight.

[@lg500r]

You should interview Mexican Historian Juan Miguel Zunzunegui about the real history of Mexico. There was no Aztec Empire and no Spanish Conquest.

[@Da_wise_1]

It did happen just not the way they told it

[@gustavoaguirre000]

Zunzunegi is am idiot spanish lover

[@karebear9230]

That guy gets paid by Spain to distort history against the “Black Legend” any documented fact against the Spanish he denies and blame everything on Mexico

[@Ben-iz9ud]

There was in fact an Aztec empire.. they have historical proof of it lmao

[@diegocarranza7733]

There is no Aztecs . They were mexica

[@DaveWise-g3t]

Lex , you’re so weird but soo cool. My favorite episode yet. Ed is also weird in tha coolest way. Like someone commented remember when Rogan was interesting? Heh. Lex, your work has eclipsed that munch, Rogan by exponents. Mr. E. B. ,it so happens , now claims my # 1 spot for a podcast. It’s fantastic. This man is so sober minded and curious and motivated by good spirit. I love it! Shot of hopium.

[@dave.of.the.forrest]

Lex ponders a heart being ripped out at 13:40

[@syphonunfiltered]

Does he bring up beauty or love?

[@JohnDoe-uk6si]

​@@syphonunfilteredlol

[@mufasa473]

@15:15 😂they literally ate the booty like groceries

[@gerardobriseno4473]

History is written by the victors, not always true

[@1988vikable]

Yes many historians doubt the spaniards claims about the Aztecs. Spanish wrote down Aztec bad, Spanish goood, Spanish take Gold from Aztec make Aztec and other tribes slaves. we bring Christianity we are heroes!!!!! LMAO

[@petmark287]

​@@1988vikable Those historians are the same that defend the Black Leyend. The model of inspiration for the conquerors was that of Rome and Greece. Indegenous peoples were considered in the same condition that spaniards after the 'Valladolid controversy'.The peoples of the conquered lands were elevated to the civilizatory state of the metropoly. Spanish misioners wrote grammars of the indigenous languages time before european ones had theirs.Every year mine corporations extract the same amount of gold that the Spanish Empire did in two centuries.

[@SpitsLA]

@@1988vikablearcheological evidence🤣

[@1988vikable]

@@SpitsLA No. Most of what they know is from Spanish archives aka Spanish propaganda. Anyways the spanish DESTROYED 99% of Aztec artifacts and 2 very large Aztec Libraries that housed historical knowledge from ancestry to science, medicine etc.. And any documents created by the Aztec peoples were seized and destroyed. SO there you go an erasure of an entire people culture. Yet believe the Spanish which were the invaders and aggressors lol dont be a sheep.

[@1988vikable]

@@SpitsLA Not Archeological "evidence" most of what we know is from the *Spanish Archives* aka Spanish Propaganda. 99% of artifacts and Aztec documents were destroyed.

[@JMCL1207]

I´m Mexican and I´ve heard northamerican versions Aztec history over the years, they almost always get about 10% of their facts right. But I´m surprised about the accuracy of everything this man is saying. Absolutely everything checks out

[@peterlynchchannel]

What's some of the common misinformation that you hear about Aztec history?

[@plantsir9173]

Lex does his homework

[@JMCL1207]

​@@peterlynchchannel I´d say just very basic things such as confusing different branches of the Mesoamerican civilization. I´ve heard that they were pacific and didn´t commit cannibalism. Or that they lived in Teotihuacan instead of Tenochtitlan. Or that Cortes and his very small group of Castillians defeated the whole empire by themselves. Even in Mexico we have a terribly wrong version of history being taught in elementary schools. One of Mexicos biggest mistakes in my POV is that we have a historic narrative of defeat because we identify ourselves with the Mexicas as if they were the whole Mesoamerican civilization. So we tell ourselves that this used to be a great empire but the Spanish (and yes we say "the Spanish" instead of Castillians) came and defeated us and then conquered us. And so we have this huge contradiction that the Mexica was such a great and pure civilization and still the pure evil Cortes was able to defeat us all by himself and his 400 men. (some people still blame Cortes for everything that´s wrong with current Mexico) Our real narrative should be one of victory where a whole civilization was subjected by the tyrant Mexica empire but then it merged with another civilization so both could defeat this oppressor. And that now we are the result of this great victory and unification of two civilizations (wich is the reason why Mexico is so diverse in mixed races) This better narrative could help us become a better thing, a nation with healthier self esteem in general, because currently with that defeat narrative we are all taught from a very young age that we can be defeated by white evil Eruopeans when in reality 90% of Mexicans have both European and Indigenous blood in our veins. This does not mean that I dont appreciate and respect indigenous cultures, on the contrary, I think telling the more truthful story is a better way of respecting them and ourselves.

[@NextExiter]

I've no doubt you're right, but for the record, outsiders usually know the truth of a country better than its own people.

[@butter_nut1817]

​@@NextExiter that's debatable. A foreigner will often have less invested and thus only require a rudimentary understanding

[@WARSfate]

This guest was fantastic!

[@jggrph]

Fantastic explanation of the Aztec culture and history. The culinary dish that Alvarado was given is possibly “Pozole”, today it uses pork meat. The original recipe was recently found in a códex.

[@dustybrand]

oh man. nothing is better than a bowl of pozole and a bottle of topo chico on new year's day.

[@KangzWeWuz]

Thats simply fake and not the same soup as pozole. A simple google search will explain that this is Spanish propaganda

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

"It was all Pedro Alverado's fault" Well, I don't know, I think maybe some of the blame might fall on the cannibals who fed human to people without telling them.

[@reverv]

He was like the vegetarian in a BBQ restaurant. Mistakes were made. 🍖

[@Dovahkiin0117]

🤷‍♂️don’t know wat the big deal is I eat ass all the time Seems the Aztecs had good taste 😂

[@CDLCDL702]

Lol Europeans were eating and feeding their kids mummies 💀😂

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@CDLCDL702 Using powdered mummy flesh as alchemical and medicinal ingredient is definitely morally equivalent to taking thousands of captive slaves, ripping their still beating hearts out, eating their flesh, and building pyramids of their skulls that were hundreds of feet tall. Practically the same thing, lol.

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@CDLCDL702 Using powdered mummy flesh as alchemical and medicinal ingredient is definitely morally equivalent to taking thousands of captive slaves, ripping their still beating hearts out, eating them, and building pyramids of their skulls that were hundreds of feet tall. Practically the same thing, lol.

[@gabrielalbertocastillomarq6120]

Not exactly like i put it in words but i agree mostly wih Dr Ed abou mexica (aztec) people. Some of my coments are: - The eating of people even by the low class were also ritual like a type of comunion. The sacrifice to Huitzilopochtli were daily in at least 4 altars in the Templo Mayor, more than 1,500 people were sacrificed to their god every year and in the inaguration of the Templo Mayor in 1487 more than 2,500 were killed on one week (some chronicles talk of 20,000). In 2015 the Tzompantli was discovered, a tall wall of human skulls - When Cortes defeat them his forces were more than 40,000 (the chronicles talk of 100,000) of wich less than 1,000 were Castellanos (spaniards) and the rest tlaxcaltecs (enemies of mexica), texcocans (formed allied to mexica in the Triple Alianza), cholultecs and other peoples of the Texcocan Valley dominated by the mexica. All these people were nahuatl - Ed talks that next would be the maya, but they were almost as brutal to make war as the mexica (there is a reason that they were not pacified until the 1540 and their conquest finished until the fall of Tayasal in 1691. In independent Mexico they did 2 Cast wars against white people (Yucatán 1847 and Chiapas 1867) - Their main enemy were the Imperio Tarasco in the northwest (todays Michoacán and Jalisco states), who had metal technology (cooper) superior to the stone obsidian of the mexica - At he end, even Moctezuma knew that the situation were running out of time and the arrival of Cortes if not handled rigth would spell doom for the mexica sooner than later

[@AlowisciousMahoney]

That is a lot of knowledge to share, thank you!

[@themodernmacho]

Dont forget alot of them were killed with diseases.

[@1988vikable]

You are repeating claims from the Spaniard archives. Those claims are greatly exaggerated there is no PROOF it was that extreme or commonplace. The victors write the story. The Spaniards lied a lot to justify their invasion, pillaging, occupation and killings of the Aztec /Natives of Mexico. Spaniards, raped, beheaded, burned people, tortured and enslaved the natives. THAT WE DO KNOW FOR SURE.

[@Wearenotmarshall]

What is the food version? Please explain how it’s fees?

[@scorpiudr7102]

Lex always makes learning so fun. His high energy and questions doesn’t even make it boring

[@mino3d1]

😂😂😂

[@lovealways8809]

Loved the episode

[@realChewky]

This was such an awesome episode. Perfect timing too bc rogan has on some quack that he has financial ties with

[@xuxon24]

I used to listen to Joe a ton but recently is harder it's either the same conversation everytime about politics or some nonsense that I don't care or like you said some quack that you end up in the same type of convo.

[@abrahamdelgado3507]

Bro yesssss!!! I used to love JRE but it has really declined big time, every other episode is him yapping with his comedian buddies. Lex gives you a huge variety of guests and love that he’s always super serious, respectful and objective.

[@ArizonaDeserteagle520]

Ive studied quite a bit of Aztec culture and mythology. This is the first time I heard this....some of it. There's life and death in all empires history. Actually till this day I can only imagine what is going on in war today. Especially the unspeakable stories.

[@georgeocampo4275]

Hummingbirds are warriors. They kill each other with their beaks. They used their beaks like swords 🗡️

[@ashrafulhaque8759]

These stories from Ed Barnhart are fascinating! I felt like a kid again - listening to a far distant story from my father.

[@Geromino.1]

Interesting stuff, love history

[@Heritagepostfarms]

Its always interesting to think that every period on Earth was horrible to humans. Human existence truly is pain. We all have struggles, just different

[@deiselnoe1]

I hate to be that guy... history only ever focuses on the Aztecs when it comes to ancient Mexico but there was another Empire that existed at the same time as the Aztecs one could argue that they actually were stronger empire because the Aztecs could never conquer them and in a sense the Empire still exists as the state of Michoacan, (plus I don't think the aztecs could never make it thru and actaully into the Purepecha empire)

[@rickjones5399]

How on earth were they more powerful than the Aztecs. If you're gonna be that guy at least lay the info out lol

[@deiselnoe1]

@@rickjones5399 they went thru a 10yr war which by the end the aztecs had to give up & retreat because they lost too many soldiers and resources while the latter didn't suffer as much from the war (I didn't include more info because I was hoping people would dig into it themselves and learn something on their own rather then some one just telling them)

[@Tepaneca]

Wrong. The aztecs never launched a full scale campaign into Purpecha. Purpechans are obsessed with winning a few skirmishes on the borders

[@deiselnoe1]

@@Tepaneca sure, these accounts of battle and losses doesn't come from the Purepecha it comes from the aztecs themselves, they recorded and admitted defeat and were honest in recording down the history and losing territory to the purepechas

[@Tepaneca]

@deiselnoe1 look it up. The aztecs let them live cause if they eradicated all their enemies who would they sacrifice? Who would they capture and enslave? Keep living in your fantasy that some irrelevant kingdom was really better than the people who Mexico is named after lol

[@AlexAMPMartinez]

Huitzilopochtli " The Humingbird on the left " or THE HUMINGBIRD FROM THE SOUTH" ... that is actually the SUN raising on the South so on the Winter Solstice so defeating darkness for the days starting to get longer again.

[@whocares4464]

Man just imagine the amount of blood they spilled!!! I've heard they sacrificed 20k or maybe it was 40k slaughtered and blood apilled over a new pyramid they made! Basically a week of killing and spilling blood over the whole pyramid for a week while doing shroom rituals the whole time! They said some got so caught up in the frenzy that people were sacrificing themselves!!! Nast work man!!!

[@SamuelClemente7718]

Did you even listen?😂😂

[@Miguel_man]

Your source sound like your shroom dealer

[@erenjaeger1738]

It was not definitely not 20k. I'll say less than a 500. That's sounds impossible in one day or week. Many Spanish exaggerated it

[@diegomata1062]

Funny thing is no european ever witness any sacrifice all accounts are from Tlaxcala peoples talking to spanish monks, fake news is what we called it today.

[@cenovio]

Sensationalism....

[@MG-ed8gs]

Great interview! So refreshing to hear someone speak facts about the Aztecs.

[@dustybrand]

Judge Holden from Blood Meridian walks into Tenochtitlan and says to the priests conducting the sacrifices: "hold my beer".

[@dsknives310]

Aztec, European or any other culture ruling by hate can make any human civilization turn to blood lust. Very accurate for a 15 min rendition. Thx Lex & Ed!🤙🏼💯⚔️🛡️

[@yanusdechnik-vazquez9395]

5:10 ah yes, also known as the British Empire tactic later in history

[@jobbrown7847]

if they specialized in combat and warfare, what explains the sudden architectural prowess?

[@casaxb9451]

Aliens.

[@jobbrown7847]

@@casaxb9451 so it's not spiderman then

[@robertrelota8623]

They can probably do both and/or their submittors could probably build a lot for them

[@EricM-gm5wz]

Architects, engineers….

[@mr100x3]

Warriors culture, respect from Egypt

[@ceruleanclouds5871]

Thank you

[@veroland3768]

As an Indigenous person to the America's I would question our stories when told by a white man.

[@jamm356]

When did Bert kreischer become an archeologist?

[@Keylow-p]

Does being nomadic and extreme violence go hand in hand?

[@nozrep]

it would appear that a lot of primary sources accounts in history suggest the answer is usually yes

[@dustybrand]

At least in the New World it would seem so. Case in point: The Apache.

[@tijnjansen858]

No. The Persians started out as nomads before they conquered their empire. They were pretty chill. Especially compared to the Neo-Assyrian Empire they replaced, which did not have nomadic origins.

[@Donaldthefelontrump]

The only nomads I know of are the anglos that came here blindly after committing treason. As they hoped the Spanish were right and that they wouldn't fall off the edge of earth because they were stupid.

[@Gringotomi]

@@tijnjansen858 the persians were pretty chill lmao wow what a child like view of history you have

[@JoseFrank-u9e]

Nunca juzguen a nuestro ancestros aztecas .... Respeto para eyos siempre ❤❤❤.. Y bien orgulloso de mi México y saludos desde Hermosillo sonora México raza!!

[@MACQJR]

Lex fan of your work, why not have someone of Aztec blood speak on Aztec history?

[@alex.sand1r]

Because of how much of it can possibly be BS.

[@ARvsAK]

Because if you want to hear objective truth about indigenous people you need to hear from white people.

[@JamesLabrosse]

This guy seems to know what he’s talking about

[@mikeviking1000]

Why would being a descendant of the Aztecs give you special knowledge of how they lived over 500 years ago? You need to study this stuff in order to gain the knowledge.

[@smickastroy]

This podcast was one of the best Lex has ever done . Ed is so easy to listen to. Good work

[@923raio_]

Have i been misinformed? Aren’t the Aztecs a general term for the people of Tenochtitlán? Weren’t they the Mexica?

[@Donaldthefelontrump]

Yes, they're called Aztec by white people because they originate in aztlan.

[@Joseph-b8v3o]

​@@Donaldthefelontrumpthe handle though lol

[@Donaldthefelontrump]

@@Joseph-b8v3o I know.

[@poolerboy]

Just a correction but the picture at 3:45 is Teotihuacán, which predates the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán and is in the State of Mexico.

[@cizia69]

Any bloodthirsty bully always end up meeting a bigger and more rapacious bully, it never ends...

[@jesseraybon3715]

Fascinating culture! Werent the Ulmecs before??

[@juanv476]

The spaniards absolutely exaggerated the amount of sacrifices and bad things mentioned. They wanted support from the church of spain to take over the continent.

[@SombreroBeanieHat]

Not true! If you go to the site Ruins where Tenochtitlan is you will find in those temples a lot of Skulls. They did many Sacrifices to their gods using Men, Women & Children.

[@Gekumatz]

@@juanv476 exactly, so much spanish propaganda this guy is spewing out

[@IM843-SC]

The Aztecs were proud of all the people they killed, the Spanish had no need to lie. You probably think Columbus was a genocidal maniac , Che Guevara was a saint and Santa Claus is real!🤣🤣🤣

[@MariaGasca-Reyes]

The Spainards intermixed with them Creating meztizos And the Spanish were Roman catholic So they must have not been that evil as Euro conspiracy theories say.

[@MariaGasca-Reyes]

The whole Europeans exaggerated so they could steal kill and take over the continent. Look at Palestine No difference

[@DrGeorgeAntonios]

C.I. Scofield’s classic note on the Greek word “kosmos” in Revelation 13:8: “In the sense of the present world-system, the ethically bad sense of the word, refers to the ‘order,’ ‘arrangement,’ under which Satan has organized the world of unbelieving mankind upon his cosmic principle of force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and pleasure. Matthew 4:8 Matthew 4:9 ; John 12:31 ; 14:30 ; 18:36 ; Ephesians 2:2 ; 6:12 ; 1 John 2:15-17 . This world- system is imposing and powerful with armies and fleets; is often outwardly religious, scientific, cultured, and elegant; but, seething with national and commercial rivalries and ambitions, is upheld in any real crisis only by armed force, and is dominated by Satanic principles.”

[@fabian4023]

So they were kinda farming humans for their sacrifices and cannibal feasts? Damn...

[@lola-bb-poplar-watchdog]

We are not *farming humans* today?

[@crapton9002]

There is some evidence that Homosapians hunted Neanderthals to extinction. Everyone is capable of it if conditions are right.

[@scottsound4711]

@@lola-bb-poplar-watchdogShut..

[@M10-i6b]

Absolutely, that is exactly what they did.

[@kc-gl9wv]

Menudo 🦵🦶🦻🇲🇽

[@adrianabeijon1350]

If anyone is interested a proper historical breakdown of the Aztecs you should listen to a podcast called The Rest Is History. They cover Cortes and Moctezuma’s origins, first encounters, importance of la malinche, noche triste, and Cortes’ conflict with the other Spanish explorers

[@TheFragilityOfIdeas]

The parallels between how the Aztecs operated and how the drug cartels operate in present day Mexico is striking. Right down to how they were mercenaries at first like Loz Zetas, only to just run amok themselves and similarly didn’t last that long. They worshipped a God of War, while the cartels tend to worship a saint of death. Is the commonality simply cultural or is there something of a genetic inheritance in terms of the propensity for brutality? Noted all humans have a history of brutality, but this is also going on in the present day too.

[@Gringotomi]

@@TheFragilityOfIdeas lol what. Cartels are motivated by money and material desires, Mexica were motivated by conquest and religion

[@josedeaztlan]

Keep in mind that most of the Cartels are not indigenous but mestizos. The cartel members caught in TV are almost always white mestizos. Maybe the savagery comes from that other side

[@hevermiranda9871]

Maybe the dumbest comment I've ever read on here.

[@TheFragilityOfIdeas]

@@hevermiranda9871 Sounding like it hurt your feelings!

[@TheFragilityOfIdeas]

@@josedeaztlanwhite mestizo? Sounds like an oxymoron.

[@fernandoprieto1340]

The picture you show at 3:47 is not even Tenochtitlán, that is Teotihuacan farther north that had been founded by the toltecs and already abandoned when the aztecs got to the valley

[@dabearsbriggs55]

The part of Mexico where I'm from the ancient tribe there was the Tarascans/Purepecha. The Aztecs tried taking them over a few times but the Purepecha kicked their ass every time. But after the Spaniards took over the n seeing how racist n brutal the Spaniards were they said they regreted taking the Spaniards side.

[@iamkyros2233]

Yes purépecha here 🤙🏼

[@Abearswilly]

One important thing to note in the reason for their rapid expansion was sacrifice quota. Subjects had to provide a certain number of sacrifices, you're going to want to go get them from another town instead of having to give up your own kids.

[@KodierungHerz]

OMFG "The aztecs just liked eating humans" is the biggest western-centric bullshit I've ever heard, mexican archeologists would like a word with this guy

[@mattkamachaitis7549]

Well he does believe global warming is gonna kill us all…. Tells ya a lot about him😂

[@lexcastillo2768]

Let me guess, you’re offended? I’m a a Mexican national, grew up studying pre-Hispanic history, and I found nothing wrong with that statement.

[@Snap_Crackle_Pop_Grock]

Lmfao are you really offended that indigenous people weren’t morally righteous but just as brutal as anyone else? People in Europe were burning heretics alive in public squares, and in South America tribes would sacrifice thousands and also eat them. It’s not that big of a deal. Get a grip of your fragile emotions.

[@KangzWeWuz]

@@lexcastillo2768 let me guess you want youtube comment likes? If not you would have a problem with the way he tries to protay them as cannibalistic people😂

[@ramongarcia9307]

Cannibalism started because the lack of food resources and having to feed such a big poluation. Cannibalistic practices stopped when the Spanish brought cattle and pigs over to Mexico. We still have pozole, except we eat it with pig and not human rump.

[@pcruz96]

Ty for your workk

[@MrColmarino]

Grande Don Hernan Cortes! Grande Don Pedro de Alvarado! Arriba la hispanidad! Truth is finally coming out of who those great heroes were.

[@CDLCDL702]

@@MrColmarino haha I bet it makes you whities mad it’s not called new Spain anymore 😂😂 when the new president of Mexico was introduced they celebrated her with the indigenous people not with white hispanidad. Arriba los Nativos!

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@CDLCDL702 No, no one cares.

[@themodernmacho]

Heroes?! You mean coming to the americas with diseases and killing children for fun?

[@elzurotsyry]

@@Unpainted_Huffhines Many of us do care about history, and how different lenses tell different stories.

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@elzurotsyry Did you notice my reply was not to people in general, but to @CDLCDL702 ? He replied something stupid about white people, and has since deleted it.

[@Warrior_By_birth]

They missed a very important intimidation item…The Huey Tzompantli or tower of skulls. It accounted that there was an impressive 10,000-15,000 tower of sacrificial skulls right next to the Templo Mayor. Foa long time it was known as a Spanish legend but big was recently found.

[@a.s.f.g.8345]

I hate this narrative of the other communities were too "civilized" like the aztecs werw just savages, they were an advanced civilization, with huge knowledge of engineering, agricultire, poetry, etc., but like every important empire they were the best at war. This fascination with human sacrifice and violence when talking about the aztecs is very tiresome, people all the way up to the 20th century would watch executions for fun, its horrible but its just a human thing

[@camilocastillo5377]

FINALLY THANK YOU..... A REAL HUMNAN BEING FUCK MAN

[@aidilmubarock5394]

They're both tho, that's why their neighbors work with Cortez cuz they hate Aztecs

[@a.s.f.g.8345]

@@aidilmubarock5394 yeah, and every neighbor of the romans also hated them and attacked them all ghe time, what i find incredibly boring is how 99% of the discussion about the aztecs is about human sacrifices

[@themodernmacho]

Exactly! They had aqueducts in the city while the europeans didnt even know how to shower.

[@aidilmubarock5394]

@@a.s.f.g.8345 cuz they sacrifice a lot of people by the hundreds, it's a prominent feature of Aztec culture relative to their neighbors like the maya

[@Chamac0n]

Tenochtitlan was already there when the Aztec empire passed by. That's why they called it dead avenue

[@Da_wise_1]

Have you ever noticed that the word enoch tit land .

[@Da_wise_1]

Ten commmandments

[@j_t_p]

The Aztecs are totally mis-represented here but no harm in getting alternate opinions. Everyone can make up their own mind. We might recall that by "Aztecs" are meant those tribes that are from "Aztlan" which number at least seven that came from the north. The last of those tribes (=Mexica) is who Barnhart calls the Aztecs, even though there were much earlier Aztec groups that had migrated to the valley of Mexico. The story of their origin is mythical so its misleading to refer to it in literal terms. So, for instance to say, in Aztec terms, that they were from the "North" is a directional metaphor for "from up on high." Their god Huitzilopochtli was also referred to as the "blue sky." In other words, "from up on high."

[@BootsMcGee3]

2:40 Aztecs are Vikings, you are describing Vikings. Lol

[@cgymg3650]

Yeah. Brown Vikings that spoke Nahuatl 🤔🤭

[@ethanstrong]

Highly disagree, the scale of human sacrifice is incomparable

[@NYSeaNile]

Team Mayan 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

[@OspreyVision]

Good stuff! "Guns, Germs, & Steel"

[@fischkopf]

*Those Aztecs were BRUTAL SAVAGES* -- pretty much the version of Spanish conquistadores who were torturing for gold. I guess the Spaniards needed a story to justify their thirst for gold.

[@petmark287]

Black Leyend. The model of inspiration for the conquerors was that of Rome and Greece. Indegenous peoples were considered in the same condition that spaniards after the 'Valladolid controversy'.The peoples of the conquered lands were elevated to the civilizatory state of the metropoly. Spanish misioners wrote grammars of the indigenous languages time before european ones had theirs.Every year mine corporations extract the same amount of gold that the Spanish Empire did in two centuries.

[@twila987]

Have y’all read war god by graham Hancock? It’s a historical fantasy however his ability to take you there is wild and he even involves mushroom psychedelic trips that led to sacrifices because of Montezuma tripping on shrooms he encounters a war/fear being the hummingbird deity asking for sacrifice during a mushroom trip. Totally interesting.

[@dustybrand]

It sounds interesting. I wonder if the Hummingbird Deity had any similarities to the "Machine Elves" that Terrence McKenna wrote about. Supposedly many people taking psilocybin mushrooms from various times and cultures have encountered them and they are said to be universal in appearance.

[@pikiwiki]

this guy's fascinating

[@BootsMcGee3]

4:46 once again, I am hearing Viking. Move these guys to Europe and the same Shenanigans apply

[@moore370]

What you mean??

[@jdollaz6827]

genuine question: If the Aztecs did practice wide spread cultural cannibalism wouldn't widespread sickness occur almost immediately over generations wouldn't they have noticed and stopped ?

[@tritosac]

The history here is much more complex as Ed describes. Our school systems have brought us up to learn only a very simple narrative. Europeans arrive. They destroy Aztec idols. They conquer through war & disease. They impose religion & language by threat of punishment. That's it. We have this romanticized vision of what the Aztecs were without knowing the intricacies of what transpired, some of the details we will never know about. Humans relationships are very complex. While the conquest happened in a relatively short period of time it likely was a process that evolved as a result of key events & episodes. The Aztec maybe like the Romans who also had a humble beginning, were bullies. Both empires fell as a result of the brutal aspects of their civilizations. Ed is spot on when stating the Aztec civilization would have eventually fell even without the Spanish conquest likely due to the abuses they conducted on neighboring tribes.

[@alberthernandez5318]

How does he know the noche triste was about cannibalism. Everywhere ive looked it says unknown reason

[@nozrep]

did you look in the accounts written by the Spanish which were preserved in Spanish archives for 500 years? Can you read Spanish as it was written in the 1500s?

[@imallstar1]

​@nozrep yeah I wouldn't 100 percent believe what the Spanish wrote.

[@Elizabeth-dg1gn]

Mexica is the proper name and we can thank them for a lot of innovation like cultivation of corn, chocolate, and aguacates

[@M10-i6b]

And protein in the form of their subjugated tribes.

[@Donaldthefelontrump]

That's the Maya you're talking about, you dolt. The Aztec did it way after the fact.

[@Sci-FansticFiction]

That was thousands of years before Aztec reached Mexico

[@canekolin770]

Love this video bringing light to my brutal and fantastic ancestry! Just want to point out that the image put up for Tenochtitlan is in fact Teotihuacan. Not an Aztec city

[@peterjobovic3406]

Good Job Mr.Cortez

[@gamebred88]

Dude them Aztec warriors had to be basically Alex P but if Alex worked out 24/7 and only had one mission in his life..to conquer kill and die. Scary shit

[@MrColmarino]

This is what is called "the spanish black legend" The spanish liberated Mexico of an incredible violent people. Cortes should be celebrated as one of the great heroes of the ages. A good catholic man that saved the other tribes from this terrible evil. Grande Don Hernan Cortes!

[@pasofino9583]

lol we actually took all the stature down and he’s irrelevant in Mexico.

[@MasterBlaster-nz3uv]

​@pasofino9583 sounds ungrateful of Mexico, did yall go woke down there too? Dang...

[@CDLCDL702]

@@MasterBlaster-nz3uvlol Spanish were setting their women on fire and sacrificing them on crosses😂😂

[@MasterBlaster-nz3uv]

@@CDLCDL702 interesting, want to compare numbers?

[@CDLCDL702]

@@MasterBlaster-nz3uv gladly. Let’s not forget the hundreds of European medieval torture devices they invented either

[@jethropeters4686]

Vikings vs Aztecs... a fierce battle that would be

[@indigosilva2399]

Half the stuff he is saying about the Aztecs is wrong !

[@j.c.2486]

It’s Lex Friedman . What do you expect lol ?

[@DrewsAutoReviews]

Can you give some examples?

[@ramongarcia9307]

What half?

[@Complexity-xx]

I’m Mexican myself & always been fascinated with meso-American culture! I’m reading through the comments & im getting the vibe this guy’s understanding/facts are wrong & inaccurate? If so who’s the best historian/professor to get info from?

[@TheoSprinkles]

Nothing this guy is saying is wrong. People just don’t like that he seems to be emphasizing the gory parts in this clip. When there is so much more to the culture.

[@Complexity-xx]

@@TheoSprinkles thanks!

[@Voltaire-dm9qe]

There is book called “Conquistador” by Buddy Levy. It’s not slanted through the eyes of current day opinions, but rather an academic approach. I never felt like I was being fed a narrative. It does a good job of telling the story and is very entertaining the way it is written…great book. Templo Mayor in México City is an amazing museum as well, great place to visit to see the true Mexican perspective. The zocalo in Mexico City is one of the most powerful historical places for feeling the energy of history, put it on your list my friend. The Aztecs are a fascinating civilization.

[@percymiller386]

“ The Aztec” is book worth reading really good historical fiction

[@edwardsanchez3708]

So is we wuz kangz, great fiction it is

[@marcoszavala8435]

21 caars!!!?

[@DonaldPlugge]

Interesting conversation, but how does he know all these details -- the eagle with a snake and reading poetry at dinner. He mentions a chronicler.

[@IvanLeonard-b7y]

The Aztecs were brutal, murdering children in the belief that they would become emmissaries to the gods... But no matter how brutal the Aztecs were, the Spanish soldiers who landed there in 1519 were worse. These soldiers, on their first expedition, were starving, some died and the rest were on the brink of death, and the Aztecs saved them, gave them food, housed them. And what did these soldiers do to the Aztec villagers once they had recovered? They murdered them and stole their gold.

[@marxtheidoloftheidle5591]

I don’t say this in an argumentative way, but… source? I read something similar once in a book called “People’s History of the United States” in regard to Columbus and his men. But then I know other historians dispute this as merely being conjecture at best and malicious rewriting of history at worst. I have never read this about the Spanish and would like to. Again, not coming from a place of telling you that you are wrong. I simply would like to read from as many angles as possible to make my own determination.

[@OsirisNin]

Sounds like the Aztecs got a taste of their own medicine and met their match. Welcome to human nature.

[@erenjaeger1738]

It wasn't just that. The king Moctezuma even gave gift to hernan cortez like 5 or 8 times to leave him alone but cortez was a dude wasn't going to leave easily

[@diegomata1062]

@@marxtheidoloftheidle5591 its said history is written by the victors and obviously the victors dont want to be seen in a bad light so native tales of what happened are often refered as lies. something to think about.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

So say the Nazis found you hungry and fed you? Would that suddenly make them less worthy of death. Personally while the Spanish were monstrous in their own right, the Aztecs were clearly the more barbaric of the two. Don’t let your hate of colonialism absolve the absolute barbarity of the Aztecs.

[@dirkjewitt5037]

I'm thrown by Lex's PC. It's really cool. What is it?

[@therrshow3238]

THE BUTTCHEEKS?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@nozrep]

dem booties fat

[@nozrep]

fat butts

[@ralphavile]

Diddy was in the wrong timeline