Cortés Meets Moctezuma: The First Encounter

In November 1519, Hernán Cortés and his small army of Spanish conquistadors and Tlaxcalan allies entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan for the first time. They were greeted by the huey tlatoani Moctezuma II on the causeway leading into the city, a meeting that would change the course of Mesoamerican history. This episode reconstructs that pivotal encounter using firsthand accounts from Bernal Díaz del Castillo's True History of the Conquest of New Spain and indigenous perspectives from the Florentine Codex. We explore Moctezuma's diplomatic strategy, the extent of Aztec intelligence on the Spanish, the remarkable gifts exchanged, and the fraught initial days of hospitality that would soon unravel into conflict. Lucas and Luna discuss the differing interpretations of Moctezuma's motives—was he genuinely welcoming, playing a long game, or paralyzed by religious prophecy? They also examine Cortés's bold decision to take Moctezuma hostage just days after arriving, a move that shocked both Mexica nobles and Spanish soldiers alike. The episode sheds light on the cultural misunderstandings, political calculations, and sheer audacity that defined this historic meeting. #Tenochtitlan #MoctezumaII #CortS #FirstEncounter #Mexica #AztecEmpire #Conquistadors #BernalDAz #FlorentineCodex #Tlaxcala #Malinche #Quetzalcoatl #Mesoamerica #HueyTlatoani #Causeway #SpanishConquest #History #FexingoHistory #HernanCortes #ConquestOfMexico Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo