The Aztec Flower Wars: Ritual Combat or Conquest Strategy

In this episode of Tenochtitlan: The Aztec Capital That Shocked the Spanish, hosts Lucas and Luna explore the controversial Aztec practice of xōchiyaōyōtl — the so-called 'Flower Wars.' Were these ritualized battles a means of securing sacrificial victims for the gods, a military training ground, or a calculated strategy of attrition against rival city-states like Tlaxcala? Lucas unpacks the origins under Tlacaelel, the rules of engagement, and how the Spanish exploited Mesoamerican warfare conventions to their advantage. Drawing on accounts from the Florentine Codex and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, the discussion also examines the macuahuitl's effectiveness, the role of elite eagle and jaguar warriors, and why Tlaxcala remained independent for so long. This episode sheds new light on a practice often misunderstood as mere ceremony, showing its deep political and religious significance. #Xochiyaoyotl #FlowerWars #AztecWarfare #Tlacaelel #Tlaxcala #FlorentineCodex #Macuahuitl #Mesoamerica #Tenochtitlan #BernalDiaz #EagleWarriors #JaguarWarriors #TemploMayor #Huitzilopochtli #AztecHistory #RitualSacrifice #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo