Betrayal and the Fall of the Incas

Francisco Pizarro destroyed an entire empire with just a handful of soldiers. The Spanish conquistador

captured Inca emperor Atahualpa in a brutal ambush, demanding an impossible ransom: one room

filled with gold and two with silver. The Incans delivered every ounce, believing their

leader would be freed. Instead, Pizarro executed him anyway.

This single act of betrayal shattered the most advanced civilization in South America.

The Inca Empire, with its sophisticated cities and massive wealth, crumbled almost

overnight. Peru's legendary gold reserves were stripped bare and shipped to Spain.

One man's greed erased centuries of culture, engineering, and knowledge.