Moctezuma II: The Fall of an Empire

Moctezuma II wasn't weak. He was the most feared emperor the Aztec Empire ever

knew. By the early 1500s, he had expanded his domain to its absolute peak.

Blood and gold flowed into Tenochtitlán. He reorganized the government, strengthened the

priesthood, and crushed every rival. His word was law. His presence was

terror. Then the omens began. A comet tore through the sky. Temples burned with

no source. Strange lights appeared over the lake. The priests whispered of divine punishment.

Moctezuma believed the gods were warning him. When Hernán Cortés landed on the Gulf

Coast, Moctezuma thought this might be the prophecy fulfilled. He invited Cortés