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The Mexica Flower Wars: Ritual Combat or Conquest
Description
Before the Spanish arrived, the Mexica (Aztecs) fought a very different kind of war: the xochiyaoyotl, or Flower War. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the ritualized battles between the Triple Alliance and their neighbors, especially Tlaxcala and Huexotzinco. Why did warriors fight for prisoners instead of territory? How did the flower war system actually strengthen the Aztec empire—and ultimately contribute to its downfall? Lucas unpacks the religious underpinnings, the tlacaxipehualiztli ceremony, the role of the jaguar and eagle warrior orders, and how the flower war shaped the conquest. Drawing on the Florentine Codex, the Codex Mendoza, and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, this episode offers a fresh look at Mesoamerican warfare that goes beyond the narrative of Cortés vs. Moctezuma.