The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

Why did Aztec king Motecuhzoma II not mount a resistance to the arrival of the Spanish? What knowledge was available to him and how did he use it?

Explore the themes of loyalty and treachery in Broken Spears. Were the Tlaxcaltecas were justified in their actions against the Cholula people in Chapter 4? If the Tlatelolcas had indeed betrayed the Aztecs in Chapter 14, would that justify their treatment? Does the threat of death or colonization exculpate ostensible traitors? Why or why not?

What was the role of religion in the fight between the Spanish and the Aztecs? How did religion inform each side’s motivations? Did it help or hinder their efforts?

In one of the more famous passages from Broken Spears, an Aztec observer notes that the Spanish “hungered like pigs” for gold (51). What role does gold play in the conquest of Mexico? What was its significance for the Spanish? What about the Aztecs?

Cortés’s Nahua interpreter, popularly known as La Malinche, has alternately been condemned as the quintessential traitor or vindicated as a victim of colonizers. Research her life and discuss which description is more fitting.

How do the narratives in Broken Spears compare with popular depictions of Aztec culture and Spanish conquistadors? Pick 1-3 pieces of modern fiction in any genre to compare to Broken Spears.

What technological advantages did the Spanish enjoy over the Aztecs? How were these advantages countered by the Aztecs? Why did these counter-strategies ultimately fail?

Miguel León-Portilla chose to largely let his Indigenous sources speak for themselves. As a result, Broken Spears does not contain very much secondary scholarly interpretation or contextualization. What are the benefits of this format? What are its limitations?