4 ms·

I only know as much from the podcast I mentioned in the sibling comment, but it seem they were somewhat caricaturized. If you listen to the Podcast you learn t

I only know as much from the podcast I mentioned in the sibling comment, but it seem they were somewhat caricaturized. If you listen to the Podcast you learn the other side of how they were massacred by Cortes, which doesn't really cast the Spanish in a good light. (But surely we can learn from the Spanish despite the acts of Cortes?) Edit: A cursory wiki search leads to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sacrifice_in_Aztec_culture#Scope_of_Human_Sacrifice_In_Aztec_Culture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sacrifice_in_Aztec_cultu...

poisonarena 6y ago
What does Cortes have to do with their practice of human sacrifice?
- belval 6y ago
  Nothing, he's simply drawing the parallel that the Spanish did atrocities as well and that did not stop us from learning "from" them. I say we can all appreciate the good without embracing the bad.
oh_sigh 6y ago
By "massacred by Cortes", surely you mean "Massacred by 700 Spanish people, and 90,000 natives who were really pissed at the Aztecs and wanted revenge". Sources indicate(if you can trust them) that the Spanish tried to stop some of the widespread atrocities that the allied natives were doing to the Aztecs, but were powerless against a group 100x their size.
- h0l0cube 6y ago
  Supplying the armor and weapons necessary to an army that size, knowing the likely outcome, makes Cortes culpable. And the outcome is exactly what he intended, and enabled. This could be said of any of the proxy wars fought around the world today. But yes, not excusing a brutal tradition of sacrifice. I think my argument stands, though, that you can learn positive things from any population/civilization that has cruel actors (or cruel traditions) within it. Be it the Spaniards, despite the conquistadors, or the Aztecs, because of the warrior elite.
tyingq 6y ago
Not excusing any behavior by Cortes. However, the sacrifices seem to have been as gruesome as typically depicted. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/feeding-gods-hundreds-skulls-reveal-massive-scale-human-sacrifice-aztec-capital https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/feeding-gods-hundred...

poisonarena 6y ago

What does Cortes have to do with their practice of human sacrifice?

belval 6y ago
Nothing, he's simply drawing the parallel that the Spanish did atrocities as well and that did not stop us from learning "from" them. I say we can all appreciate the good without embracing the bad.

oh_sigh 6y ago

By "massacred by Cortes", surely you mean "Massacred by 700 Spanish people, and 90,000 natives who were really pissed at the Aztecs and wanted revenge". Sources indicate(if you can trust them) that the Spanish tried to stop some of the widespread atrocities that the allied natives were doing to the Aztecs, but were powerless against a group 100x their size.

h0l0cube 6y ago
Supplying the armor and weapons necessary to an army that size, knowing the likely outcome, makes Cortes culpable. And the outcome is exactly what he intended, and enabled. This could be said of any of the proxy wars fought around the world today. But yes, not excusing a brutal tradition of sacrifice. I think my argument stands, though, that you can learn positive things from any population/civilization that has cruel actors (or cruel traditions) within it. Be it the Spaniards, despite the conquistadors, or the Aztecs, because of the warrior elite.

tyingq 6y ago

Not excusing any behavior by Cortes. However, the sacrifices seem to have been as gruesome as typically depicted. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/feeding-gods-hundreds-skulls-reveal-massive-scale-human-sacrifice-aztec-capital https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/feeding-gods-hundred...