In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived on the outskirts of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the mighty Aztec Empire. It has been said that to the Aztec emperor, Montezuma II, Cortes and his men were regarded not as mortals, but gods. Cortes himself was said to be the returning Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl. Thus, the Spanish conquistadors were welcomed by Montezuma with pomp and circumstance. Yet eventually these so-called ‘gods’ would betray Montezuma and his people, demonstrating to the Aztecs that there was nothing godlike about Cortes and his crew. Archaeologists in Mexico Unearth Evidence That Aztecs Resisted Spanish Rule Even In Death Treasures of Mexico: The Mixtec, Aztec & Maya Codices that Survived the Conquistadors Read moreSection: NewsMyths & LegendsAmericasHistoryFamous PeopleRead Later