9. The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds
Fall of Civilizations Podcast
00:00
Cortez's Memoirs
Cortez was not classically educated, and he wouldn't have been familiar with the epics of greek and latin. He did enjoy reading the romances that were popular in spain at the time - tales of daring by adventurous knights fighting against foreign enemies. Cortez always casts himself in the best possible light in these letters; his years as a notary and treasurer's clerk had s made him well versed in spanish law. For this reason, his letters have to be read very carefully... Their relationship to the truth is often quiteQuite"
Transcript
Play full episode
