Cambyses II and His Controversial Conquest of Egypt

Cambyses II earned his place in the hallmark of Persian history with his push eastwards into North Africa. Under his rule from 530 and 522 BCE, he pushed towards the rich and fertile lands of Egypt.

Cambyses II capturing Pharaoh Psamtik III

Founders: Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire

"Of all the powers in Asia, the kingdom of Cyrus showed itself to be the greatest and most glorious.."

- Xenophon in Cyropaedia

8 Things to Know about Tenochtitlan's and the Aztecs' Foundational Myth

The Aztecs or the Mexica possessed a very fascinating history. Difficult for its lack of simple written languages matched with mixing with myths, legends, and gods. Such as the case of the Aztecs’ origins and the foundation of their capital Tenochtitlan. Here are 8 things to know about their foundational myth.

Tenochtitlan and the Mexica Foundational Myth

They say childhood shapes an individual and the same could be said of a culture or a society. Its foundational myths set a people’s mindset, perspective, and morality. The Aztecs or Mexicans, told a foundational myth familiar to every Christians that defined their actions throughout the duration of their empire.

Aztlan in Codex Aubin

5 Causes of the Tepanec War: The Aztecs Ticket to Empire

The Tepanec War served as the Aztec Empire’s debut as a major player in Mesoamerican politics. It eliminated its rival that created a void which they filled up. But what caused this conflict that the Aztecs’ exploited to their advantage.

Causes of the Tepanec War

The Tepanec War transformed the Aztecs into a major player in the politics of Lake Texcoco then throughout Central America. The War brought together where various tribes and people united to topple down a tyrannical hegemony of the Tepanecs. But what were the causes and tyranny that brought the war in the first place?

Map of Lake Texcoco in Aztec Warfare by Ross Hassig

A Grandfather's Love and the Rise of the Aztecs

Messengers from a nascent city of Tenochtitlan arrived in the sumptuous palace of Tezozomoc in the city of Azcapotzalco, the great power that dominated the lands around Lake Texcoco, the area now known as Mexico City. The messenger brought a request from Tezozomoc’s favorite grandson, the leader of Tenochtitlan, the teenager Chimalpopoca, asking for his grandfather to allow his people to build an aqueduct. Tezozomoc agreed to his grandson’s request, an agreement and a relationship that changed a region’s political landscape.