| Tlatoani, or "speaker", was the title given to the supreme civil authority among the Mexica. First-hand descriptions by the Spanish invaders of the last independent tlatoani, Motecuhzoma, describe his court as composed of thousands of people. The tlatoani was carried on a litter whenever he went into the city, like the images of the Aztec patron god, Huitzilopochtli. His life in his palace was highly stylized and characterized by extremes of elaboration of dress, speech, and even meals: reportedly he changed his clothing four times daily, and his meals could consist of hundreds of dishes.
|
