Moctezuma II
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Moctezuma or Montezuma II, also known as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin (c. 1466 - June 30, 1520), was an Aztec ruler ("huey tlatoani" of Tenochtitlan), leader of the Aztec Triple Alliance from c. 1502–1520. He is known for being the ruler of the Aztec empire at the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
The portrayal of Moctezuma in history has mostly been coloured by his role as ruler of a defeated nation, and many sources describe him as weakwilled and indecisive. The general biases of the historical sources make it difficult to ascertain anything definitive about his role during the Spanish invasion, and this has led to some controversy as to how to most accurately portray him. Recently historians have pointed to Moctezuma's many architectonic, scientific, military and spiritual projects as evidence of a strong and industrious ruler.
