The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1519 marked the decline of the Aztec Empire, influenced by both military conflict and religious beliefs. Today, many Mexicans still honor their Aztec heritage.

The Aztec Empire flourished in the Valley of Mexico between A.D. 1325 and 1519 and was the last great civilization before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century.

Aztec introductions. To the Aztec, 1519 was a year that began with their empire as the uncontested power in the region. Its capital city, Tenochtitlan, ruled 400 to 500 small states with a total ...

Nonetheless, the Tlaxcalans weren’t initially convinced. In 1519 they fought against the Spanish for about 20 days before coming to a truce in the interest of overcoming their Aztec enemies and ...

The Spanish and the Aztecs don't know what to make of each other in Alvaro Enrigue's new novel, "You Dreamed of Empires." He talks with NPR's Scott Simon about getting into a 16th-century mindframe.

In 1519, when Hernn Corts led his army into Tenochtitlán in the Valley of Mexico, that Aztec city was the capital of a far-flung tributary empire.

The discovery also sheds light on how the Aztec society evolved — introducing more standardized religion and control before the empire fell in 1521 — by showing how obsidian use changed over time.

Nonetheless, the Tlaxcalans weren’t initially convinced. In 1519 they fought against the Spanish for about 20 days before coming to a truce in the interest of overcoming their Aztec enemies and ...