Cortes And The Florentine Codex Analysis

It is amazing how two people can witness the same event and come away with two distinctively different interpretations of said event. However, the letter from Cortes and the Florentine Codex do exactly this. They both describe the same event, but from different perspectives. Hernan Cortes was a Spanish Conquistador who caused the fall of the Aztec Empire by conquering Tenochtitlan which is now known as the present day Mexico City. He took their leader, Moctezuma, captive that led to a massive riot which ended with a lot of death. Although, the Florentine Codex covers the same event, it has a totally different tone and view of things. While both the letter from Cortes and the Florentine codex discuss the same incident, no one see’s everything

in the same way.
First, despite the documents of Cortes letter and the Florentine Codex being the same event, the Codex mentions the Spaniards before they reach Tenochtitlan, while Cortes letter started from where he entered Tenochtitlan.

He wrote, “On the following day I set out again and after half a mile entered upon a causeway which crosses the middle of the lake arriving finally at the great city of Tenochtitlan which is situated at its center” (Cortes, 1926). His letter began from the moment he arrived. Although, the Florentine Codex covers more than that. It picks up when the Spaniards were still a couple of towns away. The messengers came to inform Moctezuma of what the Spaniards were like, “And when he had so heard what the messengers reported, he was terrified, he was astounded” (Codex, 1937). Thus, the people were afraid of the

Spaniards.
Secondly, the tones are completely different in each writing.

Cortes letter had the sound of someone attempting to explain or justify their actions. This is reasonable since we know that he had disobeyed orders. He wrote, “Having passed six days, then, in the great city of Tenochtitlan, invincible Prince, and having seen something of its marvels, though little in comparison with what there was to be seen and examined, I considered it essential both from my observation of the city and the rest of the land that its ruler should be in my power and no longer entirely free; to the end that he might in nowise change his will and intent to serve your Majesty, more especially as we Spaniards are somewhat intolerable and stiff-necked, and should he get across with us he would be powerful enough to do us great damage, even to blot out all memory of us here in the land; and in the second place, could I once get him in my power all the other provinces subject to him would come more promptly to the knowledge and service of your Majesty, as indeed afterward happened” (Cortes, 1929). Cortes was explaining his reasoning, and attempting to make it appear that he did the right thing. Also, the Florentine Codex’s tone was angry and spiteful. Then again, that is understandable seeing as how they had just lost their home. The codex said, “And the Spaniards walked everywhere; they went everywhere taking to pieces the hiding places, storehouses, storage places. They took all, all that they

saw which they saw to be good” (Codex, 1942). The Aztecs felt like everything was taken from them.
Thirdly, the history portrayed in these documents is slightly different. Cortes’ letter focused more on the battle fought after taking Moctezuma. It is written in the letter that, “The stones from their slings came down on us within the fortress as if they were raining from the sky; the arrows and darts fell so thickly that the walls and courtyards were full of them and one could hardly move without treading on them” (Cortes, 1933). Whereas, the Codex focused more on how Moctezuma reacted towards them. It stated, “Moctezuma loudly expressed his distress. He felt distress, he was terrified, he was astounded; he expressed his distress because of the city” (Codex, 1938). The Aztecs were afraid of the Conquistadors, yet the Florentine Codex does not cover the battle itself.
In conclusion, while both the letter from Cortes and the Florentine codex discuss the same incident, no one see’s everything in the same way. It is amazing how the same event can be portrayed in many different ways. No story is told the same way twice. The fact that these writings both covered the same event is astonishing. The letter from Cortes was different from the Florentine Codex in the aspect that the tone, the history covered, and where they started are very different. The beginning of the Codex starts before Cortes reached the capitol, while the letter started when they arrived. The tones are opposite in the fact that the letter from Cortes sounds like someone justifying their actions, while the Codex has the sound of someone remembering a hard time in their life. Furthermore, the Codex does not cover the battle, but the letter from Cortes does. Clearly, it is remarkable how two different accounts of the same event can be vastly different in two written accounts by two eye witnesses.