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Common Themes in Aztec & Maya Law

The Mesoamerican civilizations saw law as the command of the ruler. It was a dangerous and inexorable force, that should be consistently enforced for the benefit of society.  

  One of the most striking features is the absence of religion or superstition in Aztec or Mayan law, despite the dominant influence of religion in their cultures.   

The native societies viewed the world as a dangerous and painful place, and relied on a rigorous sense of discipline for protection. This is reflected in the strictness of the laws and the emphasis on honesty.  

The community and the family were of great importance, thus the severe penalties for treason and adultery.

The founding of Tenochtitlan in 1325 (right)(Codex Mendoza).  The Aztec states of central Mexico were founded by nomadic tribes from the north. They built their capital of Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City) where they saw an eagle atop a prickly pear. Below we see the beginning of their conquests, as Aztec warriors topple the temples in vanquished cities and take prisoners. 

Name-glyphs for the partners in the Aztec Triple Alliance: Texcoco, Mexico (Tenochtitlan), and Tlacopan (left) (Pintura del Gobernador).  At the time of the Spanish conquest the Valley of Mexico was occupied by many different ethnic groups and city-states, whose common bond was the Nahuatl language.  The dominant political and military force was the empire of the Triple Alliance, formed by the three most powerful of the city states in the valley. 

Two youths being disciplined by their masters for sexual misconduct (right) (Codex Mendoza).  The youth in the upper part is in a school for warriors, the other below in a school for priests.  Education was both compulsory and universal.