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or those who had known of his treason, were enslaved. As noted earlier, any warrior who attacked the enemy without his leaders' command was killed, as were any who attacked before the signal or who left their units.
4 Anyone who fled when a withdrawal had not been ordered was punished with death, regardless of his social class.5 And messengers who failed to deliver a leader's message truthfully were killed.6 |
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The military leaders also resolved disputes over who had taken a captive. If two men claimed the same captive and if no one verified either claimant's story or had seen how the captive was taken, the leaders decided who should receive credit. If neither proved a better claim, the captive was dedicated to the Huitzcalco temple in Tenochtitlan, where slaves were sacrificed.7 |
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Warriors, like everyone else, could also be punished for misbehavior in peacetime. This was done by the civilian judges, who were drawn from the ranks of the nobles and also from the commoners who had excelled in war.8 Telpochcalli youths were also judged and sentenced for various infractions of their expected code of behavior, but by the tiachcauh.9 And if informers who passed information to the Aztecs' enemies were caught in Tenochtitlan, they were executed and dismembered in the main plaza.10 |
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The end of a battle also entailed its own problems, procedures, and difficulties. Some matters varied according to whether the Aztecs had won and under what circumstances. Others, such as dealing with the dead and wounded, were routine and were not dependent on the battle's outcome. |
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Defeat meant breaking off the engagement and withdrawing. Orderly retreat was signaled with drums, trumpets, and whistles, in the same manner as the attack.11 But disengagement was accomplished without the warriors' turning their backs. Thus they could pull back beyond reach of swords and club, yet could continue firing covering projectiles at the enemy.12 The cuahchic warriors formed the rear guard to cover the retreat of the rest of the army,13 which, ideally, was orderly. |
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If a withdrawal covered the flight of women and childrenas was often the case with the Aztecs' opponentsthe warriors faced the enemy and fought a delaying action until their dependents were safe; |
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