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This trek covered 2,300 kilometers (1,425 miles) round trip, requiring 72 to 119 days, exclusive of days required for combat, rest, and regrouping. Of this, the final loop beyond preexisting logistical support areas covered 700 kilometers (435 miles), or 22 to 36 days. The route taken for this campaign doubtless duplicated that of the earlier Tecuantepec campaign, as all the conquered towns are easily accessible once the Pacific lowlands have been reached. |
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Several towns listed as conquered during the rule of Ahuitzotl remain unlocated: Cuauhxayacatitlan (associated with present-day Jico Viejo and Coyulapa), Huipillan (possibly present-day La Huipililla, Guerrero), Cahuallan (in present-day Guerrero or Chiapas), Iztatlan (in present-day Guerrero or Chiapas), Chiltepec, Icxolotlan (possibly a repetition of Xolotlan), and Cuaxotlatlan. Several other towns can be tentatively located but cannot be convincingly placed chronologically. These include Coyolapan (present-day Cuilapan, Oaxaca [Barlow 1949a:11819], not the town located in Puebla [contra Kelly and Palerm 1952:304305, and Holt 1979:267]), and Tlilapan. For Tlilapan, there are two plausible alternatives, but in the recorded contextTlilapan, Tochpan, Tziccoac; (García Icazbalceta 188692, 3:302303the location near Ahuilizapan is favored, but is not conclusive. Totolapan appears to have been associated with Huexotzinco (Chimalpahin 1965:223 [relación 7]). |
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64. Ixtlilxóchitl 197577, 2:177 [chap. 70]. |
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65. Durán 1967, 2:391 [chap. 51]. |
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1. Crónica mexicana 1975:568 [chap. 81]. |
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2. Torquemada 197583,1:267 [bk. 2, chap. 68]. |
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3. The preinaugural raid took place to the south, but there are two divergent accounts of precisely where. One account records Atlixco, a traditional enemy, as the target and maintains that the campaign was a success, with many prisoners taken even though many warriors and captains died (Torquemada 197583, 1:26970 [bk. 2, chap. 69]). The second set of accounts lists Nopallan and Icpatepec as the targets. These towns had refused to pay tribute to the Aztecs, so Moteuczomah Xocoyotl gathered an army and conquered them, taking care to secure captives for his coronation (Crónica mexicana 1965:57885 [chaps. 8384]; Durán 1967, 2:407 [chap. 53]). |
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The second set of citiesIcpatepec and Nopallanwas the likelier target, as several factors militate against selecting Atlixco as the initial target. The precoronation campaigns had three main purposes. The first purpose, obtaining sacrificial war captives, was only one, and a lesser one at that. The second purpose was for the king-elect to demonstrate his skill and bravery as the war leader. The third was overwhelmingly political. The king-elect selected cities that had rebelled or otherwise given offense, permitting the Aztecs to demonstrate the consequences of such disobedience. Moreover, none of the previous kings had chosen a xochiyaoyotl foe for their precoronation campaign. |
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