The Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire
AI
Bedtime Histories by Pieter Talboom
E12
May 27, 2026
55:44
Episode notes

From a band of landless wanderers chasing an eagle's prophecy across the northern deserts, to the largest and wealthiest empire the Americas had ever seen — and the ruins of it unearthed beneath a modern megacity. This is the story of the Aztecs, the Mexica who raised Tenochtitlan from a swampy island to rule a world of nearly four hundred cities, until smallpox and steel brought it down in two years.

Perfect for relaxing, sleeping, or learning while you unwind. Thoroughly researched, emphasis on factual accuracy.

🦅 What's covered:

  • The migration from Aztlan and the prophecy of the eagle and the serpent
  • The founding of Tenochtitlan on a swampy island in 1325
  • Years as mercenaries and vassals under the Tepanec empire
  • Itzcoatl, the Tepanec War, and the burning of the old histories
  • The Tri ... 
Keywords
History
Documentary
Sleep
Ancient
Pyramids
Aztecs
Tenochtitlan
Mesoamerica
Moctezuma
Cortes
What place this episode is about
Where this episode is made
Administrative
Antwerp, Belgium