根据阿兹特克的传说，1323年，墨西卡出现了一只正栖息在仙人球上吃蛇的鹰，这种迹象表明，这里就是他们准备建设家园的地方。无论如何，墨西卡人最终到达特斯科科湖上的一个小型沼泽岛屿上，在那里他们于1325年建立了特诺奇蒂特兰小镇。1376年，墨西卡人选出了他们的首任统治者阿坎马皮齐特里，那时他就住在特斯科科。就这样过了50年，墨西卡一直是阿斯卡帕萨科的一个属国，直到1427年这里成为一个区域性的力量，也许是好几个世纪之前的托尔特克人以来的最强大的力量。泰佐佐莫克的儿子马克斯塔拉暗杀了墨西卡统治者齐马波波卡，为了打败马克斯塔拉，齐马波波卡的继任者伊兹科阿图与流亡的特斯科科统治者结成联盟。这个联盟就是阿兹特克三国同盟的基础。
在接下来的100年当中，特诺奇蒂特兰、特斯科科和特拉科班的三国同盟逐步收服了墨西哥谷地，并将其权力扩展到墨西哥湾和太平洋沿岸。在这一时期，特诺奇蒂特兰逐渐成为三国同盟的主导力量。
Invaded by Spanish and ravaged by epidemics
The empire reached its height during Ahuitzotl’s reign in 1486–1502. His successor， Moctezuma II， had been Hueyi Tlatoani for 17 years when the Spaniards， led by Hernando Cortes， landed on the Gulf Coast in the spring of 1519. Despite some early battles between the two， Cortes allied himself with the Aztecs’long-time enemy， the Confederacy of Tlaxcala， and arrived at the gates of Tenochtitlan on November 8， 1519.
The Spaniards and their Tlaxcallan allies became increasingly dangerous and unwelcome guests in the capital city. In June， 1520， hostilities broke out， culminating in the massacre in the Main Temple and the death of Moctezuma II. The Spaniards fled the town on July 1. They and their native allies returned in the spring of 1521 to lay siege to Tenochtitlan， a battle that ended on August 13 with the destruction of the city. During this period the now crumbling empire went through a rapid line of ruler succession. After the death of Moctezuma II， the empire fell into the hands of severely weakened emperors， such as Cuitlahuac， before eventually being ruled by puppet rulers， such as Andres de Tapia Motelchiuh， installed by the Spanish.
It is remarkable that an outbreak of smallpox swept through the population of Tenochtitlan in 1520–1521， and it was decisive in the fall of the city. It is estimated that between 10% and 50% of the population fell victim to this epidemic.
Subsequently， the Valley of Mexico was hit with two more epidemics， smallpox （1545–1548） and typhus （1576–1581）. The Spaniards， to consolidate the diminishing population， merged the survivors from small towns in the Valley of Mexico into bigger ones. This broke the power of the upper classes， but did not dissolve the coherence of the indigenous society in greater Mexico.
The population before the time of the conquest is unknown and hotly contested， but disease is known to have ravaged the region； thus， the indigenous population of the Valley of Mexico is estimated to have declined by more than 80% in the course of about 60 years.
西班牙的入侵和传染病的蹂躏
1486～1502年，阿兹特克帝国在亚威佐特统治时期达到了巅峰。他的继任者蒙特苏马二世在位17年后，荷南·科尔蒂斯于1519年的春天率领西班牙军队登上了墨西哥湾沿岸的领土。由于西班牙和阿兹特克在早期时候有一些冲突，科尔蒂斯自己与阿兹特克的长期敌人特拉斯卡拉结成联盟，与1519年11月8日率领盟军抵达特诺奇蒂特兰的城门。
西班牙人和特拉斯卡拉人的联盟在阿兹特克的首都变得越来越危险和不受欢迎。1520年6月，战争爆发了，最终导致的结果是寺庙的毁灭和蒙特苏马二世的死亡。西班牙人于7月1日撤离特诺奇蒂特兰而去，他们和盟友又于1521年春天返回并围攻特诺奇蒂特兰，这场战役于8月13日结束，整个城市就此化为乌有。在这时期，摇摇欲坠的帝国经历了一个快速的君主替换时代。蒙特苏马二世死后，帝国落入了几个软弱无能的皇帝手中，他们中有在最终沦为傀儡君主之前的库伊特拉华克，还有西班牙人任命的安德烈·德·塔皮亚·莫特尔奇乌斯。
值得注意的是，1520年至1521年间的一场天花流行病横扫了特诺奇蒂特兰，这对该城的沦陷起到了决定性因素。据估计，当时10%至50%的人口都是这一流行病的受害者。
随后，墨西哥谷地又遭受了另外两场传染病——天花病（1545～1548年）和斑疹伤寒症（1576～1581年）。西班牙人为了补给日益减少的人口，将幸存者们从墨西哥谷地的小城镇转移到大城市，这一创举打破了上层阶级的权力，但没有分解大墨西哥本地社会的凝聚力。
殖民时期之前的人口是未知的，而且竞争相当激烈，但疾病是已知的，它们蹂躏了这个地方。因此，据估计墨西哥谷地的土著人口在大约60年的时间里减少了80%以上。
2. The final gift on the stage of ancient Mexican culture
Aztec is the last role on the stage of ancient Mexico culture. They have created brilliant Aztec civilization， and started the most prosperous period of the Aztecs. They have made indelible contribution to the city construction， the art of poetry， language， mythology and religion.
古代墨西哥文化舞台上的最后献礼
阿兹特克是古代墨西哥文化舞台上最后一个角色，他们创造了辉煌的阿兹特克文明，开创了阿兹特克族最兴盛的时期，在城市建筑、诗歌艺术、语言、神话、宗教等方面作出了不可磨灭的贡献。
Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan：“Where man met the gods”
Teotihuacan means "where man met the gods" is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico， just 48 km northeast of Mexico City， containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the preColumbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures， Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes， the Avenue of the Dead， and numerous colorful， well-preserved murals. Additionally， Teotihuacan produced a thin orange pottery style that spread through Mesoamerica.
The city is thought to have been established around 100 BC and continued to be built until about 250 AD. The city may have lasted until sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD. At its zenith， perhaps in the first half of the 1st millennium AD， Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas， with a population of perhaps 125，000 or more， placing it among the largest cities of the world in this period. Teotihuacan began as a new religious center in the Mexican Highland around the first century AD. This city came to be the largest and most populated center in the New World. Teotihuacan was even home to multi-floor apartment compounds built to accommodate this large population. The civilization and cultural complex associated with the site is also referred to as Teotihuacan.
Although it is a subject of debate whether Teotihuacan was the center of a state empire， its influence throughout Mesoamerica is well documented； evidence of Teotihuacano presence can be seen at numerous sites in Veracruz and the Maya region. The Aztecs may have been influenced by this city. The ethnicity of the inhabitants of Teotihuacan is also a subject of debate. Possible candidates are the Nahua， Otomi or Totonac ethnic groups. Scholars have also suggested that Teotihuacan was a multiethnic state.
