The Maya were old peoples who lived in a number of different cities. The Aztec, by contrast, were a warrior people who began as wandering ruffians. They settled in Lake Texcoco and began to build a great empire.
The Maya and Aztec had a very ordered society with several classes.
The Aztec were very superstitious and it so happened that the Spanish landed on a day that foretold disaster. As we shall see, as a result, a small band of soldiers were able to overthrow a mighty empire.
