Tlacochcalcatl ( "The man from the house of darts") was an

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

military title or rank; roughly equivalent to the modern title of field marshal. In

Aztec warfare Aztec warfare concerns the aspects associated with the militaristic conventions, forces, weaponry and strategic expansions conducted by the Late Postclassic Aztec civilizations of Mesoamerica, including particularly the military history of the ...

the ''tlacochcalcatl'' was second in command only to the ''

tlatoani ''Tlatoani'' ( , "one who speaks, ruler"; plural ' or tlatoque) is the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of an , a pre-Hispanic state. It is the noun form of the verb "tlahtoa" meaning "speak, command, rule". As a result, it has been variousl ...

'' and he usually lead the Aztec army into battle when the ruler was otherwise occupied. Together with the '' tlacateccatl'' (general), he was in charge of the Aztec army and undertook all military decisions and planning once the ''tlatoani'' had decided to undertake a campaign. The ''tlacochcalcatl'' was also in charge of the ''tlacochcalco. Tlacochcalco'' ("in the house of darts") was the name of four armories placed at the four entries to the ceremonial precinct of the Aztec capital

Tenochtitlan , ; es, Tenochtitlan also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, ; es, México-Tenochtitlan was a large Mexican in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was ...

. These mains armories were stocked with new weapons every year (during the festival of

Quecholli Quecholli is the name of the fourteenth month of the Aztec calendar. It is also a festival in the Aztec religion and the Principal deity is Mixcoatl Mixcoatl ( nah, Mixcōhuātl}, from mixtli "cloud" and cōātl "serpent"), or Camaxtle or Ca ...

), and one account by the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

'' conquistador'' Andrés de Tapia estimates the number of weapons found in each of the four armories to be 500 cartloads") The ''tlacochcalcatl'' was always a member of the military order of the ''cuachicqueh'' "the shorn ones". The office of ''tlacochcalcatl'' was often the last step towards becoming the next ''tlatoani.'' The first ''tlacochcalcatl'' was instated under the rule of

Huitzilihuitl Huitzilihuitl or Huitzilihuitzin (Nahuatl language; English: ''Hummingbird Feather'') (1370s – ''ca.'' 1417) was the second ''Tlatoani'' or king of Tenochtitlan. According to the Codex Chimalpahin, he reigned from 1390 to 1415, according to t ...

who appointed his brother

Itzcoatl Itzcoatl ( nci-IPA, Itzcōhuātl, it͡sˈkoːwaːt͡ɬ, "Obsidian Serpent", ) (1380–1440) was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan, and the founder of the Aztec Empire, ruling from 1427 to 1440. Under Itzcoatl the Mexica of Tenochtitlan threw off t ...

who probably also served during the rule of

Chimalpopoca Chimalpopoca ( nci-IPA, Chīmalpopōca, t͡ʃiːmaɬpoˈpoːka for "smoking shield," ) or Chīmalpopōcatzin (1397–1427) was the third Emperor of Tenochtitlan (1417–1427). Biography Chimalpopoca was born to the Emperor Huitzilihuitl and ...

. When Itzcoatl became ''tlatoani'' he appointed

Tlacaelel Tlacaelel I (1397 – 1487) ( nci, Tlācaēllel , "Man of Strong Emotions," from "tlācatl," person and "ēllelli," strong emotion) was the principal architect of the Aztec Triple Alliance and hence the Mexica (Aztec) empire. He was the son ...

as ''tlacochcalcatl'' and Moctezuma Ilhuicamina as '' tlacateccatl;'' when Tlacaelel was appointed '' cihuacoatl,'' Moctezuma Ilhuicamina was promoted to ''tlacochcalcatl.'' It is not known who was ''tlacochcalcatl'' under the rule of Moctezuma I; possibly Tlacaelel held a dual office in this period. Under the rule of Moctezuma Ilhuicamina's son and successor

Axayacatl Axayacatl (; nci, āxāyacatl ; es, Axayácatl ; meaning "face of water"; –1481) was the sixth of the of Tenochtitlan and Emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance. Biography Early life and background Axayacatl was a son of the princess Ato ...

, the ''tlacochcalcatl'' was

Tizoc Tizocic or Tizocicatzin usually known in English as Tizoc, was the seventh ''tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan. His name means, "He who makes sacrifices" or "He who does penance." Either Tizoc or his successor Ahuitzotl was the first ''tlatoani'' of ...

, who in turn became ruler at Axayacatl's death. Tizoc who was seen as a weak ruler; he was disposed of and his ''tlacochcalcatl'' Ahuitzotl became ruler. Ahuitzotl's ''tlacochcalcatl'' was the next ruler: Moctezuma II (Xocoyotzin). The ''tlacochcalcatl'' of Moctezuma II at the arrival of the Spaniards was Quappiatl. The succession of Tlacochcalqueh is condensed from Hassig (1988) and the mention of Quappiatzin is from the

Florentine Codex The ''Florentine Codex'' is a 16th-century ethnographic research study in Mesoamerica by the Spanish Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Sahagún originally titled it: ''La Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España'' (in English: ''Th ...

, book 12, folio 5r(bottom).

Notes

References

*{{cite book , author=Hassig, Ross , year=1988 , title=Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control , publisher=University of Oklahoma Press , location=Norman , isbn=0-8061-2121-1 Aztec warfare Aztec society