Explorer Who Burned His Ships - Micro B Life (2023)

FAQs

Why did Cortez burn his ships? ›

Those of his men still loyal to the Governor of Cuba conspired to seize a ship and escape to Cuba, but Cortés moved swiftly to quash their plans. To make sure such a mutiny did not happen again, he decided to sink his ships, on the pretext that they were not seaworthy.

There, eager to march inland to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Cortés destroyed 10 of his 11 ships, cutting off his men's only hope of retreat and leaving them with no option but to head inland. The expedition ultimately destroyed the Aztec Empire and began the long and often brutal process of colonizing Mexico.

One of his strongest and most formidable enemies was the Persian Empire of Darius III. In 334 BC, Alexander led a fleet of Greek and Macedonian ships across the Dardanelles Straits and into Asia Minor. When he reached the shore, Alexander ordered his men to burn the ships.

To motivate his army as they embarked on the march inland, Cortés is rumored to have ordered his army to "burn the boats" upon which they had arrived. The move was meant to eliminate the army's ability to retreat, which meant that the men had two options: victory or death.

Much has been made of the Aztecs' “superstitious” belief that Cortés was a god, and that Montezuma was paralysed with fear by a series of omens predicting the downfall of the city.

While Aztec emperor, Montezuma had a famous confrontation with Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. He initially welcomed Cortés but, when unable to buy him off, laid a trap in Tenochtitlán. Cortés, however, took Montezuma prisoner, hoping to prevent an Aztec attack.

In 1519, Spanish Captain, Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of the new world, Mexico, and gave the order to “burn the boats”. We may not agree with the invaders but the act of burning the ships/boats is as relevant today as it was in ancient times.

Moctezuma died in the evening hours of June 30, 1520, in his palace in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, while a prisoner of the Spanish conquistadors. The Emperor had been speaking to his people in an effort to persuade them to cease hostilities against Hernán Cortés, his Spanish soldiers, and Indian allies.

An unnerving series of coincidences led Montezuma to believe that perhaps Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day to reclaim his kingdom.

Mythology. Odysseus, the main character of Homer's Odyssey, visited them during his journey back home to Ithaca. The giants ate many of Odysseus's men and destroyed eleven of his twelve ships by launching rocks from high cliffs.

Who destroys Odysseus ships? ›

As soon as land is out of sight, Zeus sends a monstrous storm that destroys the vessel and kills all the men, sparing only Odysseus. Quickly making a raft of the mast and keel, Odysseus survives the vortex of Charybdis and struggles ashore ten days later at Ogygia, the island of Calypso.

Approximately 1,000 years before Cortez's Aztec conquest, Alexander the Great also burned his vessels when he and his army arrived on Persian shores. By burning the boats, the great general committed his army to winning over the Persians who greatly surpassed Alexander's army of men.

It was here that Fëanor landed during the Long Night with the stolen swan-ships of the Falmari, and gave the order to burn them, because he considered the host of Fingolfin and Finrod to be "needless baggage on the road", saying: "Let those that cursed my name, curse me still, and whine their way back to the cages of ...

Burn our hope in ourselves, our careers, and in anything else but Christ. Burning our ships means that we give ourselves COMPLETELY to Christ. We live His Word.

Julius Caesar famously said, “If you want to take the island, burn the boats!” 2000 years ago when Caesar set out to conquer England by water, he found himself face to face with his own soldiers preparing to retreat because they were swallowed by their own fears--some very real and valid ones at that.

He has made mistakes; he has abandoned his vassals and has destroyed men.

Etymology. Named for Montezuma or Moctezuma II (c. 1466 – 1520), the last Aztec ruler before the empire was conquered by the Spanish. The condition is seen as “retribution” for the slaughter and enslavement of the Aztec people by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on 13 August 1521.

Then Cortés asked him: "Is it not you? Are you not he? Are you Moctezuma?" And Moctezuma responded: "Yes, I am Moctezuma." Then he stood up to welcome Cortés, to meet him face to face.

What did Moctezuma look like? A Spanish soldier described him "of good height, slender… the natural shade and colour of an Indian… scanty black beard…his face somewhat long, but cheerful". A Spanish priest calls him "astute, discerning, prudent, learned and capable".

Taking the position of tlatoani, meaning 'speaker', in 1502 CE he ruled as an absolute monarch until 1520 CE. During his reign, Motecuhzoma expanded the Aztec empire and was considered a god by his people, literally a manifestation and perpetuator of the sun.

Was Montezuma a good leader? ›

He Was a Great Warrior and General

Once he became Tlatoani, Montezuma carried out several military campaigns against rebellious vassals and holdout city-states within the Aztec sphere of influence.

The Viking ritual of burning their longships generally only takes place on special occasions such as; to celebrate the forthcoming New Year by burning away old spirits and welcoming in the new spirits or to honour the death of a Viking Warrior.

The phrase “burning your ships” dates from 1519, when a Spanish expedition led by Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico. Cortés knew his crew was already exhausted after the long sea journey, but he had to motivate them to succeed in the new land. So he ordered the scuttling of the ships they arrived in. The ships burned.

Cortés and his men scoured the region, but the treasure of Montezuma was—and remains—nowhere to be found.

Montezuma is entrusted with the governance of mankind, but becoming proud and wicked, he rebels against the Great Spirit, dismisses Coyote, and commands mankind to build a house tall enough to reach Heaven.

When Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519, he and his forces were treated as welcomed visitors by the Aztecs. But a few short days later on November 14, 1519, Cortes took Montezuma hostage. There were two principle reasons for this sudden deterioration in Spanish-Aztec relations.

Answer and Explanation: The Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II, invited the Spanish into his city for two main reasons: he was curious about them and he didn't see them as a threat. He allowed them to stay in the city for so long because the Spaniards actually kidnapped him and held him hostage.

Capture of Montezuma

On November 14, 1519, they got the excuse they needed. A Spanish garrison left on the coast had been attacked by some representatives of the Mexica and several of them were killed. Cortes arranged a meeting with Montezuma, accused him of planning the attack, and took him into custody.

They do so one afternoon as Odysseus sleeps; when the Sun finds out, he asks Zeus to punish Odysseus and his men. Shortly after the Achaeans set sail from Thrinacia, Zeus kicks up another storm, which destroys the ship and sends the entire crew to its death beneath the waves.

The royal couple, together again after ten long years of separation, lived happily ever after, or not quite. For in a tragic final twist, an aged Odysseus was killed by Telegonos, his son by Circe, when he landed on Ithaca and in battle, unknowingly killed his own father.

Why did Poseidon sink Odysseus ship? ›

To punish the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus, Poseidon turned their ship into stone as it entered the harbor at Scheria. The second half of the Odyssey (Books 13–24) narrates how Odysseus returned to his palace, killed the suitors, and was recognized and reunited with Penelope, and how he resumed his rule over Ithaca.

Helios is furious and threatens to go down to the Underworld forever unless justice is served. Zeus honors Helios' request and destroys Odysseus' ship with a lightning bolt, killing all of his men.

When Odysseus left Ithaca for the Trojan war he was married to Penelope. He was also married to Penelope the whole time he was trying to make his way back home. During this time Odysseus met a witch named Circe and then a nymph named Calypso. Circe was the first woman that Odysseus was unfaithful with.

She is featured most prominently in Odysseus' journey home when he and his men passed between her and the monster Scylla to reach the Land of the Dead. After Odysseus' men disobeyed Tiresias' warning and ate the cattle of Helios, it was Charybdis who sucked down and destroyed the last of Odysseus' men and ships.

After Magellan's death, Sebastian del Cano took command of the two remaining ships, the Trinidad and the Victoria (the Conception was burned because there were not enough men left to operate it).

Viking Funerals on long-ships. Great warriors and members of the aristocracy were often set to rest in their long-ships. Sometimes these long-ships were buried and sometimes they were set on fire and sent off to sea.

At the moment of his death the passing of his fiery spirit reduced his body to ashes. He was the only person to die this way, for no death like his was ever seen or heard. His sons were still bound by the Oath to recover the Silmarils, which would determine many of the events of Middle-earth during the First Age.

Their heroism was great and they were mighty leaders and foes of Morgoth, but because of the Oath of Fëanor (which they all swore), their actions were ultimately turned to evil. Only one son survived the First Age.

Thereafter the House of Fëanor was called the Dispossessed, as Mandos had predicted. The Sons of Fëanor and their followers settled in East Beleriand defending the open region which was named the March of Maedhros.

Upon landing at the coast, his soldiers soon realized the Celts had way more men, which caused Caesar's men to panic with fear and start preparing their boats for a quick exit. Caesar burnt all the boats, forcing the men to fight, gaining 100% commitment from his men.

What does burn our ships mean? ›

"Burning the/your ships/boats" means doing something that makes it impossible for yourself to turn back, especially if it is done willfully and without necessity. The figure of speech derives from legends about conquerors who supposedly, upon landing their army in enemy country, ordered the invasion fleet to be burnt.

idiom. If you are in a situation and you burn your boats/bridges, you destroy all possible ways of going back to that situation.

If you are a history buff, you may know the story of Cortés and the burning of his ships. In the year 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the New World with six hundred men and, upon arrival, made history by destroying his ships. This sent a clear message to his men: There is no turning back.

“Burn the Boat,”Caesar, the Roman emperor who sat out to conquer England by boat. Upon landing...his men began to panic with fear & started preparing their boats to exit. Caesar burnt all the boats, forcing the men to fight, gaining 100% commitment from his men.

Answer and Explanation: The island was a paradise (like the Biblical Eden) and its destruction reflects the theme of loss of innocence.

In 1519, Spanish Captain, Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of the new world, Mexico, and gave the order to “burn the boats”. We may not agree with the invaders but the act of burning the ships/boats is as relevant today as it was in ancient times.

"Burning the/your ships/boats" means doing something that makes it impossible for yourself to turn back, especially if it is done willfully and without necessity. The figure of speech derives from legends about conquerors who supposedly, upon landing their army in enemy country, ordered the invasion fleet to be burnt.

In May 1521, Cortés returned to Tenochtitlán, and after a three-month siege the city fell. This victory marked the fall of the Aztec empire. Cuauhtémoc, Cuitláhuac's successor as emperor, was taken prisoner and later executed, and Cortés became the ruler of a vast Mexican empire.

"Cortés, conqueror of Mexico, may have had more unfree Indians than anyone else in the world. In addition to owning three thousand or more indigenous slaves outright, his estate forced as many as twenty-four thousand laborers a year to work as tribute (they were sent by their home villages for a week at a time)."

Later, Walt confesses to burning the original raft, explaining that he did not want to leave the island, but decides they need to leave. The next morning, Walt gives Vincent to Shannon before he leaves on the raft with Michael, Jin and Sawyer.

Who burned ships using mirrors? ›

This myth claims that by focusing the sun's rays, Archimedes' mirrors raised the temperature of the ships enough that they caught fire. While a concave mirror held in one hand can light a paper in the other hand by focusing sunlight, burning a distant wooden ship would require an impractically large mirror.

In “A Burnt Ship,” Donne displays this modernist-like thinking as he rejects logic and instead embraces an ironic and nonsensical viewpoint of men involved in a maritime battle. When a nearby enemy ship attacks, the men must choose between dying by burning alive or drowning.

Approximately 1,000 years before Cortez's Aztec conquest, Alexander the Great also burned his vessels when he and his army arrived on Persian shores. By burning the boats, the great general committed his army to winning over the Persians who greatly surpassed Alexander's army of men.

No, not if by “the Aztecs” we mean the Aztec Empire, before the Spaniards came. There were Aztec garrisons on the Maya frontier, and very likely plans to attack. But then the Aztecs themselves were attacked - by the Spaniards.

Cortes wanted to conquer the aztecs for gold glory and god. Because of these things, many people in the Aztec Empire were unhappy. Some of them helped the Spanish conquistadors take over the Empire.

The Mayans who met them were clever - telling them about the rich Aztec empire to the north. When the Aztec king, Montezuma, sent an emissary to meet with Cortez at Veracruz, the Spaniard's curiosity and imagination were instantly excited by the gold jewelry worn by his Aztec host.

Many within the Aztec Empire came to believe that Cortés was Quetzalcoatl the god who would return to overthrow the god Tezcatlipoca, who demanded human sacrifice. Cortés was aided by an Indian woman La Malinche or Malintzin, who became an invaluable interpreter for and mistress and confidant of Cortés.

Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors toppled the Aztec Empire.

The overthrow of the Aztec Empire by Cortez and his expedition rests on three factors: The fragility of that empire, the tactical advantages of Spanish technology, and smallpox.