Question

Aztec civilation was based on the belief that all persons in a society are equal

Answer 1

It's very interesting to wonder what life would have been like in a normal Aztec society family. There are many things we do know, although the record is frustratingly sparse. Record keepers were more interested in other aspects of society, and family life was considered the sphere of women. Still, there are many things we do know. Like other aspects of Aztec culture, life in an Aztec society family was permeated by religious beliefs, right from the start. Each decision was ruled by the laws of religion, and often tied to the sacred days in the Aztec calendar. The life of a new family began at marriage, typically in the early 20s for a man and mid- teens for the woman. Marriages were arranged by the relatives (though the children may have had input). The parents would have to talk to the religious leaders, and discuss the signs under which both of the children had been born. The wedding day, of course, was chosen for similar religious reasons. Men and women All this was full of ceremony and form. In Aztec society family a husband may have had more than one wife - but it would be his primary wife that would go through all the ceremony. The man may have many secondary wives, who would also be officially recognized. The children of the principal wife would be the inheritors - or, in the case of a ruler, only a child from the principal wife would be a successor. Still, the husband was supposed to treat all wives equally in daily life. As you may imagine, one family could grow very large. As a result, most of the husbands with numerous wives and children were the wealthy ones, with the poor more likely to have one wife. In one sense, society was dominated by the men. The man was considered the head of the home. However, women had a great deal of power as well. They may have had more power in earlier times, with men taking more power toward the end of the Aztec era. Women often were able to run business out of their homes, and had a lot of influence in the family and the raising of children. The older widows were much respected, and people listened to their advice. Adultery was a crime - death was the punishment. Divorce was allowed on certain grounds, presented by the man or woman, property was divided equally and both sides were free.