Florentine Codex: Remarkable Manuscripts About Life Of The Aztecs

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The Florentine Codex is an ancient document that describes the life of the Aztecs, their religious ceremonies, astronomy, economy, social order, the conquest of Mexico and customs in pre-Columbian Mexico.

Left: Aztec Gods from the Digital Edition of the Florentine Codex; Right: Aztec feather painters from the Digital Edition of the Florentine Codex. Image via Wikipedia

It consists of 12 volumes prepared by Franciscan Friar Bernardino de Sahagún (1499 -1590), or under his supervision between 1540 and 1585. The Codex has 1,200 pages and 2,468 painted illustrations. Text the language of the Aztecs, Nahuatl, is located on the right side, and the Spanish translation of the left side of the manuscript.

The document was written in the language of the Aztecs, Nahuatl, the Latin and Castilian, but many paragraphs have never been translated.

Eagle and Jaguar Warriors, Florentine Codex Book.

The Florentine Codex has 12 sections on subjects such as the gods and ceremonies; creation, soothsayers, omens, prayers and theology, the Sun, Moon, and stars and the calendar, kings and lords, merchants, peoples, earthly things (animals, plants, metals, stones, colors), and the conquest of Mexico.

The Codex describes Nahua tactics of warfare, Aztec history, major gods, calendar, social structure and stratification, and perceptions of the natural world are some of the subjects.…

The Codex (held in the Laurentian Library of Florence, Italy) is a copy of a lost original that originates from the sixteenth century; it was entitled “Universal History of the Things of New Spain” (La Historia Universal de las Cosas de Nueva España) but today, it is commonly known as "The Florentine Codex".

Left: Aztec feather painters; Right: Image of insects and insect wounds. Images via wikipedia

Historians believe that Friar Sahagún created several shortened versions of his work. One of these versions is, for example, devoted to history of the Aztec gods and according to sources, it was sent by Sahagún to Pope Pius V (1504 – 1572), a professor of philosophy and theology for years and grand inquisitor of the Roman church.

Complete version of the Florentine Codex (Code of Florence) was published in 1979.

Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer

Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com

Expand for references