246 Mexico, conquest of A 1585 illustration from a painting depicting Hernán Cortés (seated) greeting Aztec leaders La Malinche, his translator, stands at his side The arrival of Europeans on the North American continent spelled the eventual demise of the Aztec Empire that followed demonstrated Cortés’s masterful ability to perceive and exploit the political and ethnic divisions between the Aztecs and their subordinate polities Events in Cempoala—in which Cortés tricked the Cempoalan cacique into an alliance—are often cited as exemplary of this ability So too is his decision to scuttle his ships, along with other actions that worked to instill a sense of purpose, unity, and loyalty among his men After winning the alliance of the Tlaxcalans—one of the few polities the Aztecs had proved unable to subdue—and slaughtering some 6,000 Cholulans in an infamous surprise attack, the expedition reached Tenochtitlán on November 8, 1519 Entering the mag- nificent city, the Spaniards were greeted graciously by the indecisive Moctezuma A few days later on November 14, Cortés boldly took the Aztec emperor hostage, holding him as prisoner within his own capital city After some six months in this uneasy state, Cortés learned that Governor Velázquez of Cuba had dispatched an expedition under Pánfilo de Narváez to arrest him (Cortés) for violating his orders Leaving his second in command Pedro de Alvarado in charge in Tenochtitlán, in early May 1520, Cortés hastened back to Cempoala, defeated the Narváez force on May 28–29, and won over its survivors Returning to Tenochtitlán, the Spanish force