Up Next
Back to Show
Rogue History
How The Aztec Empire Was Built By Spies
Season 2
Episode 8
In ancient Mesoamerica, an elite class of merchants helped build the Aztec Empire. How? By mastering the arts of spycraft, disguise, and self sacrifice. These Pochteca acquired plenty of wealth and status and they traveled between cities to collect tribute, trade for valuables, and most importantly work undercover to gather information. But this wealth and power sometimes came at a deadly cost.
Support Provided By
Season
7:37
The largest enslaved insurrection in US history was planned for 1856– and then called off.
9:56
A group of women mathematicians uncovered Soviet spies– but received none of the credit.
10:06
Ninjas are famous in popular culture, but behind the stereotypes lie a legendary history.
11:02
Chevalier d’Eon was a spy, fencer, and gender identity trailblazer who blackmailed a King.
9:27
“I wanted to start a personal war with Hitler. And I wanted to fight with my imagination.”
9:09
This musician spied on Black socialists then criticized the government for being racist.
10:17
A year into the Civil War, the Union Army unveiled their secret weapon: spy balloons.
9:50
One pirate’s tale of buried treasure led to generations of treasure hunting.
9:29
Sea Lords were as vital to medieval Japan as samurai, so why were they called “pirates?”
9:12
Though often overlooked, the Barbary pirates played a huge role in U.S. and world history.
9:22
When fresh food ran out, pirates found creative ways to survive long weeks at sea.
8:36
This is what pirate music actually sounded like.