Question

Who practiced human sacrifice to appease their war god?

a) Egyptians
b) Romans
c) Aztecs
d) Greeks

Answer 1

The Aztecs are known for practicing human sacrifice to honor their gods, particularly to appease the war god Huitzilopochtli, ensuring that the sun rose and the harvests remained plentiful.

Step-by-step explanation:

The practice of human sacrifice to appease a war god was most notably carried out by the Aztecs. According to various historical accounts, including Spanish sources and indigenous codices, the Aztecs conducted these sacrifices to honor their gods, such as Huitzilopochtli, and to fulfill the religious belief that these offerings were necessary for the sun to rise and to ensure a prosperous harvest.

Ritual sacrifice was a crucial part of Aztec religion and served political purposes as well, both by terrifying potential enemies and by exerting control over their own people. It was common for war captives to become the victims of these sacrificial rites, which were public displays of the empire's power. Despite the exaggerated numbers sometimes reported by Spanish chronicles, there is a consensus that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice on a larger scale than any other Mesoamerican culture.

Learn more about Aztec Human Sacrifice

Answer 2

The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice to appease their war god, Huitzilopochtli. These sacrifices were part of Aztec rituals. The option c is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Aztecs engaged in the ritual of human sacrifice as a means of appeasing their war god, Huitzilopochtli.

Described in Spanish historical accounts, this practice involved the Aztecs ritually extracting the hearts of war captives.

The primary objective was to seek divine favor for the continuity of essential cosmic phenomena, including the sun's presence in the sky, the abundance of harvests, and the perpetual supremacy of the Aztec military.

These sacrifices formed an integral part of Aztec religious ceremonies, intricately woven into their belief system to maintain cosmic order and ensure the prosperity and dominance of their civilization.

The act of offering human hearts to the gods was deeply rooted in the Aztec worldview, where the sustaining forces of nature and military prowess were believed to be intimately tied to these sacred and solemn rituals.

Therefore, the option c is correct, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice to appease their war god.