Dominic Sandbrook

Hernando Pizarro said...

You know, they could have finished us off at any time.

We couldn't use the horses on the mountain roads.

Off the roads, we could take neither horses nor foot soldiers.

We were completely vulnerable, snaking along these kind of mountain passes.

And the Incubes are watching us, but they're not acting.

And actually, we know from what we get a sense from later chronicles and things, that some of Atahualpa's counsellors said, why are you letting these people come?

Why not just strike now and kill them all?

And Atahualpa says to them, it is folly to be so concerned about 170 men.

Let's find out who they are.

What have we got to lose?

Let them keep coming.

He really wants to see the horses.

He wants to see these guys who have strange weapons that make an explosion and everyone runs away, arquebuses and stuff.

And it's a bit different from Montezuma.

Montezuma was in his capital, in the palace.

Atta Welpa is with his army.

He's in a military camp with 80,000 men.

Why would he be frightened about fewer than 200 men?

He's just won a very bloody civil war.