Fernando Cervantes

Maris Pacifici by Abraham Ortelius, published 1589. Helmink Antique Maps/Wiki Commons.

Dire Straits

The duplicitous, disloyal, callous and cruel Ferdinand Magellan.

Hernán Cortés and his troops during the Noche Triste, Mexican, 17th century.

Contested Legacy of the Conquistadors

If we are to better understand the actions of conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés, we must place them in the context of a medieval worldview that predated the nation-state.