Question

Which of the following is the best definition of prose?(1 point)Responseswritten language without a specific structure, as opposed to poetry or songwritten language without a specific structure, as opposed to poetry or songthe highest class in society possessing hereditary power through land, titles, or political officesthe highest class in society possessing hereditary power through land, titles, or political officesa form of written language that uses specific structures and patterns to help convey meaninga form of written language that uses specific structures and patterns to help convey meaningHow was it possible for a Spanish army of only 300 to conquer the Aztec Empire, which controlled five million people?

Answer 1

Answer (prose): "written language without a specific structure, as opposed to poetry or song." Prose is ordinary written or spoken language not organized by the metrical patterns of poetry.

Why a few hundred Spaniards could defeat the Aztecs:
- Indigenous allies: Cortés formed powerful alliances (notably with the Tlaxcalans and other enemies of the Aztecs) that supplied thousands of native warriors and crucial local knowledge.
- Disease: Old World diseases, especially smallpox (1520–21), devastated the Aztec population and leadership, greatly reducing the empire’s ability to resist.
- Military technology and tactics: Steel weapons, firearms, cannons, and horses gave the Spaniards an advantage in shock and firepower; Spanish military organization and tactics also mattered.
- Political fragmentation and resentment: The Aztec Empire ruled many subject city-states that resented tribute and oppression; many of these peoples were willing to side with the Spaniards against Tenochtitlán.
- Leadership, diplomacy, and luck: Cortés’s capture of Montezuma, use of interpreters (La Malinche), strategic decisions, and timing all contributed.

Together these factors allowed a small Spanish force, backed by large indigenous contingents and aided by disease and technology, to topple the Aztec Empire.