When the Spanish massacred the Cholultecas, the Cholultecas invoked Quetzacoatl to destroy them; the Spaniards, in return, visited San Giacomo. (Portilla, 44-5) When the Spanish defeated them, they began to question the strength of their gods. This is especially troubling because the Aztec gods were warriors: if the warrior gods that the Aztecs had worshiped for so long could so easily fall before this Saint they had never heard of, what did this mean for the Aztecs? The rituals practiced by the Aztecs in the past were based on the capture of prisoners, not lives. (Clendinnen, 86) The Spanish did not care about keeping enemy soldiers alive for sacrifice. Since the entire Aztec religion (and therefore society) is centered on human sacrifice, this was extremely strange to the Aztecs. Not only did these newcomers easily conquer Aztec territory, but their gods did not require sacrifices. The initial encounter with the Spanish prompted the Aztecs to reconsider their religious beliefs. Both the Spanish and the Aztecs reevaluated their religions as a result of their encounter and conquest. Understanding the context of the Spanish and Aztec cultures before their meeting and conquest is important to understanding the events of the conquest. This also sheds light on how both the Spanish and the Aztecs learned from each other. They attempted to reflect the structures of their own cultures in the new one;