The Aztec emperor who strengthened the Triple Alliance and greatly expanded the empire's territory. Montezuma I, son of Emperor Huitzilihuitl, rose to prominence in a turbulent age. After his elder brother was assassinated, the young prince backed his uncle Itzcoatl's claim to the throne and marched beside him through campaigns that unified and strengthened the Aztec realm. When Itzcoatl died, Montezuma was chosen as Huey Tlatoani (the Great Speaker), a title that signified not only his authority over the Mexica but his role as the voice of all peoples under Aztec rule. Early in his reign, he drove the empire's borders eastward until they reached the "Sea of the Sky", the Gulf of Mexico. Yet as the empire expanded, calamities struck: drought, frost, and locust plagues ravaged the land. The Aztecs believed such disasters signaled divine wrath. To restore cosmic balance, Montezuma led the ritualized Flower Wars, clashing with Tlaxcala and its Mixtec allies. Countless captives and spoils returned to Tenochtitlan, and the gods' anger was thought to recede.