Nezahualcóyotl

Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472) was a Nahuatl poet, philosopher, urban planner, warrior, ruler, and one of the crucial historical figures who defined the Aztec Empire. His verses, only a handful of which survive, explore the most intimate aspects of his people. An icon of modern Mexico whose legacy remains the subject of intense debate, he died approximately fifty years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, whose devastations he foresaw.