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This is quite possibly the craziest conquistador story you'll ever hear. The story of a rebel tyrant who caused so much death, destruction, and chaos that he would later go on to be named the Mad Men. This is the true story of Lope de Aguirre and his rebellion against the king. Viewer discretion is advised. Gold more than glory was what pushed men to leave home and risk everything in distant lands. In the 16th century, explorers chased legends, the fountain of youth, in a river called El Dorado, said to carry gold and precious stones in its water. These legends and the lust for gold led Francisco Pizarro's conquest of Peru. For years after, stories circulated about rich lands along the Amazon River. During the first Spanish expedition of the river, Captain Oriana claimed to have seen evidence of this during his disastrous expedition that left most of his men dead. Years later, around 1548, a group of Brazilian Indians arrived in Peru. They said that 12,000 of their people had set out by canoe along the great river with their families, and that after more than 10 years of travel, only 300 survived. They spoke of many hardships, but above all, they described a powerful province called Amagua, said to have wealth beyond measure. These reports persuaded officials of Peru to send Pedro de Orsoa on an expedition to conquer the Amaguas and those distant and unknown lands. The main character in today's story is Lope de Aguirre. He was born in the town of Enate in Basque Country. Like many young men of his generation, sailed to the new world looking for fortune. He arrived in Peru ready to make a name for himself with a sword in hand. Years later, Aguirre found himself on the losing side of a rebellion, which ended in Gonzalo Pizarro having his head chopped off, and his co-conspirators arrested. Aguirre escaped the crackdown by fleeing to Nicaragua. Even there, he didn't settle down. He kept falling in with other restless men, plotting disturbances and joining felled mutineas and rebellions. By 1551, the heat surrounding his name had settled down, and Lope de Aguirre was back in Peru. He immediately began exploiting the native population for labor, which despite being a widespread practice at the time, was technically illegal. A judge named Francisco de Escuevel arrested him for violating laws meant to protect these indigenous people. Aguirre argued back claiming noble birth and a good family but the judge

ignored him and sentenced him to a public flogging. This was humiliating for Aguirre and he never forgot it. When the judge's term ended Esquivel went into hiding knowing full well that he had just punished a dangerous madman. He was constantly moving to avoid this revenge but Aguirre followed him first to Quito then back to Cusco. Legend says Aguirre chased him barefoot for more than three years across thousands of kilometers before tracking him down to Cusco. After years of relentless pursuit the madman Aguirre got his revenge he was sentenced to death for the murder but he escaped again fleeing south to hide in what is now Argentina and with a bit of luck another major revolt erupted. To keep the rebellion from spreading, the Addintia of Peru offered a general pardon to men involved in earlier uprisings, on the condition that they returned to the royal side and fought against this rebellion. Aguirre took that pardon, and for the moment, he was back under the king's banner. In the Battle of Chuquinga, he was badly wounded in the leg leaving him with a lifelong limp after the rebellion was defeated and its perpetrator hernandez hieron was executed aguirre received his pardon like the others but he didn't change instead of settling down he went back to plotting and rumors soon spread that aguirre who at the time was working as a horse trainer was preparing another rebellion after killing one of his co co-conspirators Aguirre was arrested and nearly hanged but likely due to powerful connections he had formed, he was spared and banished. The troublemaker was mistrusted, under surveillance and had very few options, so he elected to join Governor Arsua's expedition to the Amazon in hopes of discovering gold. By this time he had a teenage mestizo daughter named Elvira and she joined him on this journey. Governor Pedro de Orsoa was about 35 years old and a man of rank. He had real frontier experience, building a reputation as a steady and capable commander, one of his most important assignments took place in Panama. It was there that a band of runaway black slaves had escaped into the jungles and mountains and were attacking roads, ranches, and supply routes between the Caribbean coast and the Pacific. They knew the terrain well and operated in organized groups. Orsuo was sent to suppress this slave rebellion. He led coordinated sweeps through the interior, located their strongholds, and launched direct assaults.

Many were killed or captured, others were scattered and forced into hiding. The campaign showed that the young captain could handle irregular warfare and harsh terrain, exactly the kind of leadership needed for a major expedition into the unknown Amazon river systems. In early 1559, Orsoa left Lima with shipbuilders, black carpenters, tools, irons, and pitch. Everything needed to build vessels once they reached the river system in the mountains of Peru. In the beginning, it was very confident and well-liked by his soldiers. He treated his men fairly and carried himself with style, but he had one weakness. While preparing the expedition, he allowed a young woman named Dona Inez to accompany him. His friends warned him it would weaken his authority and create resentment in the ranks. the shipyard produced 11 vessels but with delays heavy rains and poor construction most of them were ruined before they were even able to be used when they were launched several broke apart almost immediately in the end only two brigantines and three flat bottom barges remained and even those were barely fit for the river still the expedition pushed off on September 26 1560 the river was vast powerful and unpredictable. Food was already tight, tensions were noticeable, within the first days quiet complaints turned into open frustrations. Some men questioned his leadership, others kept their doubts to themselves but were watching. As they moved downstream they passed long stretches of empty jungle, then areas where indigenous settlements were along the banks. They found villages with maize, turtles, and cassava. Sometimes they traded peacefully, other times the inhabitants fled before contact. Their daily progress was slow and uncertain. In a region called Machifaro, they stayed for more than a month. There was food there, and they consumed large stores of it, but the long pause only made things worse. Discipline weakened, routine slipped, and Orsua's authority felt less firm. He insisted that nothing be taken

by force everything had to be traded he maintained strict order and continued to show open affection

toward doña ines many of his men resented this they felt restrained watched and treated unequally jealous of the captain's companionship with the woman the madman lope de aguirre took advantage of this moment by the time the expedition prepared to move again aguirre knew exactly what he had to do next on the night of january 1st 1561 lope de aguirre and several others

entered Governor Ursúa's tent. As he died, they shouted,

long live the king, using loyalty as a cover for their murder. Soon after, they murdered Ursúa's lieutenant as well. Don Fernando de Guzman was named general, Lope de Aguirre took the position of Maestre de Campo, effectively controlling the troops. From that moment, the expedition was no longer a royal mission, but was in open rebellion. Suspicion spread through the camp, those who hesitated were watched, and those who showed any signs of disloyalty were killed without trial. It did not take long for Aguirre to turn on his own allies. One by one, men who had helped kill Ursua were removed. Even Guzman, who had been elevated as leader, was killed by Aguirre's faction. point titles meant nothing. Survival depended on loyalty to one man now. Lope de Aguirre was in charge. In a bold move he openly rejected the authority of King Philip II and declared himself in rebellion against the crown. The new plan was no longer El Dorado. They sailed all the way to the mouth of the Amazon River. The plan was to reach the sea, sell up the coast to South America, seize Margarita Island, strike at the Caribbean ports, gather support, and then march toward peru so delusionally optimistic were the rebels that among themselves they even divided future lands and the wives of peru settlers as if victory were already certain they set their sights on the island of margarita where the island's residents quietly lived their lives unaware of just how much chaos and destruction was coming their way about a month before aguirre arrived on margarita island an unfortunate event happened that left the residents worried about a bad omen two soldiers got into an argument one of them insulted the other and the offended man ran to the island's main church and claimed sanctuary believing he would be protected there but governor don juande came quickly with local officials and townsmen and tried to drag him out The tabernacle fell and the sacrament rolled onto the floor. To many who witnessed it, it was a shocking act of disrespect and the clergy were horrified and powerless to stop it. When the local holy man heard about what had happened, he was appalled. He openly condemned the governor and those involved. He warned them plainly they had offended God and punishment would come whether from heaven or earth less than a month later the madman lope de aguirre arrived the small island didn't have much to defend themselves with aguirre showed up and immediately ordered the people of margarita to supply 600 sheep young cattle cassava bread and maize each household was given a quota he scattered his soldiers among the homes so that every family

had to feed them during the day the men ate in the lounge in the houses at night they gathered in a square near the fortress by the sea, while Aguirre and his closest followers slept inside the fort under guard. The next day, seemingly out of nowhere, he had Enriquez de Oriana,

his munitions captain, hanged without confession. Partly because he disliked them and partly

because it was said that he had been drunk when they first landed. From then on, he kept strict watch over everything. His men patrolled the streets and roads and days at night. No one entered or left without his knowledge. Five of his men deserted to serve the king and this left Aguirre paranoid that more people were about to turn on him. It was this moment where he felt the rebellion slipping from his hands and he decides to take action and all hell breaks loose. He flew into a rage, threatened the imprisoned governor, accused the islanders of hiding them and offered 200 pesos for each man captured. Three days later one of the deserters returned wounded. He claimed he had fled to the hills during the landing and could not escape further. Aguirre at first ordered him killed, but when he was brought in injured, he spared him with a warning. The others were hunted down, two of them were captured and hanged without confession, and they never found the other two. He burned the brigantines he had brought so that no one could sell to warn others. When an island resident named Alonzo Perez fled, Aguirre personally burned his house down and slaughtered his livestock. His paranoia had reached such levels that he decided to kill one of his closest friends because he feared that he was no longer loyal. He had him shot with an arquebus and ordered that he be finished off with sword thrusts. Aguirre distrusted honorable men and surrounded himself with the worst sort, believing they were easier to control. When he learned that a man named Mongoya had gone over to royal service with the friar's ship he erupted in fury he imprisoned the island's residents and their wives and threatened to flood margaritas square with blood at first he assured the imprisoned governor and officials they had nothing to fear but that same night he had them strangled one by one the governor the mayor and others and buried in secret he then gathered his men and shifted the blame onto them telling them that they were all guilty now and could find safety only by standing with him soon after he he ordered the killing of his own maestra de campo. Fear was at an all-time high now among the ranks, and a man named Anton Llamasso, eager to prove his loyalty, lay over Perez's dead corpse and sucked blood from his wounds, saying he would drink the traitor's blood. The spectacle shocked all who were present. They started to build ships in order to continue their delusional rebellion. As the ships neared completion, rumors spread that his ensign Alonso de Villene planned to kill

him and declare for the king. When Aguirre moved to arrest him, Villene fled to the hills. He killed an innocent guard named Dominguez who was a friend of Villene. They stabbed him to death and they threw him down the fortress walls. He accused a woman named Ana de Rojas of having knowledge of a plot against him and he had her hanged in the town square. While her body dangled on the rope, he ordered she'd be shot in front of the crowd that had gathered he sent men to kill her husband an old sick man along with a dominican friar who was with him both were strangled and robbed another dominican friar who had once heard aguirre's confessions was also seized he was allowed confession before he was strangled and stabbed aguirre killed dozens more without real cause and humiliated others simply to keep fear in place he ordered a young man on the island who had not come to see him brought before him as punishment for his neglect he ordered his beard shaved after first washing it with foul smelling urine he also ordered him to pay the barber and made him bring four chickens as payment he did the same to one of his own soldiers a man named callado whom he ordered his beard shaved and washed with the same bucket of piss as the other man as the ship was finally ready and aguirre prepared to leave margarita francisco fajardo arrived from the province of venezuela with indigenous archers to support the islanders confront aguirre he positioned himself on a nearby hill overlooking the town and because of this aguirre abandoned the plans to burn the surrounding estates he feared sending men out might trigger more desertions which had already begun instead aguirre locked his soldiers inside the fortress to prevent escape if fighting broke out. He opened a small exit toward the sea and forded his men one by one from the rear. While overseeing the retreat to the ships, Aguirre stood near the shore with only a few companions left. As the ship sailed away, one of Aguirre's most trusted men asked him to steer the ship away from the shore because the waves were splashing him. Without warning, Lopez slashed him without confession. He left Margarita at the end of August with about 160 men divided among four ships. The voyage to the Venezuelan coast, which should have taken a few days, was dragged out over a week due to bad winds. Aguirre raged, cursed God, and threatened his pilots. He landed at Borbarrata on September 7th, and the town was deserted. He burned his ships, seized horses and supplies, and declared open war on the crown. Desertions continued. He took hostages, threatened families, and finally burned the town before moving inland. As he marched toward Valencia, royal forces in Venezuela began organizing against him. Along the way, Aguirre became extremely ill and on the

day he arrived at Valencia, he could not stay in the saddle and he fell to the ground like a dead man. After some days, Aguirre recovered, but the display of weakness made many of his men lose respect. In Valencia, a soldier named Gonzalo left town without permission to pick fruit from a papaya tree. The soldier, happy with his harvest, came back with a basket full of fruits, only to discover an angry Aguirre staring at him. Aguirre had him hanged from the same papaya tree he had picked the fruit from. Soon after, Aguirre, who was drinking daily and full of arrogant self-delusion about his status in the world, decided it was time to write a letter to the king. In his letter to King Philip II, Aguirre presents himself as a loyal veteran who served the crown for 24 years fighting in battles founding towns and even being permanently wounded in the royal service and says that he and other conquistadors were used taxed humiliated and discarded by corrupt officials he signed it we are the sons of faithful vassals of the basque land and i rebel until death for your ingratitude lope de aguirre the wanderer after finishing his defiant letter aguirre wasted no time on the night before leaving valencia he ordered all of his men to sleep in a fenced enclosure near his lodgings under the cover of darkness he had three of his own captains murdered not for any crimes they had committed but out of pure suspicion and fear that they might flee by sunrise he had the house where their bodies lay set on fire and he left valencia and ruins news of his approach spread fast back in venezuela the governor rallied forces of over 150 cavalry soon swelling to near 200 determined to stop the tyrant and protect their homes terrible rain fell relentlessly soon the conflict came a head and aguirre met the royal forces head on one of his captains diego tarado turned his back on the tyrant and defected this caused an unraveling where he pulled back into a fortified enclosure and at this point his entire force was hungry eating their horses dogs anything they could kill and more desertions followed by october 27 1561 with more men defecting to royalist forces aguirre saw his rebellion collapsing in a moment of despair rather than letting his daughter be captured and shamed as the child of

a traitor he stabbed her to death with his own hands almost immediately royalist forces broke into his enclosure aguirre briefly attempted to surrender and speak but two of his own men raised their arquebuses and fired at him and he died without confession they quartered his body and his head was locked in an iron cage his hands were sent to valencia merida as a grim warning to others thus the man who had once vowed that his name would not be forgotten achieved his dark wish not in glory but infamy and that is the story of the craziest conquistador i've ever heard of lope de aguirre thanks so much for watching my videos a lot of you are asking how i make these videos and i've set up a community on school.com where i show you exactly my workflow i show you what i'm up to next it'd be a great way to support the channel and interact with me personally as i work on my next project and to teach you and encourage you to build something similar i have several courses on script writing narration ai image and video and cinematic creations and in general how i'm able to tell stories captivating stories as a career i call it the ai cinematic directors community and i'd very much appreciate if you go check that out it's a monthly subscription but you can cancel anytime if you just wanted to check it out and i hope to see you there these maps behind me are also for sale. I'll have my link in the bio that gives me an affiliate commission from Mirway Maps made in the USA. These are 3D relief maps and I hope you get a chance to enjoy those as well. Thanks again for watching. I hope you like and subscribe. I'll see you next time.