The smallpox epidemic that struck the Aztec Empire in 1520 had devastating effects, killing a significant portion of the population, including Emperor Cuitláhuac. Introduced by Spanish conquistadors, the disease facilitated the Spanish conquest by weakening the indigenous population. This event underscores the catastrophic impact of European colonization on native populations and the role of disease in shaping history.

This biological catastrophe marked the end of indigenous Nahua poetic traditions in their original context and initiated a period of colonial literature where indigenous voices were suppressed or syncretized, fundamentally altering the literary landscape of Mesoamerica.