CRISTÓBAL DE OLID: BIOGRAPHY, GREAT CONQUESTS AND DEATH - ARTE - 2025

Cristóbal de Olid (1488-1524) was a Spanish military man, explorer and conqueror, recognized for occupying and subduing Michoacán (Mexico) and Honduras. Olid became one of the most important captains of Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztec Empire.

Historians report his active participation in the fighting for the capture of Tenochtitlán or the victory at Otumba, as well as his poise during the withdrawal of "La Noche Triste."

Cristobal de Olid. Source: Internet Archive

Olid committed two great betrayals. The first to Diego Velázquez, governor of Cuba, to join the forces of Cortés, with whom he participated in several campaigns through the Mexican lands. The second betrayal was towards Cortés himself, allying himself again with Velázquez.

His intention was to rebel to take possession of the lands of his next expedition, which correspond to present-day Honduras.

Biography

the beginning

Cristóbal de Olid was born in 1488 in the province of Jaén (Spain), but it has not yet been possible to specify whether it was in Baeza or in Linares. His family of Navarrese origin was occasionally in the area, while his father fought against the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

He married Felipa de Araos, of Portuguese origin, who remained in the Iberian peninsula when he decided to embark for the Indies to seek his fortune.

The wealth of the American continent had great fame and the news came with more and more expectation through the Spanish ships, which had been exploring the new lands for more than 25 years. Like so many others, hungry for wealth, Olid decided to embark one of the caravels for the island of Cuba in 1518.

Arrival in America

Entrance to Guadalajara, Jalisco. Source: unknown Aztec scribes.

Upon his arrival on the island of Cuba, he was under the service of Governor Diego Velázquez. His first commission was an expedition to the coasts of Yucatán, in search of the whereabouts of Juan de Grijalva, of whom there was no news. Olid failed in his mission, as a hurricane caused him to lose anchor.

In 1519 he betrayed Velázquez and joined Hernán Cortés, who appointed him mayor of his army. He participated in the founding of the town hall of Villa Rica, current Veracruz, as well as in the campaigns of Tlaxcala, Tabasco, Kuaunohuac and Tenochtitlán.

In the capital of the Aztec Empire, Olid was appointed captain of the guard. Later, with the capture of Moctezuma, he was the personal guard of the leader of the Mexica.

Along with Cortés, Olid suffered the defeat of "La Noche Triste", but later he experienced the victory of the Spanish troops in Otumba, the campaign against the Purépechas and, finally, the conquest of Tenochtitlán in 1521.

Thanks to his ability and his loyalty to Cortés, Olid quickly rose to the rank of field commander. This position gave him administrative and judicial power. He turned out to be one of Cortes's most confident captains. For this reason, he was assigned the command of his own company, which led campaigns in Texcoco, Chapultepec and Coyoacán.

Some historians indicate that he even participated in a conspiracy against Hernán Cortés "the conqueror of Medellín", which was unsuccessful. For this reason they snatched the staff of the councilor of the Veracruz Council, which they had granted him a couple of years before, but later received the pardon of Cortés.

Great conquests

Before the news of the wealth found in the lands known today as Michoacán and the Pacific coasts, Cortés sent Olid to the area. It was in 1522 when Olid went to the area, which he easily subdued and took possession of the provinces on behalf of Cortés.

After obtaining large booties, he goes to the aid of Juan Álvarez Chico in Colima. The revolt could suffocate it, but Álvarez Chico died at the hands of the natives. Meanwhile, Olid's wife had reached Mexican lands, but this did not stop the military from continuing his expeditions through the lands of Mesoamerica.

Triumph in Honduras

In January 1524, Olid left for Honduras in search of its wealth, as well as to pacify the government under the orders of Cortés. The instructions were to capture Gil González Dávila, a Spaniard who had taken the area around Lake Nicaragua. Cortés also wanted to find the interoceanic passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific, towards the South Sea.

Cortés entrusted Pedro de Alvarado with the expedition by land and Cristóbal de Olid by sea. With destination at the end of the Hibueras (current coast of Honduras), he set sail with six ships, 400 men, artillery and weapons. During a brief stop in Cuba to buy horses and supplies, he makes a deal with Velázquez and prepares the way to betray Cortés.

In May 1524, he reached the Gulf of Honduras and claiming the lands in the name of Cortés, founded the first town named Triunfo de la Cruz. From the Atlantic coasts to the northwest of Honduras he set out to continue exploring those lands.

In a short time he renounced the authority of Cortés and claimed for himself the region he had traveled. Olid moved west, settling in the Naco Valley.

Betrayal and death

Eight months later, Olid's betrayal reached the ears of Cortés and unleashed his fury. He immediately sent an expedition led by his cousin, Francisco de las Casas, from Trujillo, with five ships, artillery and a hundred soldiers to capture the raised captain. When De las Casas arrived in the Gulf of Honduras, Olid proposed a truce, in an attempt to stop the landing and his immediate search.

The perfect opportunity for Olid's counterattack was a storm that affected De Las Casas's forces and led to his capture. At the same time, Olid detains González Dávila, who had arrived in the area as governor of the Dulce Gulf.

De Las Casas and González Dávila were in prison when Cortés decided to head south in November 1524 to handle Olid's betrayal with his own hands.

Overconfident with his former colleagues and friends, Olid released them one night to join him for dinner. The prisoners who had already hatched a plot upon hearing the news from Cortés were able to escape and attempted to assassinate Olid. The Spanish despite being wounded, managed to flee to the mountains.

Soon after, Olid was found by his enemies and arrested for a brief trial, a "farce of trial" according to historians. There he is accused of treason to royal power and sentenced to death.

In January 1525, in Naco, Olid is beheaded. However, other accounts indicate that Olid's men rose up and were the ones who killed him. When Hernán Cortés arrived, Olid had already been killed, so he was in charge of reestablishing order in the colony.

References

1. The Biograhpy (2018). Biography of Cristóbal de Olid (1488-1524). Recovered from thebiography.us
2. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture (2008) Olid, Cristóbal De (1488–1524) Retrieved from encyclopedia.com
3. Town. RH (2017). Portrait of Cristóbal de Olid (2017) Mexico City: Economic Culture Fund.
4. Royal Academy of History (sf). Cristóbal de Olid Recovered dbe.rah.es
5. Molina, S. (2008). 101 villains in the history of Mexico. Mexico: Editorial Grijalbo.