Person

Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl

Also known as Ce Acatl Topiltzin

Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, also called Ce Acatl from his birth date, was a priest-king of Tula remembered in later Aztec and other Mesoamerican traditions as the ideal ruler of the Toltecs. The stories say he opposed human sacrifice, was tricked into disgrace by the god Tezcatlipoca and left Tula for the east, promising to return. Historians treat the accounts as legend that may preserve memories of real rulers.

Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl
Image: author unknown · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Toltec state

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/topiltzin-quetzalcoatl
MLA
“Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/topiltzin-quetzalcoatl. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/topiltzin-quetzalcoatl.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/topiltzin-quetzalcoatl (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻