Lope de Aguirre: Constructing an image of power

Abstract

The figure of Lope de Aguirre proves to be particularly suggestive when considering the aspects related to concepts of authority and power in America during the second half of the 16th century. With the present work, we pretend to analyze the way of constructing the image of power in Relación de todo lo que sucedió en la jornada de Amaga y Dorado of Lope de Aguirre, one of the marañones that took part in the journey. This text is a principle source of what occurred in the expedition. The characterization of the personalities illustrates the ideas concerning authority and power that the author and the protagonists of the journey had in mind.