Why do almost all the Mayans Die in Apocalypto?

Question

I thought they said the end of the world was supposed to be in 2012? Or was it the end for that particular tribe or what?

Answer 1

Historically, all the Mayans did actually die.. or so many they're nearly impossible to track down now. The whole culture vanished mysteriously, leaving behind their view of what would happen to the whole world, not just there's, in 2012. Peace.

Answer 2

Apocalypto is fiction. It mixes facts and made-up info across the various timelines of both the Maya and the Aztec. So the simple answer is, they died because Mel Gibson wanted them to die. He was making an allegory about our decadent culture.
In reality, the Maya left their cities after years of drought and warfare, because they could no longer sustain a large population in a small area, and went back into the jungles and small towns, where millions of them still live today. It is a myth that they "vanished" or died out.
When the Spanish came in 1519, they brought with them smallpox and other diseases that people native to the New World had no immunity to. So in about 10 years 90% of the population was dead, between war and disease. But that was 500 years ago, plenty of time to re-build the population into what it is today.
As far as the 2012 thing goes, the people talking about it, for the most part, have no idea what they are talking about. The 13th Baktun of the Mayan Long Count calendar begins on 12-21-2012. The calendar doesn't end. Time doesn't end. There is an alignment on that same day which indicates a new world age (new sun being born) but that doesn't mean total destruction, and although it's an interesting correspondence, no one is really sure if the ancient Maya predicted it.

Answer 3

Because it is fictitious. The author is free to make up anything he or she wants. That is the nature of fiction. It would otherwise have to be a documentary if it were true. Some aspects may be based on historical fact but the rest is made up.
And there's no real mystery why they disappeared. Other than disease brought over from Europeans, the Mayans built vast cities in the rain forest and deforestation, then as now, causes drought conditions. Essentially their food source was not renewable so they abandoned the cities and moved elsewhere.

Answer 4

Some scientists think the bad genesis- very closed genetic lines in their populating caused the disapearance of this wonderful civilisation.

Answer 5

Mel Gibson had a time frame to contradict his own innebriated statement about Jews.