Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in
medieval Spain
Spain in the Middle Ages is a period in the History of Spain that began in the 5th Century following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and ended with the beginning of the Early modern period in 1492.
The history of Spain is marked by waves ...
. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El Cid ("the lord"), and the Spanish moniker El Campeador ("the valiant"). He was born in
Vivar
Vivar, or Vivar del Cid, is a village of approximately 260 inhabitants,[Vivar del Cid](_blank)
vivardelcid.com, Retrieved 19 March 2018< ...
, a village near the city of
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
. As the head of his loyal knights, he came to dominate the
Levante of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
at the end of the 11th century. He reclaimed the
Taifa of Valencia
The Taifa of Valencia () was a medieval Moorish taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally co ...
from Moorish control for a brief period during the ''
Reconquista
The ' ( Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Na ...
'', ruling the principality as its Prince () from 17 June 1094 until his death in 1099. His wife,
Jimena Díaz
Doña Jimena Díaz (also spelled Ximena) (before July 1046–c.1116) was the wife of El Cid, whom she married between July 1074 and 12 May 1076, and her husband's successor as ruler of Valencia from 1099 to 1102. The spelling ''Jimena'' is a ...
, inherited the city and maintained it until 1102 when it was reconquered by the Moors.
Díaz de Vivar became well known for his service in the armies of both Christian and Muslim rulers. After his death, El Cid became Spain's celebrated national hero and the protagonist of the most significant medieval Spanish epic poem,
''El Cantar de mio Cid'', which presents him as the ideal medieval knight: strong, valiant, loyal, just, and pious.
There are various theories on his family history, which remains uncertain; however, he was the grandfather of
García Ramírez
García or Garcia may refer to:
People
* García (surname)
* Kings of Pamplona/Navarre
** García Íñiguez of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 851/2–882
** García Sánchez I of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 931–970
** García Sánchez II of Pampl ...
de Pamplona, King of Navarre, the first son of his daughter
Cristina Rodríguez. To this day, El Cid remains a popular Spanish folk hero and national icon, with his life and deeds remembered in popular culture.
Etymology: ''Cid'' and ''Campeador''

Rodrigo Díaz was recognized with the honorary title of "Campeador" during his lifetime, as is evidenced by a document that he signed in 1098, which he signed in the Latinized expression, "Ego Rudericus Campidoctor" or "I Rodrigo Campeador." The title "Campeador" comes from the Latin "Campidoctor," literally meaning "Teacher of the Field" but can be translated as "Master of the Battlefield." Arabic sources from the late 11th century and early 12th century call him الكنبيطور (alkanbīṭūr), القنبيطور (alqanbīṭūr), and also Rudriq or Ludriq al-Kanbiyatur or al-Qanbiyatur, which are Arabized forms of Rodrigo Campidoctor.
The epithet of "El Cid" (), meant ''the lord'' probably from the original Arabic, ( ar, السَّيِّد, al-
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Prophets in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali ...
) and was a title given to other Christian leaders. It has been conjectured that Rodrigo Díaz received the honorific title and respectful treatment of contemporaries in Zaragoza because of his victories in the service of the King of the Taifa of Zaragoza between 1081 and 1086; however, he more likely received the epithet after his conquest of Valencia in 1094. This title appears for the first time, as "Meo Çidi," in the ''Poema de Almería'', composed between 1147 and 1149.
The combination of "Cid Campeador" is documented from 1195 in ''Linaje de Rodrigo Díaz'' (The Lineage of Rodrigo Díaz) in Navarro-Aragonese which form part of the ''Liber regum'' written as "mio Cit el Campiador"; and in ''El Cantar de mio Cid.''
Summary
Born a member of the minor nobility, El Cid was brought up at the court of
Ferdinand the Great
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
and served Ferdinand's son,
Sancho II of León and Castile
The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Eichler, Ernst; Hilty, Gerold; Löffler, Heinrich; Steger, Hugo; Zgusta, Ladislav: ''Namenforschung/Name Studies ...
. He rose to become the commander and royal standard-bearer (''armiger regis'') of
Castile
Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to:
Places Spain
*Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha
*Kingdom of ...
upon Sancho's ascension in 1065. El Cid went on to lead the Castilian military campaigns against Sancho's brothers,
Alfonso VI of León
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century ( Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula ...
and
García II of Galicia García II (1041/April 104322 March 1090), King of Galicia, was the youngest of the three sons and heirs of Ferdinand I, King of Castile and León, and Sancha of León, whose Leonese inheritance included the lands García would be given. Garcia ...
, as well as in the Muslim kingdoms in
al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the Mus ...
. He became renowned for his military prowess in these campaigns, which helped expand the territory of the Crown of Castile at the expense of the Muslims and Sancho's brothers' kingdoms. When conspirators murdered Sancho in 1072, El Cid found himself in a difficult situation. Since Sancho was childless, the throne passed to his brother Alfonso, whom El Cid had helped remove from power. Although El Cid continued to serve the sovereign, he lost his ranking in the new court, which treated him suspiciously and kept him at arm's length. Finally, in 1081, he was exiled.
El Cid found work fighting for the
Muslim rulers of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tribut ...
, whom he defended from its traditional enemy,
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to so ...
. While in exile, he regained his reputation as a strategist and formidable military leader. He was repeatedly victorious in battle against the
Muslim rulers of
Lérida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
and their Christian allies, as well as against a large Christian army under King
Sancho Ramírez
Sancho Ramírez ( 1042 – 4 June 1094) was King of Aragon from 1063 until 1094 and King of Pamplona from 1076 under the name of Sancho V ( eu, Antso V.a Ramirez). He was the eldest son of Ramiro I and Ermesinda of Bigorre. His father was the ...
of Aragon. In 1086, an expeditionary army of
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
n
Almoravids
The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...
inflicted a severe defeat to Castile, compelling Alfonso to overcome the resentment he harboured against El Cid. The terms for El Cid's return to Christian service must have been attractive enough since El Cid soon found himself fighting for his former lord. Over the next several years, however, El Cid set his sights on the kingdom-city of
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
, operating more or less independently of Alfonso, while politically supporting the
Banu Hud
The Banu Hud ( ar, بنو هود ', the Hudid dynasty) were an Arab dynasty that ruled the ' of Zaragoza from 1039 until 1110.
In 1039, under the leadership of Al-Mustain I, Sulayman ibn Hud al-Judhami, the Bani Hud seized control of Zaragoza f ...
and other Muslim dynasties opposed to the Almoravids. He gradually increased his control over Valencia; the Islamic ruler,
Yahya al-Qadir
Yahya ibn Ismail ibn Yahya, known by the regnal name al-Qadir bi-llah (died 28 October 1092) was the Dhulnunid ruler of the Taifa of Toledo in Spain between 1075 until the fall of Toledo 1085 and of the Taifa of Valencia from 1086 until his deat ...
, became his tributary in 1092. When the Almoravids instigated an uprising that resulted in the death of Al-Cádir, El Cid responded by laying siege to the city. Valencia finally fell in 1094, and El Cid established an independent principality on the Mediterranean coast of Iberia. He ruled over a
pluralistic society with the popular support of Christians and Muslims alike.
El Cid's final years were spent fighting the Almoravid
Berbers. He inflicted upon them their first major defeat in 1094, on the plains of Caurte, outside Valencia, and continued opposing them until his death. Although El Cid remained undefeated in Valencia, Diego Rodríguez, his only son and heir, died fighting against the Almoravids in the service of Alfonso in 1097. After El Cid's death in 1099, his wife,
Jimena Díaz
Doña Jimena Díaz (also spelled Ximena) (before July 1046–c.1116) was the wife of El Cid, whom she married between July 1074 and 12 May 1076, and her husband's successor as ruler of Valencia from 1099 to 1102. The spelling ''Jimena'' is a ...
, succeeded him as ruler of Valencia, but she was eventually forced to surrender the principality to the Almoravids in 1102.
Title

The name ''El Cid'' () is a modern Spanish denomination composed of the article ''el'' meaning "the" and ''Cid'', which derives from the Old Castilian loan word ''Çid'' borrowed from the dialectal Arabic word سيد ''
sîdi'' or
sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Prophets in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali ...
, which means "lord" or "master". The
Mozarabs
The Mozarabs ( es, mozárabes ; pt, moçárabes ; ca, mossàrabs ; from ar, مستعرب, musta‘rab, lit=Arabized) is a modern historical term for the Iberian Christians, including Christianized Iberian Jews, who lived under Muslim rule in A ...
or the Arabs that served in his ranks may have addressed him in this way, which the Christians may have transliterated and adopted. Historians, however, have not yet found contemporary records referring to Rodrigo as ''Cid.'' Arab sources use instead ''Rudriq'', ''Ludriq al-Kanbiyatur'' or ''al-Qanbiyatur'' (''Rodrigo el Campeador''). The cognomen ''Campeador'' derives from Latin ''campi doctor,'' which means "battlefield master". He probably gained it during the campaigns of
King Sancho II of Castile against his brothers, kings
Alfonso VI of León
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century ( Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula ...
and
García II of Galicia García II (1041/April 104322 March 1090), King of Galicia, was the youngest of the three sons and heirs of Ferdinand I, King of Castile and León, and Sancha of León, whose Leonese inheritance included the lands García would be given. Garcia ...
. While his contemporaries left no historical sources that would have addressed him as ''Cid'', they left plenty of Christian and Arab records, some even signed documents with his autograph, addressing him as ''Campeador'', which prove that he used the Christian cognomen himself.
[See Ramón Menéndez Pidal]
«Autógrafos inéditos del Cid y de Jimena en dos diplomas de 1098 y 1101»
''Revista de Filología Española'', t. 5 (1918), Madrid, Sucesores de Hernando, 1918. Digital copy Valladolid, Junta de Castilla y León. Consejería de Cultura y Turismo. Dirección General de Promociones e Instituciones Culturales, 2009–2010. Original in Archivo de la Catedral de Salamanca, caja 43, legajo 2, n.º 72. The whole combination ''Cid Campeador'' is first documented ca. 1195 in the
Navarro-Aragonese
Navarro-Aragonese is a Romance language once spoken in a large part of the Ebro River basin, south of the middle Pyrenees, although it is only currently spoken in a small portion of its original territory. The areas where it was spoken might have ...
' included in the ''
Liber Regum
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...
'' under the formula ''mio Cid el Campeador''.
Life and career
Origins
El Cid was born Rodrigo Díaz circa 1043 in
Vivar
Vivar, or Vivar del Cid, is a village of approximately 260 inhabitants,[Vivar del Cid](_blank)
vivardelcid.com, Retrieved 19 March 2018< ...
,
also known as Castillona de Bivar, a small town about ten kilometers (or six miles) north of
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
, the capital of
Castile
Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to:
Places Spain
*Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha
*Kingdom of ...
. His father, Diego Laínez, was a
courtier
A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...
,
bureaucrat
A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can compose the administration of any organization of any size, although the term usually connotes someone within an institution of government.
The term ''bureaucrat'' derives from "bureaucracy", ...
, and
cavalryman who had fought in several battles. Despite the fact that El Cid's mother's family was aristocratic, in later years the peasants would consider him one of their own. However, his relatives were not major court officials; documents show that El Cid's paternal grandfather, Laín, confirmed only five documents of
Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to:
People
* Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037)
* Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367)
* Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...
's; his maternal grandfather, Rodrigo Álvarez, certified only two of
Sancho II's; and El Cid's father confirmed only one.
Service under Sancho II
As a young man in 1057, Rodrigo fought against the Moorish stronghold of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tribut ...
, making its
emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
al-Muqtadir
Abu’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Ahmad al-Muʿtaḍid ( ar, أبو الفضل جعفر بن أحمد المعتضد) (895 – 31 October 932 AD), better known by his regnal name Al-Muqtadir bi-llāh ( ar, المقتدر بالله, "Mighty in God"), wa ...
a vassal of Sancho. In the spring of 1063, Rodrigo fought in the
Battle of Graus
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and forc ...
, where Ferdinand's half-brother,
Ramiro I of Aragon
Ramiro I (bef. 10078 May 1063) was the first King of Aragon from 1035 until his death, although he is sometimes described as a petty king. He would expand the nascent Kingdom of Aragon through his acquisition of territories, such as Sobrarbe a ...
, was laying siege to the Moorish town of Graus, which was fought on Zaragozan lands in the valley of the
river Cinca
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
. Al-Muqtadir, accompanied by Castilian troops including El Cid, fought against the Aragonese. The party slew Ramiro I, setting the Aragonese army on the run, and emerged victorious. One legend has said that during the conflict, El Cid killed an Aragonese knight in single combat, thereby receiving the honorific title "''Campeador''".
When Ferdinand died, Sancho continued to enlarge his territory, conquering both Christian strongholds and the
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
cities of
Zamora
Zamora may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions
Europe
Spain
* Zamora, Spain, a city in the autonomous community of Castilla y León
* Province of Zamora, a province in the autonomous community of Castilla y León
* Associated with the city and ...
and
Badajoz
Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populatio ...
. When Sancho learned that Alfonso was planning on overthrowing him in order to gain his territory, Sancho sent Cid to bring Alfonso back so that Sancho could speak to him.
Service under Alfonso VI

Sancho was assassinated in 1072, during a siege of his sisters town of Zamora, Since Sancho died unmarried and childless, all of his power passed to his brother Alfonso who, almost immediately, returned from exile in
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, O ...
and took his seat as king of Castile and León. He was, however, deeply suspected of having been involved in Sancho's murder. According to the 11th century epic poem ''
Cantar de mio Cid'', the Castilian nobility led by El Cid and a dozen "oath-helpers" forced Alfonso to
swear publicly on holy relics multiple times in front of
Santa Gadea (
Saint Agatha
Agatha of Sicily () is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred . She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the ...
) Church in
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
that he did not participate in the plot to kill his brother. This is not mentioned in the more reliable 12th century chronicle
Historia Roderici
The ''Historia Roderici'' ("History of Rodrigo"), originally ''Gesta Roderici Campi Docti'' ("Deeds of Rodrigo el Campeador") and sometimes in Spanish ''Crónica latina del Cid'' ("Latin Chronicle of the Cid"), is an anonymous Latin prose history ...
however. Rodrigo's position as ''armiger regis'' was taken away and given to Rodrigo's enemy, Count
García Ordóñez
García Ordóñez (died 29 May 1108), called de Nájera or de Cabra and Crispus or el Crespo de Grañón in the epic literature, was a Castilian magnate who ruled the Rioja, with his seat at Nájera, from 1080 until his death. He is famous in li ...
.
In 1079, Rodrigo was sent by Alfonso VI to
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...
to the court of
al-Mutamid
Abu’l-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Jaʿfar ( ar, أبو العباس أحمد بن جعفر; – 14 October 892), better known by his regnal name Al-Muʿtamid ʿalā ’llāh (, "Dependent on God"), was the Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 870 t ...
to collect the ''
parias
In medieval Spain, ''parias'' (from medieval Latin ''pariāre'', "to make equal n account, i.e. pay) were a form of tribute paid by the ''taifas'' of al-Andalus to the Christian kingdoms of the north. ''Parias'' dominated relations between the ...
'' owed by that ''
taifa
The ''taifas'' (singular ''taifa'', from ar, طائفة ''ṭā'ifa'', plural طوائف ''ṭawā'if'', a party, band or faction) were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), r ...
'' to León–Castile,
While he was there Granada, assisted by other Castilian knights, attacked Seville, and Rodrigo and his forces repulsed the Christian and Grenadine attackers at the
Battle of Cabra
The Battle of Cabra took place in 1079 in southern Iberia (now Spain) between two Islamic states, Granada and Seville. Each side was aided by Castilian knights under Alfonso VI. It resulted in a victory for El Cid (Rodrigo Díaz), who routed t ...
, in the (probably mistaken) belief that he was defending the king's tributary. During the aftermath of this battle the Muslim troops under Rodrigo's command would hail him as Sayyidi. Count García Ordóñez and the other Castilian leaders were taken captive and held for three days before being released.
Exile
In the
Battle of Cabra
The Battle of Cabra took place in 1079 in southern Iberia (now Spain) between two Islamic states, Granada and Seville. Each side was aided by Castilian knights under Alfonso VI. It resulted in a victory for El Cid (Rodrigo Díaz), who routed t ...
(1079), El Cid rallied his troops and turned the battle into a rout of Emir Abdullah of
Granada
Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...
and his ally García Ordóñez. This unauthorized expedition into Granada, however, greatly angered Alfonso and May 8, 1080 was the last time El Cid confirmed a document in King Alfonso's court. The most likely reason was El Cid's incursion into Toledo, which happened to be under the control of Alfonso’s vassal, Yahya Al-Qadir. Alfonso's anger over El Cid's unsanctioned incursion into his vassals territory would lead him to exile the knight.
This is the generally accepted reason for the exile of El Cid, although several others are plausible and indeed may have been contributing factors to the exile: jealous nobles turning Alfonso against El Cid through court intrigue, and Alfonso's own personal animosity towards El Cid. The song of El Cid and subsequent tales state that Alfonso’s and his courts animosity toward Rodrigo was the primary reason the knights expulsion from León. as well as a possible misappropriation of some of the tribute from Seville by El Cid.
At first he went to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
, where
Ramon Berenguer II
Ramon Berenguer II ''the Towhead'' or ''Cap de estopes'' (1053 or 1054 – December 5, 1082) was Count of Barcelona from 1076 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer I, Count of Barcelona, and Almodis de La Marche. The ''Chronicl ...
refused his offer of service.
Moorish service

The exile was not the end of El Cid, either physically or as an important figure. After being rejected by
Ramon Berenguer II
Ramon Berenguer II ''the Towhead'' or ''Cap de estopes'' (1053 or 1054 – December 5, 1082) was Count of Barcelona from 1076 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer I, Count of Barcelona, and Almodis de La Marche. The ''Chronicl ...
, El Cid journeyed to the
Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza () was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present day Spain), which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. Zaragoza's taifa emerged ...
, where he received a warmer welcome. In 1081, El Cid went on to offer his services to the
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
king of the northeast
al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the Mus ...
city of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tribut ...
,
Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud
Abu Amir Yusuf ibn Ahmad ibn Hud ( ar, أبو عامر يوسف إبن أحمد إبن هود, Abū ʿĀmir Yūsuf ibn Aḥmad ibn Hūd; died ), more commonly known as al-Mu'taman, was a mathematician, and also one of the kings of the Taifa of Za ...
, and served both him and his successor,
al-Musta'in II
Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn Yusuf ibn Hud ( ar, أبو جعفر أحمد بن يوسف بن هود), known by the regnal name al-Musta'in Billah ( ar, المستعين بالله, , He who looks for help to God), was the fourth member of the Banu Hud f ...
. He was given the title ''El Cid'' (''The Master'') and served as a leading figure in a diverse Moorish force consisting of
Muwallads,
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–1 ...
s,
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
s and
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...
ans within the respective Taifa.
According to Moorish accounts:
Andalusi The Arabic ''nisbah'' (attributive title) Al-Andalusi denotes an origin from Al-Andalus. Al-Andalusi may refer to:
* Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati
* Ibn Hazm
* Ibn Juzayy
Abu al-Qasim, Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah, Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi al ...
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the G ...
s found El Cid their foe ill, thirsty and exiled from the court of Alfonso
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
, he was presented before the elderly Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud
Abu Amir Yusuf ibn Ahmad ibn Hud ( ar, أبو عامر يوسف إبن أحمد إبن هود, Abū ʿĀmir Yūsuf ibn Aḥmad ibn Hūd; died ), more commonly known as al-Mu'taman, was a mathematician, and also one of the kings of the Taifa of Za ...
and accepted command of the forces of the Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza () was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present day Spain), which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. Zaragoza's taifa emerged ...
as their Master.
In his ''History of Medieval Spain'' (Cornell University Press, 1975), Joseph F. O'Callaghan writes:
That kingdom was divided between al-Mutamin (1081–1085) who ruled Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tribut ...
proper, and his brother al-Mundhir, who ruled Lérida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
and Tortosa
Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.
Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the h ...
. El Cid entered al-Mutamin's service and successfully defended Zaragoza against the assaults of al-Mundhir, Sancho I of Aragón
The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Eichler, Ernst; Hilty, Gerold; Löffler, Heinrich; Steger, Hugo; Zgusta, Ladislav: ''Namenforschung/Name Studies ...
, and Ramon Berenguer II, whom he held captive briefly in 1082.
In 1084, the army of the
Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza () was an independent Arab Muslim state in the east of Al-Andalus (present day Spain), which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. Zaragoza's taifa emerged ...
under El Cid defeated the
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to so ...
ese at the
Battle of Morella
The Battle of Morella (14 August 1084×88), southwest of Tortosa, was fought between Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragon and Navarre, and Yusuf al-Mu'tamin, King of Zaragoza, while the former was engaged in a campaign of conquest against the latte ...
near
Tortosa
Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.
Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the h ...
, but in autumn the Castilians started a loose siege of
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, O ...
and later the next year the Christians captured
Salamanca
Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Her ...
, a stronghold of the
Taifa of Toledo
The Taifa of Toledo () was an islamic polity (''taifa'') located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula in the high middle ages. It was ruled by the Dhulnunids, a Hawwara Berber clan. It emerged after 1018 upon the fracturing of the Caliphate of ...
.
In 1086, the
Almoravid
The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...
invasion of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, through and around
Gibraltar, began. The Almoravids, a
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–1 ...
dynasty from
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
, led by
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Yusuf ibn Tashfin, also Tashafin, Teshufin, ( ar, يوسف بن تاشفين ناصر الدين بن تالاكاكين الصنهاجي , Yūsuf ibn Tāshfīn Naṣr al-Dīn ibn Tālākakīn al-Ṣanhājī ; reigned c. 1061 – 1106) was l ...
, were asked to help defend the divided Moors from Alfonso. The Almoravid army, joined by that of several Taifas, including
Badajoz
Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populatio ...
,
Málaga,
Granada
Granada (,, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the c ...
,
Tortosa
Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.
Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the h ...
and
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...
, defeated a combined army of
León,
Aragón
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sout ...
and
Castile
Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to:
Places Spain
*Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha
*Kingdom of ...
at the
Battle of Sagrajas
The Battle of Sagrajas (23 October 1086), also called Zalaca or Zallaqa ( ar, معركة الزلاقة, translit=Maʿrakat az-Zallāqa), was a battle between the Almoravid army led by their King Yusuf ibn Tashfin and an army led by the C ...
.
In 1087,
Raymond of Burgundy
Raymond of Burgundy (c. 1070 – 24 May 1107) was the ruler of Galicia as vassal of Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the Emperor of All Spain, from about 1090 until his death. He was the fourth son of Count William I of Burgundy and Stephanie. H ...
and his Christian allies attempted to weaken the Taifa of Zaragoza's northernmost stronghold by initiating the
Siege of Tudela
The siege of Tudela was the main action of the French military campaign in Spain in 1087 in conjunction with Kings Alfonso VI of León and Castile and Sancho V of Navarre and Aragon. The arrival of a French army under Odo I, Duke of Burgundy, and ...
and Alfonso captured
Aledo, Murcia
Aledo is a municipality in the Region of Murcia, southern Spain.
It is home to a castle built during the early Middle Ages by the Moors, to command the Guadalentín valley. When the Taifa of Murcia was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile, it was a ...
, blocking the route between the Taifas in the eastern and western Iberian Peninsula.
Recall from exile

Terrified after his crushing defeat, Alfonso recalled El Cid, rewarding him lavishly with lands and lordships, such as the fortress of Gormaz. In the year 1087 Alfonso sent him to negotiate with the emboldened Taifa kingdoms.
El Cid returned to Alfonso, but now he had his own plans. He only stayed a short while and then returned to Zaragoza. El Cid was content to let the Almoravid armies and the armies of Alfonso fight without his help, even when there was a chance that the Almoravids might defeat Alfonso and take over all of Alfonso's lands. El Cid chose not to fight because he was hoping that both armies would weaken themselves.
Conquest of Valencia
Around this time, El Cid, with a combined Christian and Moorish army, began maneuvering in order to create his own fief in the Moorish
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...
coastal city of
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
. Several obstacles lay in his way. First was Berenguer Ramon II, who ruled nearby
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
. In May 1090, El Cid defeated and captured Berenguer in the Battle of Tébar (nowadays Pinar de Tévar, near
Monroyo
Monroyo () or Mont-roig de Tastavins () is a municipality located in the Matarraña/Matarranya comarca, province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calcula ...
,
Teruel
Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 35,675 in 2014 making it the least populated provincial capital in the country. It is noted for its harsh climate, with ...
). Berenguer was later released and his nephew Ramon Berenguer III married El Cid's youngest daughter Maria to ward against future conflicts.
Along the way to Valencia, El Cid also conquered other towns, many of which were near Valencia, such as
El Puig
El Puig (), officially El Puig de Santa Maria since 2012 (also known as El Puig d'Enesa or El Puig de Cebolla), is a village situated 15 km north of the city of Valencia in the comarca of Horta Nord, Spain. Its name means "hill" in Valencian) ...
and
Quart de Poblet
Quart de Poblet (, Spanish and unofficially: ''Cuart de Poblet'' or ''Cuarte'')Toponym in Castilian as the Spanish Royal Academy: ''Spelling of Spanish.'' Madrid: Espasa, 1999. ; "Appendix 3, pages 133–155. is a municipality in the ''comarca ...
.
El Cid gradually came to have more influence in Valencia, then ruled by
Yahya al-Qadir
Yahya ibn Ismail ibn Yahya, known by the regnal name al-Qadir bi-llah (died 28 October 1092) was the Dhulnunid ruler of the Taifa of Toledo in Spain between 1075 until the fall of Toledo 1085 and of the Taifa of Valencia from 1086 until his deat ...
, of the
Hawwara
Hawwara ( Berber: ''Ihuwwaren'', ), also spelled Huwwara, Howwara, Hewwara or Houara, is a large tribal confederation of Berbers and Arabized Berbers spread widely in the Maghreb, with descendants in Upper Egypt and Sudan. Hawwara are amongst ...
Berber
Dhulnunid dynasty The Dhulnunid dynasty or Dhunnunid dynasty, known in Arabic sources as 'Banū Dhī al-Nūn' ( ar, ﺑﻨﻮ ذي اﻟﻨﻭﻦ) was a Muslim Berber dynasty that reigned over the Taifa of Toledo in Al-Andalus in the 11th century.
According to ...
. In October 1092 an uprising occurred in Valencia, inspired by the city's chief judge Ibn Jahhaf and the Almoravids. El Cid began a siege of Valencia. A December 1093 attempt to break the siege failed. By the time the siege ended in May 1094, El Cid had carved out his own principality on the coast of the Mediterranean. Officially, El Cid ruled in the name of Alfonso; in reality, El Cid was fully independent. The city was both Christian and Muslim, and both Moors and Christians served in the army and as administrators.
Jerome of Périgord
Jerome of Périgord (died 30 June 1120), in Spanish Jerónimo, was a French monk who became the bishop of several dioceses in Spain. He was a companion of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ("El Cid"), and in 1097 or 1098 became the Rom ...
was made bishop.
Death

El Cid and his wife
Jimena Díaz
Doña Jimena Díaz (also spelled Ximena) (before July 1046–c.1116) was the wife of El Cid, whom she married between July 1074 and 12 May 1076, and her husband's successor as ruler of Valencia from 1099 to 1102. The spelling ''Jimena'' is a ...
lived peacefully in Valencia until the Almoravids besieged the city.
But he defeated them and 5 years later died on July 10, 1099.
Afterward Valencia was captured by
Mazdali on May 5, 1102. Jimena fled to Burgos, Castile, in 1101. She rode into the town with her retinue and the body of El Cid. Originally buried in Castile in the monastery of , his body now lies at the center of
Burgos Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos ( es, Santa Iglesia Basílica Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María de Burgos) is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spanish city of Burgos. Its official ...
.
Legend of posthumous victory
After his demise, but still during the siege of Valencia, legend holds that Jimena ordered that the corpse of El Cid be fitted with his armor and set on his horse, Babieca, to bolster the morale of his troops. In several variations of the story, the dead Rodrigo and his knights win a thundering charge against Valencia's besiegers, resulting in a war-is-lost-but-battle-is-won
catharsis
Catharsis (from Greek , , meaning "purification" or "cleansing" or "clarification") is the purification and purgation of emotions through dramatic art, or it may be any extreme emotional state that results in renewal and restoration. In its lite ...
for generations of Christian Spaniards to follow. It is believed that the legend originated shortly after Jimena entered Burgos, and that it is derived from the manner in which Jimena's procession rode into the city, i.e. alongside her deceased husband.
Warrior and general
Battle tactics
During his campaigns, El Cid often ordered that books by classic
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
authors on military themes be read aloud to him and his troops, for both entertainment and inspiration before battle. El Cid's army had a novel approach to planning strategy as well, holding what might be called "
brainstorming
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.
In other words, brainstorming is a situation where a group ...
" sessions before each battle to discuss tactics. They frequently used unexpected strategies, engaging in what modern generals would call
psychological warfare
Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations ( MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and ...
—waiting for the enemy to be paralyzed with terror and then attacking them suddenly; distracting the enemy with a small group of soldiers, etc. (El Cid used this distraction in capturing the town of Castejón as depicted in ''
Cantar de mio Cid'' (''The Song of my Cid'').) El Cid accepted or included suggestions from his troops. In ''The Song'' the man who served him as his closest adviser was his vassal and kinsman
Álvar Fáñez
Álvar Fáñez (or Háñez) (died 1114) was a Leonese nobleman and military leader under Alfonso VI of León and Castile, becoming the nearly independent ruler of Toledo under Queen Urraca. He became the subject of legend, being transformed by th ...
"''Minaya''" (meaning ''"My brother"'', a compound word of Spanish possessive ''Mi'' (My) and ''Anaia'', the basque word for ''brother''), although the historical Álvar Fáñez remained in Castile with Alfonso VI.
Babieca

Babieca, or Bavieca, was El Cid's
warhorse
The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot desig ...
. Several stories exist about El Cid and Babieca. One well-known legend about El Cid describes how he acquired the
stallion
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated).
Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...
. According to this story, Rodrigo's godfather, Pedro El Grande, was a monk at a
Carthusian
The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has ...
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
. Pedro's coming-of-age gift to El Cid was his pick of a horse from an Andalusian horse, Andalusian herd. El Cid picked a horse that his godfather thought was a weak, poor choice, causing the monk to exclaim "''Babieca!''" (stupid!). Hence, it became the name of El Cid's horse. Another legend states that in a competition of battle to become King Sancho's "Campeador", or champion, a knight on horseback wished to challenge El Cid. The King wished a fair fight and gave El Cid his finest horse, Babieca, or Bavieca. This version says Babieca was raised in the royal stables of Seville and was a highly trained and loyal war horse, not a foolish stallion. The name in this instance could suggest that the horse came from the Babia region in León (historical region), León, Spain. In the poem ''Carmen Campidoctoris'', Babieca appears as a gift from "a barbarian" to El Cid, so its name could also be derived from "Barbieca", or "horse of the barbarian".
Regardless, Babieca became a great warhorse, famous to the Christians, feared by El Cid's enemies, and loved by El Cid, who allegedly requested that Babieca be buried with him in the monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña.
Babieca is mentioned in several tales and historical documents about El Cid, including ''The Lay of El Cid''.
Swords
A weapon traditionally identified as El Cid's sword, Tizona, used to be displayed in the Army Museum (Museo del Ejército) in Toledo. In 1999, a small sample of the blade underwent metallurgical analysis which confirmed that the blade was made in Moorish Córdoba, Spain, Córdoba in the eleventh century and contained amounts of Damascus steel.
In 2007, the Autonomous Community of Castile and León bought the sword for €1.6 million,
and it is currently on display at the Museum of
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
.
El Cid also had a sword called Colada.
Wife and children
El Cid married
Jimena Díaz
Doña Jimena Díaz (also spelled Ximena) (before July 1046–c.1116) was the wife of El Cid, whom she married between July 1074 and 12 May 1076, and her husband's successor as ruler of Valencia from 1099 to 1102. The spelling ''Jimena'' is a ...
, who was said to be part of an aristocratic family from Asturias, in the mid-1070s. The ''
Historia Roderici
The ''Historia Roderici'' ("History of Rodrigo"), originally ''Gesta Roderici Campi Docti'' ("Deeds of Rodrigo el Campeador") and sometimes in Spanish ''Crónica latina del Cid'' ("Latin Chronicle of the Cid"), is an anonymous Latin prose history ...
'' calls her a daughter of a Count Diego Fernández de Oviedo. Tradition states that when El Cid first laid eyes on her, he was enamoured of her great beauty. El Cid and Jimena had two daughters, Cristina and María, and a son. The latter, Diego Rodríguez (Son of El Cid), Diego Rodríguez, was killed while fighting against the invading Muslim Almoravids from
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
at the Battle of Consuegra in 1097. El Cid's daughters
Cristina Rodríguez and María Rodríguez de Vivar, María both married into noble families. Cristina married Ramiro Sánchez, Lord of Monzón, Ramiro, Lord of Monzón and grandson of García Sánchez III of Navarre. Her own son, El Cid's grandson, would be elevated to the throne of Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre as King
García Ramírez
García or Garcia may refer to:
People
* García (surname)
* Kings of Pamplona/Navarre
** García Íñiguez of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 851/2–882
** García Sánchez I of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 931–970
** García Sánchez II of Pampl ...
. The other daughter, María Rodríguez de Vivar, María (also known as Sol), is said first to have married a prince of Aragon, presumably the son of Peter I of Aragon and Pamplona, Peter I, and she later wed Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer III, count of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
. Both the poem and the chronicle may state a previous marriage to the ; however, these marriages are not a historical fact and are an important element in the construction of the poem.
In literature, music, video games, and film
The figure of El Cid has been the source for many literary works, beginning with the ''
Cantar de mio Cid'', an epic poem from the 12th century which gives a partly-fictionalized account of his life, and was one of the early chivalric romances. This poem, along with similar later works such as the ''Mocedades de Rodrigo'', contributed to portray El Cid as a chivalric hero of the Reconquista,
making him a legendary figure in Spain. In the early 17th century, the Spanish writer Guillén de Castro y Bellvis, Guillén de Castro wrote a play called ''Las Mocedades del Cid'', on which French playwright Pierre Corneille based one of his most famous tragicomedies, ''Le Cid''.
He was also a popular source of inspiration for Spanish writers of the Romanticism, Romantic period, such as Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch, who wrote ''La Jura de Santa Gadea'', or José Zorrilla, who wrote a long poem called ''La Leyenda del Cid''. In 2019, Arturo Pérez-Reverte published the novel entitled ''Sidi: Un relato de frontera''.
Herman Melville references El Cid when introducing the character of Samoa in Chapter 21 of ''Mardi'' (1849): "He alighted about six paces from where we stood, and balancing his weapon, eyed us bravely as the Cid".
Georges Bizet worked on ''Don Rodrigue'' in 1873 that was set aside and never completed. Jules Massenet wrote an opera, ''Le Cid (opera), Le Cid'', in 1885, based on Corneille's play of the same name. Claude Debussy began work in 1890 on an opera, ''Rodrigue et Chimène'', which he abandoned as unsuitable for his temperament; it was orchestrated for performance by Edison Denisov circa 1993.
El Cid is portrayed by American actor Charlton Heston in a 1961 El Cid (film), epic film of the same name
directed by Anthony Mann, where the character of Doña Ximena is portrayed by Italian actress Sophia Loren.
In 2020, Amazon Prime Video premiered a El Cid (TV series), Spanish TV series with Jaime Lorente starring as ''El Cid''.
In 1979, Crack (band), Crack, one of the most prominent progressive rock bands from Spain, released their first and only album ''Si Todo Hiciera Crack'' including "Marchando una del Cid", a song based on the epic legend of El Cid.
In 1980, ''Ruy, the Little Cid'' was an anime, animated series based on El Cid's childhood made by Nippon Animation.
El Cid was described to inspire Ferny about his Spanish heritage in "The Legend of Raloo", episode 16 of season 1 of ''Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks'' in 2004.
In the second ''Age of Empires'' video game installment, ''Age of Empires II: The Conquerors, The Conquerors'' expansion pack, there is a campaign starring El Cid Campeador.
In both the first and second ''Medieval: Total War'' games, El Cid appears as a powerful independent general in the castle of Valencia.
In 2003, the Spanish animated film ''El Cid: The Legend'' was released.
''El ministerio del tiempo, The Ministry of Time'', a Spanish science fiction television series, portrayed El Cid in season 2, episode 1.
El Cid is a playable character in the Mobile/PC Game Rise of Kingdoms.
Gallery
File:Monumento al Cid (Burgos) 01.jpg, General view of the 1954 Juan Cristóbal González Quesada's statue of El Cid in Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...
File:Cid Campeador Buenos Aires.jpg, Another copy of Huntington's El Cid statue in Buenos Aires
File:Burgos - Arco de Santa Maria - El Cid.JPG, Statue of El Cid included in the 14th- to 15th-century "Santa María" gateway, Burgos
File:Cid.png, 1344 medieval Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature showing the decapitation of Count Lozano by El Cid
File:Burgos gigantones 1.jpg, Burgalese traditional representation (called "''Gigantones''") of El Cid that is taken to the streets during the town major festivity. Doña Jimena's representation is behind.
File:Burgos. El Solar del Cid.jpg, The terrain known as the "Solar del Cid", where his house was located. The monument was erected in 1784. Photo taken in Burgos, ca. 1865–1892.
File:Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar crop.jpg, El Cid depiction on the book ''Portraits of illustrious Spaniards'' (1791)
File:Camino del Cid Mecerreyes.jpg, In 2008, this El Cid statue made by Ángel Gil Cuevas was placed in Mecerreyes, at the path of the "Camino del Cid".
File:La Jura de Santa Gadea. Armando Menocal. 1889.JPG, Another version of the "Santa Gadea Oath", painted by Armando Menocal in 1889
File:El cofre del Cid.Catedral de Burgos (4952394218).jpg, El Cid's chest at Burgos Cathedral
File:El Cid portrait · HHWX54.svg, El Cid portrait from ''The Historians' History of the World''
File:El Cid-Med-Plaza Mayor (Salamanca).jpg, El Cid medallion (1733–34) at the Plaza Mayor, Salamanca
File:Vicents Cots Primera hazaña del Cid.jpeg, 1864 Juan Vicens Cots painting "''La Primera hazaña de El Cid''" depicts a young Rodrigo Díaz showing his father Diego Laínez the severed head of Count Lozano, the father of his future wife Jimena Díaz, Doña Jimena. Count Lozano had previously mocked and slapped elderly Diego Laínez.
See also
* Camino del Cid
* El Cid (TV series)
References
General and cited sources
Primary
*Kurtz, Barbara E
''El Cid''.University of Illinois.
*I. Michael. ''The Poem of El Cid''. Manchester: 1975.
*''The Song of El Cid.'' Translated by Burton Raffel. Penguin Classics, 2009.
''Cantar de mío Cid'' – Spanish(free PDF)
Poema de Mio Cid, Códice de Per Abbatin the European Library (third item on page)
*R. Selden Rose and Leonard Bacon (trans.) ''The Lay of El Cid.'' Semicentennial Publications of the University of California: 1868–1918. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997.
Romancero e historia del muy valeroso caballero El Cid Ruy Díaz de Vibar(1828)
Cronica del muy esforçado cavallero el Cid ruy diaz campeador(1533)
Secondary (not cited)
*Simon Barton and Richard Fletcher. ''The world of El Cid, Chronicles of the Spanish reconquest''. Manchester: University Press, 2000. hardback, paperback.
*Gonzalo Martínez Díez, "El Cid Histórico: Un Estudio Exhaustivo Sobre el Verdadero Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar"
Editorial Planeta(Spain, June 1999).
*C. Melville and A. Ubaydli (ed. and trans.), ''Christians and Moors in Spain, vol. III, Arabic sources (711–1501)''. (Warminster, 1992).
*
*Joseph F. O'Callaghan. ''A History of Medieval Spain.'' Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1975
*Peter Pierson. ''The History of Spain.'' Ed. John E. Findling and Frank W. Thacheray. Wesport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999. 34–36.
Bernard F. Reilly. ''The Kingdom of León-Castilla under King Alfonso VI, 1065–1109''Princeton, New Jersey: University Press, 1988.
Steven Thomas. ''711–1492: Al-Andalus and the Reconquista''.*M. J. Trow,''El Cid The Making of a Legend,'' Sutton Publishing Limited, 2007.
*Henry Edwards Watts. "The Story of El Cid (1026–1099)" in ''The Christian Recovery of Spain: The Story of Spain from the Moorish Conquest to the Fall of Granada (711–1492 AD)''. New York: Putnam, 1894. 71–91.
*T.Y. Henderson. "Conquests Of Valencia"
*J. I. Garcia Alonso, J. A. Martinez, A. J. Criado, "Origin of El Cid's sword revealed by ICP-MS metal analysis", Spectroscopy Europe, 11/4 (1999).
Further reading
* McNair, Alexander J
"El Cid, the Impaler?: Line 1254 of the Poem of the Cid."''Essays in Medieval Studies'', Volume 26, 2010, pp. 45–68
External links
Information about The Route of El Cid – English*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cid, El
El Cid,
1040s births
1099 deaths
11th-century Roman Catholics
11th-century people from the Kingdom of León
Burials in the Province of Burgos
Characters in epic poems
Christians of Al-Andalus
Heroes in mythology and legend
Medieval legends
Military history of Spain
People of the Reconquista
Spanish knights
Spanish Roman Catholics
Taifa of Valencia