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Rodrigo (or Ruy) D铆az de Vivar (c.
1044–July 1099), nicknamed El Cid Campeador,
was a Kingdom of Castile|Castilian military and
political leader in medieval Spain. Born of the
minor nobility, El Cid was educated in the royal
Castilian court and became an important general
and administrator, fighting against the Moors in
the early Reconquista. Later exiled by Alfonso VI
of Castile|King Alfonso VI, El Cid left service in
Castile and worked as a mercenary-general for
other rulers, both Moor and Christian. Late in
life, El Cid captured the Mediterranean
Sea|Mediterranean coastal city of Valencia, ruling
it until his death in 1099. 

"El Cid Campeador" is a compound of two separate
sobriquets. The "El Cid" is derived from the word
al-sidi in the Andalusi Arabic Andalusian
dialect|dialect (from the Arabic language|Arabic
sayyid—"sir" or "lord," a title of respect)
while the title el campeador (the champion) was
granted by his Christian admirers. These titles
reflected the great esteem El Cid had among both
Moors and Christians, as well as his fighting
ability; Henry Edwards Watts wrote that el
campeador "means in Spanish something more special
than "champion" ... A campeador was a man who had
fought and beaten the select fighting-man of the
opposite side in the presence of the two armies." 

"El Cid" was pronounced /el tsi冒/ (International
Phonetic Alphabet|IPA) in medieval Castilian, but
/el θi冒/ in modern standard Spanish (the c
like the th in "thin" and the d like the th in
"then.")

==Early life==
The exact date of the El Cid's birth is unknown.
Based on his participation in 1063 at the Battle
of Graus, however, most historians believe that El
Cid was born between 1043 and 1045, in Vivar
(Bivar), a small town about six miles north of
Burgos, the capital of Castile. Historical records
show that El Cid's father was Diego La铆nez, who
was part minor nobility (infanzones) of Castile.
Diego La铆nez was a Noble court|courtier,
Bureaucracy|bureaucrat, and cavalryman who had
fought in several battles. Despite the fact in
later years the peasants would consider him one of
their own, El Cid's mother's family was
Aristocracy|aristocratic. However, his relatives
were not major court officials: documents show
that El Cid's paternal grandfather, Lain Nu帽ez,
only confirmed five documents of Ferdinand I of
Leon|Ferdinand I's; his maternal grandfather,
Rodrigo Alvarez, certified only two of Sancho II
of Castile|Sancho II's; the Cid's own father
confirmed only one. This seems to indicate that El
Cid's family was not comprised of major court
officials.

One well-known legend about the Cid describes how
he acquired his famous war-horse, the  white
stallion Babieca. According to this story,
Rodrigo's godfather, Pedro El Grande, was a monk
at a Carthusian monastery. Pedro's coming-of-age
gift to El Cid was his pick of a horse from an
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. Today, Babieca
appears in multiple works about the Cid.

El Cid was educated in the Castilian royal court,
serving the prince and future king Sancho II, the
son of Ferdinand I of Castile|King Ferdinand I
("the Great"). When Ferdinand died in 1065, he had
continued his father's goal of enlarging his
territory, conquering the Christian and the
Moorish cities of Zamora and Badajoz.

By this time, the Cid was a full adult. He had, in
1067, fought alongside Sancho against the Moorish
stronghold of Zaragoza (Saragossa), making its
emir al-Muqtadir (Zaragoza)|al-Muqtadir a vassal
of Sancho. In the spring of 1063, he fought in the
Battle of Graus, where Ferdinand's half-brother,
Ramiro I of Aragon, had laid siege to the Moorish
town of Graus which was in Zaragozan lands.
Al-Muqtadir fought against the Aragonese,
accompanied by a Castillian troops, which included
the Cid. The party would emerge victorious, Ramiro
I was killed, and the Aragonese fled the field.
One legend has said that during the conflict the
Cid killed an Aragonese knight in single combat,
giving him the honorific title of "El Cid
Campeador."

==Service under Sancho==

===Division of Ferdinand's lands=== 
Like his own father, Ferdinand had partitioned his
lands on his death (December 28, 1065) between his
children. His sons divided up most of the land:
Sancho II “the Strong” received
Castile and the tribute from Zaragoza; Alfonso VI
of Castile|Alfonso VI “the Brave”
received Le贸n and the tribute from Toledo; and
Garcia II of Gallaecia|Garc铆a received Galicia
(Spain)|Galicia and Portugal. His daughters,
Elvira and Urraca of Zamora|Urraca, received Tora
and Zamora respectively. Although Ferdinand had
made his children promise to live in peace with
one another, it was not to be.

===Early military victories=== 
As a resident of Castile, the Cid was now a vassal
of Sancho. Sancho believed that he, as the King's
eldest son, was entitled to inherit all of his
father's lands. Once he conquered Leon and
Galicia, he began making war on his brothers and
sisters.

At this time some say that the Cid, having proved
himself a loyal and brave knight against the
Aragonese, was appointed as the armiger regis, or
alferez (standard-bearer). This position entailed
commanding the armies of Castile.

===Victories over Alfonso and Sancho's death===
After defeating Alfonso at Llantada on the
Leonese-Castillian border in 1068 and Golpejera
over the Carri贸n River in 1072, Sancho forced his
brother to flee to his Moorish city of Toledo
under Al-Ma'mun. Toro, the city of Sancho's sister
Elvira, fell easily, and for a while it seemed as
though Sancho was unbeatable. But in a siege of
Zamora, Urraca's city, he was assassinated on
October 7, 1072.

==Service under Alfonso==
Much speculation abounds about Sancho's death.
Most say that the assassination was a result of a
pact between Alfonso and Urraca; some even say
they had an incestuous relationship. In any case,
since Sancho died unmarried and childless, all of
his power passed to his brother, Alfonso—the
very person he had fought against.

Almost immediately, Alfonso was recalled from
exile in Toledo and took his seat as king of Leon
and Castile. While he was deeply suspected in
Castile (probably correctly) for being involved in
Sancho's murder, a legend states that the
Castillian nobility, led by the Cid and a dozen
"oath-helpers," forced Alfonso to swear publicly
in front of St. Gadeas's Church in Burgos that he
did not participate in the plot to kill his
brother. This underscores the Cid's bravery, for
none of the other nobles would dare do this for
fear of offending their new king. This oath did
little in settling the Castillian suspicions, and
much animosity existed between Castile (and the
Cid) and Leon (and Alfonso). The Cid's position as
armiger regis was taken away as well; it was given
to the Cid's enemy, Count Garc铆a Ordu帽ez.  Later
in the year, Alfonso's younger brother, Garc铆a,
returned to Galicia under the false pretenses of a
conference, and he was imprisoned for 18 years
until his death.

===Battle tactics===
During his campaigns, the Cid often ordered that
books by classic Ancient Rome|Roman and Greek
literature|Greek authors on military themes be
read in loud voices to him and his troops, both
for entertainment and inspiration during battle.
El Cid's army had a novel approach to planning
strategy as well, holding what might be called
brainstorming sessions before each battle to
discuss tactics. They frequently used unexpected
strategies, engaging in what modern generals would
call psychological warfare; 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 had a humble
personality and frequently accepted or included
suggestions from his troops. He remained open to
input from his soldiers and to the possibility
that he himself was capable of error. The man who
served him as his closest adviser was his nephew,
Minaya Alvar F谩nez.

===Marriage and family life=== 
The Cid was married in July 1074 to Alfonso's
kinswoman Jimena de Gormaz (spelled Ximena in Old
Castillian), the daughter of the Count of Oviedo.
This was probably on Alfonso's suggestion, a move
that he probably hoped would improve relations
between him and the Cid. Together the Cid and
Ximena had three children. Their daughters,
Cristina and Mar铆a, both married high nobility;
Cristina, to Ramiro, lord of Monzon and bastard
descendant of kings of Navarre; Mar铆a, first to
infante of Aragon and second to Ram贸n Berenguer
III, Count of Barcelona|Ram贸n Berenguer III,
count of Barcelona. The Cid's son, Diego
Rodr铆guez, was killed while fighting against the
invading Muslim Almoravids from North Africa at
the Battle of Consuegra (1097). His own marriage
and that of his daughters increased his status by
connecting the Cid to royalty; even today, living
monarchs descend from El Cid, through the lines of
Navarre and Foix.

===Service as administrator=== 
He was a cultivated man, having served Alfonso as
a judge. He kept in life a personal archive with
copies of the letters he mailed and important
diplomas he signed as part of his cooperation in
the king's administration.

==Exile==
In the Battle of Cabra (1079), the Cid rallied his
troops and turned the battle into a rout of Emir
Abd Allah of Granada and his ally Garc铆a
Ord贸帽ez. However, the Cid's unauthorized
expedition into Granada greatly angered Alfonso,
and May 8, 1080, was the last time the Cid
confirmed a document in King Alfonso's court. This
is the generally given reason for the Cid's exile,
although several others are plausible and may have
been contributing factors: jealous nobles turning
Alfonso against the Cid, Alfonso's own animosity
towards the Cid, an accusation of pocketing some
of the tribute from Seville, and what one source
describes as the Cid's "penchant" towards
insulting powerful men.  

However, the exile was not the end of the Cid,
either physically or as an important figure. In
1081, the Cid, now a mercenary, offered his
services to the Moorish king of the northeast
Spanish city of Zaragosa, al-Mu'tamin, and served
both him and his successor, al-Mu'tamin II:

:At first he went to Barcelona where Ram贸n
Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona|Ram贸n Berenguer
II (1076-1082) and Berenguer Ram贸n II, Count of
Barcelona|Berenguer Ram贸n II (1076-1097), refused
his offer of service. Then he journeyed to
Zaragoza where he received a warmer welcome. That
kingdom was divided between al-Mutamin (1081-1085)
who ruled Zaragoza proper, and his brother
al-Mundhir, who ruled L茅rida and Tortosa. The Cid
entered al-Mutamin's service and successfully
defended Zaragoza against the assaults of
al-Mutamdhir, Sancho I of Arag贸n, and Ram贸n
Berenguer II, whom he held captive briefly in
1082. (O'Callaghan)

In 1086, the great Almoravid invasion of Spain
through and around Gibraltar began. The
Almoravids, Berber residents of present-day
Morocco and Algeria, led by Yusef I, also called
Yusef ibn Tushafin, were asked to help defend the
Moors from Alfonso. A great battle took place on
Friday, October 23, 1086, at Sagrajas (in Arabic,
Zallaqa). The Moorish Andalusians, including the
armies of Badajoz, M谩laga, Granada, and
Sevilla|Seville, defeating a combined army of
Le贸n, Arag贸n, and Castile:

:The Andalusians encamped separately from
the Murabitun. The Christian vanguard (Alvar
Fa帽ez) surprised the Andalusian camp before dawn;
the men of Seville (Al-Mutamid) held firm but the
remaining Andalusians were chased off by the
Aragonese cavalry. The Christian main body then
attacked the Murabitun, but were held in check by
the Lamtuma, and then withdrew to their own camp
in response to an outflanking move by ibn
Tashufin. The Aragonese returned to the field,
didn't like what they saw, and started a
withdrawal that became a rout. The Andalusians
rallied, and the Muslims drove Alfonso to a small
hill. Alfonso and 500 knights escaped in the night
to Toledo. (Thomas)

Terrified after his crushing defeat, Alfonso
recalled the best Christian general from exile
– the Cid. It has been shown that the Cid
was at court on July 1087. However, what happened
after that is unclear.

==Conquest of Valencia== 
Around this time, the Cid, with a combined
Christian and Moorish army, began maneuvering in
order to create his own fiefdom in the Moorish
Mediterranean coastal city of Valencia. Several
obstacles lay in his way. First was Ram贸n
Berenguer II, who ruled nearby Barcelona. In May
1090, the Cid defeated and captured Berenguer in
the Battle of T茅bar. Berenguer was later ransomed
and his son, Ram贸n Berenguer III, married the
Cid's youngest daughter Maria to ward against
future conflicts. 
The Cid gradually came to have more influence on
Valencia, then ruled by al-Qadir. In October 1092
an uprising occurred in Valencia inspired by the
city's chief judge, Ibn Jahhaf, and the
Almoravids. The Cid began a siege of Valencia. The
siege lasted several years; in December 1093 an
attempt to break it failed. In May 1094, the siege
ended, and the Cid had carved out his own kingdom
on the coast of the Mediterranean.
Officially the Cid ruled in the name of Alfonso;
in reality, the Cid was fully independent. The
city was both Christian and Muslim, and both Moors
and Christians served in the army and as
administrators. In 1096, Valencia's nine mosques
were "Christianized"; J茅r么me, a France|French
bishop, was appointed archbishop of the city.

On July 10, 1099, the Cid passed away in his home.
Though his wife Jimena would continue to rule for
two more years, an Almoravid siege forced Jimena
to seek help from Alfonso. They could not hold the
city but both managed to escape. Alfonso ordered
the city burned to prevent it from falling into
the hands of the Moors. Valencia was captured by
Masdali on May 5, 1109 and would not become a
Christian city again  for over 125 years. Jimena
fled to Burgos with the Cid's body. Originally
buried in Castile in the monastery of San Pedro de
Carde帽a, his body now lies at the center of the
impressive cathedral of Burgos.

==Tizona==
El Cid's sword "Tizona" can still be seen in the
Army Museum (Museo del Ej茅rcito) in Madrid. Soon
after his death it became one of the most precious
possessions of the Castilian royal family. In
1999, a small sample of the blade was subjected to
metallurgical analysis which partially confirmed
its provenance as probably having been made in
Moorish C贸rdoba, Spain|Cordoba in the eleventh
century, although the report does not specify
whether the larger-scale composition of the blade
identifies it as Damascus steel.



==El Cid in literature, film and other media==
Literally dozens of works were written about the
Cid, which include Le Cid by French playwright
Pierre Corneille in 1636; and the three-part
Spanish cantar de gesta epic Cantar de Mio Cid,
also called The Lay of the Cid, The Song of the
Cid, or El Poema del Cid.

There have been modern-day films about the Cid,
such as El Cid (movie)|El Cid (1961, starring
Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren) and El Cid (La
Leyenda) (2003, animated).

Castile 1230, the first of a series of Historical
Barrel Games, takes you back 770 years to Old
Spain where most of the popular games were played
on the tops of Barrels.  El Cid is a featured key
player in Level 3 of the game.  Unlike Chess whose
1997 World Champion was dethroned by IBM's
computer, to date, no computer has yet beaten
Castile 1230.

Computer roleplaying game|Computer games in the
Final Fantasy series traditionally feature a
character named "Cid", though he is usually an
engineer and bears little resemblance to the
historical figure.

Age of Empires II: The Conquerors has a campaign
featuring El Cid as a playable character. 

==El Cid as a symbol==
Joaqu铆n Costa, a regenerationism|Regenerationist
intellectual of the 19th century asked for "seven
keys for the tomb of El Cid".
Spain had to leave behind its imperial legacy and
rebuild itself as a modern country.
http://www.southernnationalist.org/elcid.htm Many
today still use the legacy of El Cid as
inspiration.

==Bibliography== 

* http://newadvent.org/cathen/03769a.htm "El Cid."
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
* http://www.bartleby.com/65/ci/Cid.html "Cid
Campeador." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New
York: Columbia University Press, 2001.
* http://www.bartleby.com/65/fe/Ferdi1Sp.html
"Ferdinand I, Spanish king of Castile and Le贸n."
The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York:
Columbia University Press, 2004.
* http://www.bartleby.com/65/ra/Ramiro1.html
"Ramiro I." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New
York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
* http://www.bartleby.com/65/sa/Sancho2-Nav.html
"Sancho III, king of Castile." The Columbia
Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia
University Press, 2004.
* http://www.bartleby.com/65/sa/Sancho3-Nav.html
"Sancho III, king of Navarre." The Columbia
Encyclopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia
University Press, 2004.
*  Simon Barton and Richard Fletcher. The world of
El Cid, Chronicles of the Spanish reconquest.
Manchester: University Press, 2000. ISBN
0-71905225-4 hardback, ISBN 0-71905226-2
paperback.
* Gonzalo Mart铆nez D铆ez, "El Cid Hist贸rico: Un
Estudio Exhaustivo Sobre el Verdadero Rodrigo
D铆az de Vivar," http://www.editorial.planeta.es
Editorial Planeta (Spain, June 1999). ISBN
84-08-03161-9
*  Richard Fletcher. "The Quest for El Cid". ISBN
0195069552 
* Kurtz, Barbara E.
http://lilt.ilstu.edu/bekurtz/elcid.htm El Cid.
University of Illinois.
* I. Michael. The Poem of the Cid. Manchester:
1975.
* C. Melville and A. Ubaydli (ed. and trans.),
Christians and Moors in Spain, vol. III, Arabic
sources (711-1501). (Warminster, 1992).
*
http://kuhttp.cc.ukans.edu/kansas/medieval/108/lec
tures/cid-info.html Nelson, Prof. Lynn Harry.
"Thoughts on Reading El Cid.".
* 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.
http://www.questia.com/ Questia Online Library
* http://libro.uca.edu/alfonso6/ Bernard F.
Reilly. The Kingdom of Le贸n-Castilla under King
Alfonso VI, 1065-1109 Princeton, New Jersey: 
University Press, 1988.
* http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Cid R. Selden
Rose and Leonard Bacon (trans.) The Lay of the
Cid. Semicentennial Publications of the University
of California: 1868-1918. Berkeley, CA: University
of California Press, 1997. 
* http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/0711/index.htm
Steven Thomas. 711-1492: Al-Andalus and the
Reconquista.
* Henry Edwards Watts. “The Story of the Cid
(1026-1099).” in The Christian Recovery of
Spain: The Story of Spain from the Moorish
Conquest to the Fall of Grenada (711-1492 AD). New
York: Putnam, 1894. 71-91. http://www.questia.com/
Questia Online Library