Cid, the

Cid, the

 Spanish El Cid orig. Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar

(born c. 1043, Vivar, near Burgos, Castile—died July 10, 1099, Valencia) Castilian military leader and national hero. His popular name, El Cid (from Spanish Arabic al-sid, “lord”), dates from his lifetime. Brought up at the court of Ferdinand I, the Cid served the king's eldest son, Sancho II, in his campaign to gain control of León. On Sancho's death he shifted to the service of Alfonso VI, whom he had formerly opposed. His unauthorized raid on the Moorish kingdom of Toledo (1081) prompted Alfonso to send him into exile. He then entered the service of the Muslim rulers of Zaragoza, becoming known as a general who was never defeated in battle. Alfonso tried unsuccessfully to win him back during the Almoravid invasion of Spain. The Cid maneuvered to gain control of the Moorish kingdom of Valencia, finally succeeding in 1094. He was speedily elevated to the status of national hero, and his exploits were celebrated in a heroic biography and a famous 12th-century epic poem.