El+Cid

**El Cid Campeador **


El Cid Campeador was a Spanish medieval warrior who was best known for capturing and ruling Valencia. El Cid was born by the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar in Vivar, Spain, 1043. When his father died, he went to live in Prince Sancho's castle in Castile, Spain. When Sancho became king, Cid was promoted to a higher court position, and Cid later defeated a Navarrese knight in honor of Castile. In 1067, Cid and Sancho took over Saragossa, Spain. After being a main figure in the siege, Cid earned his famous nickname, "El Cid", or "El Cid Campeador", meaning "The Lord" or "The Lord Champion".

Later, King Sancho was murdered, and his brother Alfonso became king. El Cid stayed in the royal service and married the king's niece Jimena in 1074. After defeating other neighboring kingdoms, Cid's court position began to be questioned. He had made a few blunders that would eventually lead to his exile from Castile. He was believed to be getting too popular and powerful, and that worried the ki ng. Cid was exiled from Castile in 1081. Eventually, though, Cid conquered the kingdom of Valencia, and became their ruler. Today, El Cid remains a beacon of hope during political adversity, because of his help and guidance to Spain.

Works Cited
 * “The Cid.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. N.p.: Gale, 1998. N. pag. Biography Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
 * “File: Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar.jpg.” Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundations, 18 June 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. .
 * “Rodrigo DIaz De Vivar.” Historic World Leaders. N.p.: Gale, 1994. N. pag. Biography Resource Center. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.