El Cid
Cid, El , the popular name of Rodrigo (or Ruy) Díaz de Bivar (1040?–1099), a Spanish national hero. “Cid” comes from sayyid , Arabic for “lord.” The Spanish also called him El Cid Campeador (The Lord Champion). His exploits are described in a long epic poem of uncertain authorship, written about 1140. It pictures him as a mighty Christian warrior against the Moors, but actually he fought on both sides. Many ballads were written about the Cid. Guillén de Castro y Bellvis used some of these in a drama (1612 or 1613) that provided the basis for Le Cid (1636), a play by Pierre Corneille.
The Cid was born near Burgos. He won renown in the army of Sancho II of Castile in a war against Navarre. Sancho's grandson, Alfonso VI, banished the Cid about 1081, and for about 10 years he served the Moorish kings of Saragossa in campaigns against the Christians. With a mercenary army of Moors he captured Valencia in 1094, and ruled there until his death.