El Cid

Cid, El (Rodrigo Díaz de Bivar; 1040?–99), Spanish soldier and hero. His name comes from the Arabic El Sayyid, which means “the Lord.” El Cid led the forces of Sancho II of Castile and Alfonso VI of Leon until banishment by Alfonso (c.1081). He then fought for the Arab kings of Saragossa, capturing Valencia (1094), where he remained as ruler until his death. His romanticized exploits appear in literature, notably The Song of the Cid (c.1140) and Corneille's Le Cid (1636).