Stellar Reading Medieval Times

Chapter 7

THE WILLS OF WAR

ave you wondered why war was such a constant

H part of life during El Cid’s time? Although

most modern Americans consider war a horror
to be avoided whenever possible, the view of war in the
Middle Ages was very different.
A belief developed, put forth in the medieval cleric
St. Augustine’s book On the City of God, that war could
be just—a way of ridding the world of sin—and that
those who fought in a just war were only doing God’s
work. St. Augustine stated, “Just wars avenge injuries.”
But what exactly made a war just? Thomas
Aquinas, the 13th-century authority on theology, present-
ed the definition of a just war as follows:
• The war must be to right a wrong.
• The war must be winnable (fighting hopelessly
was not justified).
• The suffering caused by the war must be less than the suffering caused by allowing to remain
whatever evil you are trying to correct.
This last criterion was often used to justify assassination. In the Middle Ages, the king was the
state; if you cut off his head, the evil he had perpetrated died with him. St. Augustine also stated that
you can only fight in a war if you are an injured party or if you are fighting to right an injustice. It is
easy to see how these beliefs fit conveniently into the code of chivalry.
The idea of the just war derived from the theory of “natural law.” According to St Thomas, the
natural law is “nothing less than the rational creature’s participation in the eternal law.” In other words,
people are born with a sense of conscience that derives from God. This sense of conscience is univer-
sal and applies to everyone. Because moral laws come from God, they are the same for all men. Right
and wrong, as decreed by God, are absolute. To medieval Christians this meant that anyone who did
not follow the Christian religion was in a state of sin, and so a war against them to rectify this sinful
state was a just war.
This was the rational for the Crusades in the Holy Land. Crusaders believed that it was very
wrong for the Muslims to have control of holy Christian places such as Jerusalem, and so it was up to
the Christian armies to right this wrong. Even though one of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou
shalt not kill,” the taking of a human life in the name of justice, or to right a wrong, was not considered
a sin; in fact, it was considered a moral obligation.
The Muslim armies had a similar version of the “just war” called a “jihad.” A jihad is a holy war
waged against the enemies of Islam. Those men killed fighting in a jihad are, according to Muslim
belief, guaranteed a place in heaven.
By the time El Cid was fighting in Spain, warfare consisted of two basic factors: the heavily
armed professional soldier such as Rodrigo and the fortified city such as Valencia. The mounted sol-
dier armed with armor, sword, and lance, had become the undisputed champion of the battlefield, able
to annihilate the enemy before him in one mighty charge.
But knights were expensive to maintain, and few kings could afford more than a small standing
army. So many knights became mercenaries, selling their swords to the highest bidder. The real El 75
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Cid was a mercenary for al-Mutamin for many years. The problem with mercenary knights was that
when they were not working for a specific king or city, they had no income, so they roamed the coun-
tryside stealing and pillaging. This practice became rampant and gave rise to the second factor of war-
fare, the fortified city.
Initially, fortified strongholds were very primitive, sometimes no more than a mound of dirt
with a moat and tower, but as raids became more aggressive and widespread, the strongholds became
cities. By the height of the Middle Ages, Europe was dotted with fortified cities. Few people of the
time lived more than a 15–20-minute walk from a fortified place of refuge. Most places, including
abbeys, churches, castles, and towns, had fortifications of some kind. For example, just south of the
forest of Fontainbleau in France, within an area of 630 square miles, there were twelve forts, 28 forti-
fied churches, five towers and four fortified places—or roughly one place of refuge every 11 square
miles.
There were only two ways to take a fortified city:
by storm or siege. The storm was quicker but much more
expensive in terms of loss of lives for the attacking army.
The much more popular approach was the siege. A siege
consisted of one army confining another inside its fortifi-
cations and starving the people out. This took time and a
large source of supplies for the attacking army. El Cid
besieges Valencia for 9 long months. He commands a
force of 4000 men and half as many horses. That requires
a lot of food and fodder. Fortunately for the Cid’s army,
they are camped near the Huerta, a very fertile land, and
even though they burn the plantations around Valencia,
they make frequent raids into the Huerta, gathering food
from al-Hayib’s (al-Mutamin’s brother’s) lands.
The best method of taking a besieged city was to use
strategic tactics, such as negotiation, or trickery, such as
that used at Alcocer. If those attempts failed, then the
attacking army was in for a long, expensive, miserable
wait. The besieging army had to camp outside the city walls, blocking all entrances and exits, and fire
away at its defenses. Moats and ditches could be filled in with bundles of wood or earth; walls could
be smashed with battering rams, undermined by tunnels, or bombarded by great catapult stones. The
defenders could be shot off the walls with arrows, burned out, or starved, but if a rescuing army rode
up in time, the whole siege would have been in vain, and the attacking army would be out a fortune in
expenses, with nothing to show for its efforts.
El Cid and al-Mutamin use a variety of tactics. They give the people of Valencia nine months to
surrender, which their caliph, al-Quadir, refuses to do. When the time has expired, the people inside
the city are weak and many of them have died of starvation. El Cid and his army wheel the siege tow-
ers, called “belfries,” into place and fire with a weapon al-Quadir cannot fight against. The people of
Valencia rise up against their leaders, and open the gates to the Cid’s army.
The legendary El Cid was the ideal knight, skilled in battle of all kinds and able to use his wits to
win a city, sparing the lives of those who fought on both sides.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Can there ever really be a just war? Why or why not? Cite examples from history of wars that
you consider just or unjust? Does the American Revolution fit the definition of a just war? How
about World War II? Or America’s war against Iraq?

2. How do various countries today use the idea of a just war to attack countries that they oppose?
Do you think that the siege of Valencia is a just war? Why or why not?

3. How did the idea of the just war fit the beliefs of the code of chivalry?

4. Do you think that some wars are necessary? Why or why not? What, in your opinion, would
make a war necessary?

5. How did differing religious beliefs cause many wars? Do you think that if all people had
belonged to one religion the warfare would have stopped? Why or why not?

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El Cid: Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: ZARAGOZA AND

VALENCIA
odrigo told me many times how amazed he

R was to see Gimena at that moment after

eight long years apart. It turned the despair
of his banishment into sudden joy. He had never
thought to see her again, much less that she would
come to love him once more. Gimena had heard
through the gossip of the court what had happened to
Rodrigo. Once she realized that he had lost every-
thing that he had gained from her father’s death: his
reputation, his lands, and the king’s favor, she felt the
love stir within her heart once more. She, more than
most, understood what it meant to be alone and with-
out a friend, so she determined that though others
may desert him, she would not. After the wide chasm
of the years had separated them, she once more con-
sented to be his wife. And so it was that they enjoyed
a brief time of happiness.

As Rodrigo went to meet Gimena, he realized that her face

was as fair as ever, but sorrow had deepened its beauty. They sat
for a moment at the shrine in silence; it was as though the years
between had faded and they were young again in Prince Sancho’s
court.
Babieca nosed Rodrigo in a friendly greeting, and he stroked
her fine white coat.
“Can you forgive me, Rodrigo?” asked Gimena.
“Shh,” whispered Rodrigo. “There is nothing to forgive. We
both did what honor called us to do; we could not have done other-
wise and remained the people that we are.”
“I love you, Rodrigo,” said Gimena simply, as she clasped
Rodrigo’s hand, and a silent tear slid down her cheek. “And if you
will still have me, I will be your wife.”
Rodrigo stood and looked back at Gimena sadly. “Ah,
Gimena, if you only knew how often I dreamed that you would one
day say those words to me, but now I have nothing to offer you. No
home, no lands, no friends—and all are forbidden to give me aid.
What kind of a life would that be for you?”
“Rodrigo, you are a fool if you cannot see that marriage to you would make me the happiest of
women no matter the circumstances. I feel nothing but relief and joy that I am finally free to love you
again. I will ride by your side wherever you go. The world is ours, Rodrigo. We are free to go and do
as we will for the first time in our lives. I cannot imagine a better life than that.”
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“Then we will be married at the first church we find.” Then Rodrigo

held Gimena tightly in his arms and kissed her softly.
Just then, a young girl about nine years old came along the road carry-
ing a basket. Rodrigo and Gimena smiled at her as she squinted up at them,
her hand shading her eyes from the sun. “Are you the one they call El Cid?”
she asked.
“I am,” answered Rodrigo.
“Then I am sorry to tell you, commander, that this is not a fortunate
hour for you.” She frowned and looked very serious as she added, “The
king has forbidden us to receive you. His letter came last night, with harsh
conditions and heavy seals. We could not possibly dare to open the door to
you or bid you to come in. If we did, we should lose our money and our
houses, and even the sight of our eyes.”
Rodrigo’s joy grew cold at her words, and he looked at the ground, not knowing what to do.
Suddenly the little girl laughed and then, smiling warmly, said, “Do not be downhearted, noble
knight. We cannot give you aid, but there is one who can. Do you know a priest who is also a soldier?”
“Father Jeronimo?”
“Yes, that’s his name. He sent me to find you and the lady and tell you that he will wait for you
at the church of Santa Maria just across the river Arlazon. There, so he told me, he waits to marry you
to this fine lady. But you would not be safe in those clothes.” Then she opened her basket and took out
simple peasant clothes, which Gimena and Rodrigo gladly exchanged for their own.
Rodrigo and Gimena hurriedly galloped across the river, and, dismounting, they tied their horses
down the path from the church and went to find Father Jeronimo.
The church was an old country building with a simple cross over the doorway. It was dimly lit
inside, and when Rodrigo and Gimena walked slowly up the aisle between the rough-hewn benches,
they saw the kneeling figures of two peasants. At the front of the church, they saw the priest with his
back turned to them, lighting the candles for evening Vespers.
As the priest turned around and saw the couple coming
toward him, his face split into a broad smile. “Well, look who
has come to hear me say mass in this humble church.”
Suddenly, the kneeling peasants rose and threw off their
robes. There were Rodrigo’s old friends, Don Fernando
Ordonez and his one-time knight-at-arms, Alberto, who had been
disgraced the day of the tournament so many years ago.
The four fellow knights clasped hands and greeted each
other eagerly. “What has brought you here, my friends?” asked
Rodrigo, mystified. “How could you know to meet me here
when I didn’t know that I was coming myself?”
“It was our friend, Father Jeronimo, who set the plan in
motion,” said Fernando. “As soon as he heard that Gimena had
departed with Babieca, he guessed the rest and knew that you
two would have need of a priest.”
“But how did you two know to come?” asked Rodrigo.
“They were the only two of all King Sancho’s men who had the courage to come,” said the priest.
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Rodrigo felt a lump of gratitude form in his throat as he looked at his friends, who had risked so
much for him. “Thank you,” he said gruffly.
And so, Gimena and Rodrigo were married at last, without pomp and ceremony, without dowry
or prospects, but with much love.

When I heard of the Cid’s banishment

in Zaragoza, I swiftly sent a messenger to
find him and invite him to my court. My
father had died suddenly the year before; all
my medicine could not save him. Now, I, al-
Mutamin, was the caliph of Zaragoza. I had
need of a soldier of Rodrigo’s skill and
courage, for it was clear that a war was
brewing with the Christian kingdom of
Aragon, our common enemy, again, and on
the east I was being pressed by my younger
brother, Mundhir al-Hayib, who was never
satisfied with the lands he possessed and was
always striving to conquer more of mine.
Once Rodrigo arrived at my court,
word spread throughout all Spain, and soon
knights from all over the realm came to join
him there. One particular morning I remem-
ber well, when the first large force of several
hundred men had gathered outside the walls
of my city, the Cid rode out to meet them.
He shouted out, his voice carrying over the crowd, “I am in exile. I cannot be your captain any more.”
“Without you, Rodrigo, we are all in exile,” called out Alvar Fanez, who had been with Rodrigo
at Alcocer and had been one of his lieutenants in King Sancho’s service.
“ But if you stay with me, you will lose your houses and your lands. What will become of your
families?”
“And what will become of Castile without you? Our families will have no lands without you
defending our borders. As long as you have an army, the Moors and Aragon will consider carefully
before they attack. Every man here has already made his decision: We want you to lead us.”
Rodrigo choked back his emotions and smiled at the men assembled before him. “I pray God that
I may be able to reward you for your loyalty before I die, you who have left homes and lands for my
sake. What you lose I hope to one day repay you.”
Over the next few months, Rodrigo’s army quickly increased to three thousand men, as every day
new soldiers came to join him. We fought many battles together, but before such a trained force, the
army of Aragon soon withdrew, and my brother eventually made offerings of peace. My spies told me,
however, that he was forming a secret alliance with al-Quadir of Valencia and that I had to keep an
ever vigilant eye upon him.
Rodrigo was always a loyal subject to King Alfonso, even though the king had banished him.
Every time we won a victory, when it came to dividing the spoils taken in battle, Rodrigo would set
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aside the best part of his share and send it as a tribute to King Alfonso. After our first decisive battle
with Aragon, he sent King Alfonso three hundred fine Andalusian horses. He was such a noble sub-
ject; if only he had had a noble king. I was able to set Rodrigo’s mind at rest on one point, however.
When he told me how King Sancho had died and how he had killed the Green Knight responsible, I
told him of the meeting I had had with ben Yusuf at Valencia and the Christian knight I had met there.
We concluded that it was the same man, Vellido Dolphus, and that ben Yusuf had been the main force
behind King Sancho’s assassination and not King Alfonso. Rodrigo was deeply ashamed that he had
made the king swear his innocence and felt that he had been justly banished, but I was not so sure.
True, ben Yusuf had set the plan in motion, but that did not mean that Vellido had not been sent by
Alfonso to Valencia to do his bidding.
For twelve years we had peace, but it was a restless peace. Ben Yusuf had spent several years
amassing the greatest army ever seen in Africa, but we had been spared for a while, as he was
embroiled in a battle with the caliph of the Atlas Mountains in Africa. Eventually, though, he landed a
large force at Granada and made his way up the coast to Valencia, conquering city after city.
In those few precious years of peace, however, Rodrigo and Gimena knew the only happiness they
would know as man and wife. Two daughters were born in that time, and they grew and played with my
children. Christian and Muslim grew together as one force, united under the command of one man, El Cid.
One night, as we sat together playing chess after dinner, I
remember looking out at our children playing together, and I thought
that this should be the future of Spain, when children of all colors
and religions would learn to play together, and their fathers would
not teach them to hate each other.
Rodrigo seemed to sense my thoughts, for as he too gazed at
the scene, he asked, “How can anyone say this is wrong?”
“Ah, my friend,” I said, “but they will say so, on both sides—
especially when al-Quadir summons me to Valencia to make good
on my father’s pledge to send him military aid, and I refuse to send
it. I am informed that this summons will come soon.”
“Then you have made up your mind? You will not join al-
Quadir?”
“Never. He is a bad prince who treats his people cruelly, but
it is ben Yusuf that I most despise. If he and the Almoravides take
over the caliphate states, all Spain will suffer. He is a tyrant, and, like all tyrants, he will force all men
to swear to his beliefs or be put to death. That is not the future I want for my children or for yours.
The time is soon coming when Christians and Moors will be called to renew their fight.”
“But we have so much to give to each other. If only we could learn to live in peace, as we have
here at Zaragoza.”
“Yes, if only, and so I plan to show my fellow Muslims the way, and you must help me. I will
not fight with al-Quadir. I will fight with you and your Christian army against the barbarian ben Yusuf.
But you must do one thing for me, Rodrigo. You must take command of our combined army.”
“My Lord, I cannot do that. You are the caliph and I am your soldier. How could I command
you?”
“My friend, we are more likely to gain Christian allies than Muslim. If I were to command, we
could hope for no more help from Christians or Muslims. Christian knights would not allow a Muslim
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to command them, and the Muslims will be angry that I have not fulfilled my father’s pledge to fight
with al-Quadir. No, my friend, I have thought about this many days and nights, and I know that you
must lead us. If we are not destroyed, we can show Spain a new way to live. Perhaps more Muslim
and Christian states will unite together as we have to fight the Almoravides.”
“Yes,” smiled Rodrigo. “Once we take Valencia, just let ben Yusuf try to conquer Spain. Even if
his forces outnumber ours, he will surely fail.”
And so began our last battle together, the Cid and I. The summons from al-Quadir came within
the week. I refused to honor my father’s pledge, but my brother agreed to join him, reinforcing his
numbers within Valencia’s walls.
Rodrigo left to escort Gimena and his daughters to the palace at Calahorra, Princess Uracca’s
city. He believed that they would be safe there and beyond King Alfonso’s vengeful grasp. The
princess had been so kind to him in his time of recovery that he felt sure she would grant his family
protection now, when they needed it most. What he did not know about was the hatred and jealousy
that the princess felt for Gimena during the long bitter years that she had loved him. Now, she espe-
cially envied Gimena her happy marriage and her two beautiful daughters. And so, as Rodrigo believed
he was sending his family to safety, he was, in reality, delivering them into peril.
Rodrigo escorted his family to the border of Castile. He could not risk crossing the river Jalon
into the territory from which he had been banished, for if he were arrested now, his army would be
leaderless at Valencia, and so he entrusted their care to Fernando Ordonez, who was to lead them to
Calahorra.
As Rodrigo held his wife for what they both knew might be the
last time, he could not find the words to tell her all that was in his
heart, so he kissed her tenderly; then he held his daughters in his arms
and pressed them to his heart, for he loved them dearly.
Then he could no longer hold back the tears and sighed and said,
“Gimena, you have been the best wife a man could have. I have
always loved you with all my heart, and when we were finally married
after so much pain had passed between us, I hoped that we would
never have to part again. But now I must go, and you must remain
behind.”
“Rodrigo,” said Gimena, “I have one wish, may it please God
and Holy Mary, and that is that you live to give your daughters in
marriage with your own hands. Promise me that.”
“With good luck, and by the grace of God, I will provide excel-
lent husbands for them.”
And so the two parted, Gimena and her daughters traveled to Calahorra, and El Cid came to meet
our army in Valencia.
Without delay, we marched against Valencia and began the siege that would last for months.
Once the Cid arrived, he ordered his army to encircle the city completely, allowing no one to enter or
leave. He set the time by which they must surrender; if they had not yielded the city to him by the
beginning of the tenth month, his soldiers would attack.
On that first day of the siege, Alvar Fanez reported to the Cid and I, as we sat astride our horses
before the city gates, that the army had been deployed around the city so no one could go in or out.
“Then our weapon will be starvation,” I said. “May Allah make the siege a short one.”
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“May God grant us a swift victory; I do not relish seeing a city starve,” replied Rodrigo.
“Nor do I, but I know al-Quadir. He will let his people starve while he has plenty. I fear it will
be longer than any of us likes.”
And so it was. Day followed endless day, and night followed night. El Cid inflicted great dam-
age on the Valencians; he cut down their plantations and destroyed their fields. Inside the city, the peo-
ple lamented loudly; they were beside themselves with grief, being cut off from food on all sides.
Fathers could not help their sons, nor sons their fathers, nor could friends comfort one another. It is a
cruel fate indeed for men to be without food and watch their wives suffer and their children die of
hunger. It wore on Rodrigo and I, though as I had predicted, it did not seem to bother al-Quadir or my
brother, who continued to live like princes while the city starved. Finally, Rodrigo and I met one night
for a war council. It was at the end of the nine months we had allotted the Valencians to surrender. It
had become obvious they would not do so, and so we formed a daring plan.
The next day we moved our siege towers into
place. On the top of these towers were catapults
usually used to shoot flaming balls of pitch over the
walls. But we did not plan to send weapons over
the walls, but bread. All night the soldiers of the
camp had worked under the cook’s direction to bake
hundreds of loaves of bread. Once the siege towers
were pulled into place, each pulled by five strong
men working abreast, yoked like oxen, they were
loaded with loaves of bread. It was not very good
bread, for soldiers make poor cooks, but to the
starving people of Valencia it would appear a feast.
El Cid climbed to the top of one of these towers and shouted at the people behind the city wall,
“Soldiers, citizens of Valencia, we have starved you. Now you are weak, but we do not wish to attack
you. We are not your enemies. Ben Yusuf is your enemy; he will bring nothing but death and destruc-
tion among you. People of Valencia, rid yourself of your leaders; join with us. Soldiers and citizens,
we bring you freedom, we bring you life, we bring you bread.”
Then the Cid signaled the men to loose the catapults, and hundreds of loaves of bread flew over
the city walls. A great howl went up from the starving people,
and, it was reported to me later, a riot began in the city. The
guards deserted the walls and fought the people for bread. The
people tore the guards to pieces and took their weapons; then they
rushed to the palace, where al-Quadir was at supper. The palace
guards ran to warn the caliph, but it was too late. Just as al-Quadir
ordered that any of his people who ate the bread should have their
hands cut off, the crowd broke into the dining hall. They took al-
Quadir and his personal guards from the palace and hurled them
from the city walls. Then they opened the gates and admitted our
armies.
El Cid and I made a triumphant march into the city and were
welcomed by the people, to whom we sent forth more food. The
people cheered us and gave us welcome. On the steps of the
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palace, Father Jeronimo, who had fought with us this during this long time, met us. He had taken up
the crown of Valencia, where it had fallen from al-Quadir’s head. He bowed and presented it to El
Cid, saying, “The city is yours. Take the crown. All our battles have been fought for you, Rodrigo.
We want you to rule us.”
I joined in Father Jeronimo’s sentiments and implored the Cid to take the crown. “We have given
up everything to fight beside you, my Cid. This crown is rightfully yours. You must take it.”
Rodrigo took the crown and held it in his hands a long moment; then he raised it aloft and cried
to his men assembled there, “I take Valencia in the name of my sovereign Lord, Alfonso, King of
Castile, Leon, and Asturias, King of Christians and Moors. Valencia for King Alfonso by the grace of
God.”
Once more I thought to myself, “If only the king could match the nobility of his subject.”
There was great rejoicing in the region when El Cid took Valencia and became its lord. His stan-
dard, emblazoned with the emblems of Castile and Leon, was set flying from the highest point of the
citadel. There were great quantities of gold and silver in the city, and those who fought with us there
became rich. Soldiers who had fought on foot were all given horses and their share of the booty.
Those who had followed El Cid into exile received houses and possessions in Valencia. El Cid care-
fully set aside a fifth of the treasure, some thirty thousand marks of gold, and he took the crown that
we had given him, and he sent all this to King Alfonso as tribute.
El Cid called Alvar Fanez to him and gave him this charge. “I wish to send a message to Castile,
telling of this battle we have won. To King Alfonso, whose wrath I have incurred, I wish to send this
gold with the crown of Valencia. And then Fanez, after you have seen the king, go to my wife and
children at Calahorra and bring them to me here. I have longed to have news of them and to know
what has kept Fernando Ordonez from joining us here. I know that he longed to see battle again. I
will send a fine escort with you, and my wife and young daughters will come in great honor to these
distant lands, which we have made our own.”
“It will be an honor to serve you so, my Lord,” answered Fanez. He left the next day with a
mighty troop of five hundred armed men.
What Rodrigo did not know was that Gimena and his
daughters had been imprisoned by Uracca soon after they had
reached Calahorra. Fernando had wanted to bring the news to
Rodrigo at once, but Doña Gimena forbade him.
“If you tell Rodrigo what has happened to us, Fernando, he
will leave Valencia and come to our rescue, with no regard for the
danger all Spain will face if he lets Valencia fall to ben Yusuf.
The children and I can endure a little cold and damp, if it will
save Spain from invasion. You must swear to me, Fernando, to
keep this a secret from him, but if you can find a way to help us
escape, we will be grateful for your aid.”
When Fanez arrived in Burgos, the king had just come from
hearing mass, so it was a fortunate moment. Fanez went down on
his knees before the king and said, “A favor, my lord Alfonso, in
God’s name. The warrior Cid makes his most profound obeisance
to his excellent Lord; he begs you to grant it, as you hope for
God’s protection. You banished him and he is still in disgrace,
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but he continues doing mighty deeds in a strange land. He is master of

Valencia, and by his own power he has appointed a Christian bishop there,
Father Jeronimo. He has fought and won many battles. God gave him
rich gains, and here is proof that I am speaking nothing but the truth.”
At these words, Fanez brought chest after chest heavy with gold and
opened them before the king. Then, upon a cushion of crimson velvet, he
presented the crown of Valencia.
“He begs you accept as a gift this Valencian gold and the city’s
crown. He considers himself your vassal and acknowledges you as his
lord.”
At the sight of the rich gifts Rodrigo had sent, especially the crown,
King Alfonso’s heart was softened. He had changed much in the years
since Rodrigo had known him. He had lived under Vellido’s treacherous
thumb until Rodrigo finally killed him. Then, after his brother’s death, he
vowed that he would no longer be the man he had been, but rather the
courageous, honorable king his father had hoped he would become. Once
he was free from Sancho’s enmity and derision, he was free to become a
new man, a man of his own making.
King Alfonso raised his right hand and crossed himself. “I am truly
pleased by the immense riches Rodrigo has won. I am glad also to hear
of his conquests, and I accept his gift.
“Not only do we accept his gift, but we will reinstate Rodrigo de
Vivar’s rights and those of his followers. His vassals may enjoy their rev-
enues wherever they find themselves in his service. I assure them that no
harm or hurt will come to them, and I do this so that they may fitly serve
their lord.”
Fanez kissed the king’s hand in token of his thanks and then ventured one more request. “Sire, El
Cid asked one more thing of me and that is a proper escort for his wife and daughters back to Valencia.
Could you send some of your men as a token of your forgiveness?”
“Certainly,” said King Alfonso, “but where is Doña Gimena now? I thought that she had gone
with him.”
Fanez looked troubled at this news. “No, Sire. El Cid sent her to Calahorra to be looked after by
your sister, Princess Uracca.”
King Alfonso understood better than Fanez ever could the trouble Gimena was in, for he knew
only too well his sister’s hidden feelings toward her. He summoned the captain of his guard. “Go with
Don Fanez to Calahorra and find out what has happened to Doña Gimena and her children. If any
harm has come to them, tell my sister that I will arrange a marriage for her with Don Pedro of Navarre,
which will be performed immediately.”
There was a gasp among those gathered around the king, for Don Pedro was also known as Pedro
the Cruel, and a marriage to him was the dread of every princess in Christendom.
When the royal guards and Don Fanez arrived in Calahorra, Doña Gimena and her children were
swiftly sent for. Uracca called Gimena to her chamber; it was hung with tapestries and richly fur-
nished, a stark contrast to the dungeon in which Gimena had spent so many weary months.

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El Cid: Chapter 7

Uracca faced Gimena for the last time and said, “I was born a princess, Doña Gimena, and a life
of rank and privilege should have been mine, but I have never known a moment’s happiness since you
married Rodrigo. Well, perhaps just one,” she smiled bitterly. “The moment I heard the clang of the
lock on your prison door.”
“I have known of your unhappiness, Princess, and even though you have treated me and mine
cruelly, I cannot hate you. But even if you had been free to love Rodrigo, you would never have found
the happiness you seek. You sought a love that would make you happy, instead of seeking a way to
make your beloved happy.
“Rodrigo is a great man, Princess, and to love a great man requires sacrifice, something you
could never have borne. Rodrigo could never have loved a petty, self-centered woman like you.
Perhaps you will find Prince Pedro better suited to your nature.”
Gimena and her children were given elegant new gowns and granted a royal escort to Valencia
under the king’s protection. Uracca was sent to the ultimate unhappiness: life with a cruel and vicious
husband that made her long for the days when loneliness was her chief complaint.

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Reading Comprehension El Cid: Chapter 7

Read the following questions and circle the letter of the answer that best completes it.

1. The main reason Gimena thinks it is no longer dishonorable to love Rodrigo is that
a. he has no money.
b. he has no lands.
c. he has lost the king’s favor.
d. he has lost everything he gained from her father’s death.

2. Gimena does not see Rodrigo’s loss of fortune as a disadvantage because

a. he has no home and no lands, and all are forbidden to give him aid.
b. for once in their lives they are free to make their own choices.
c. she knows that King Alfonso will not stay angry with Rodrigo.
d. she has finally avenged her father’s death.

3. The most important news that the nine-year-old girl brings to Rodrigo is that
a. a letter came from King Alfonso forbidding people to help Rodrigo.
b. anyone caught helping Rodrigo would have his or her eyes put out.
c. Father Jeronimo is waiting to perform the marriage ceremony for Gimena and Rodrigo,
and give them aid.
d. Rodrigo and Gimena must disguise themselves in peasant clothes to be safe.

4. The two “peasants” waiting in the church turn out to be

a. Vellido Dolphus and one of his henchmen.
b. the Princess Uracca and her maid.
c. al-Mutamin and al-Quadir.
d. Fernando Ordonez and Alberto.

5. After his banishment, Rodrigo and Gimena find a new home in

a. Zaragoza.
b. Calahorra.
c. Vivar.
d. Valencia.

6. Al-Mutamin sets Rodrigo’s mind at rest on one point, that

a. King Alfonso did plan his brother’s death.
b. ben Yusuf was the main force behind King Sancho’s assassination, not Alfonso.
c. Rodrigo can now live in peace and will not have to fight anymore.
d. Vellido Dolphus had planned King Sancho’s assassination by himself.

7. Alvar Fanez and three thousand Castilian knights join El Cid because
a. they want to fight for al-Mutamin and the Muslim cause.
b. they are tired of living lives of peace and long for adventure.
c. they believe that fighting with El Cid will keep their homes and families safe.
d. they know that fighting with El Cid will bring them fabulous wealth.

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Stellar Reading Medieval Times
Reading Comprehension El Cid: Chapter 7

8. El Cid and al-Mutamin are able to enjoy twelve years of restless peace for all of the following
reasons except
a. the enemies of Zaragoza are afraid to fight against El Cid’s army.
b. ben Yusuf’s attack has been delayed because he is fighting rebel forces in Africa.
c. al-Mutamin does not seek to conquer new lands but only to maintain the lands he has.
d. ben Yusuf is waiting to gather a fighting force as large as El Cid’s.

9. El Cid experiences great happiness at al-Mutamin’s court for all of the following reasons except
a. he and Gimena live happily as man and wife.
b. he is anxiously anticipating the great war against ben Yusuf.
c. two daughters are born to him there.
d. a great friendship grows up between al-Mutamin and Rodrigo, proving that Christians and
Muslims can live in peace.

10. Al-Mutamin steps down as leader of his army because

a. he knows that more men will be willing to fight if El Cid leads them.
b. he is tired of fighting and wants to stay in Zaragoza.
c. he is too proud to lead men into battle.
d. he does not want to fight against a Muslim city.

11. Rodrigo’s plan to send Gimena and his daughters to Calahorra is a bad one because
a. the city is in danger of attack.
b. the journey is too long and dangerous to be made safely.
c. all the knights are needed to fight at Valencia, so Gimena must travel without an escort.
d. Princess Uracca is jealous of Gimena’s happiness and longs to punish her.

12. The siege of Valencia

a. is a short one.
b. lasts nine long months.
c. ends when the people inside the city get hungry.
d. ends when the city walls are knocked down by siege engines.

13. The plan that Rodrigo and al-Mutamin devise to end the siege involves all of the following
except
a. shooting flaming balls of pitch over the city walls.
b. encouraging the citizens of Valencia to rise up against their leaders.
c. shooting loaves of bread over the walls.
d. telling the people of Valencia that they bring them freedom, life, and bread.

14. El Cid and al-Mutamin win the city of Valencia when

a. the people kill al-Quadir and open the gates to their army.
b. al-Mutamin kills his brother.
c. the people are too weak to fight.
d. al-Quadir surrenders.
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Stellar Reading Medieval Times
Reading Comprehension El Cid: Chapter 7

15. El Cid refuses to accept the crown of Valencia because

a. he knows that by rights it should go to al-Mutamin.
b. he does not want to rule the city.
c. he sends the crown to King Alfonso to prove that he is still his loyal subject.
d. he knows that there is more fighting to do.

16. El Cid sends Alvar Fanez to Castile for all of the following reasons except
a. he wants to send tribute and the crown to King Alfonso.
b. he wants Fanez to escort his family back to Valencia.
c. he wants to find out what has happened to Fernando Ordonez.
d. he wants to send his thanks to Princess Uracca for treating his family so well.

17. Doña Gimena proves that she is just as courageous as Rodrigo when
a. she rides out to battle with him.
b. she refuses to allow Fernando to tell Rodrigo of her imprisonment.
c. she goes to Calahorra without an escort.
d. she escapes from the dungeon in Calahorra.

18. When King Alfonso receives the tribute from El Cid

a. he goes to Valencia to claim the city as his.
b. he sends for Doña Gimena to tell her the news of victory.
c. his heart is softened, and he restores all of Rodrigo’s rights and privileges.
d. he is angered by Rodrigo’s impertinence.

19. Sancho’s death has changed King Alfonso in all of the following ways except
a. he has become more dependent on Vellido Dolphus.
b. he has become more courageous.
c. he has tried to become the king that his father wanted him to be.
d. he no longer feels that he has to fulfill Sancho’s low expectations of him.

20. King Alfonso punishes Uracca for imprisoning Gimena by

a. sentencing her to death.
b. sending her to a convent.
c. taking the city of Calahorra away from her.
d. marrying her to Pedro the Cruel.

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Vocabulary Medieval Times
El Cid: Chapter 7

Read the following sentences and see if you can figure out the meaning of the underlined vocabulary
words from the context. The sentences are listed in the order they appear in the story, so if you want
more context clues, you can look them up. Also, name the part of speech of each vocabulary word as it
is used in the sentence. When you finish, check your answers in the dictionary, and then write your
own sentence using the vocabulary word.

1. After the wide chasm of the years had separated them, she once more consented to be his wife.
a. gap b. bridge c. prosperity d. bitterness
part of speech:
sentence:

2. “What has brought you here, my friends?” asked Rodrigo, mystified. “How could you know to
meet me here when I didn’t know that I was coming myself?”
a. infuriated b. indifferent c. puzzled d. enlightened
part of speech:
sentence:

3. And so, Gimena and Rodrigo were married at last, without pomp and ceremony, without dowry
or prospects, but with much love.
a. simplicity b. splendid display c. regret d. happiness
part of speech:
sentence:

4. And so, Gimena and Rodrigo were married at last, without pomp and ceremony, without dowry
or prospects, but with much love.
a. gifts b. searching c. hatred d. possibilities
part of speech:
sentence:

5. I had need of a soldier of Rodrigo’s skill and courage, for it was clear that a war was brewing
with the Christian kingdom of Aragon, our common enemy, again...
a. developing b. ending c. avoided d. desired
part of speech:
sentence:

6. He shouted out, his voice carrying over the crowd, “I am in exile. I cannot be your captain any
more.”
a. retirement b. training c. banishment d. hiding
part of speech:
sentence:

7. My spies told me, however, that he was forming a secret alliance with al-Quadir of Valencia and
that I had to keep an ever vigilant eye upon him.
a. inattentive b. watchful c. evil d. blind
part of speech:
sentence:
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Vocabulary Medieval Times
El Cid: Chapter 7

8. After our first decisive battle with Aragon, he sent King Alfonso three hundred fine Andalusian
horses. He was such a noble subject; if only he had had a noble king.
a. honorable b. selfish c. upper-class d. poor
part of speech:
sentence:

9. “Never. He is a bad prince who treats his people cruelly, but it is ben Yusuf that I most despise.
If he and the Almoravides take over the caliphate states, all Spain will suffer.”
a. admire b. respect c. pity d. hate
part of speech:
sentence:

10. “He is a tyrant, and, like all tyrants, he will force all men to swear to his beliefs or be put to
death. That is not the future I want for my children or for yours.”
a. saint b. oppressive ruler c. negotiator d. king
part of speech:
sentence:

11. And so, as Rodrigo believed he was sending his family to safety, he was, in reality, delivering
them into peril.
a. shelter b. security c. hardship d. danger
part of speech:
sentence:

12. On that first day of the siege, Alvar Fanez reported to the Cid and me, as we sat astride our hors-
es before the city gates, that the army had been deployed around the city so no one could go in or
out.
a. removed b. positioned c. defeated d. fired
part of speech:
sentence:

13. Inside the city, the people lamented loudly; they were beside themselves with grief, being cut off
from food on all sides. Fathers could not help their sons, nor sons their fathers, nor could friends
comfort one another.
a. complained b. talked c. celebrated d. mourned
part of speech:
sentence:

14. It was at the end of the nine months we had allotted the Valencians to surrender. It had become
obvious they would not do so, and so we formed a daring plan.
a. granted b. estimated c. pressured d. revoked
part of speech:
sentence:

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Vocabulary Medieval Times
El Cid: Chapter 7

15. I joined in Father Jeronimo’s sentiments and implored the Cid to take the crown. “We have given
up everything to fight beside you, my Cid. This crown is rightfully yours. You must take it.”
a. demanded b. discouraged c. begged d. helped
part of speech:
sentence:

16. His standard, emblazoned with the emblems of Castile and Leon, was set flying from the highest
point of the citadel.
a. mountain b. fortress c. city d. countryside
part of speech:
sentence:

17. “The warrior Cid makes his most profound obeisance to his excellent Lord; he begs you to grant
it, as you hope for God’s protection.”
a. haughty bow b. mocking tone c. threat d. subservience
part of speech:
sentence:

18. Then, after his brother’s death, he vowed that he would no longer be the man he had been, but
rather the courageous, honorable king his father had hoped he would become. Once he was free
from Sancho’s enmity and derision, he was free to become a new man, a man of his own making.
a. disrespect b. approval c. oppression d. dependence
part of speech:
sentence:

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Stellar Reading Medieval Times
Discussion Questions El Cid: Chapter 7

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 7

1. Why do you think that Gimena, more than most, understands what it means to be alone and with-
out a friend? What do you think life has been like for her since her father’s death? Why is she
suddenly willing to marry Rodrigo? Do you think she made the right choice between love and
honor? Why or why not?

2. Why is Rodrigo reluctant to marry Gimena? How does she change his mind? What news does
the nine-year-old girl bring them? Why has King Alfonso issued such a strict edict against help-
ing Rodrigo?

3. How do Rodrigo’s fellow knights—Father Jeronimo, Fernando, and Alberto—prove that they are
true friends to Rodrigo? Why do you think the three knights are willing to risk so much to help
Rodrigo? What do you think Fernando and Alberto’s lives have been like since the day of the
tournament in Calahorra?

4. Why does al-Mutamin ask Rodrigo to come to Zaragoza? How has the fact that Rodrigo spared
al-Mutamin’s life proven fortunate for both of them? Why do more knights come to join Rodrigo
in Zaragoza? What qualities of leadership does Rodrigo have that draw men to him?

5. Who was the main force behind King Sancho’s assassination? Do you think that King Alfonso
was involved in his brother’s death ? Why or why not? What does Rodrigo think? How does he
feel now about forcing the king to swear to his innocence?

6. Why were Rodrigo and al-Mutamin able to have peace for twelve years? How did their friend-
ship grow during this time? What truth did they discover about people of different cultures living
together? How did each culture benefit the other? Why does al-Mutamin say that people on both
sides will think their friendship is wrong? What future does al-Mutamin want for Spain?

7. What happiness do Gimena and Rodrigo come to know in Zaragoza? Do you think that the diffi-
cult years they spent apart make their time spent at Zaragoza more or less happy?

8. What pledge does al-Mutamin refuse to honor? Why? How will his fellow Muslims interpret his
actions? Why does al-Mutamin insist that Rodrigo command the army? How does this show
that he is a wise prince? Why does he dislike al-Quadir? Why does he despise ben Yusuf more?

9. Why does Rodrigo think that his family will be safe at Calahorra? Do you think that Gimena
knows they are going into danger? If so, why does she go? How does she show just as much
courage as Rodrigo during the siege of Valencia?

10. Why does the siege of Valencia last so long? How is the Cid’s army able to take the city without
losing many soldiers?

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Stellar Reading Medieval Times
Reading Comprehension El Cid: Chapter 7

11. How do al-Mutamin and El Cid win the city of Valencia by strategy? How does mercy prove a
more powerful weapon than force? How does al-Quadir’s indifference to his people’s suffering
lead to his own downfall? How is al-Mutamin’s brother a bad prince just like al-Quadir?

12. How are Rodrigo’s men rewarded for following him? Do you think they have lost more or
gained more by joining him?

13. Why do Rodrigo’s followers want him to accept the crown of Valencia? Why does he refuse?
What does al-Mutamin mean when he says that Rodrigo is “such a noble subject; if only he had
a noble king”? Do you agree with his assessment of King Alfonso?

14. How does King Alfonso react when he receives Rodrigo’s tribute? How has he changed since he
banished Rodrigo? What has changed him? Did Prince Sancho do more harm or good by con-
stantly criticizing his brother? Explain. In your own life, how has criticism been helpful to you?
How has it been destructive? Ultimately, do you think that criticism is more helpful or more
destructive?

15. Why does Gimena refuse to allow Fernando to tell El Cid about her imprisonment? What does
this show about her character? When Gimena confronts Uracca, why does she say that Uracca
would never have been happy with Rodrigo? Do you think she is right? Why does King Alfonso
punish Uracca? Do you think her punishment is just or unjust? Is Uracca a victim of fate, or is
she responsible for her own unhappiness?

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Writing Medieval Times
Persuasive Editorial El Cid: Chapter 7

WRITING AN EDITORIAL
An important part of any newspaper is the editorial section. Your Medieval Times newspaper is going
to include this important section. People write editorials to express their opinions on current topics.
An editorial can be written as a letter to the editor or as on op-ed piece, which is like a formal persua-
sive essay. In either case, the purpose of an editorial is to express your opinion on a topic and then
persuade the paper’s readers, your audience, with facts, statistics, quotes from authorities, and other
supporting information that your opinion is correct.

Writing Situation: The Cid’s men who go to fight at Valencia know that the siege will be difficult, as
do the citizens of Valencia, who are about to be besieged. Al-Mutamin is determined to wage this war
to keep ben Yusuf from conquering Spain. He feels that whatever price he has to pay is worth the cost,
to keep Spain free from a tyrant’s rule. In other words, it will be a just war. al-Quadir and the other
Muslim caliphs welcome ben Yusuf’s invasion as a chance to strengthen Muslim forces in Spain. They
believe that this war is wrong and will weaken their cause, a stronger Muslim country.

Directions for Writing: Imagine that you lived during this time. It is the eve of the siege, and you are
on the side of either the Cid or al-Quadir. Write a letter to the editor of the Medieval Times, in which
you try to persuade the readers that the war is just or unjust. Remember to use the OREO plan of
organization for a persuasive essay.

Explain the situation and express your

O pinion.
1. R eason and E xample
2. R eason and E xample
3. R eason and E xample
Review your reasons and restate your
O pinion.

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Writing Medieval Times
Persuasive Editorial El Cid: Chapter 7

Paragraph I: Explain the criteria of a just war, and state your Opinion about whether the siege of
Valencia is just or unjust.

Paragraph II: State your first Reason, and provide Examples or Evidence that support your point.

Paragraph III: State your second Reason and Examples.

Paragraph IV: Provide a Counterargument. Anticipate the other side’s objection and provide an effec-
tive rebuttal to it.

Paragraph V: Restate your Opinion.

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