Ordoño II of León
Encyclopedia
Ordoño II was king of Galicia from 910, and king of Galicia and León
from 914 until his death. He was the second son of King Alfonso III the Great
and his wife, Jimena of Pamplona.
His father sent him to Zaragoza
to be educated in the court of the Banu Qasi
. Upon Alfonso's death in 910, the kingdom was divided between his three sons; León
went to García
, Galicia to Ordoño, and Asturias
to Fruela. Asturian primacy was nevertheless recognised, though Ordoño was of a harder temperament than his brothers. Upon García's death in Zamora
in 914, Ordoño succeeded him to the throne of the León
.
Ordoño continued thereafter the expansion of the Christian polity of his forefathers on two fronts. In his south-western territiories, he sacked Mérida
and Évora
and forced the Muslim
governor of the region to buy his retreat.
In his eastern territories, he united with Sancho I Garcés
, king of Navarre
, against the emir of Córdoba, Abd-ar-Rahman III
. The Moors were put to rout at San Esteban de Gormaz
(917). Arnedo
and Calahorra
were taken the next year from the Banu Qasi. The reaction of Abd-ar-rahman, however, was severe. In 920, he put to march an army to recover Osma and San Esteban de Gormaz. He crossed into Navarre and defeated the Christians at Valdejunquera
and took the bishop
s of Tui and Salamanca
captive. Though intending to crush Pamplona
itself, he turned around to deal with his immense booty.
Ordoño II—who had come at King Sancho's request—attributed the loss to the absence of the count
s of Castile
, who had not come at his call. He brought them together at Tejares and had them killed. The Christian counteroffensive was immediate, occupying La Rioja and incorporating into Navarre Nájera
and Viguera
.
He suffered frequent raids into his territory from the armies of Abd-ar-Rahman III
and he confronted the Castilians who were aspiring to foment revolt in León.
Ordoño married three times. His first wife, and the mother of his children, was Elvira Menendez, daughter of count Hermengildo Gutierrez and aunt of San Rosendo
. He then married Aragonta Gonzalez, daughter of count Gonzalo Betotez. He set her aside because "she was not pleasing to him". And when he formed a political alliance with Sancho I of Pamplona, he was married to that king's daughter, Sancha. He died in 924 leaving young children, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving brother, Fruela
, the king of Asturias, thereby reuniting their father's patrimony.
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
from 914 until his death. He was the second son of King Alfonso III the Great
Alfonso III of León
Alfonso III , called the Great, was the king of León, Galicia and Asturias from 866 until his death. He was the son and successor of Ordoño I. In later sources he is the earliest to be called "Emperor of Spain"...
and his wife, Jimena of Pamplona.
His father sent him to Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
to be educated in the court of the Banu Qasi
Banu Qasi
The Banu Qasi, Banu Kasi, Beni Casi or Banu Musa were a Basque Muladi dynasty that ruled the upper Ebro valley in the 9th century, before being displaced in the first quarter of the 10th century.-Dynastic beginnings:...
. Upon Alfonso's death in 910, the kingdom was divided between his three sons; León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
went to García
García I of León
García I was the King of León from 910 until his death and eldest of three succeeding sons of Alfonso III the Great by his wife Jimena....
, Galicia to Ordoño, and Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
to Fruela. Asturian primacy was nevertheless recognised, though Ordoño was of a harder temperament than his brothers. Upon García's death in Zamora
Zamora, Spain
Zamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
in 914, Ordoño succeeded him to the throne of the León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
.
Ordoño continued thereafter the expansion of the Christian polity of his forefathers on two fronts. In his south-western territiories, he sacked Mérida
Mérida, Spain
Mérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
and Évora
Évora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
and forced the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
governor of the region to buy his retreat.
In his eastern territories, he united with Sancho I Garcés
Sancho I of Pamplona
Sancho I Garcés was king of Pamplona from 905 to 925. He was a son of García Jiménez, who was king of "another part of the kingdom" of Pamplona and Dadildis de Pallars, his second wife...
, king of Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
, against the emir of Córdoba, Abd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III was the Emir and Caliph of Córdoba of the Ummayad dynasty in al-Andalus. Called al-Nasir li-Din Allah , he ascended the throne in his early 20s, and reigned for half a century as the most powerful prince of Iberia...
. The Moors were put to rout at San Esteban de Gormaz
San Esteban de Gormaz
San Esteban de Gormaz is a municipality in the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Spain. Its population is approximately 3,500...
(917). Arnedo
Arnedo
Arnedo is the third largest town in La Rioja, Spain. It is located near Calahorra, and has a population of about 14,500 people.Its economy is based on the shoe industry.-History:The area of Arnedo has been inhabited as early as the Neolithic Age...
and Calahorra
Calahorra
Calahorra, , La Rioja, Spain is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris.-Location:...
were taken the next year from the Banu Qasi. The reaction of Abd-ar-rahman, however, was severe. In 920, he put to march an army to recover Osma and San Esteban de Gormaz. He crossed into Navarre and defeated the Christians at Valdejunquera
Battle of Valdejunquera
The Battle of Valdejunquera was a victory for the Islamic Emirate of Córdoba over the Christian armies of the kingdoms of León and Navarre that took place in a valley called Iuncaria in 920 as part of the Córdoban "Campaign of Muez" , which was directed primarily against the southern line of...
and took the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s of Tui and Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
captive. Though intending to crush Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
itself, he turned around to deal with his immense booty.
Ordoño II—who had come at King Sancho's request—attributed the loss to the absence of the count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
s of Castile
Old Castile
Old Castile is a historic region of Spain, which included territory that later corresponded to the provinces of Santander , Burgos, Logroño , Soria, Segovia, Ávila, Valladolid, Palencia....
, who had not come at his call. He brought them together at Tejares and had them killed. The Christian counteroffensive was immediate, occupying La Rioja and incorporating into Navarre Nájera
Nájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
and Viguera
Viguera
Viguera is a municipality in La Rioja, Spain. It includes the villages Castañares de las Cuevas, El Puente, and Panzares.-History:The earliest documentary evidence is in the Berber historian Ajbar Machmua, who told that Abd ar-Rahman I recovered La Rioja in 759, after it having been conquered by...
.
He suffered frequent raids into his territory from the armies of Abd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III
Abd-ar-Rahman III was the Emir and Caliph of Córdoba of the Ummayad dynasty in al-Andalus. Called al-Nasir li-Din Allah , he ascended the throne in his early 20s, and reigned for half a century as the most powerful prince of Iberia...
and he confronted the Castilians who were aspiring to foment revolt in León.
Ordoño married three times. His first wife, and the mother of his children, was Elvira Menendez, daughter of count Hermengildo Gutierrez and aunt of San Rosendo
Rudesind
Saint Rudesind was a Galician bishop and abbot. He was born into the nobility; his father was Count Gutierre Menéndez , brother-in-law to Ordoño II and supporter of Alfonso III of León, and his mother was St. Ilduaria Eriz . Rudesind was related to the abbess Saint Senorina...
. He then married Aragonta Gonzalez, daughter of count Gonzalo Betotez. He set her aside because "she was not pleasing to him". And when he formed a political alliance with Sancho I of Pamplona, he was married to that king's daughter, Sancha. He died in 924 leaving young children, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving brother, Fruela
Fruela II of León
Fruela II was the King of Asturias from the death of his father, Alfonso III of Asturias, in 910 to his own death. When his father died, the kingdom was divided, with the third son, Fruela, taking the original portion ; the second, Ordoño, taking Galicia; and the eldest, García, taking León...
, the king of Asturias, thereby reuniting their father's patrimony.