Egas Moniz (o Aio)

Egas Moniz.

Egas Moniz (* around 1080; † 1146 ; called o Aio (the tutor)), Lord of Ribadouro came from one of the noblest and most powerful noble families from Entre Douro e Minho at the time of the second Portuguese county.

His father was Monio Hermígues, Lord of Riba Douro (* 1050), his mother's name was Ouroana. His family belonged to the families of the da Maia , de Sousa , de Baião , de Lanhoso , da Silva , Guedeão and the gentlemen (senhores) of Bragança to the most powerful noble families of the Portuguese territory at that time. Little is known about his childhood and his life prior to his role as educator and instructor of the future King of Portugal, Afonso Henriques ( Alfonso I ). In addition to Paio Mendes da Maia , the Archbishop of Braga and his successor in office João Peculiar , Egas Moniz was the most important personal and military advisor to the young Afonso Henriques on the way to the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal and independence from the Kingdom of Castile-León . He supported Afonso Henriques in the battle of São Mamede and took part with his brother Mem Moniz in the famous battle of Ourique against the Almoravids under Ali ibn Yusuf .

From his first marriage to Dórdia Pais de Azevedo there are five sons:

• Lourenço Viegas (* around 1110, † around 1160), one of the heroes of the Portuguese Reconquista and in 1129 the first alferes-mor (commander of the royal armed forces) of the later King Alfonso I of Portugal
• Afonso Viegas
• Mem Viegas
• Rodrigo Viegas
• Hermígio Viegas

From his second marriage to Teresa Afonso, the daughter of Baron Afonso Nunes de Cela Nova, the following children:

• Dórdia Viegas
• Soeiro Viegas
• Elvira Viegas
• Urraca Viegas