Romanus Rodrigo, was born in 12th Century Granada Spain (1101 - 1200). At the time of his birth, Granada was controlled by the Moors. Though his parents were Christians, they lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors. Romanus’s father was of Spanish decent, and his Mother was from Roma (Italy). His father was a merchant specializing in leather goods, and this afforded them the means to travel in and out of the country. By the time Romanus was 8, he was already well educated in the family business. His father was mentally disciplined, and told Romanus that “If you want something bad enough, stop at nothing to get it”. He also taught Romanus the skill of war, tutoring him in the ways of the sword.


His mother was very gentle and loving. She had deep Christian beliefs and Schooled Romanus in the ways of Faith, love, and charity. His parents were often at odds due to there opposite views on life. From the time he was little, He had heard news of the Crusades. Now that he was growing up, he longed for adventure and Divine knowledge. He decided that he would leave Spain for the Crusader States. From Spain he to Italy, then Cyprus, and ended up in Tripoli. Upon arriving, he decided to visit all the Holey sites. It was his travels through the Holey land that drew him out of Christianity, and into a quest to find his true self.