Pacal II (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Pacal II, also known as Pacal the Great or "The Shield," was successor to the lineage and Mayan city today known as Palenque. Born in 603, Pacal II became King of Palenque in 615 and ruled it until his eightieth birthday, dying in 683. During Pacal's youth, the city of Palenque came under continual raids from the neighboring states of Pomona and Calakmul to the south. Palenque's male population was decimated, as men were taken prisoner or sacrificed by the various raiders, leaving Pacal's mother, Lady Sak K'uk, at the reins of the city until Pacal came of age. Taking the throne at the age of twelve, Pacal's reign suffered another decade of raids and even the kidnapping of a noble family member.
Several victorious campaigns to subjugate minor city-states would mark the turning point for the young ruler and Pacal gradually found himself in command of a powerful and respected city. Taking revenge on those that once preyed upon his own, Pacal led raids against Pomona, securing his city's hegemony among the Mayans.
Once an established power, Pacal began construction of numerous great structures, like the Palace of Palenque, one of the most exceptional examples of Mayan architecture visible today.
Despite his success in saving his people from the raids of Pomona, Pacal was always looked down upon for inheriting the throne from his mother, rather than from a male predecessor. To combat this, the Mayan ruler engaged in a grand retelling of his Palenque family lineage, proclaiming the divinity of his mother, himself and his son, Kan Balam. This grand history of the Palenque lineage can be seen today lining the walls of the Temple of the Inscription, Pacal's massive burial pyramid.