Roger II (22 December 1095[1] – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Roger I (1031 &ndash June 22, 1101) called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101 Simon of Hauteville (1093 - 1105 called Simon de Hauteville in French and Simone D'Altavilla in Italian was the eldest son and successor of Roger the Great He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, later became Duke of Apulia and Calabria (1127), then King of Sicily (1130). The following is a list of monarchs of Sicily. Counts of Sicily Sicily was granted pending its Christian reconquest to Robert Guiscard as "duke" This is a list of Counts and Dukes of Apulia and Calabria in Southern Italy from the 11th century to the 12th century The following is a list of monarchs of Sicily. Counts of Sicily Sicily was granted pending its Christian reconquest to Robert Guiscard as "duke" It is Roger II's distinction to have united all the Norman conquests in Italy into one kingdom with a strong centralized government. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France.
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Background
- See also: Norman conquest of southern Italy
In the early decades of the 11th century, Norman adventurers came to southern Italy, initially to fight against the Saracens or the Byzantine Empire. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. These mercenaries not only fought the enemies of the Italian city-states, but in the following century they gradually became the rulers of the major polities south of Rome
At the time of the birth of his youngest son, in 1093, Roger I ruled the County of Sicily, his nephew, Roger Borsa, was the Duke of Apulia and Calabria, and a distant nephew, Richard II of Capua, was the Prince of Capua. Polity ( Greek: Πολιτεία or Πολίτευμα transliterated as Politeía or Políteuma) was originally a term used in Ancient Greece The following is a list of monarchs of Sicily. Counts of Sicily Sicily was granted pending its Christian reconquest to Robert Guiscard as "duke" Roger Borsa (1060/1061&ndash February 22, 1111) was the son and successor of Robert Guiscard, the Norman conqueror of Southern Italy This is a list of Counts and Dukes of Apulia and Calabria in Southern Italy from the 11th century to the 12th century Richard II (died 1105/1106 called the Bald, was the Count of Aversa and the Prince of Capua from 1090 or 1091 The Principality of Capua (Principatus Capuae or Capue was a Lombard state in Southern Italy, usually de facto independent but under the varying
Alongside these three major rulers were a large number of minor counts, who effectively exercised sovereign power in their own localitites. A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin These counts at least nominally owed their allegiance to one of these three Norman rulers, but such allegiance was usually weak and often ignored. [2]
When Roger I, Count of Sicily, died in 1101 the throne was assumed by his young son, Simon of Hauteville, who himself died but four years later. Simon of Hauteville (1093 - 1105 called Simon de Hauteville in French and Simone D'Altavilla in Italian was the eldest son and successor of Roger the Great
Reign
The border of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1154, at the time of Roger's death, is shown by a thicker black line encircling most of southern Italy.
Rise to power in Sicily
On the death of his elder brother, Simon of Hauteville, in 1105, Roger inherited the County of Sicily under the regency of his mother, Adelaide del Vasto. A regent, from the Latin regens "who reigns" is a person selected to act as Head of state (ruling or not because the ruler is a minor Adelaide del Vasto ( Adelasia, Azalaïs) (c 1075 &ndash April 16, 1118) was the third wife of Roger I of Sicily and mother of During this time the mother was assisted by such notables as Christodulus, the emir of Palermo. Christodulus ( Greek: Christodoulos, meaning "Slave of Christ" Arabic: Abdul-Rahman al-Nasrani, meaning "Slave of the All Merciful Emir ( Arabic: ar أمير;, female أميرة; emira;) ( Farsi and Urdu: امیر) Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in
In the summer of 1110, he was visited by the Norwegian king Sigurd Jorsalfare on his way to Jerusalem. "Sigurd Jorsalfar" redirects here For the orchestral suite by Edvard Grieg see Sigurd Jorsalfar (Grieg. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the
In 1112, Roger attained his age of majority and began his personal rule, being named "now knight, now Count of Sicily and Calabria" in a charter document dated June 12, 1112. The age of majority is the threshold of Adulthood as it is conceptualized (and recognized or declared in Law. [3]
In 1117, his mother, who had married Baldwin I of Jerusalem, returned to Sicily, and Roger married his first wife, Elvira, daughter of Alfonso VI of Castile and his Moorish concubine or wife, Zaida. Baldwin I of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin I of Edessa, born Baldwin of Boulogne (French Baudouin de Boulogne 1058? - April 2, 1118, was Elvira of Castile (c 1100 &ndash 8 February, 1135) was a daughter of Alfonso VI of Castile by his fourth queen Isabel (perhaps identical to the Moslem Alfonso VI (before June 1040 &ndash June 29 / July 1, 1109) nicknamed the Brave, was King of León from 1065 to 1109 and King of
In 1122, William II, the Duke of Apulia and Roger's first cousin once removed, offered to renounce his remaining claims to Sicily as well as part of Calabria. William II (1095-July 1127 was the duke of Apulia and Calabria from 1111 to 1127 This is a list of Counts and Dukes of Apulia and Calabria in Southern Italy from the 11th century to the 12th century Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Roger, in exchange, crossed the Straits of Messina to subjugate the duke's vassal, Count Jordan of Ariano. The Strait of Messina ( Strittu di Missina in Sicilian) is the narrow section of water between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern Jordan (died 12 August 1127) count of Ariano (from 1102 was a petty baron in Apulia during the reign of the Duke William II. In doing so, he penetrated the Basilicata and took Montescaglioso. Basilicata is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west Apulia ( Puglia) to the east Calabria to Montescaglioso is a town and Comune in the Province of Matera, southern Italy.
Rise to power in southern Italy
When William II of Apulia died childless in July 1127, Roger claimed all Hauteville family possessions in the peninsula as well as the overlordship of the Principality of Capua, which had been nominally given to Apulia almost thirty years earlier. The family of the Hauteville ( French: Maison de Hauteville, Italian: Casa d'Altavilla) was a petty baronial Norman family from the The Principality of Capua (Principatus Capuae or Capue was a Lombard state in Southern Italy, usually de facto independent but under the varying However, the union of Sicily and Apulia was resisted by Pope Honorius II and by the subjects of the duchy itself. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. See also Antipope Honorius II, otherwise known as Peter Cadalus
Royal investiture
The popes had long been suspicious of the growth of Norman power in southern Italy and at Capua in December, the pope preached a crusade against Roger, setting Robert II of Capua and Ranulf II of Alife (his own brother-in-law) against him. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Robert II (died 1156 was the count of Aversa and the Prince of Capua from 1127 until his death. Ranulf II (or Rainulf, Italian: Rainolfo d'Alife; died 30 April 1139) was the count of Alife and Caiazzo, and After this coalition failed, in August 1128 Honorius invested Roger at Benevento as Duke of Apulia. Benevento is a town and Comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the Province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. The baronial resistance, which was backed by Naples, Bari, Salerno, and other cities whose aim was civic freedom, gave way. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Bari ( Barium in Latin, Bàrion or Vàrion in Greek, Bare in Neapolitan Salerno is a town in southern Italy, capital of the province of the same name in the region of Campania. In September 1129 Roger was generally recognized as duke of Apulia by Sergius VII of Naples, Robert of Capua, and the rest. Sergius VII (died 30 October 1137) was the thirty-ninth and last duke (or Magister militum) of Naples. He began at once to enforce order in the duchy, where the ducal power had long been fading.
Upon the death of Pope Honorius in February 1130 there were two claimants to the papal throne. Roger supported Antipope Anacletus II against Innocent II. Anacletus II, born Pietro Pierleoni, (died January 25 1138) was an Antipope who ruled from 1131 to his death in a schism against The reward was a crown, and, on 27 September 1130, Anacletus' papal bull made Roger king of Sicily. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. He was crowned in Palermo on the Christmas Day 1130. Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in
Peninsular rebellions
This plunged Roger into a ten-year war. The famous Bernard of Clairvaux, Innocent's champion, organized a coalition against Anacletus and his "half-heathen king. Bernard of Clairvaux, OCist ( 1090 - August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order " He was joined by Louis VI of France, Henry I of England, and the Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor. Louis VI ( 1 December 1081 – 1 August 1137) called the Fat (le Gros was King of France from 1108 until his death (1137 Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Lothair III of Supplinburg (1075 &ndash 1137 was Duke of Saxony (1106 King of Germany (1125 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137 Meanwhile southern Italy revolted.
In 1130, the Duchy of Amalfi revolted and in 1131, Roger sent John of Palermo across the Strait of Messina to join up with a royal troop from Apulia and Calabria and march on Amalfi by land while George of Antioch blockaded the town by sea and set up a base on Capri. Republic or Duchy of Amalfi was a de facto independent state centred on the south Italian city of the same name during the tenth and eleventh John was the amiratus or Emir of Roger II of Sicily. John was born to the Admiral Eugenius in Palermo, where his family The Strait of Messina ( Strittu di Missina in Sicilian) is the narrow section of water between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern Amalfi is also a town in the Antioquia Departament in Colombia. George of Antioch (died 1151 or 1152 was the first true ammiratus ammiratorum, successor of the great Christodulus. Capri ( Italian pronunciation Cápri usual English pronunciation Caprí is an Italian island off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side [4] Amalfi soon capitulated.
In 1132, Roger sent Robert II of Capua and Ranulf II of Alife to Rome in a show of force in support of Anacletus. Robert II (died 1156 was the count of Aversa and the Prince of Capua from 1127 until his death. Ranulf II (or Rainulf, Italian: Rainolfo d'Alife; died 30 April 1139) was the count of Alife and Caiazzo, and Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 While they were away, Roger's half-sister Matilda, the wife of Ranulf, fled to Roger claiming abuse. Simultaneously, Roger annexed Ranulf's brother's County of Avellino. Avellino is a town and Comune, capital of the Province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. Ranulf demanded the restitution of both wife and countship. Both were denied, and Ranulf left Rome against orders, with Robert following.
First Roger dealt with a rebellion in Apulia, where he defeated and deposed Grimoald, Prince of Bari, replacing him with his second son Tancred. Grimoald Alferanites was the Prince of Bari from 1121 to 1132 Tancred of Hauteville (c 1119 &ndash 1138 one of many of that name was the Prince of Bari and Taranto from 1132 to 1138 Meanwhile, Robert and Ranulf took papal Benevento. Benevento is a town and Comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the Province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. Roger went to meet them but was defeated at the Battle of Nocera on 25 July 1132. The Battle of Nocera or Scafati was the first major battle of Roger II of Sicily and one of two of his major defeats (the other being the Battle of Rignano Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Roger retreated to Salerno.
The next year, Lothair III came down to Rome for his imperial coronation. The rebel leaders met with him there, but they were refused help because Lothair's force was too small. [5] With the emperor's departure, divisions in his opponents' ranks allowed Roger to reverse his fortunes. By July 1134, Roger's troops had forced Ranulf, Sergius, and the other ringleaders to submit. Robert was expelled from Capua and Roger installed his second son, Alfonso of Hauteville as Prince of Capua. Alfonso of Hauteville ( Latin Anfusus) (died 10 October 1144) second son of Roger II of Sicily and Elvira of Castile Roger II's eldest son Roger was given the title of Duke of Apulia. Roger III (1118 &ndash 2 or 12 May 1148) was the Norman Duke of Apulia from 1134
Meanwhile, Lothair's contemplated attack upon Roger had gained the backing of Pisa, Genoa, and the Byzantine emperor, each of whom feared the growth of a powerful Norman kingdom. Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians A Pisan fleet led by the exiled prince of Capua laid anchor in Naples (1135). Ranulf joined Robert and Sergius there, encouraged by news coming from Sicily that Roger was fatally ill or even already dead. The important fortress of Aversa, among others, passed to the rebels, and only Capua resisted under the royal chancellor, Guarin. Aversa is a town in the Campania region of southern Italy, about 15 kilometres north of Naples. Guarin ( French: Guérin, Italian: Guarino, Norman: Warin; died 21 January 1137) was the Chaplain On June 5, however, Roger disembarked in Salerno, much to the surprise of the whole mainland provinces. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem The royal army, split in several forces, easily conquered Aversa and even Alife, the base of the natural rebel leader, Ranulf. Most of the rebels took refuge in Naples, which was besieged in July, but despite the poor health conditions within the city, Roger was not able to take it, and returned to Messina late in the year.
Imperial invasion
In 1136, the long-awaited imperial army, led by Lothair and the duke of Bavaria, Henry the Proud, descended the peninsula to support the three rebels. The following is a list of rulers during the History of Bavaria. Henry the Proud (c 1108 &ndash 20 October 1139) was the Duke of Bavaria ( Henry X, 1126&ndash1139 Duke of Saxony ( Henry Henry, Robert, and Ranulf took a large contingent of troops to besiege the peninsular capital of the kingdom, Salerno. Salerno is a town in southern Italy, capital of the province of the same name in the region of Campania. Roger remained in Sicily, leaving its mainland garrisons helpless under the chancellor Robert of Selby, while even the Byzantine emperor John II Comnenus sent subsidies to Lothair. Robert of Selby or Salebia (died 1152 was an Englishman a courtier of Roger II and Chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily. John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( Iōannēs II Komnēnos) ( September 13, 1087 &ndash April 8, 1143) was Byzantine Salerno surrendered, and the large army of Germans and Normans marched to the very south of Apulia. There, in June 1137, Lothair besieged and took Bari. Bari ( Barium in Latin, Bàrion or Vàrion in Greek, Bare in Neapolitan At San Severino, after the victorious campaign, he and the pope jointly invested Ranulf as duke of Apulia (August 1137), and the emperor then retired to Germany. Roger, freed from the utmost danger, immediately disembarked in Calabria, at Tropea, with 400 knights and other troops, probably mostly Muslims. Tropea is also a village in the prefecture of Arcadia in Greece see by the alternative name of Tropaia Tropea (Tropaea Trophea After having been welcomed by the Salernitans, he recovered ground in Campania, sacking Pozzuoli, Alife, Capua, and Avellino. Campania is a region of Southern Italy in Europe. The region has a population of around 5 Pozzuoli is a city of the Province of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. Sergius, terrified, was forced to acknowledge him as overlord of Naples and sway his allegiance to Anacletus: that moment marked the fall of an independent Neapolitan duchy, and thereafter the ancient city was fully integrated into the Norman realm.
Thence Roger moved to Benevento and northern Apulia, where Duke Ranulf, although steadily losing his bases of power, had some German troops plus some 1,500 knight from the cities of Melfi, Trani, Troia, and Bari, who were "ready to die instead to lead a miserable life. Melfi is a town and Comune in the Vulture area of the Province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Trani is a Seaport of Apulia, southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, in the Province Troia ( Greek:, Transliterated as Aika or Aikai or Ece; Latin: Aecae or Æcæ; also formerly " On 30 October 1137, at the Battle of Rignano (next to Monte Gargano), the younger Roger and his father, with Sergius of Naples, met the defensive army of Duke Ranulf. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. The Battle of Rignano was the second great defeat of the career of Roger II of Sicily and like the first the Battle of Nocera, it too came at the hands of Ranulf Monte Gargano is a mountain in Apulia, Italy forming the backbone of the peninsula Promontorio del Gargano on the Adriatic Sea. It was the greatest defeat of Roger II's career. His son fought with courage, and Sergius died honourably in battle, but Roger himself fled the field to Salerno. It capped the meteoric career of Ranulf: twice victor over Roger. Anacietus II died in January 1138, but Innocent II refused to reconcile with the King.
In Spring 1138, the royal army invaded the Principality of Capua, with the precise intent of avoiding a pitched battle and of dispersing Ranulf's army with a series of marches along sharp terrain. The Principality of Capua (Principatus Capuae or Capue was a Lombard state in Southern Italy, usually de facto independent but under the varying While the count of Alife lacked decision, Roger, now supported by Benevento, destroyed all the rebels' castles in the region, capturing an immense booty. Ranulf himself, who had taken refuge in Troia, his capital, was killed by a malaric fever on 30 April 1139. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Later, Roger exhumed him from the Troian cathedral in which he was buried and threw him in a ditch, only to later repent and rebury him decently.
At this time, Sergius being dead, Alfonso was elected in his place and together with his brother Roger, went off to conquer the Abruzzi.
Consolidation of kingship
After the death of Anacletus in January 1138, Roger had sought the confirmation of his title from Innocent. However, the pope wanted an independent Principality of Capua as a buffer state between the Kingdom of Sicily and the Papal States, something Roger would not accept. The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa [6] In the summer of 1139, Innocent II invaded the kingdom with a large army, but was ambushed at Galluccio on (22 July 1139),[7] southeast of present-day Cassino, by Roger's son and was captured. Galluccio is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 60 km northwest Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Three days later, by the Treaty of Mignano, the pope proclaimed Roger II as rex Siciliae ducatus Apuliae et principatus Capuae. The Treaty of Mignano of 1139 was the treaty which ended more than a decade of constant war in the Mezzogiorno following the union of the mainland duchy of Apulia The boundaries of his regno were only later fixed by a truce with the pope in October 1144. These lands were for the next seven centuries to constitute the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.
In 1139, Bari, where during the wars of the past year 50,000 inhabitants had remained unscathed behind the massive walls, decided to surrender: the excellentissimus princeps Jaquintus, who had led the rebellion of the city, was hanged together with many of his followers, but the city avoided a sack. Jaquintus was the Prince ( excellentissimus princeps) of Bari from the death of Tancred, the son of Roger II of Sicily, in 1138 to His execution of the prince and his counsellors was perhaps the most violent act of Roger's life.
While his sons overcame pockets of resistance on the mainland, on 5 November 1139 Roger returned to Palermo to plan a great act of legislation: the Assizes of Ariano an attempt to establish his dominions in southern Italy as a coherent state. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) The Assizes of Ariano were a series of laws promulgated in the summer of 1140 at Ariano, near Benevento in the Mezzogiorno, by Roger II of Sicily He returned to check up on his sons' progress in 1140 and then went to Ariano, a town central to the peninsular possessions (and a centre of rebellion under his predecessors). Ariano Irpino (formerly Ariano di Puglia or simply Ariano) is a municipality in the province of Avellino, in the Campania region of There he promulgated the great law regulating all Sicilian affairs. It invested the king and his bureaucracy with absolute powers and reduced the authority of the often rebellious vassals. While there, centralising his kingdom, Roger declared a new standard coinage, named after the duchy of Apulia: the ducat. The ducat (ˈdʌkət is a Gold coin that was used as a trade currency throughout Europe before World War I.
Later reign: the peaceful years
Roger had now become one of the greatest kings in Europe. At Palermo, Roger drew round him distinguished men of various races, such as the famous Arab geographer Idrisi and the Greek historian Nilus Doxopatrius. Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani al-Sabti or simply El Idrisi ( Arabic أبو عبد الله محمد الإدريسي Latin: The king welcomed the learned, and he practised toleration towards the several creeds, races and languages of his realm. To administer his domain he hired many Greeks and Arabs, who were trained in long-established traditions of centralized government. [8] He was served by men of nationality as dissimilar as the Englishman Thomas Brun, a kaid of the Curia, and, in the fleet, first by Christodulus and then George of Antioch, whom he made in 1132 ammiratus ammiratorum or "Emir of Emirs," in effect prime vizier. Thomas Brun, also le Brun or Brown, was son or nephew of William Brun (first to bear the name Le Brun a clerk of Henry I of England. A kaid or caïd was a title in the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. It applied to palatine officials and members of the curia, usually to those who George of Antioch (died 1151 or 1152 was the first true ammiratus ammiratorum, successor of the great Christodulus. A Vizier ( - wazīr) (sometimes also spelled Vazir Vizir Vasir Wazir Vesir, or Vezir - grammatical vowel changes are common in many western Asian This title gave way to the English word admiral. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Roger made Sicily the leading maritime power in the Mediterranean.
A powerful fleet was built up under several admirals, or "emirs", of whom the greatest was George, formerly in the service of the Muslim prince of Mahdia. For the town in Guyana see Mahdia Guyana. Mahdia, Arabic: المهدية (al-Mahdiya is a Tunisian Mainly thanks to him, a series of conquests were made on the African coast (1135–1153). Tripoli was captured in 1146 and Cape Bona in 1148. Tripolis ( Arabic: طرابلس Ṭarābulus - also طرابلس الغرب Ṭarā-bu-lus al-Gharb Libyan vernacular: Annaba (عنابة formerly Bône, historically Hippo) is a city in the northeastern corner of Algeria near the river Seybouse and These conquests were lost in the reign of Roger's successor William and never formed an integral part of the kingdom.
The Second Crusade (1147–1148) offered Roger an opportunity to revive the attacks against the Byzantine Empire, the traditional Norman enemy to the East. The Second Crusade (1147&ndash1149 was the second major Crusade launched from Europe, called in 1145 in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the It also afforded him an opportunity, through the agency of Theodwin, a cardinal ever-vigilant for Crusade supporters, to strike up a correpondance with Conrad III of Germany in an effort to break his alliance with Manuel I Comnenus. Theodwine, Theodwin, Theodin, or Theodevin (Theodevinus died 1151 was the Abbot of Gorze from 1126 to 1134 and thereafter Cardinal Conrad III (1093 &ndash 15 February 1152) was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty For the eldest son of Andronikos I Komnenos and father of Alexios I of Trebizond, see Manuel Komnenos (born 1145. Roger never went himself on an expedition against Byzantium, handing over the command to the skillful George. This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM In 1147, George set sail from Otranto with seventy galleys to assault Corfu. Otranto is a town and commune in the Province of Lecce ( Apulia, Italy) in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea According to Nicetas Choniates, the island capitulated thanks to George's bribes (and the tax burden of the imperial government), welcoming the Normans as their liberators. Niketas Choniates ( Greek: Νικήτας Χωνιάτης c 1155 &ndash 1215 or 1216 sometimes called Acominatus, was a Byzantine Greek Historian Leaving a garrison, George sailed on to the Peloponnesus. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula He sacked Athens and quickly moved on to the Ionian Islands. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's This article is about the group of islands west of Greece For the ancient region in western Anatolia see Ionia. He ravaged the coast all along Euboea and the Gulf of Corinth and penetrated as far as Thebes, Greece, where he pillaged the silk factories and carried off the Jewish damask, brocade, and silk weavers, taking them back to Palermo where they formed the basis for the Sicilian silk industry. For the mythological figure see Euboea (mythology Euboea ( Modern Greek, Εύβοια - Évia &mdash The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides George capped the expedition with a sack of Corinth, in which the relics of Saint Theodore were stolen, and then returned to Sicily. Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. In 1149, however, Corfu was retaken. George went on a punitive expedition against Constantinople, but could not land and instead defied the Byzantine emperor by firing arrows against the palace windows. Yet the attack on the empire had no enduring results.
The king died at Palermo on 26 February 1154, and was buried in the Cathedral of Palermo. Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed The Cathedral of Palermo is an architectural complex in Palermo ( Sicily, Italy) He was succeeded by his fourth son William. William I ( 1131 - May 7 1166) called the Bad or the Wicked, was the second King of Sicily, ruling from his father's death Roger II's elaborate coronation cloak, later used by the Holy Roman Emperors, is now in the Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer) in Vienna. Schatzkammer in German translates as Treasury (Chamber/Vault. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Roger is the subject of King Roger, a 1926 opera by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. King Roger ( Król Roger in Polish) is an Opera by the Polish Composer Karol Szymanowski set to a Libretto by Jarosław Karol Maciej Szymanowski (3 October 1882 in Tymoszówka (present-day Ukraine) – 28 March 1937 was a Polish Composer and Pianist
Family
_-_Foto_G._Dall'Orto_28-09-2006.jpg/180px-DSC00533_-_Cattedrale_-_Tomba_di_Ruggero_II_(1095-1154)_-_Foto_G._Dall'Orto_28-09-2006.jpg)
Roger's first marriage was in 1117 to Elvira of Castile, a daughter of King Alfonso VI of Castile. Elvira of Castile (c 1100 &ndash 8 February, 1135) was a daughter of Alfonso VI of Castile by his fourth queen Isabel (perhaps identical to the Moslem Alfonso VI (before June 1040 &ndash June 29 / July 1, 1109) nicknamed the Brave, was King of León from 1065 to 1109 and King of When she died, rumors flew that Roger had died as well, as his grief had made him a recluse. They had six children:
- Roger (b. Roger III (1118 &ndash 2 or 12 May 1148) was the Norman Duke of Apulia from 1134 1118 - d. 12 May 1148), heir, Duke of Apulia (from 1135), possibly also Count of Lecce;
- Tancred (b. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. This is a list of Counts and Dukes of Apulia and Calabria in Southern Italy from the 11th century to the 12th century This is about the Italian city of Lecce For the football club see U Tancred of Hauteville (c 1119 &ndash 1138 one of many of that name was the Prince of Bari and Taranto from 1132 to 1138 1119 - d. 1138), Prince of Bari (from 1135).
- Alfonso (b. Alfonso of Hauteville ( Latin Anfusus) (died 10 October 1144) second son of Roger II of Sicily and Elvira of Castile 1120/1121 - d. 10 October 1144), Prince of Capua (from 1135) and Duke of Naples;
- Adelisa (b. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated This is as list of the rulers of the Principality of Capua. Lombard rulers of Capua Gastalds and counts The Gastalds (or counts of Capua The Dukes of Naples were the military commanders of the Ducatus Neapolitanus, a Byzantine outpost in Italy one of the few remaining after the coming of ca. 1126? - d. aft. 1184), Countess di Florenzia in her own right; married firstly with Joscelin, Conte di Loreto, and secondly with Robert, Conte di Loritello e Conversano.
- William (b. William I ( 1131 - May 7 1166) called the Bad or the Wicked, was the second King of Sicily, ruling from his father's death 1131 - d. 7 May 1166), his successor, Duke of Apulia (from 1148);
- Henry (b. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses This is a list of Counts and Dukes of Apulia and Calabria in Southern Italy from the 11th century to the 12th century 1135 - d. young).
Roger's second marriage was in 1149 to Sybille of Burgundy, daughter of Hugh II, Duke of Burgundy. Sibylle of Burgundy (b 1126 &ndash d Salerno 16 September, 1150) was the second Queen consort of Roger II of Sicily. Hugh II of Burgundy (1084&ndash1143 was Duke of Burgundy between 1103 and 1143 They had two children:
- Henry (b. 29 August 1149 - d. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) young);
- Stillborn child (16 September 1150). Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers
Roger's third marriage was in 1151 to Beatrix of Rethel, a grandniece of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. Beatrix of Rethel (b ca 1131 &ndash died 30 March, 1185) was the third Queen consort of Roger II of Sicily. Baldwin II of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel (died August 21, 1131 They had a daughter:
- Constance (b. Constance of Sicily (1154 &ndash November 27, 1198) was the heiress of the Norman kings of Sicily and the wife of Henry VI Holy Roman Emperor posthumously 2 November 1154 - d. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 28 November 1198), married with the Emperor Henry VI, who became King of Sicily in his right. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Henry VI (November 1165 – 28 September 1197) was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197 Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King
Roger also had several illegitimate children. One illegitimate daughter, Marina, married the great admiral Margaritus of Brindisi. Margaritus of Brindisi (also Margarito; Italian Margaritone or Greek Megareites or Margaritoni: c Another illegitimate child, Simon, became the Prince of Taranto. Simon, bastard son of Roger II of Sicily, was created by his father Prince of Taranto in 1144, on the death of Roger III Duke of Apulia, the The Principality of Taranto was a Norman state created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him
Notes
References
- Aubé, Pierre. Maurice Hugh Keen (born 1933 is a British Historian specialising in the Middle Ages. Roger II de Sicilie. 2001.
- Matthew, Donald. The Norman Kingdom of Sicily (Cambridge Medieval Textbooks), 1992.
- Norwich, John Julius. John Julius Cooper 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO (born 15 September 1929) is an English historian travel writer and television personality The Normans in the South 1016-1130. Longmans: London, 1967. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.
- Norwich, John Julius. John Julius Cooper 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO (born 15 September 1929) is an English historian travel writer and television personality The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194. Longman: London, 1970. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- Houben, Hubert (translated by Graham A. Loud and Diane Milburn). Roger II of Sicily: Ruler between East and West. Cambridge University Press, 2002. Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534 See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.
- Rowe, John Gordon. "The Papacy and the Greeks (1122-1153) (Part II)." Church History, Vol. 28, No. 3. (Sep. , 1959), pp 310-327.
- Wieruszowski, Helen. "Roger II of Sicily, Rex-Tyrannus, In Twelfth-Century Political Thought." Speculum, Vol. 38, No. 1. (Jan. , 1963), pp 46-78.
External links
| Preceded by Simon |
Count of Sicily 1105–1130 |
Succeeded by became King of Sicily |
| Preceded by William II |
Duke of Apulia 1127–1130 |
|
| Preceded by — |
King of Sicily 1130–1154 |
Succeeded by William I |
| Preceded by Bohemond II |
Prince of Taranto 1128–1132 |
Succeeded by Tancred |
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