The Laws of King Roger II (ca. As mercenaries they fought the enemies of the Italian city-states sometimes fighting for the Byzantines and sometimes against them, but in the following century they gradually became the rulers of the major polities south of Rome. But they were no match for Roger’s particular technique of armed diplomacy, and in 1128 Pope Honorius II invested Roger as duke of Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily. Share. For the Viscount of Carcassonne, see. On the death of Pope Honorius in February 1130 there were two claimants to the papal throne. 1140s) translated from Latin by G. A. Though the island that Roger I and his brother Robert Guiscard had conquered was populated predominantly by Arabs—with a strong admixture of Greeks—Roger I had always remained essentially a Norman knight. Ken Pennington . through 1198 C.E.) After the pacification of South Italy, the king promulgated in 1140 at the so-called Assizes of Ariano a corpus of law covering every aspect of his rule. Through Roger’s enthusiasm, Sicily became a cultural clearinghouse where, for the first time, Christian and Islamic scholars could meet on an equal footing. Wikipedia: The church is renowned for its spectacular interior, which is dominated by a series of 12th century mosaics executed by Byzantine craftsmen. Roger II of Sicily (22 December 1095-26 February 1154) was Count of Sicily from 1105 to 1130 (succeeding Simon ), Duke of Apulia and Calabria from 1127 to 1134 (succeeding William II and preceding Roger III ), Prince of Taranto from 1128 to 1132 (succeeding Bohemond II and preceding Tancred ), and King of Sicily from 27 September 1130 to 26 February 1154 (preceding William I ). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Kufic text around the bottom border of the mantle inform us that the mantle was made in the Palermo work shops of the Norman King, Roger II of Sicily between 1133-1134. In the words of his court geographer, the king “accomplished more in his sleep than others did in their waking day.” Building on the foundations his father had laid, he created a civil service, based eclectically on Norman, Greek, and Arabic models, that was the wonder and envy of Europe. He then returned to Palermo, which he seldom left again. Stitches and Techniques. There he spent his last 15 years in the most intellectual court of Europe, surrounded by the leading thinkers of the time. It formed part of the imperial regalia of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1139, Bari, the 50,000 inhabitants of which had remained unscathed behind its massive walls during the wars of the past year, decided to surrender. 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. 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 through difficult terrain. Obv: Arabic legend, three pellets in centre . Ranulf joined Robert and Sergius there, encouraged by news coming from Sicily that Roger was fatally ill or even already dead. Nevertheless, the controversy over the coinage did not hinder the Kingdom’s prosperity. Roger II and the Creation of the Kingdom of Sicily Graham Loud This student-friendly volume brings together English translations of the main narrative sources, and a small number of other relevant documents, for the reign of Roger II, the founder of the kingdom of Sicily. For example, gold and silver were gained through the campaigns in Apulia in 1133 and Greece in 1147. Abulafia, "Norman Kingdom", 35, quoting Ibn al-Athīr. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roger-II, History Today - The Death of Roger II of Sicily. Thus, at age 32, the young duke found himself one of the most influential princes in Europe. In 1149, however, Corfu was retaken. 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. Sicily had been run by several different groups in its history and Sicily under Roger II was tolerant of other religions.[34]. In Sicily itself, where the ban on large fiefs had left little opposition to Roger’s rule, the new kingdom steadily grew more prosperous. In 1109, Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, bestowed upon him the title of protonobilissimos, in recognition of his knowledge of the Byzantine court. He also incorporated the mainland territories of Calabria in 1122 and Apulia in 1127. Upon 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. Unlike other states, Sicily also had a strong political and military standing so its merchants were supported and to some extent protected. Constance married the future emperor Henry VI, bringing Sicily under the control of the Hohenstaufens. In 1132, Roger sent Robert II of Capua and Ranulf II of Alife to Rome in a show of force in support of Anacletus. Two qualities, however, he had inherited from his Norman forebears: his energy and his ambition. Little is known of his childhood. Besides, most of his Sicilian subjects were Muslims, and toleration was the cornerstone of his kingdom. Coronation Mantle of Roger II of Sicily . [16] It was later used as coronation cloak by the Holy Roman Emperors and is now in the Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer) in Vienna. The excellentissimus princeps Jaquintus, who had led the rebellion of the city, was hanged, along with many of his followers, but the city avoided being sacked. [18] The pearls are from the Arabian Gulf, with thousands outlining each section of the embroidery. Roger II, a member of the Norman de Hauteville dynasty which arrived in Italy as knights early in the eleventh century, was the first king of Sicily, and it was during his reign that a true Sicilian nation, inhabited by a "Sicilian people," can be said to have been established. Simultaneously, Roger annexed Ranulf's brother's County of Avellino. ; 1 2 mm.). On June 5, however, Roger disembarked in Salerno, much to the surprise of all the mainland provinces. This moment marked the fall of an independent Neapolitan duchy, and thereafter the ancient city was fully integrated into the Norman realm. Born 22 December 1095, young Roger was educated by erudite Greek and Arab tutors, with the occasional Italian or Anglo-Norman visitor, and at court Italian … Despite his repeatedly expressed wish to rest in Cefalù, the king was buried in the cathedral at Palermo, having created, in a Europe rent by schism and exhausted by the Crusades, not just a kingdom but a political and religious climate in which all races, creeds, and cultures were equally encouraged and equally favoured. The navy, by contrast, was predominantly Greek; its chief, known by the Arabic title “emir of emirs”—from which the word admiral derives—served also as head of the government, ranking second after the king himself. through 1198 C.E.) Roger II's elaborate royal mantle bears the date 528 of the Islamic calendar (1133–34), therefore it could not have been used for his coronation . Omissions? These years, during which his mother acted as regent, he probably spent between Mileto in Calabria, the family castle in northeastern Sicily, and Messina, but it was at Palermo in 1112 that he was knighted and assumed the reins of government, and there his Sicilian capital was henceforth established. [12] The baronial resistance, backed by Naples, Bari, Salerno, and other cities whose aim was civic freedom, gave way. Bernard of Clairvaux, Innocent's champion, organized a coalition against Anacletus and his "half-heathen king." [21] It is one of the only surviving mementos of Fatimid style royal garb, preserved in its entirety.[22]. SICILY: Roger II, 1105-1154, AR ducalis (2.32g), Palermo, dated RY 10 (1140), MEC-14-212, Spahr-72, Roger II standing to right, wearing Byzantine-style crown with pendilia and loros, holding globus cruciger in his left hand, R RX SLS (Rogerius Rex Siciliae); Roger III standing to left, bowing his head to his father, wearing military tunic, resting his right hand on hilt of his sword, R D X AP (Rogerius Dux Apuliae), both … He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, became Duke of Apulia and Calabria in 1127, and then King of Sicily in 1130. However, the union of Sicily and Apulia was resisted by Pope Honorius II and by the subjects of the duchy itself. From 1135 Roger II started to conquer the coast of Tunisia and enlarge his dominions: Tripoli was captured in 1146 and Cape Bona in 1148. After the death of Anacletus in January 1138, Roger had sought the confirmation of his title from Innocent. [29] This standing allowed for an increase in internal trade and a stronger market which led to noticeable developments in agriculture. Upon his death at age 58, Roger was succeeded by his fourth but oldest surviving son, William. Coronation mantle of King Roger II of Sicily, gold embroidery and pearls on a red silk ground, 1133; in the Hofburg, Vienna. 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. While they were away, Roger's half-sister Matilda, Ranulf's wife, fled to Roger claiming abuse. Tancred, king of Sicily whose brief reign marked the end of the Norman rule there. "Textiles and Identity". The king himself, more than any other ruler of his day, was an intellectual who had thought deeply about the science of government, and although he cherished no love for the empire of the East—which, like that of the West, maintained its claim to its former South Italian possessions—his whole upbringing inclined him toward the Byzantine concept of monarchy: a mystically tinged absolutism in which the sovereign, as God’s viceroy, lived remote and elevated from his subjects in a magnificence that reflected his intermediate position between earth and heaven. Updates? Released, he p In 1140 at his assembly at Ariano he introduced new coinage to make it easier to trade with the rest of the Mediterranean, as there were smaller denominations of the previous coins, to allow more accurate and efficient trading. Roger went to meet them but was defeated at the Battle of Nocera on 25 July 1132. 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. www.metmuseum.org. It was the greatest defeat of Roger II's career. After this he was quickly able to pacify his mainland realm, where his vassals—abetted by the German emperor Lothar II who led a large, though unsuccessful, expedition to South Italy in 1136–37—had kept up an almost permanent insurrection. Subduing all opposition, he ruled it until his death in Palermo at the age of fifty-eight and it was said of him that he accomplished more in his sleep than other people did when awake. Roger II of Sicily. Early life. King Roger II of Sicily was a descendant of the Norman knights whom the Popes had recruited to fight the Muslim expansion in the Mediterranean. Roger II was the father of Constance of Sicily (1154 C.E. He entrusted finance to his Arab subjects, who also supplied him with the spearhead of his army. Most of the rebels took refuge in Naples, which was besieged in July, but despite poor health conditions within the city, Roger was not able to take it, and returned to Messina late in the year. [38] They had one daughter: Roger also had five known illegitimate children: —By a daughter of Hugues I, Count of Molise: "Roger II" redirects here. The sense of drama taking place in this piece, alongside of the decoration and color used to create it makes the mantle a spectacular article of clothing. Text of Cod. [30], Roger had now become one of the greatest kings in Europe. [16][20] This piece was made in a private royal workshop, dedicated to creating tiraz fabric and other royal garments. His third wife, Beatrice of Rethel, whom he married in his last year, bore him a daughter, Constance, after his death. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. Rev: IC/XC // NI/KA. Roger II, (born December 22, 1095—died February 26, 1154, Palermo [Sicily]), grand count of Sicily (1105–30) and king of the Norman kingdom of Sicily (1130–54). If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. The nephew of Robert Guiscard and son of Count Roger I, Roger II came to the throne at the age of nine and wrested control from his regent when he was sixteen. 1130 Norman Roger II, King of Sicily, History, Micronesia 2000 MNH Millennium . Roger II had a kingdom where a Muslim scholar such as al-Idrisi could draw from a variety of intellectual traditions, because Sicily is positioned in the center of the Mediterranean and was a major stopping point for people traveling across the Mediterranean. Despite this act, his expedition left no enduring effects. [b][10] Roger married his first wife, Elvira, daughter of Alfonso VI of Castile and his fourth queen, Isabella, who may be identical to his former concubine, the converted Moor, Zaida, baptised Isabella. [a][9] The story suggests that Sigurd gave Roger the name King of Sicily, twenty years before he actually obtained this title. Karya perubatan Ibn Sinar dan penulisan ilmu geografi Al-Idrisi banyak … He succeeded his elder brother Simon on September 28, 1105, at the age of nine. Middle Eastern inspiration is equally evident in the five vermilion cupolas of the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, built in 1142 for the Benedictines. At San Severino, after the victorious campaign, he and the pope jointly invested Ranulf as duke of Apulia in August 1137, and the emperor then retired to Germany. The Second Crusade (1147–1148) offered Roger an opportunity to revive attacks on the Byzantine Empire, the traditional Norman enemy to the East. These mercenaries fought the enemies of the Italian city-states, but in the following century they gradually became the rulers of the major politiessouth of Rome. The imagery on the mantle is very striking as it is meant to exemplify Roger II's power and victory over the previous dynasty. These counts at least nominally owed allegiance to one of these three Norman rulers, but such allegiance was usually weak and often ignored. This collection of laws is the earlier of two related texts purporting to contain the legislation of King Roger (1130-54), the founder of the Kingdom of Sicily. Adelaide continued as regent to her younger son Roger, who was just nine years old.[7]. Sicily was already the only land where scholars could study both Greek and Arabic—then the scientific language par excellence. Charles Homer Haskins wrote about the Normans in Sicily as elegantly and insightfully as anyone before or since. Count Roger was a younger brother of Robert "Guiscard" ("the crafty") de Hauteville, overlord of Sicily and much of the Italian peninsula south of Rome, with Salerno as its largest city. "Quantara- Mantle of Roger II of Sicily" www.qantara-med.org. The first king of Sicily was crowned on Christmas Day 1130 in the cathedral at Palermo. The gold embroidery was most likely created by Muslim craftsmen, given the tiraz bands, the Arabic text in calligraphy, and Kufic script.