A Who’s Who of the Norman World
Adelaide (c. 1075 - 1118) Third wife of Roger I and mother of Roger II. Regent for her son from 1101 - 1112
Alexius Comnenus (c. 1056 - 1118) Byzantine emperor at the time of the First Crusade. Defeated attempts by Robert Guiscard and Bohemond I to invade the empire
Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153) Cistercian Abbot and dominant figure of the early 12th century.
Bohemond I (c. 1058 - 1111) Eldest son of Robert Guiscard; founded the Principality of Antioch
Charles the Fat (839 - 888) Frankish king who attempted to stop Viking raids by allowing them to settle in Normandy
Christodulus (d. 1131) First admiral of Norman Sicily under Roger II
Constance (1154 - 1198) Sister of Roger II; inherited Sicily when William the Good died
Count Roger (c. 1031 - 1101) Youngest of the Hauteville brothers; conquered Sicily and consolidated Norman rule of the island. Also known as the ‘Great Count’
Drogo de Hauteville (c. 1010 - 1051) Younger brother of William Iron-Arm who succeeded him as Duke of Apulia and Calabria
Edward the Confessor (c. 1003 - 1066) Anglo-Saxon king of England who died without a clear successor
Emma (c. 985 - 1012) Sister of Duke Richard II; wife of Ethelred the Unready and mother of Edward the Confessor
Ethelred the Unready (c. 968 - 1016) Anglo-Saxon king who tried to stop Viking raids by bribing them. Father of Edward the Confessor
Frederick I Barbarossa (1122 - 1190) Holy Roman Emperor; invaded Italy in an attempt to conqueror Sicily
Frederick II Barbarossa (1194 - 1250) Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily and Jerusalem; Son of Henry VI and grandson of Roger II. Nicknamed ‘the wonder of the world’.
George Maniaces (d. 1043) Byzantine general who employed Norman mercenaries in an attempt to conquer Sicily
George of Antioch (d. 1151/2) Succeeded Christodulus as admiral; helped establish a Norman presence in North Africa
Godwin (Earl of Wessex, c. 1001 - 1053) Powerful advisor to Edward the Confessor and father of Tostig and Harold
Gregory VII (c. 1015 - 1085) Reforming pope who offered Robert Guiscard legitimacy in exchange for protection against Henry IV
Harald Hardrada (c. 1015 - 1066) Viking King of Norway; invaded England in 1066 and died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge
Harold Godwinson (c. 1022 - 1066) Last Anglo-Saxon king of England. Killed by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings
Henry IV (1050 - 1106) Holy Roman Emperor who tried to invade Rome while Robert Guiscard was occupied by Byzantium
Henry VI (1165 - 1197) Holy Roman Emperor and husband of Constance; conquered the Norman Kingdom of Sicily
Maio of Bari (d. 1160) Favorite of William the Bad; most powerful figure in Sicily until his assassination
Manuel Comnenus (1118 - 1180) Last strong Byzantine emperor of the 12th century; campaigned against Roger II
Margaritus (1149 - 1197) Admiral of Sicily under William the Good; nicknamed ‘the new Neptune’
Pope Leo IX (1002 - 1054) Led a great anti-Norman coalition to expel the Normans from southern Italy; captured by Robert Guiscard at the Battle of Civitate
Pope Urban II (c. 1042 - 1099) Launched the First Crusade to recover Jerusalem for Christendom
Raymond of Toulouse (c. 1041 - 1105) Main rival to Bohemond I for leadership of the First Crusade
Richard the Fearless (933 - 996) Son of William Longsword; first Duke of Normandy
Richard the Lionheart (1157 - 1199) Norman king of England who visited Sicily en route to the Third Crusade
Richard II (c. 962 - 1026) Second Duke of Normandy; also known as ‘Richard the Good’
Robert Guiscard (c. 1015 - 1085) Half-brother of Drogo; conquered much of southern Italy and was elected Duke of Apulia and Calabria. Known as ‘The Crafty’
Robert the Devil (c. 1009 - 1035) Third Duke of Normandy, father of William the Conqueror
Roger Borsa (c. 1060 - 1111) Legitimate but ineffectual son of Robert Guiscard; succeeded his father as Duke of Apulia and Calabria
Roger II (1095 - 1154) First Norman king of Sicily; remembered as its greatest ruler
Rollo (c. 860 - 931) Viking raider who founded Normandy
Tancred de Hauteville (c. 980 - 1041) Poor Norman knight and founder of the Hauteville family; father of at least twelve sons including William Iron-Arm, Drogo, Robert Guiscard, and Count Roger
Tancred of Galilee (1075 - 1112) Nephew of Bohemond I; regent of Antioch in Bohemond’s absence
Tancred of Lecce (d. 1194) Last Norman ruler of Sicily; seized the kingdom when William the Good died. Nicknamed ‘the Monkey king’
Tostig (c. 1026 - 1066) Younger brother of Harold; killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge while attempting to return from exile
William Iron-Arm (c. 1005 - 1046) Eldest of the Hauteville brothers; elected Duke of Apulia and Calabria
William Longsword (c. 900 - 942) Son of Rollo; second ruler of Normandy
William the Bad (1131 - 1166) Son of Roger II and second king of Sicily
William the Conqueror (c. 1026 - 1087) Illegitimate son of Robert the Devil, conquered England in 1066
William the Good (1155 - 1189) Third king and last legitimate Hauteville ruler of Sicily
PLACES
Aachen: Capital of the Holy Roman Empire
Apulia: Region of southern Italy including the ‘heel’ of the peninsula. Became the center of Norman power under Robert Guiscard
Byzantine Empire: (330 - 1453) The eastern half of the old Roman Empire
Calabria: Region of southern Italy forming the ‘toe’ of the peninsula
Constantinople: Capital of the Byzantine Empire
Holy Roman Empire: (962 - 1806) Central European State that claimed to be the rebirth of the old Western Roman Empire. Despite its name it was based largely in modern day Germany
Norman Kingdom of Sicily: (1130 - 1194) Founded by Roger II; included Sicily, the south of Italy, and parts of North Africa
Palermo: Capital of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily
Papal States: Collection of lands around Rome ruled directly by the pope. Often in conflict with its immediate neighbors, the Norman Kingdom of Sicily, and the Holy Roman Empire
Principality of Antioch: (1098 - 1268) Crusader State based around the major city of Antioch; founded by Bohemond I during the First Crusade
VARIOUS
Battle of Civitate: (1053) Norman defeat of the armies of Pope Leo IX; resulted in papal recognition of Hauteville rule in southern Italy
First Crusade: (1098) Launched by Pope Urban II to reclaim the Holy Lands from Islam
Fourth Crusade: (1204) Venetian-led crusade which sacked Constantinople
Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte: Agreement between Rollo and Charles the Simple that created Normandy
Varangian Guard: Elite forces of the Byzantine army. Usually composed of Norse or Anglo-Saxon warriors