More Hauteville stuff :-) - Bohemond of AntiochiaA detail of an intitial depicting Bohemond of Ant
More Hauteville stuff :-) - Bohemond of AntiochiaA detail of an intitial depicting Bohemond of Antiochia (1054-1111) and patriarch of Jerusalem sailing for Apulia. Bohemond was the only son of Count Robert Guiscard and his first wife Alberada de Buenalbergo. Since the count and Alberada were related the marriage was annulled by pope four years after Bohemond was born. Count Robert died (was poisoned?) in 1085 and a succession crisis ensued between Bohemond and his halfbrother Roger Borsa. Eventually an acceptable compromise was found between the heir apparents. Roger became duke of Apulia and Calabria whereas Bohemond received Taranto and other nearby towns. Bohemond was also one of the leaders of the first crusade though he was mostly interested in carving out a kingdom for himself. This goal was partially achieved when Antiochia fell in 1098. After the conquest Bohemond concentrated on securing his new realm and took no part in Jerusalem campaign. This was prudent because he managed to conquer areas surrounding the city and hence posterity remembers him mostly as a longtime count and ruler of Antiochia. BTW: A Byzantine historian and princess Anna Komnena has written an interesting description of Bohemond in her Alexiad. Apparently he wasn’t your average “Frank” and the princess was obviously impressed :-) The description can be read here -- source link
#hauteville#normans#first crusade#robert guiscard#anna komnena#illumination