Of Bastards & Berbers
With the conquest of Salerno, the Duchy of Apulia and Calabria was greatly enriched. The city of Salerno was a rich port from which trade flowed from the surviving Spanish Christians and the Franks across the Mediterranean. Salerno also providing rich recruiting grounds, and Duke Robert was sure that within a few years, he could call up better than a thousand men from the province. The wealth and manpower of Salerno now belonged to the Hautevilles.
Salerno brought with her another gift for the Hautevilles, though perhaps one less welcome. A year after the fall of Salerno, a child was delivered to Robert – a bastard child, the obvious outcome of some of Duke Robert’s trysts during the siege of Salerno. Roger, in many ways Robert’s closest brother, was quick to advise Robert to keep the child. A bastard can be useful in many ways, particularly to an aggressive, expansive power. Later historians would state, with some evidence, that Roger sought to adopt the child as his own. A son that his wife simply could not provide. Robert, who often followed his brother’s wise counsel, brought the child under his roof, and christened him Godfrey.
Godfrey de Hauteville, Robert’s bastard
Meanwhile, in Apulia itself, Duke Robert’s brother William, the chancellor, and his wife Judith, who acted as Robert’s steward, engaged in a large-scale building program. Fisheries and forestry’s were built the length of the Apulian coast, as well as Salerno and Messina. William was well-aware of the campaign’s Robert had planned for not only the subjugation of Sicily, but of Capua as well.
With William maintaining the state of the Duchy, Duke Robert now felt free to focus his attentions on Sicily. Ten years ago, in 1059, the Pope Nicholas had attempted to divert the Norman’s attentions from Italy and had declared Robert the ruler of Sicily – if he could but conquer it from the Moslems that controlled it. In 1061, Robert had taken Messina, and had promised the Duchy of Sicily to his younger brother, Roger, when they conquered the island.
Outside of Messina, Sicily was controlled by a series of vassals, who owed their fealty to Murtaza Koury, the King of the Zirids. The Zirids were a fearsome tribe of Berber’s that ruled over what would later be called Algiers, but which they called Ifriqiyah. Murtaza was a great soldier, one of the pre-eminent Moslem soldiers of the day, cunning and cruel. Even Robert’s headstrong nature was checked by his caution in tackling this foe.
Murtaza Khoury, King of the Zirids
For there could be little doubt that any conquest of Sicily would involve battle with Murtaza. Fiercely protective of his Sicilian possessions, and well aware of the Norman’s interest in Sicily, Murtaza would brook no aggression in the region, and had placed himself at the heart of a powerful alliance consisting of the Zirids, the Fatimids of Egypt and the Emirate of Cordoba. He was well aware that the Christians would prove a dangerous foe, maybe even an impossible one, especially under the command of Robert ‘Guiscard’, and his brother, Roger ‘the Cold’.
For several years, Duke Robert looked to the west, seeking the opportune moment. Murtaza refused to extend himself against the weaker kingdoms surrounding him, nor to attempt to throw back the Normans from Sicily. It had became a stale-mate, neither side willing to make nor able to afford, the first move.
The Realm of the Zirids, 1072
Emirate of Cyrenica
Kingdom of Tunisia
Duchy of Apulia & Calabria
Kingdom of the Zirids
It was in 1071 that fortune was to smile on Robert Guiscard once again, and the alliance that Murtaza had formed would create the opportunity Robert had so long desired. The Fatimids of Egypt, eager to extend their influence, had sought to eliminate the Orthodox Nubians to their south. It would prove a fierce campaign, and in December of 1071, she called upon her allies to aid her. Murtaza was forced to lead his Zirid’s east, to Egypt, hoping that his remaining forces would be enough to deter a Norman invasion.
They were not.
It was the moment Robert had been waiting for. Summoning Roger, he demanded a grand mobilisation – every troop that he could call up from his own estates, every man his vassals could call – they would all be needed, every one. A swift march bought most of his troops to Salerno in March of 1072, from whence they set sail – not to Sicily, mere miles away, but to Algiers – the home of the Zirids.
Marshall Roger’s plan was simple – to eliminate the Zirids ability to mount a force capable of defending against a future Norman assault on Sicily. Roger was well aware that if the Normans could conquer the Zirid’s homeland, the Berber’s will to fight would be severely tested. He also hoped that Murtaza would be forced to overthrow one of his vassals, which would severely test the loyalties of the others. This, Roger hoped, would precipitate an internal conflict amongst the Zirids – further weakening their ability to stand against the Normans. The vassals, Roger hoped, would then seek separate peaces with the Normans, in an effort to forestall Norman aggression.
They could not.
That had been Roger’s plan. But as military commanders throughout the ages have discovered, no plan survives contact with the enemy. On the day before the fleet left Salerno, William’s spies informed him that the Fatimids had reached an accord with the Nubians, and peace had been achieved. Far from being involved in a war in a distant land, the Zirid’s were returning home.
Hearing this news, Marshall Roger urged caution, but Robert’s passions again overtook him – the fleets would sail, he declared. It would be a race across the Mediterranean to see whom would reach Tunis first.
The War for Algiers had begun.
With the conquest of Salerno, the Duchy of Apulia and Calabria was greatly enriched. The city of Salerno was a rich port from which trade flowed from the surviving Spanish Christians and the Franks across the Mediterranean. Salerno also providing rich recruiting grounds, and Duke Robert was sure that within a few years, he could call up better than a thousand men from the province. The wealth and manpower of Salerno now belonged to the Hautevilles.
Salerno brought with her another gift for the Hautevilles, though perhaps one less welcome. A year after the fall of Salerno, a child was delivered to Robert – a bastard child, the obvious outcome of some of Duke Robert’s trysts during the siege of Salerno. Roger, in many ways Robert’s closest brother, was quick to advise Robert to keep the child. A bastard can be useful in many ways, particularly to an aggressive, expansive power. Later historians would state, with some evidence, that Roger sought to adopt the child as his own. A son that his wife simply could not provide. Robert, who often followed his brother’s wise counsel, brought the child under his roof, and christened him Godfrey.
Godfrey de Hauteville, Robert’s bastard
Meanwhile, in Apulia itself, Duke Robert’s brother William, the chancellor, and his wife Judith, who acted as Robert’s steward, engaged in a large-scale building program. Fisheries and forestry’s were built the length of the Apulian coast, as well as Salerno and Messina. William was well-aware of the campaign’s Robert had planned for not only the subjugation of Sicily, but of Capua as well.
With William maintaining the state of the Duchy, Duke Robert now felt free to focus his attentions on Sicily. Ten years ago, in 1059, the Pope Nicholas had attempted to divert the Norman’s attentions from Italy and had declared Robert the ruler of Sicily – if he could but conquer it from the Moslems that controlled it. In 1061, Robert had taken Messina, and had promised the Duchy of Sicily to his younger brother, Roger, when they conquered the island.
Outside of Messina, Sicily was controlled by a series of vassals, who owed their fealty to Murtaza Koury, the King of the Zirids. The Zirids were a fearsome tribe of Berber’s that ruled over what would later be called Algiers, but which they called Ifriqiyah. Murtaza was a great soldier, one of the pre-eminent Moslem soldiers of the day, cunning and cruel. Even Robert’s headstrong nature was checked by his caution in tackling this foe.
Murtaza Khoury, King of the Zirids
For there could be little doubt that any conquest of Sicily would involve battle with Murtaza. Fiercely protective of his Sicilian possessions, and well aware of the Norman’s interest in Sicily, Murtaza would brook no aggression in the region, and had placed himself at the heart of a powerful alliance consisting of the Zirids, the Fatimids of Egypt and the Emirate of Cordoba. He was well aware that the Christians would prove a dangerous foe, maybe even an impossible one, especially under the command of Robert ‘Guiscard’, and his brother, Roger ‘the Cold’.
For several years, Duke Robert looked to the west, seeking the opportune moment. Murtaza refused to extend himself against the weaker kingdoms surrounding him, nor to attempt to throw back the Normans from Sicily. It had became a stale-mate, neither side willing to make nor able to afford, the first move.
The Realm of the Zirids, 1072
It was in 1071 that fortune was to smile on Robert Guiscard once again, and the alliance that Murtaza had formed would create the opportunity Robert had so long desired. The Fatimids of Egypt, eager to extend their influence, had sought to eliminate the Orthodox Nubians to their south. It would prove a fierce campaign, and in December of 1071, she called upon her allies to aid her. Murtaza was forced to lead his Zirid’s east, to Egypt, hoping that his remaining forces would be enough to deter a Norman invasion.
They were not.
It was the moment Robert had been waiting for. Summoning Roger, he demanded a grand mobilisation – every troop that he could call up from his own estates, every man his vassals could call – they would all be needed, every one. A swift march bought most of his troops to Salerno in March of 1072, from whence they set sail – not to Sicily, mere miles away, but to Algiers – the home of the Zirids.
Marshall Roger’s plan was simple – to eliminate the Zirids ability to mount a force capable of defending against a future Norman assault on Sicily. Roger was well aware that if the Normans could conquer the Zirid’s homeland, the Berber’s will to fight would be severely tested. He also hoped that Murtaza would be forced to overthrow one of his vassals, which would severely test the loyalties of the others. This, Roger hoped, would precipitate an internal conflict amongst the Zirids – further weakening their ability to stand against the Normans. The vassals, Roger hoped, would then seek separate peaces with the Normans, in an effort to forestall Norman aggression.
They could not.
That had been Roger’s plan. But as military commanders throughout the ages have discovered, no plan survives contact with the enemy. On the day before the fleet left Salerno, William’s spies informed him that the Fatimids had reached an accord with the Nubians, and peace had been achieved. Far from being involved in a war in a distant land, the Zirid’s were returning home.
Hearing this news, Marshall Roger urged caution, but Robert’s passions again overtook him – the fleets would sail, he declared. It would be a race across the Mediterranean to see whom would reach Tunis first.
The War for Algiers had begun.
I quote you:
