Islamic and Norman Sicily

List of topic areas

1. Early history of the central Mediterranean

2. Sources for medieval Mediterranean history

3. Introduction to Mediterranean historiography

4. Geography of Sicily and the central Mediterranean

5. Arab-Muslim North Africa (647–827)

6. Late Byzantine Sicily and the Muslim conquest

7. Christians under Muslim rule

8. The Amirate of Bari

9. Law and learning in Muslim Sicily

10. Rebellions in the Fatimid period

11. Taxation, land tenure, the army and administration

12. Ibn Hawqal In Sicily

13. The Muslim Civil War (c.1030–60)

14. South Italy before the Normans

15. Al-Mujāhid's attack on Sardinia

16. The rise of the Normans in south Italy

17. The Hilalian ‘invasion' of Zirid Ifrīqiya

18. The Norman conquest of Sicily (1061–72)

19. The Norman conquest of Sicily and Malta (1072–91)

20. Muslim responses to the Norman conquest

21. Ecclesiastical lordships

22. The rise of new administrators

23. The early Norman administration of lands and men in Sicily

24. Rebellious lords and the incastellamento question

25. The regency of Adelaide

26. Roger II as Count of Sicily

27. Christodoulos and George of Antioch

28. Sicily and the Mediterranean (1118–28)

29. Formation of the new kingdom

30. Consolidation and development of the kingdom

31. Law, authority and kingship

32. Art and architecture of the royal palaces

33. The royal fiscal administration of lands and men

34. The trial of Philip of Mahdiyya

35. The Norman conquest of Africa

36. William I and Maio of Bari

37. The History of Hugo Falcandus

38. The Muslims and the ‘Lombards'

39. Stephen of Perche and the French contingents

40. Science, translation and patronage

41. The familiares regis

42. External relations and overseas diplomacy

43. The foundation of Monreale

44. Ibn Jubayr in Sicily

45. Abū l-Qāsim and the Muslims

46. The reign of Tancred

47. Markward and the 'amirate in the mountains'

48. The Norman legacy

49. Frederick II and the Staufen dynasty

50. The Sicilian Vespers

The Medieval Mediterranean Islamic and Norman Sicily (800–1200)
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Home The Mediterranean (535–827) Islamic Sicily (827–1061) Norman Conquest (1061–1130) Kingdom of Sicily (1130–1250) Links and Resources Images Discussion board	16. The rise of the Normans in south Italy What were the main phases by which the Normans were transformed from mercenaries to counts and dukes? What characterised relations between the Normans and the papacy? How and why had this changed by the 1050s? To what extent was the battle of Civitate a turning point in their relations? Does Malaterra (I.14) imply that the Normans had already been given clear assurances that they would be granted rights over further conquests? What was the wider significance of Guiscard's pledge to the pope at the Synod of Melfi in 1059? Against what criteria might 'Norman-ness' be measured or evaluated? How 'Norman' were the south Italian Normans? What evidence is there that the identity of the south Italian Normans had changed by the third generation? What were the Normans' motives for their conquest of Byzantine Calabria and Apulia? Source materials William of Apulia, The Deeds of Robert Guiscard (on the Maniakes' expedition .pdf 168 kB. Transl. Graham A. Loud) Amatus of Montecassino (pp. 131–46 and sections on the Maniakes' expedition) Malaterra, Book I for the origins of the Normans; their advent in south Italy; the Maniakes' expedition; the battle of Civitate, and the conquest of Calabria. Robert Guiscard's pledge at Melfi in Le Liber Censuum, translation and discussion in G. A. Loud, Age of Robert Guiscard, 188–9. The Normans in Europe, trans. and ed. Elisabeth van Houts (Manchester, 2000), sections 67–76, pp. 231–49 (.pdf restricted access). Genealogy of Norman rulers (.pdf 89 kB) Further reading L.-R. Ménager, 'Inventaire des familles normandes et franques émigrées en Italie méridionale et en Sicilie (XIXII siecles)' in Hommes et institutions de l'Italie normande (1981) G. A. Loud, 'How 'Norman' was the Norman conquest of southern Italy?', Nottingham medieval studies, 25 (1981), 3–34. John Julius Norwich, The Normans in Sicily (Harmondsworth, 1992), 18–130. J. Drell, ‘Cultural syncretism and ethnic identity. The Norman conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily', Journal of Medieval History, 25 (1999), 187–202. Graham A. Loud, The Age of Robert Guiscard (Harlow, 2000), 60–146	List of topic areas 1. Early history of the central Mediterranean 2. Sources for medieval Mediterranean history 3. Introduction to Mediterranean historiography 4. Geography of Sicily and the central Mediterranean 5. Arab-Muslim North Africa (647–827) 6. Late Byzantine Sicily and the Muslim conquest 7. Christians under Muslim rule 8. The Amirate of Bari 9. Law and learning in Muslim Sicily 10. Rebellions in the Fatimid period 11. Taxation, land tenure, the army and administration 12. Ibn Hawqal In Sicily 13. The Muslim Civil War (c.1030–60) 14. South Italy before the Normans 15. Al-Mujāhid's attack on Sardinia 16. The rise of the Normans in south Italy 17. The Hilalian ‘invasion' of Zirid Ifrīqiya 18. The Norman conquest of Sicily (1061–72) 19. The Norman conquest of Sicily and Malta (1072–91) 20. Muslim responses to the Norman conquest 21. Ecclesiastical lordships 22. The rise of new administrators 23. The early Norman administration of lands and men in Sicily 24. Rebellious lords and the incastellamento question 25. The regency of Adelaide 26. Roger II as Count of Sicily 27. Christodoulos and George of Antioch 28. Sicily and the Mediterranean (1118–28) 29. Formation of the new kingdom 30. Consolidation and development of the kingdom 31. Law, authority and kingship 32. Art and architecture of the royal palaces 33. The royal fiscal administration of lands and men 34. The trial of Philip of Mahdiyya 35. The Norman conquest of Africa 36. William I and Maio of Bari 37. The History of Hugo Falcandus 38. The Muslims and the ‘Lombards' 39. Stephen of Perche and the French contingents 40. Science, translation and patronage 41. The familiares regis 42. External relations and overseas diplomacy 43. The foundation of Monreale 44. Ibn Jubayr in Sicily 45. Abū l-Qāsim and the Muslims 46. The reign of Tancred 47. Markward and the 'amirate in the mountains' 48. The Norman legacy 49. Frederick II and the Staufen dynasty 50. The Sicilian Vespers
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The Medieval Mediterranean

Islamic and Norman Sicily (800–1200)

16. The rise of the Normans in south Italy

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