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 Central Mediterranean (535–827) Islamic Sicily & South Italy (827–1061) The Early Normans (1000–1130) Kingdom of Sicily (1130–1250) Links and Resources Images Discussion board	18. The Norman conquest of Sicily (1061–72) To what extent was the Norman conquest opportunisitic? Who were the Normans' allies and how reliant were the Norman knights on their support? How well defended did the towns of eastern Sicily seem to be? Why did many of the Muslim towns seem to surrender so easily? Why were there not more set-piece battles during the campaigns? Did the acquisition of a fleet change the course of the conquest? How much of Malaterra's work indebted to genre? What does he reveal of his attitudes towards the Normans? What are the main themes of his work? Are there literary elements and touches of humour? How much of his history can be cross-checked with other sources? Source materials and introductory reading Geoffrey Malaterra, The Deeds of Count Roger of Calabria and Sicily and of Duke Robert Guiscard his brother (.pdf 624 kB. English translation by Graham A. Loud) William of Apulia, The Deeds of Robert Guiscard (on the fall of Palermo .pdf 168 kB. Translation Graham A. Loud) Graham A. Loud, The Age of Robert Guiscard, chapter 4.	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)

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

Source materials and introductory reading

List of topic areas