The New Religion
Changes made to Empire
Differences between Cathar and Catholic religion are quite big. Some even agree that it is not heresy, but a different branch of Christians, like Protestants or even Catholics. For practical purposes though, the difference in Hauteville Empire was these simple steps:
1. No Pope! Or other head of religion.
2. Bishops and Priests remained, but with very much reduced power and wealth. Much of the lands donated to the Church were confiscated and either sold or given to loyal vassals. Bishops still remained, and now definitely paid taxes to their lieges, and even had small armies, but still they were more spiritual then secular rulers.
3. No more monks and nuns. Monasteries were dismantled, their lands given to loyal followers or sold and their inhabitants sent to do more useful jobs.
4. Monks and nuns replaced with perfecti, a Cathar sort of wandering monk/nun- both sexes were allowed. They were the people living under true Cathar ideals- owning nothing, living nowhere, not eating meat at all. Ideal towards what everyone should strive to, but no-one would be giving you a bad eye if you didn’t follow them. And since they owned nothing and lived nowhere, there was no chance for corrupt monasteries.
Cathar perfecti giving last rites to a man while Catholic monks watch helplessly
Most churches were slowly turned Cathar, though in theory Cathars needed no churches, but what the hell, they were there and ready to be used, so why waste a good church. Good catholics were not persecuted, and left alone for their beliefs. No forced conversion and no inquisition, but also some maluses- if you weren’t Cathar, you couldn’t own any baronies or higher, unless your liege didn’t mind much. Also, you couldn’t take any state jobs (marshal, steward etc) unless you turned Cathar. And you couldn’t be chosen to educate young de Hautevilles unless you were a Cathar. Overall, most of the populace took the religion change easily, though over time, peasant revolts led by an angry Catholic priest popped up, though they were dealt swiftly.
Conversions and Revocations
Of course, successful religion needs a lot of followers. So, Randolf de Tabor was sent to Palermo to try to change the simple folk to Cathar, while Turquetil himself started as a missionary for higher folk. Letters asking for conversion were sent vassals of Turquetil, both Dukes and Doges of the higher folk and Mayors and Bishops of lower tier. Sometimes, a bit of gold or an honorary post were offered to the person. For example, Turstin, Duke of Verona, was dubious at first, but the honour of being appointed Master of the Hunt for the Empire was enough of a treat to convince him otherwise. Besides vassals, the Council soon saw the light and converted, and Empress Adelaide turned Cathar. By the end of January, Catharism had taken the Empire by a storm and most of the ruling folk did become Cathar. Some Bishops under Turquetil refused to change religion, as did some of the higher vassals, like uncle of Turquetil, Adelard de Hauteville, Doge of Ancona and Torf de Hauteville, Doge of Mallorca. Some were still in doubt, like the Doge of Cyrenaica, while others embraced the Cathar faith without question- like the most important vassals of the Empire. For example, Doges of Venice and Kabylia, the biggest money-makes in the Empire, accepted the new religion without questions. Same applied to the most powerful feudal lord in the Empire- King Asclettin of Jerusalem. Some of the folk, like newly-appointed Duke Goubert of Sardinia, were just too young to demand a conversion from, but as soon as they hit the full age, they also became good Cathars.
Some of the important people of the Empire who chose to convert
Of course, some people refused to convert. The most drastic case was with Eleanor, wife of King of Jerusalem. Asclettin finally had her killed and quite openly. Turquetil didn’t press the chance to arrest the King though, but instead, married his sister to Asclettin, thus making her the Queen of Jerusalem and as for the moment, the situation is as follows- Asclettin’s one daughter is Turquetil’s stepmother, another daughter is Asclettin’s wife and Asclettin’s sister now a Queen of Jerusalem, making the relations between West and East de Hautevilles strange indeed.
In court in Palermo, people converted more easily. Sometimes, a gift was required, but usually it only took Turquetil to ask them to change faith. Slowly, the huge court of de Hautevilles turned to Cathar.
Cundo de Hauteville, first child in the Empire born Cathar
There were those who stayed true to their faith though. And in some cases, the conversion wasn’t even asked and rulers took advantage of Catholic heretics as their vassals. Sicilian crown laws allowed revocation if the title holder is a heretic and several Dukes saw their chance to regain lands once lost. For example, King Asclettin of Jerusalem regained Counties of Arce and Herbon, and later acquired Duchy of Outlejordian from the underage Catholic Duke, while Dukes of Galilee and Ascalon were converted to Catharism. Duke of Tripolitania claimed back Leptis Magna from a Countess Mathilda, age 9. When Count of Syrte resisted revocation, he went to war over the county, took half of de Hautevilles as allies, took the castle, imprisoned the count and revocated the title anyway. Doge of Pisa took a change and increased his personal rule over every other city in the Republic, growing his personal demesne from one city to four (and increasing the tax he pays to Turquetil). All the rulers who converted to Catharism enjoyed the chance to gain some extra power and money on the side, and revocations of different minor titles continued for years, until every ruler in Sicily was Cathar and coffers of the higher rulers were full.
End of War for Buhairya
The religious change throughout the Empire didn’t meant that conquest of final province of Alexandria was forgotten. Turquetil was still personally in charge of the siege, and in February 1200, everything was ready for assault. So, rest of Normans marched to the province, assaulted the castles and the province fell. Then, the army got divided again, with bigger part hunting the enemy army and smaller part retreating to Alexandria.
In March 1200, enemy forces were caught outside Gizeh and under the shadows of the pyramids, 12 000 Normans killed 4000 Muslims to the last man. There were still small battles, with allies coming to the help of Pelusia, but they were soundly defeated and in May, peace was signed, giving last province in Alexandria to Normans. The Duchy was promptly gifted to Duke Gerbert. With this ended the first Cathar Holy War, that had started as a Catholic Holy War.
End of that war
Conquest of Rome
Being a Pope is a dangerous business when your neighbour is powerful and bloodthirsty heretic. In October 1200, Turquetil decided to use the sword to end the disagreements between the Pope and himself once and for all. The Holy War against Pope was declared and Normans prepared themselves for battle.
A bishopric of Trapani, under the command of the Pope since Simplicitus II rose to the throne, was the first to fall. Norman troops from the province casually assaulted it when they were raised.
Meanwhile, 8000 Papal soldiers started their march south, hoping to find quick victory of these Norman heathens. After all, God was on their side, right? So, they marched to Capua and were caught by Normans outside Gaeta- Hauteville fleet brought 20 000 Normans from Sicily, and the Papal soldiers did not stand a chance. 3000 of 8000 survived though and started retreat back to Rome.
Back in Rome, Pope raised another 5500 soldiers in desperation, mostly mercenaries. Instead of following the retreating Papal army to Rome, Normans went back to their ships, sailed to Ostia, landed there and attacked the Roman mercenary army. They met in battle outside Viterbo and though the retreating enemy managed to join the mercenaries, they were still no match for ferocious Normans. Total 8000 Papal soldiers lost their lives, and only 345 Normans.
Situation in Rome in the end of November 1200- main Papal army is beaten in Gaeta and is slowly retreating to Rome while Normans are already waiting for them and fighting the mercenary army
Rome itself fell in the beginning of December. Ostia, the last of the Papal stronghold in province, fell in the beginning of January 1201. Rome was once again Norman, but the war was not over yet.
Pope had managed to flee to Orvieto and bring the treasury with him. Not willing to give up yet, he hired another 4000 mercenaries and sent cries of help to every European court. Kaiser Leopold, who hated Normans as much as humanly possible, was the only one to answer his calls, and he joined Simplicitus II in his desperate fight. But the forces of the Holy Roman Empire were behind Alps and took time to gather and march to south, while the main Norman force was just a province away.
Pope marched his troops to Orbetello, in Pisan territory. Normans once again boarded their ships, sailed to province, landed there and beat the final Papal army, then marching to Orvieto to take the final Papal land. With not a single soldier left and allies far off, Pope was forced to sign the peace, giving away Rome to the heretics and becoming a minor player in secular world, with only 2 holdings left- bishopric in Taranto and barony in Benevento. Both in Norman territory.
The Rome is Norman! Most likely will be Cathar as well soon.
Turquetil gave the bishopric of Rome to a cathar Bishop, but just a Bishop, with none of the awesome powers or vices of the Pope. The whole Papal Lands were converted to Duchy of Spoleto and granted to Rolland de Hauteville, who would rule them like any other Duchy in the Empire.
European reaction
When the City of Rome fell and Pope forced out of Rome, it caused quite a stir in all over Europe. Some people just plain refused to believe such a thing is possible while others swore revenge, while third kind sold all their worldly possessions and gathered in groups to wait for the end of the world- for the fall of Rome would most surely be the sign of even worse things to come.
But the most important reaction was that of King Eudes de Capet of France. Seeing the heretic threat rise from the South made him to do something that was unthinkable- he bowed his head to Kaiser Leopold II von Nordheim, vowing an oath of fealty to the Kaiser, thus making King of France vassal to the Holy Roman Empire and creating an united front against Normans. Since the times of Charlemagne, Europe had never seen such a landmass being ruled under a single Monarch. Will the Holy Roman Empire crumble under its own weight or will it become a bloody struggle between the two large Empires of the West? Time will tell.
Oh dear...