If the boot fits: Chapter 1
Robert, the Misguided Crusader
1067-1071 – Growing Frustration
Duke Robert's major task in the new year of 1067, after commissioning the construction of fishing wharves along the Apulian coast, was to find a suitable bride for Serlo. And he found one in the form of Sancha Jiminez, youngest sister of the King of Aragon. Sancha was not only a fine bride for Serlo, but would be an ideal steward for Robert’s estates.
As 1068 began, the family was blessed with a number of births. Abelard of Tarano had a son, Louis – thus preventing Marshal Serlo from inheriting land any time soon – while Robert, son of Guillaume of Benevento had a daughter. Two months later, Robert’s wife was again with child. Duke Robert decided that he must send his own wife to visit Benevento some time soon, thinking that there must be something in the water there that promotes such fertility.
On March 5, 1068
Why yes, thank you
With the mighty empire of Byzantium as an ally, Duke Robert felt far more comfortable about any future military ambitions of his own in the Mediterranean. All he needed was time to build up the forces that he needed, and the money to support them. And, or course, a target.
Later that month, Marshal Serlo became the proud father of a baby boy, Guy, who was now fourth in line for the Aragonese throne. Future developments in Jaca will be observed with much interest.
But it was not all good news. In April, small pox broke out in Foggia. But Duke Robert was not too concerned, since the outbreak did not seem to delay the completion of his last fishing wharf along the coast. In fact, Robert became amazed at how much money a Duke could make. He called for large contributions from the Estates General whenever he got the chance and took any other opportunity to accumulate cash. He began to put his personal wealth and fame above all other matters. Some said that it was his way of compensating for his disappointment in his heir Roger Borsa (with whom he almost never spoke) and his wife’s inability (or unwillingness) to have any more children, while some said that he was simply a very selfish man.
On June 27, three months after forming the alliance with Byzantium:
Um, no thanks
Compared to the Byzantine Empire, the kingdom of Croatia was small and weak. With a number of claims in place between the two realms it is clear that relations will not be peaceful forever. Keeping that in mind, Robert decided to stay on the winning side.
In November, Guillaume of Benevento became a grandfather for the second time. Unfortunately it was another granddaughter.
In Febraury 1069, Byzantium declared war on the Turkmen Emirate, on the eastern bank of the Caspian Sea. Knowing that the Turkmen are too far away to be a threat to him, and vice versa, Robert agreed to also declare war, even if that would be the only support that he would give.
Even though Robert refused to mobilise any troops, he was still considered highly by his people, partly thanks to some successful propaganda campaigns. A couple of months into the war, a dissident Turkmen noble by the name of Burak found his way into Robert’s court, bringing with him a claim on one of the Turkmen provinces. Robert saw no point to capitalise on this claim, since the territory was so far away and his personal demesne was already larger than he could efficiently handle. But to be on the safe side, Robert began construction of training grounds in Apulia province and allowed Burak to join the Apulian army.
By July 1070, Byzantium had completely absorbed the Turkmen Emirate. Observing the size of the Byzantine army, Robert even more justified in refusing to ally with the Croats. Robert continued to concentrate on increasing production, using newly-discovered technology to build tile factories in Bari and Lecce
In November 1071, Guillaume became a grandfather for the third time - this time to the boy Asclettin. Marshal Serlo’s chances of inheriting any territory were looking more and more remote, and his son Guy was now sixth in line for the Aragonese throne.
1072-1078 – Robert’s glory (and folly)
On the 17th of March 1072 Garcia Jiminez, Marshal to the King of Navarra, died during a routine inspection of his troops. How he came to be trampled by seventeen horses while visiting a foot soldier regiment was never fully explained. In unrelated news, Guy de Hauteville was now fifth in line for the Aragonese throne.
In May, Abelard of Tarano had a second son, Gauthier. And in August, the small pox that had been ravaging Foggia for four years finally abated. Robert didn’t really care how many people had died, so long as the money was making its way down to Lecce.
On October 3, the Pope had issued a call to arms throughout the Christian world. The Portuguese province of Lisboa was to be purged of the infidel. Robert saw this as a golden opportunity to achieve something great before he died. He was now 57 and had not had any more children since 1060. He didn’t have much hope for his immediate succession and so he decided to go on a crusade purely for his own gratification. Robert immediately mobilised all the able men under his immediate rule and set sail for the Iberian Peninsula. He did not call on any of his other family members to take up arms – this was Robert’s crusade, and Robert’s alone.
On November 24, as the Apulian army was sailing across the Mediterranean, Robert received news from his brother Roger that the infidels in Siracusa had attacked him. Robert immediately declared war to help his brother, as did Benevento but not Taranto. Half of Robert’s army was already at the Gibraltar, so he sent the other half back to Sicily.
On January 4 1073, Robert and Marshal Serlo landed in Coimbra, just north of Lisboa. Then he formally declared war and moved in. Lisboa’s liege, the Emir of Badajoz, reciprocated by declaring war on Robert. On January 26, the other half of his army, led by Chancellor Aubrey, landed on Sicily and immediately rushed to the aid of Count Roger.
It was February 1 when Robert’s forces arrived in Lisboa. On that same day, Marshal Serlo was delighted to hear that he had just become a father for the second time – again, to a son called Herman. Heartened by such news, the Apulian army drove the heathen forces out of Lisboa within 20 days and began to lay siege.
On February 6, the infidels in Siracusa were swept aside and Count Roger led the siege of the city. Chancellor Aubrey’s forces were then sent to join Robert, safe in the knowledge that Siracusa would soon be in de Hauteville hands. But exactly two weeks later, instead of capturing Siracusa, Roger simply accepts indemnities! Robert was furious to hear this, knowing that if Aubrey’s forces had remained on Sicily, Siracusa would belong to him.
However, Roger’s actions were not entirely stupid, for he spotted the Badajoz army sailing for the Italian coast. Something that Robert had completely overlooked!
In April, the church decided that it was time to convert the Orthodox population in Lecce. The population were converted to the one true faith, but was now rife with riots and looting. The Apulian court was moved north to Foggia.
On May 10, the other half of Robert’s army arrives in Lisboa and the province is finally liberated on July 22. Duke Robert pushed on with 2500-strong army to the land of the Badajoz. Meanwhile, Roger rushes to the aid of Guillaume of Benevento, where Badajoz forces had landed. But before Roger gets there, the infidels had left for the coast and set sail again, returning to defend their homeland from Robert.
Battle was joined in Badajoz on September 16. The battle lasted two whole weeks, but Robert emerged victorious. Unfortunately, the Turkmen noble Burak died during the fighting.
As the siege of Badajoz began, it was clear that the emirate was in a lot of trouble. Apart from Apulia, Badajoz was also under attack by the kingdoms of Castile, England, France and Scotland. The English army landed in Lisboa just as Badajoz forces were attempting to retake the city, which saved Robert the trouble of diverting his troops away from the siege.
Peak season in Iberia. English army in the west, the kings of both Scotland and France in Cacares.
Shortly before Cacares fell, King Malcolm of Scotland, the closest man on Earth to the Pope, accepted indemnities from the Emirate of Badajoz. This left Cacares in the hands of the French.
The walls of Badajoz castle finally yielded to Robert on July 16. But there was no time to celebrate yet. The Sheik of Siracusa, along with Agrigento, Palermo and the African Emirate of Cyraneica, renewed hostilities against Roger of Reggio. Robert declared war immediately, as did Abelard of Taranto, AND the Emperor of Byzantium! Truly a useful ally to have.
Back in Iberia, Robert decided against invading the remaining Badajoz province of Alcanatra, since King Phillipe of France was also moving towards that region. Instead, Robert returned to the coast Decide to move back to the coast and invaded Alcacer do Sal on August 26. The province fell on January 20 in the following year.
Meanwhile at home, the financial strain of Robert’s crusade was starting to show. It was no longer possible to maintain the hill fort in the Apulian capital, Foggia, and so the court was returned to the southern province of Lecce, even though the riots caused by the conversion in April 1073 were still going. Robert didn’t care as he moved his forces into Évora, which fell on June 3, 1075.
At the start of 1075, as Abelard of Tarano became the father of a third son and young Guy began military training, the Byzantine army had gathered in the neighbouring province of Napoli and set sail to strike the heathens on Sicily.
Be happy that he’s on YOUR side
In February, the Byzantine juggernaut landed in Palermo and wiped out all opposition. Robert was the surprised to hear that Emperor Alexios was happy to just take every penny that the heathens had and then return home. This came as a relief to Robert, who feared a permanent Byzantine presence on HIS Sicily. After Évora fell in June, Robert decided that it was time to return home from Iberia and claim Sicily, after the Byzantine army had succeeded in doing what Roger of Reggio-Messina had failed to achieve. Besides, there were no more territories to take from Badajoz since King Phillipe was doing so well. So Robert sued the Emir for all the cash he had available and set sail for Palermo.
Meanwhile, the situation at home had worsened. The revolts in Lecce spread north to Bari in April, where the fishing wharf burnt down a month later. In September, religious zealots stirred up a new riot in Foggia, which raged until the following July. The only good news from home was that Bohemond had completed his military studies and emerged as a well-knowledged tactician. Such a fine son, what a waste
On October 14, Robert’s army landed in Palermo and liberated the province in May before moving south to Agrigento.
At this point, the Apulian treasury was beyond empty. With a debt of over 500 gold, Robert had no problem with selling a brewery that he found in Badajoz. All he wanted was money to keep his crusade going while he still had men left to fight for him. His eldest daughter Mathilde completed her court education with miserable results and so Robert married her off to the first person who asked for her – in this case, the son and heir of the count of Geneve – just to get the marriage duty.
On October 2, 1076, while the siege of Agrigento dragged into its fifth month, the neighbouring province of Trapani declared war upon Robert, bringing along with them the African Kingdom of Zirid. Alexios of Byzantium joined in the conflict, but only against Trapani. This was much more than Robert could handle, with less than a thousand men left in his entire realm at his disposal.
It was not until February 16, 1077 that Agrigento fell to the Apulian army. But by this point, the Trapani, Siracusa and Zirid armies had already started a siege in Palermo. It was time for Robert to cut some of his losses. He successfully sued the Sheik of Siracusa for everything that he had while a white peace was reached with the Kingdom of Zirid. All that was left was to take over Trapini, with the help of the Byzantine army which had just left Napoli for the province.
In May, the might of Byzantium smashed through the Trapani army and led the siege. However, just before the province fell, Emperor Alexios was content once again to sue the local sheik for everything but the coat of his back and then go home, leaving control of the siege to Robert. Byzantium was truly a good friend!
But there was still no time for celebration. In late May, the peasants in Foggia took to open revolt and attempted to overtake the city. Without any decent fortifications (since the hill fort fell apart two years previously due to lack of funding), Robert had to return home immediately, leaving Marshal Serlo and a skeleton crew behind to hold the city under siege. Robert crushed the revolt in Foggia in August, only to learn that his brother Roger – who had done nothing in the last few years – was now leading the siege in Trapini. This will not do at all! So in October, Robert returned to the siege and finally claimed the city for himself on February 7 1078. At last, everyone could go home.
1078-1079 – Welcome home, Robert
But go home to what? Robert had conquered Badajoz, Tejo and Sicily as he set out to achieve, but left Apulia as a complete mess. He was heavily in debt, fortifications and infrastructure had been wrecked and riots were still taking place throughout the duchy. In May, another peasant revolt needed to be crushed in Foggia.
Robert had achieved so much, but didn’t really have a lot to show for it. He could declare himself the Dukes of Tejo and Sicily, and could even crown himself as the King of Naples, but didn’t have the money to create any of these titles!
His possessions in Iberia were safe for the moment. Pope Bogumil had ended the Iberian Crusade in early 1078 before dying on March 11. An interesting point is that ten days before the Pope’s death, King Malcolm of Scotland used his influence on the Pope to have William the Conqueror, King of England, excommunicated. The Scottish kingdom and the duchies therein went on to claim titles on almost the entire south of England. The next few years in the British Isles should prove interesting.
1079 began with a shock for Robert. He was now a grandfather. Mathilde of Geneve gave birth to a son, Guillaume, who was now second in line after Roger Borsa for everything that Robert had fought so hard for! It was time to find a wife for his good son quickly. And so in February, Robert married Bohemond with Cecile, the bastard daughter of the duke of Provence, and gave them lands in Portugal. No way was he going to give land to anyone else. It was HIS! All of it!
He also married off his younger daughter Emma to the son and heir of the count of Gent.
Do me proud, son
What? He has another son? Bah! Not worth the trouble.
…such were Robert de Hauteville’s final thoughts when he died on April 9 1079 at the age of 64.
Oh, great
So now everything that Robert had fought for, his new territories plus his ruined homeland, passes to his greatest disappointment: his other son, Roger Borsa
Personal realm of the de Hauteville family, April 1079
Iberian possessions of the de Hauteville family, April 1079: all four yellow provinces south of the Tajo river. That large blue area belongs to France, the smaller one to Croatia
Next: Roger Borsa, the Boy who could be King