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Norman Civil War in Southern Italy
Between 1083 and 1085, Norman territories in southern Italy were torn by internal division over Robert Guiscard's Greek expedition, papal disputes, a…
Timeline
- 1083–1084Apulia · ApuliaDuring Guiscard's expedition to Greece, a power vacuum emerged in the rear in southern Italy. Bohemond acted independently in Greece, Roger Borsa's authority was weak, and Norman lords and Lombard barons everywhere took the opportunity to expand, fragmenting the duchy.
- 1084Rome · LazioRobert Guiscard marched into Rome and rescued Pope Gregory VII, who was besieged by Emperor Henry IV, but the city suffered severe damage. Though this consolidated the Norman-papal alliance, it further drained Guiscard's forces and worsened instability at home.
- 1084–1085Southern Italy · Southern ItalyGuiscard set out again on an eastern campaign but died of illness in 1085; the family civil war did not end with the leader's death but intensified over succession arrangements. Bohemond, Borsa, and others continued to contest territories, plunging Norman hegemony in southern Italy into prolonged turmoil.
Sources
- The Age of Robert Guiscard: Southern Italy and the Northern Conquest — G. A. Loud (2000)
- The Normans in the South, 1016-1130 — John Julius Norwich (1967)