Bohemond of Tarsia (died c. 1156) was the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

count of Tarsia and

Manoppello Manoppello ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' in Abruzzo, in the province of Pescara, south-eastern Italy. It is famous for having a church which contains an image on a thin byssus veil, a sudarium, known as the Holy Face of Manoppello and which has ...

He was not just a lord, but appears in contemporary document as ''Boamundus comes''. in the

Abruzzi Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

. Invested by

Roger II of Sicily Roger II ( it, Ruggero II; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Rog ...

on an unknown date, Bohemond's politics centred on controlling the monastery of Casauria. Bohemond had the support of

Robert of Selby Robert of Selby (or Salebia) (died 1152) was an Englishman, a courtier of Roger II and chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily. It is likely that his name indicates that he was from Selby in Yorkshire. He probably journeyed to Sicily about 1130. In his ...

, the

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...

, in attempting to get control of Casauria. He himself almost convinced the abbot, Oldrico, that the king had ceded it to him, but Roger intervened to prevent the deception. He did not molest Casauria itself, but he was forced in 1144 to return S. Andrea and S. Salvatore della Maiella to its jurisdiction. On 22 August 1148, he appeared as a

justiciar Justiciar is the English form of the medieval Latin term ''justiciarius'' or ''justitiarius'' ("man of justice", i.e. judge). During the Middle Ages in England, the Chief Justiciar (later known simply as the Justiciar) was roughly equivalent ...

. In 1152,

Tremiti The Isole Tremiti, also called "Isole Diomedee" (Diomedes' Islands, from Greek ''Diomèdee'', Διομήδεες) are an archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano Peninsula. They constitute a ''"comune"'' of Italy's Province of Foggia ...

put itself under Bohemond's protection. In 1153, Oldrico died and one Leo, a relative of Bohemond's wife, was elected to replace him. The abbey, however, requested nullification from Roger in order to elect one Constantine, whom

Pope Eugene III Pope Eugene III ( la, Eugenius III; c. 1080 – 8 July 1153), born Bernardo Pignatelli, or possibly Paganelli, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He w ...

deposed. The situation became more confused when Bohemond besieged Constantine in Casauria, but

Pope Anastasius IV Pope Anastasius IV ( – 3 December 1154), born Corrado Demetri della Suburra, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 July 1153 to his death in 1154. He is the most recent pope to take the name "Anastasius" upon his ...

told him to quit the monastic conflict. In 1154, Bohemond, now opposed to the popes, was ordered to attack

Adrian IV Pope Adrian IV ( la, Adrianus IV; born Nicholas Breakspear (or Brekespear); 1 September 1159, also Hadrian IV), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 4 December 1154 to his death in 1159. He is the only Englishman ...

as a loyal vassal of Roger. The chancellor

Asclettin Asclettin (from Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and ...

ordered

Robert III of Loritello Robert of Bassunvilla (also Basunvilla and Bassonville) (''c.'' 1125 – died 15 September 1182) was the count of Conversano (from 1138) and Loritello (from 1154, as Robert III). His family had a long history in Vassonville, near Dieppe. Robert ( ...

to lend Bohemond his troops. Robert revolted and Bohemond turned against him and began annexing his counties. At this time, Leo was approved in Casauria. Bohemond was at the height of his career. In 1156, Bohemond refused to surrender all he had gained to the new king

William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...

and was consequently imprisoned in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

. He was soon liberated and restored, for he never wavered in his loyalty. He died not long after his release and was succeeded by Bohemond II, probably a relation. He had a second son recorded by Falcandus named Carbonellus.

Notes

Sources

* Norwich, John Julius. ''The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194''. Longman:

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, 1970. *Matthew, Donald. ''The Norman Kingdom of Sicily''.

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press A university press is an academic publishing hou ...

: 1992. *Houben, Hubert. ''Roger II of Sicily: A Ruler between East and West''. Trans. G. A. Loud and Diane Milbourne.

: 2002. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bohemond of Tarsia Italo-Normans Norman warriors 12th-century rulers in Europe 1150s deaths Year of birth unknown Castiglione a Casauria