Christodulus (died 1131) ( el, Χριστόδουλος, ''Christodoulos'', meaning "Slave of Christ;"

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: ''Abd al-Rahman al-Nasrani'', meaning "worshiper of the All Merciful, the Nazarene"), probably either a

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

(the name was a common Greek Orthodox name) or a Muslim convert, was the first

emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...

of Palermo (later '' ammiratus ammiratorum'') under the Normans. His rise occurred after the death of Count Simon of Sicily in 1105 and he held the position of emir by 1107, during the

regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Adelaide del Vasto for her son, King Roger II of Sicily. Originally, his position was considered that of a successor to the old Muslim governors of Palermo, but the importance of Palermo as the capital of the county and permanent seat of 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 ...

court, one of the largest cities in Europe and a major trading port, made his position of national significance. He was put in charge of the building of a

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

and he received the titles of ''

protonobilissimus ''Nobilissimus'' (Latin for "most noble"), in Byzantine Greek ''nōbelissimos'' (Greek: νωβελίσσιμος),. was one of the highest imperial titles in the late Roman and Byzantine empires. The feminine form of the title was ''nobilissima'' ...

'' and ''

protonotary The word prothonotary is recorded in English since 1447, as "principal clerk of a court," from L.L. ''prothonotarius'' ( c. 400), from Greek ''protonotarios'' "first scribe," originally the chief of the college of recorders of the court of the B ...

'' and was the president of the council of state. As such, he holds the first place in the development of the role of an admiral. In 1123, Christodulus led a naval expedition against the

Mahdia Mahdia ( ar, المهدية ') is a Tunisian coastal city with 62,189 inhabitants, south of Monastir and southeast of Sousse. Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax. It is important for the associated fish-processing industry, as well as w ...

, but it failed miserably. He had appointed as his second-in-command George of Antioch, who was also a Greek, and the latter's brilliance in defeat began to overshadow the old emir. Christodulus was never out of favour, but his influence declined considerably after that and he was out of power by 1127, when he last appears beside George and King Roger at

Montescaglioso Montescaglioso ( Montese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy. The economy is mostly based on agriculture, including production of renowned oil and wine, as well as traditional food. Historically, i ...

, and he probably died around that time as well. He was succeeded by his second-in-command George of Antioch.

Sources

* Norwich, John Julius. ''The Normans in the South 1016–1130''. Longmans: London, 1967. *Houben, Hubert (translated by Graham A. Loud and Diane Milburn). ''Roger II of Sicily: Ruler between East and West''. Cambridge University Press, 2002. *Cohn, W. ''Geschichte der Normannische Sizilische Flotte'', Breslau 1910, pp. 65–68. {{Portal bar, Middle Ages, Christianity, War 11th-century births 12th-century deaths Medieval admirals Military history of the Kingdom of Sicily