Mastalus I ( it, Mastalo) (died 953) was the penultimate ''patricius'' of Amalfi. He was succeeded by his son, Mastalus II, who was raised to the status of ''

dux ''Dux'' (; plural: ''ducēs'') is Latin for "leader" (from the noun ''dux, ducis'', "leader, general") and later for duke and its variant forms (doge, duce, etc.). During the Roman Republic and for the first centuries of the Roman Empire, '' ...

''. His own father was the last

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

, Manso I. In 946, he came to the rescue of

Gisulf I of Salerno Gisulf I (also ''Gisulph'', ''Gisolf'', ''Gisulfo'', ''Gisolfo'', ''Gisulphus'', or ''Gisulfus'') (May 930 – November or December 977) was the eldest son of Guaimar II, Lombard Prince of Salerno, and his second wife Gaitelgrima. He was associate ...

, who was assaulted by an alliance of

Landulf II of Benevento Landulf II (died 961), called the Red, was the Lombard prince of Benevento and prince of Capua (as Landulf IV) from 939 or 940, when his father, Landulf I, first associated him with the government. His mother was Gemma, daughter of Athanasius o ...

and John III of Naples. Mastalus ambushed Landulf's forces in the pass at La Cava.

References

Excerpt
from the

Chronicon Salernitanum The ''Chronicon Salernitanum'', or "Salerno Chronicle", is an anonymous 10th century chronicle of the history of the Principality of Salerno. It was probably written around 990 (or 974) and has been attributed to Radoald of Salerno, Abbot of San Be ...

.
953 deaths 10th-century Italian nobility Year of birth unknown {{Italy-noble-stub