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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:34:00 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:34:15 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size] 839Faced with so many enemies, Emperor Louis I makes peace with Lothair by assigning him all the Frankish lands east of the Meuse and Rhone rivers, the remainder to Charles the Bald. Lothair withdraws from the field. Louis the German (who now loses some of his inheritance to Lothair) and the Aquitainian barons fight on by themselves. BENEVENTO CIVIL WAR Assassination of the cruel Lombard Duke Sicardo of Benevento. The lords of Benevento acclaim his treasurer as Duke Radelchis I of Benevento. But the lords of Salerno and Count Landulf I of Capua acclaim Sicardo's brother as Duke Siconulf II of Benevento. Radelchis gathers his armies and rushes against him, but Siconulf manages to deliver him a crushing defeat near Salerno and gains the advantage. A long war will ensue between the parties for control of the duchy.  - Principality of Benevento Saracen Taranto. Seeking to profit from the distractions of the civil war in Benevento, several naval expeditions from Sicily proceed against the coast of the Italian mainland. One expedition, led by a certain Saba, lands an force in Apulia and captures Taranto, making it the second Saracen enclave on the Italian mainland. Republic of Amalfi Profiting from the civil war in Benevento, the population of Amalfi begins acting independently from both the Lombard Duchy of Benevento and the Byzantine Duchy of Naples.  - Republic of Amalfi 840 Alarmed at the wave of Aghlabid naval attacks on the Byzantine possessions in Italy, Emperor Theofilus dispatches the Patriarch of Constantinople to Venice, who confers the title of spatharius on the Venetian Doge Pietro Tradonico, in return for Venetian help against the Arabs in southern Italy. In March, a large Venetian-Byzantine fleet is immediately dispatched to defend Calabria and Apulia, but is completely destroyed by the Saracen fleet at the naval Battle of Crotone (off Calabria). The land-force deployed near Taranto is wiped out.  - Arab ships (Skylitzes chron.) With the Venetians out of commission, the Aghlabid fleet sails up the Adriatic, and sacks Orso (on the island of Cherso). Proceeding further north, they land in Adria (Polesine) and sack Ancona and the Polesine delta, right near the Venetian lagoons, before swirling currents force them to turn back. On their way back down, they leisurely raid the Istrian and Dalmatian coasts and capture a Venetian mercantile convoy. In the meantime, back in Sicily, reinforced by the new Emir Abu Iqal of Ifriqiya, the saracens continue their success in western Sicily, capturing Platani, Caltabellotta, Corleone, Marineo and Geraci. June, 840 Emperor Louis I dies in struggle against his son, Louis the German. Partitioning of the Frankish Empire proceeds, but is brought to a halt by Lothair (now Emperor Lothair I of the West), who decides to conquer the western Frankish lands, dispossess Charles the Bald, and reunite the empire. Louis the German, who fears a powerful Lothair, decides to throw his lot in with his half-brother Charles the Bald.  - Emperor Lothair I. 840 Doge Pietro Tradonico of Venice negotiates a treaty with Emperor Lothair I, confirming earlier privileges and making Venice responsible for the defense of the Adriatic Sea against the Slavs and other enemies. It also prohibits Venetian traffic in slaves in the Lombardia. 840 Death of Andrew II of Naples. Replaced by Contardus and then, later that year, by Duke Sergius I ("Contardus") of Naples. November, 840 Truce between Emperor Lothair I and his brother, Charles the Bald. 841 June 841 The combined armies of Charles the Bald and Louis the German defeat their brother, Emperor Lothair, at the Battle of Fountenoy (near Auxerre) holding the ambitious emperor in check. It is said the Charles's godfather, Bernard of Septimania, was late in sending troops (or actually betrayed him). Beginning of the fallout between Charles and Bernard.  - Battle of Fontenoy. 841 Lured by substantial booty and poor defenses of eastern Italy, the Aghlabid fleet returns to the Adriatic to plunder the coasts again. They destroy what remains of the Venetian fleet at the naval Battle of Sansego. The putative Venetian claim as "protector of the Adriatic" is seriously undermined. With the sinking of the Venetian military fleet, Dalmatian pirates step up their activity. Following up on Aghlabid success, numerous Arab freebooters from Andalusia, Ifriqiya, Egypt, Sicily and Crete proceed to land small parties and even form colonies everywhere around the Italian coast. In the meantime, back in Sicily, the Aghlabids ravage the area around Enna and capture the fortress of Grotte. This will be the last campaign against central Italy for some time to come. 841 Vikings in France, tiring of the the Low Countries, Vikings mover further south into northern France, plundering Rouen and head towards Paris. In the meantime, another group of Vikings land in western France, raiding Nantes, Bordeaux, Poitiers and Tarbes.  841 Death of Aghlabid Emir Abu Iqal of Ifriqiya. He is succeeded by Aghlabid Emir Muhammad I of Ifriqiya. 842January, 842 Death of Emperor Theophilus I after a long disease. He is succeeded by his toddler son, Byzantine Emperor Michael III, under the regency of his wife, dowager-Empress Theodora, an iconophile.  Byzantine Emperor Michael III Death of Caliph al-Mu'tasim. His peaceful son ascends as Abbasid Caliph al-Wathiq. Ferbuary, 842 Oath of Strabsourg Charles the Bald and Louis the German affirm their alliance in a document known as the 'Oath of Strasbourg' (also notable for being the first written account of French and German vernacular). Oath of Strasbourg (wiki) March/April, 842 Charles the Bald & Louis the German's armies capture Coblenz, putting Lothair to flight. They follow this up by capturing Aachen, the Carolingian capital, a heavy blow to Lothair's prestige. June, 842 Truce of Mâcon between the three Carolingian brothers. All hold on to their conquests August, 842 Saracen Bari - The Berber freebooter Khalfun lands an expeditionary force in Apulia and captures the important city of Bari. The embattled Duke Radelchis of Benevento, not having sufficient forces to dislodge him, offers to let him keep Bari in return for assistance against his rival Siconulf. Khalfun agrees and will gradually expand his power gradually over all of central Apulia and Basilicata. In response to Radelchis' alliance with Khalfun of Bari, Siconulf of Salerno enlists the assistance of Cretan captain Abu Ja'far or Apolofar of Taranto (who has since succeeded Saba as lord of that enclave).  Saracen knight Meanwhile, following up on their 838 raid on Marseille, Saracen pirates, probably from Spain, raid Arles (Provence). In the meantime, back in Sicily, tired of dueling in the Val di Enna (central Sicily, dominated by impregnable Enna), the Aghlabids turn their attention to the east Coast ("Val di Noto"). Aghlabid armies under Fadhl ibn Ja'far of the Banu Hamad, proceed immediately to lay siege to Messina, with the assistance of a naval blockade by the Duke of Naples. Death of Landulf I of Capua, close ally of Siconulf II of Salerno. He is succeeded by his son, who ascends as Count Landone I of Capua. 842 - Guideschi Dukes of Spoleto Death of Berengar of Spoleto, son-in-law of Emperor Lothair I, with only a daughter. Emperor Lothair appoints a son of his old partisan, Count Lambert I of Nantes, Marquis of Brittany (and briefly Duke of Spoleto in the 830s), who ascends as Duke Guido I ('Nantes') of Spoleto (or Wido/Guy).  - Spoleto 843Synod of Constantinople assembled by the new Patriarch Methodius of Constantinople at the direction of regent-empress Theodora. Iconoclasm ends in Byzantium and image-veneration re-established.  - regent-Empress Theodora June, 843 In a more serious mission towards the mid-Atlantic, the Vikings sack Nantes (Brittany) and the Loire region. They settle down to winter on the island of Noirmoutier in the Loire estuary, an advanced base from where they will continue harassing the French mainland. August, 843 Treaty of Verdun signed by Charles the Bald, Louis the German and Emperor Lothair I, partitioning the Frankish empire into three parts: (1) Charles the Bald receives West Francia (roughly, France; by peoples, the Franks of Neustria + the mixed Goths of Aquitaine-Septimania-Catalonia + western subjects (Bretons, Basques)), (2) Louis the German receives East Francia (roughly Germany; by peoples, the Franks of Franconia (Austrasia) + Bavarians + Swabians + Saxons + Thuringians + eastern subjects (Avars, Slavs), (3) Emperor Lothair I receives the central part known as Middle Francia ('Lotharingia') (by peoples, the Franks of Lorraine + Frisians + Burgundians + Lombards).  - Partition of Verdun, 843 Partition of Verdun in more detail(Note: with the Treaty of Verdun, the domains of the old vast March of Friuli are split, with the marches of Friuli and Istria going to Lotharingia, while the marches of Carinthia, Styria and Carniola pass to East Francia). His hands freed, Charles the Bald takes his attention westwards, towards the troubles from the increasingly intense Viking and Saracen raids, the bid for independence by the wayward duke Nomenoe of Brittany and the pretender Pepin II of Aquitaine, who is still at large and intriguing with the Umayyad Emir. Fall, 843 After valiant resistance for about a year, Byzantine Messina falls to the Aghlabids. Fadhl ibn Ja'far leads the Sicilian armies down the east coast.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:34:33 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:34:50 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size] 844Seeking to keen the Saracen citadel of Civitavecchia in check, Gregory IV orders the construction of the fortress of Gregoriopolis to protect the dilapidated town of Ostia, and contol the mouth of the Tiber River.  - Gregoriopolis January, 844 Death of Gregory IV. Election of Pope Sergius II, who is consecrated without imperial consent. He beats back an effort to install Gregory IV's deacon, John. Troubled with the gout, the papacy of Sergius II will be dominated by his corrupt brother, Benedict.  - Pope Sergius II Spring, Emperor Lothair I dispatches his son, Louis, and his half-brother, Bishop Drogo of Metz, with an army to Rome, to inquire into the validity of the papal election. Invading the Papal states, the Franks plunder their way down to Rome. Arriving in Rome in June, Louis is palliated by Pope Sergius II, who agrees to swear allegiance to his father, Emperor Lothair I (albeit not to Louis). Pope Sergius II then promptly crowns him as King Louis II of the Lombards with great pomp (but actually, no legal authority). While in Rome, Louis II is approached by Beneventan pretender, Siconulf, who asks to for royal investiture as Duke of Benevento, so as to trump his rival Ridelchis. But Louis II disdains to intervene. 844 Charles the Bald of the West Franks conquers Aquitaine and Septimania. His mother's lover, the mighty Marquis Bernard of Septimania, is captured and executed. But Bernard's son, William, makes common cause with pretender Pepin II of Aquitaine and, behind both, is Emir Abd al-Rahman II of Cordoba. That and the Viking inroads into Aquitaine and Gascony leave southern France in upheaval. Profiting from the southern chaos, Vikings from the island bases in the Loire basin, leisurely launch raids south into Aquitaine and Gascony. They will repeat such raids continuously for the next five years. Vikings in Aquitaine (map)Viking expedition against Spain, goes so far as to sack and pillage the great Umayyad city of Seville. In their wake, the Umayyad Emir orders the expansion of naval arsenals. Meeting of Yutz between the three brothers Charles, Lothair and Louis, establishes an alliance between them to fight the Vikings together. 845 Vikings sack Paris. Charles the Bald pays a ransom to make them go away. Vikings sack Hamburg. Archbishopric is moved to Bremen. June, 845 Treaty of St-Benoît-sur-Loire puts an end to the Aquitainean revolt. Charles the Bald recognizes the sovereignty of Duke Pepin II of Aquitaine in return for an oath of fealty. Wayward Celtic duke Nomenoe of Brittany defeats Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon and proclaims the creation of the Kingdom of Brittany, independent from the Empire. Charles recognizes the kingdom in 846. Brittany is the second kingdom (after Navarre) to break away from the Carolingian Empire. Modica falls to the Aghlabids in Sicily. A Byzantine expeditionary army is crushed at the Battle of Butero by the Aghlabid general Abbas ibn Fadhl, leaving behind thousands of men as prisoners. 846 Sicilian-Neapolitan Break Aghlabid governor Fadhl ibn Ja'far of Sicily captures Lentini. Having had enough of Sicily, he decides to join in on the Arab attacks on mainland Italy. Needing an advanced base -- and at the risk of spoiling their good relations with Naples -- the Sicilians occupy the Point Licosa on the southern peninsula of the gulf of Salerno and place a garrison on the island of Ponza (in front of Gaeta). Duke Sergius I of Naples, not daring to take on the Aghlabids by himself, forms a league with the fledgling republics of Amalfi and Gaeta and re-takes the two places and expels the light Sicilian garrisons. The alliance between Naples and Sicily is finished. August, 846 Arab Sack of Rome. Aghlabid ruler of Sicily, Ja'far ibn Fadhl, dispatches a powerful Aghlabid fleet to Naples, this time intending to use the duchy as a jumping point for an attack on Rome itself. A small Aghlabid force is landed at Cape Miseno, guarding the entrance into the bay of Naples, which they proceed fortify, while the bulk of the fleet is dispatched north to the mouth of the Tiber river. The Aghlabid expeditionary force disembark and capture and sack Ostia, whose defenses were not yet finished. They then proceed by the Via Aurelia up towards Rome. The Romans rush into city, unfairly dispatching out an unfortunate guard of the Frisian, Saxon and Frankish pilgrims to fight the Arabs on their own. They are cut to pieces. Aghlabid forces halt before the walls of Rome. Having no siege equipment, they proceed to plunder the suburbs. Most notably, they sack the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, both of which are outside the city walls. While Pope Sergius II appeals to Emperor Lothair I and Louis II of Italy for assistance, a Roman army cobbled together by Frankish officers is decimated by the Arabs at Prati. September, The Aghlabids attempt to take Rome by storm. It fails, so they plunder the suburbs some more. They cut short their sack of the Roman suburbs when news arrives of the impending approach of Lothair's son, Louis II and Guido of Spoleto, at the head of a large army. Part of the army loads up the booty and returns to Sicily, while another parts heads on land southwards, taking the Via Appia towards Benevento. On the way the latter stop to sack Fondi and they break their march to lay siege to Gaeta. Gaeta is on the verge of falling, if not for the sudden arrival of Margrave Guido I of Spoleto at the head of a Frankish army and, by sea, the sprightly navies of Naples and Amalfi. October, Assembly at Pavia convened by Emperor Lothair. Given the danger of the recent Saracen attacks on Italy, Emperor Lothair I and his son, Louis II of Italy decide to allow the Pope to build a long wall around Rome to protect the Vatican, ordering the instiution of a special tax in the region for the purpose. ( "the Leonine Wall"). It is also decided that, after dealing with the Saracens in Rome, Louis II should personally seek to intervene and mediate between the Beneventan pretenders, Ridelchis and Siconulf, partitioning the principality between them if need be, lest their conflict allow the Arabs to seize control of the entire southern Italy. The naval cooperation of Duke Sergius of Naples and Doge Pietro Tradonico of Venice will be asked for.  - Saracen siege November, In the meantime, the Aghlabids at the siege of Gaeta manage to defeat Guido of Spoleto's relief army. But the Neapolitan-Amalfitan navy, under the command of Cesario, son of Duke Sergius of Naples, is able to supply Gaeta indefinitely. At length, the Aghlabids make a deal with Cesario to lift the siege and depart back to Sicily unmolested. So it happens -- except that a fierce tempest envelops the Aghlabid fleet and sinks a good part of it. Fall, 846 Saracen troops, under a certain Massar, in the service of Radelchis, captures and ravages much of northern Benevento (albeit sparing the monastery of Monte Cassino), right by the border of the Duchy of Rome. 846 Death of Moimir of Great Moravia. Louis the German, the nominal suzerain of Slavic state, endorses the election of his nephew, who ascends as Prince Ratislav of Great Moravia[/url] 847January, Death of Pope Sergius II. Election of Pope Leo IV. Immediately begins building the "Leonine Wall" (on the right bank of the Tiber) to protect the Vatican from attack (finished 852). (Unhappily, this is also the same year that a conflagration devastates the right bank)  - Pope Leo IV. Map of Medieval Rome with Leonine wallFebruary, 847 Edict of Mersen. At a conference between the three Frankish kings, the Franks issue an edict whereby every free man must choose a lord, be it the king or one of his vassals; and that no vassal is obliged to follow his king into war unless that war be against "foreigners". This greatly aggrandizes the power of the great nobles at the expense of the monarch. Spring, 847 Louis II arrives in Benevento with a substantial Frankish army. Radelchis's Saracen captain, Massar is captured, humiliated and sadistically executed. 847 Expedition to Benevento. Seeking to avenge Massar, the Sicilian captain Abbas ibn Fadhl lands an expeditionary force on the mainland and ravages Benevento, defeating the forces of Louis II and plundering much of the land, before deciding to return to Palermo. 847 Bonifaci Marquises of Tuscany. In view of the Saracen threat in northern Lazio, Emperor Lothair resurrects Tuscany as a Frankish march, with capital at Lucca and covering Corsica. It is invested in Adalbert of Lucca (son of the former bold Count Boniface II of Lucca, his successor Aganus having died c.845), who ascends as Marquis Adalbert I of Tuscany.  - Tuscany 847 Death of Caliph al-Wathiq. Ascension of his brother as Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil, end of the 'Golden Age' Caliphs.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:35:05 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:35:23 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size] 848848 Right near Modica, the southeastern Sicilian city of Ragusa falls to the Aghlabids. Partition of Benevento - Although Emperor Lothair I's son, Louis II of Italy, reeling from Abbas ibn Fadhl's ferocious assault, is unable to expel the Arabs from the area, he manages to impose his political will on the warring Lombard lords, Radelchis and Siconulf. Peace is made with the Divisio of the principality. Both swear fealty to the Frankish monarch. The grand old Lombard duchy of Benevento is partitioned into two principalities: Benevento (northeast, for Radelchis I) and Salerno (southwest, for Siconulf II).  - southern Italy, post-partition of 848. The new Principality of Benevento is thus composed of the eastern Campania (Benevento, Boiano, Alife, Isernia, Campobasso), the Capitanata (Larino, Lucera, Siponto) and Apulia (Ascoli, Canosa, Bari, Brindisi) ( + Biferno). The new Principality of Salerno is composed of Taranto, Cassano, Cosenza, Laino, Conza, Sarno, Cimitile, Sora, Latinio, Montella, Furcula, part of Acerenza and, further north, Capua and Teano,  - Salerno Notice that some areas are still under Arab rule (i.e. the Apulian domains between Taranto and Bari), so it is up to these lords to reconquer them. The vast lands of the monasteries of Monte Cassino and San Vincenzo-in-Volturno and others are placed under the direct protection of the Lombard monarch. The political task accomplished, Louis II returns to Pavia. The peace between them is finalized and signed by them in 849, and ratified by Emperor Lothair again in 851. Sunni Revolution. After prolonged opposition, Caliph al-Mu'tawakkil finally repeals the mihna, the inquisition to impose a single theological line, leaving the interpretation of the faith up the individual. As a consequence, this delivers the laws of the Caliphate into the hands of the ulema (Islamic jurists), rather than the Caliph. Islamic jurists immediately begin constructing the jurisprudential rules and compiling the Hadith (sayings and practices of the Prophet) as sources of legal knowledge. This sets in motion the construction of 'Sunni Islam'. And puts an end to the centralizing efforts of the autocratic 'Golden Age' Caliphs, who now come increasingly under the thumb of their Turkish palace guard. 849 Saracen fleet (possibly Andalusian origin) sails against Italy and sacks Luni on the Ligurian coast, then turns back and drops anchor at Cape Teulada in Sardinia, awaiting junction with a new Ifriqiyan fleet. Reports arrive if Italy of the assembly of a powerful Ifriqiyan fleet in Sardinia, preparing to go against Rome again. Cesario of Naples assembles a Neapolitan-Amalfitan fleet and races up to Ostia. Pope Leo IV, wary of Naples's traditional alliance with the Sicilians, demands to know what they are doing there. With some difficulty, Cesario assures the Pope of his benevolent mission. The fleets engage in combat at the naval Battle of Ostia. After some hard fighting, a tempest rages suddenly. The Neapolitans manage to flee into the harbor, leaving the Ifriqiyan fleet to flounder in the storm. Many of the drowning Muslim sailors are captured and set to work as slaves on the Leonine wall. This victory -- celebrated in nationalist lore as the first instance of "Italian" patriotism superseding civic loyalty -- is regarded as the most significant Italian naval victory until Lepanto.  Battle of Ostia (Raphael's fresco at Vatican) 850April, 850 Emperor Lothair I's son, Louis II of Lombardia, arrives in Rome and is crowned as co-Emperor Louis II by Pope Leo IV Treaties between the Emperor and Pope are renewed. But there remains items of contention -- notably, Louis II's support of the rebellious and ambitious Bishop Arsenius of Orte as imperial missi to Rome. Fall, 850 Assembly of Pavia assembled by Louis II, to institute some sort of ecclesiastical discipline among the clergy and restore a modicum of law and order in the brigand-ridden Italian kingdom. Attempts to overhaul finances and orders several construction projects. 850 Ravenna's bid Appointment of the controversial Archbishop John X of Ravenna. In a more-than- typical independent-minded style, John of Ravenna and his brother, Gregory of Emilia pretty much exclude papal government from the Exarchate and even go so far as to take possession of several Church property belonging to Rome. 850 Saracen raids on Arles, Provence. 850 Rebellion of Septimania subdued by Charles the Bald while the Betons starts recovering Nantes and other lands from the Loire-based Vikings. 850 Foundation of the University of Salerno (more precisely the medical school of Salerno), the first in Europe. Legendarily founded by four doctors - a Latin, a Greek, an Arab and a Jew - thereby drawing the four great Mediterranean traditions together in one place. 851January, Death of Abu al-Aghlab Ibrahim, the capable governor of Palermo. He is succeeded by Abbas ibn Fadhl, raider of Benevento and victor of Butero. A ferocious general, together with his brother Ali, Abbas ibn Fadhl will ravage the lands around Castrogiovanni, Catania, Syracuse, Noto and Ragusa, dismantling fortifications everywhere and mercilessly subjecting resisting towns. May, 851 Conference of Meersen seals new common alliance between the three Frankish kings against the Vikings and other raiders. 851 Byzantine-Arab War (eleventh or so) Citing the Saracen naval and landward raids, regent-Queen Theodora of Byzantium orders an invasion of the Abbasid Caliphate. Byzantine forces advance eastwards and defeat an Arab force at the Battle of Amida in northern Iraq. 852 852 Emirate of Bari Death of Khalfun, conqueror of Bari. He is succeeded by Muffareq ibn Salim. Seeking official recognition independent of Ifriqiya, Muffareq dispatches emissaries to Egypt, asking for the presence of a deputy from the Baghdad Caliph. Muffareq obtains from Caliph al-Mutawakkil his investiture as governor of Bari, dependent on the Abbasid Caliphate, rather than Aghlabid Ifriqiya.  - Emir of Bari 852 To safeguard their commerce, Duchy of Naples restores its alliance with the Sicilian Arabs. 852 First Expedition to Bari by Louis II of Lombardia, at the request of the Abbot of Monte Cassino. The Frankish armies go so far as to lay siege to Bari, but facing fierce resistance is forced to lift the siege within a year. Emboldened, Emir Moffareq of Bari expands his domination of Benevento -- and proceeds raiding further afield with impunity. 853Vikings capture Nantes and Tours. 853 Pope Leo IV journeys to Ravenna to bring the wayward Archbishop John X and his brother Gregory of Emilia in line. In vain. 853 Salerno Crisis. The young Sigo of Salerno (successor of Siconulf) is deposed by his tutor, Petrus, who is in turn succeeded by his son, who ascends as Prince Ademar of Salerno. He is immediately challenged by Count Landone I of Capua and his brothers, who seek to detach their lands from his rule. In the meantime, Radelchis dies and succeeded by his son Prince Adelchis of Benevento.  - Adelchis, Prince of Benevento 853 Death of Hunroch II of Friuli. He is succeeded by his son, who ascends as Marquis Eberhard ("the Saint") of Friuli (who also happens to be the husband of Louis the Pious's daughter, Gisele). 853 Sack of Damietta Byzantine fleet raids the sleepy commercial Egyptian port of Damietta. Curiously, Byzantium's one and only naval raid on Saracen shores in the centuries of conflict between them. And nowhere near as bold as Boniface II of Lucca's 828 attack on Tunis, the heart of Saracen naval power. A striking reminder of the decrepit state of the Byzantine naval power and why they depended so much on Italian powers, like Venice and Naples, to do the heavy naval lifting for them. 854Louis the German declines to meet his brothers at Liege. Louis the Younger (son of Louis the German) places himself at the head of a revolt of Aquitainean nobles. It is short-lived as Louis the German soon recalls his son.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:37:21 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 9, 2007 23:37:37 GMT -5
Carolingian Lombardia[/size] 855Seeking to curb their increasing influence, Rastislav of Great Moravia breaks with the Franks. Louis the German launches an unsuccessful attack on the Moravians. July, 855 Death of Leo IV. Election of Pope Benedict III. But the messengers taking the confirmation to Emperor Louis II are intercepted at Gubbio (a nest of papal exiles in Umbria) by the imperial missi, Bishop Arsenius of Orta. The letters are switched and the messengers bring to Louis II a request for the confirmation of his nephew (or son) Cardinal Anastasius (anathemized by Leo IV, supported by several high nobles and bishops of Rome) as pope. Louis agrees and dispatches an army to escort Arsenius and Anastasius to Rome. The Franks cancel the election and imprison Benedict III. But the Roman clergy refuses to proceed with the election of an anathemized cleric. Their stand is supported by a popular uprising, prompting Louis II to change his mind. A compromise is reached whereby Benedict III is consecrated in September and the anathema on Anastasius is lifted and he is attached to a monastery in Trastevere.  - Benedict III September, 855 Partition of Lotharingia. On his deathbed at the cloister of Prum (near Trier), Emperor Lothair I divides his Lotharingian kingdom in three: Lombardy goes to his eldest son, Emperor Louis II. The bulk of Lothair's Frankish Lotharingia (roughly, Netherlands, Alsace-Lorraine and Rhineland, with capital at Aachen) goes to his second son, who ascends as King Lothair II of Lotharingia. But the Burgundian lands go the younger brother, Charles of Bugundy. The eldest-born, Emperor Louis II, is decidedly disappointed, feeling he deserved some of the ultramontane lands.  - Emperor Louis II  - Partition of 855 That same year, Wessex adopts 'Peter's Pence'. King Lothair II of Lorraine marries Teutberga, daughter of Boso 'the Ancient', count of Valois and count palatine of Italy. 856Louis II's claims Meeting his brothers at a conference at Orbe, Emperor Louis II of Italy requests a repartition of their father's Lotharingian domains more in his favor. Lothair II of Lorraine and Charles of Burgundy refuse. Louis II approaches his uncles, Charles the Bald of France and Louis the German for assistance, but finds them unwilling to listen. A conference in Trent is called for next year to resolve the issue. 856 Vikings capture Orleans. That same year, French barons' revolt against Charles the Bald and offer the crown to Louis the German (he refuses). 856 Emir Sawdan of Bari succeds Moffareq. 856 With the connivance of Emperor Michael III, the general Bardas deposes his sister, the regent-Empress Theodora, and is appointed regent and, soon after, co-emperor (Caesar) with the dissolute Michael III. 857March, 857 Treaty of St. Quentin between Charles the Bald and Louis II the German, whereby they agree to guarantee the apportionments of their nephews, Lothair II of Lorraine and Charles of Burgundy, against the claims of their elder nephew, Emperor Louis II. Louis II resigns himself to his Italian domains. 857 Vikings capture Poitiers. Pepin II resumes his campaign in Aquitaine. December, 857 Photian Schism. For refusing to give communion to the incestuous regent Bardas, Byzantine Emperor Michael III replaces the Patriarch Ignatius with a laical relative, who ascends as Patriarch Photius I of Constantinople. Photius is hurried through the sacrament of the holy orders in six days and ordained by the excommunicated Gregory Asbestas of Syracuse. Despite the three offenses against canon law ((1) he was ordained bishop without having kept the interstices; (2) by an excommunicate consecrator (3) to an occupied see). Seeking to prevent a schism, the Emperor requests the Roman Pope to confirm the change.  - Patriarch Photius I of Constantinople 858April, 858 Death of Benedict III. Election of Pope St. Nicholas I ("the Great"). Cardinal Anastasius attempts to get Louis II to install him instead, to no avail. Louis II, thinking he has a pliant pope in Nicholas, confirms him. But he is soon to realize he is anything but weak.  - Pope Nicholas I 'the Great'. 858 Girard of Vienne founds the monastery of Vézelay, one of the greatest of Romasque churches. 858 Sicilian governor Abbas ibn Fadhl captures Gagliano. Practically the entire city is sold into slavery. Charles the Bald launches an intervention against Viking advances. But urged on by Frankish nobles, Louis the German invades Western Frankish lands. The invasion is repulsed. 858 Partition of Spoleto. Death of Guido I of Spoleto. His lands are partitioned into two domains. His son ascends as Duke Lambert I of Spoleto, taking the Umbrian lands closer to Rome, while the coastal lands are invested in a certain Marquis Hildebert of Camerino (possibly a son of former duke Berengar of Spoleto).  - Camerino 859January, 859 At the instruction of a Christian prisoner whose life he has spared, the Sicilian governor Abbas ibn Fadhl proceeds in the dead of winter stealthily to the impregnable Byzantine fortress of Enna (Castrogiovanni) in central Italy. A Muslim party, headed by Ribbah, proceeding, with the Christian guide, through a subterranean aqueduct into the city, avoids the sentries and opens the gates. The Aghlabid army pours in and takes control. After so many years of trying, Enna falls to the Aghlabids. 859 Charles the Bald finally defeats Pepin II of Aquitaine. Aquitaine is annexed into West Francia. 859 Worried that the absence of sons by him or his brothers might lead to the absorption of his Lotharingia into his uncles' domains, King Lothair II repudiates Teutberga, his sterile wife, accusing her of an incestuous relationship with her brother. By divorcing her, he hopes to marry his lover, Valdrada, through whom (already having several illegitimate children with Lothair II), succession would be guaranteed. To secure his most powerful brother, Emperor Louis II, to this course of action, Lothair II grants him a few lands, including the Bishoprics of Geneva and Lausanne and the hospice of St. Bernard. He also gets the archbishops of Cologne and Trier on board. 859-62 Great Viking Expedition of Hastings and Bjorn to the Mediterranean. The Viking attacks along the French Atlantic coast are temporarily suspended. After raiding the monasteries and such of Roussillon, the expedition settles in at Camargue. They proceed to raid the whole area of the valley of the Rhone, as far away as Valence (where they are held in check by of Count Gerald of Vienne)  Fall, 859-60 Sicilian Uprising Reeling from the fall of Enna, the Byzantine Emperor dispatches a powerful Byzantine expeditionary force to Sicily. Several Sicilian towns that had been subjugated by the Muslims -- Platani, Caltabellotta, Caltavuturo, Sutera, Avola -- rise in revolt, expecting delivery. 859 Against the claims of Emperor Louis II, the sickly Charles of Burgundy signs a treaty designating his brother Lothair II of Lorraine his heir in Burgundy. 860.January, 860 Trial of Teutberga, Lothair II's wife, at Aachen. By torture, she pleads guilty to incest and abortion. She is dispatched to a monastery and an application for divorce forwarded to Pope Nicholas I. 860 Spoleto Revolt. Complaints by the people of Camerino against their new marquis Hildebert prompt Louis II to head towards eastern Italy to address them. Duke Lambert I of Spoleto is ordered to show up at the hearing, but he makes common cause with Hildebert and flees, taking refuge with Duke Adelchis of Benevento. Emperor Louis II proceeds to Benevento. Lambert and Adelchis submit to the Emperor, but Hildebert of Camerino takes refuge among the Arabs of Bari and is never heard from again. Unable to go against Bari, Louis II returns to Pavia. Landing in Syracuse, a Byzantine expeditionary force heads north. Abbas ibn Fadhl meets and defeats them, then rushes to the coast and captures a good number of Byzantine ships. The remainder of the year is spent re-subjugating the Sicilian towns that had risen in rebellion. Taking an offensive, the Emir of Bari reaches the walls of Naples and plunders the surrounding countryside. Taking matters into their own hands, the lord Maielposo of Telese and Guandalperto of Boiano, supported by Lambert I of Spoleto, raise an army and proceed to Bari, where they hope to ambush the emir. But warned ahead of time, the Emir crushes the Christian army and then, using the ambush as an excuse, proceeds to take his revenge throughout Benevento. July, 860 Interview at Andernach between Charles the Bald and Louis the German. No peace is made. 860 In an attempt to reign in his excesses, Pope Nicholas I picks a quarrel with Ravenna, accusing Archbishop John X of Ravenna and his brother, Duke Gregory of Emilia, not only of confiscations of Church property, but (more seriously) of interfering in the election of suffragan bishops and not even permitting them to appeal or go to Rome. It is around this time that the " False Decretals" emerge, forged documents defending diocesan bishops against their metropolitans and claiming papal supremacy and right of interference in provincial matters. November, 860 Archbishop Inemard of Rheims rises to the defense of Teutberga, Lothair II of Lotharingia's sterile wife and slows down the divorce proceedings. Suspecting the interference of uncle Charles the Bald, who hopes to inherit his domains should Lothair and his brothers die childless, Lothair II appeals to his uncle Louis II the German for assistance, throwing his support behind him in his struggle against Charles and offering him the Alsace (to be claimed upon Lothair's death). This irritates Charles the Bald immensely, and the French king decides to intervene actively in Teutberga's defense. He engineers her escape from the cloister and lobbies the Pope for the nullificaton of the verdict at Aachen. November, 860 Louis the German defeats Charles the Bald at the Battle of Brienne.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 10, 2007 23:19:40 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA[/b]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 10, 2007 23:20:00 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA[/b] 861861 Wave of Viking raids in northern Europe: the great cities of Paris, Toulouse, Cologne, Aachen and Worms are all sacked. February, 861 Synod of Rome assembled by Nicholas I to deal with the issue of Ravenna. Archbishop John X of Ravenna shows up and then disappears when he sees the proceedings are going against him. The council excommunicates John of Ravenna. Spring, 861 John of Ravenna hurries to Pavia and asks for the intervention of Louis II. Louis hurriedly dispatches his missi to Rome, but Pope Nicholas I informs them that the Emperor should not have any dealings with an anathemized cleric and pushes them aside. He does, however, offer to allow John X to show up and defend himself at a second synod in November. May, 861 Council of St. Sophia. At a council in front of the papal emissaries, putative Patriarch Photius I of Constantinople forces a show trial where the deposed Patriarch Ignatius is force to sign his own conviction. He is exiled to the island of Terebinth Photius bribes the papal ambassadors handsomely and then sends them back to Rome with a sparkling report. Summer, 861 In response to petitions of local notables, Pope Nicholas I travels to Ravenna and proceeds to restore much of the property which the Archbishop John X of Ravenna and his brother, Gregory of Emilia, had alienated. In the meantime, John of Ravenna goes to Pavia and again requests Louis II for assistance. This time, Louis II refuses to bail him out. 861 The Sicilian city of Platani, which had risen in revolt against the Aghlabids and managed to stay out of their attempts to reconquer it, foolishly dispatches its garrison northwards, on news that a Byzantine force was heading to Palermo. Hoping to join the siege, a good part of its garrison leaves the city -- and is duly crushed by Abbas ibn Fadhl near Cefalu. August, 861 Death of the formidable Sicilian governor Abbas ibn Fadhl while on campaign. He is succeeded by his uncle, Ahmad ibn Yaqub. Fall, 861 A venture by Charles the Bald into the domains of Charles of Burgundy is repelled. 861 Peace of Coblenz between Charles the Bald and Louis the German. Louis withdraws. November, Synod of Rome Archbishop John X of Ravenna submits to the Pope Nicholas I. Ravenna is placed on probation under the tight control of the Rome. It marks a turning point. As the long independence of the Archbishop of Ravenna from Rome evaporates, the lands of the Exarchate come under title control of Rome. 861 County of Capua Prince Ademar of Salerno is deposed, tortured and blinded in a conspiracy led by Guaifer (or Gunifer) of Nocera, son-in-law of Landone I of Capua. He duly ascends as Prince Guaifer of Salerno. Guaifer allows the Counts of Capua to continue as effectively independent rulers, with only nominal suzerainity to the Prince of Salerno.  - Capua Landone I of Capua dies that same year and is succeeded by his son (a brother-in-law of Gauifer of Salerno), who ascends as Count Landone II of Capua. But he dies (is killed?) later that year and is, in turn, succeeded by his uncle (brother of Landone I), who ascends as Count Pandone of Capua. 862April, 862 Synod of Aachen convened by Lothair II of Lorraine. Although Pope Nicholas I has not yet made up his mind about the divorce case with Teutberga, the Council declares independently that Lothair II can go ahead and marry his lover, Valdrada. June, 862 The Sicilian governor Abdallah ibn Abbas, not being well-regarded in Qairouan, is joined by a lieutenant/replaced by Khaf*gia ibn Sufyan, dispatched from Africa by the Aghlabid Emir Ahmed of Ifriqiya. 862 Novgorod Rus. The semi-legendary Varangian (Swedish Viking) chieftan Rurik seizes several districts in northern Russia and founds the Varangian principality of Novgorod. 862 Death of Pandone of Capua after less than a year of rule. He is succeeded by his son, who ascends as Count Pandonulf of Capua. But Pandonulf is deposed later that year by his uncle (another brother of Landone I), who ascends as Count Landulf II of Capua. (made Bishop of Capua in 863, the Arab-allied and mystic Landulf II is the inspiration for the Darth Vader-like character of Klingsor in Parzifal)  Klingsor (a.k.a. Landulf II of Capua) in Parzifal862 Ex-Patriarch Ignatius, from his exile, dispatches his friend Theognostus to Rome, to give a correct accounting of the happenings at Constantinople. Disgusted by what he hears, Pope Nicholas I orders the assembly of a Council in Rome to decide upon this. November, 862 Bending to Teutberga's request (and her sponsor Charles the Bald's lobby), Pope Nicholas I calls for an assembly at Metz the next year to decide to make a final decision on Lothair II's divorce. But hoping for a fait accompli, Emperor Lothair II marries Valdrada, mother of his three (illegitimate) sons. December, 862 Death of Eberhard of Friuli. His son ascends as Margrave Hunroch III of Friuli. 863January, 863 Lombard annexation of Burgundy. Death of Charles of Burgundy. By an 859 agreement, Burgundy should pass to his brother Lothair II of Lorraine. But his brother, Emperor Louis II of Lombardia arrives first and annexes the bulk of it, the remainder goes to Lothair II of Lorraine. An attempt by their uncle, Charles the Bald, to seize the lands is fought back. For his assistance, Louis II invests the nobleman Girard of Lyonnais with vast tracts of land (encompassing the counties of Lyons, Vienne and Vivarais, the heart of Cisjurane Burgundy).  - Lombard annexation of Burgundy, 863 863 Second Expedition to Bari. Having given refuge to rebellious lord Hildebert of Camerino, Emperor Louis II decides to put an end to the Bari menace once and for all. He raises a large army in Italy and proceeds to Benevento. April, 863 Synod of Rome at the Lateran Palace. Drawing on the account of Ignatius's emissary, Theognostus, Pope Nicholas I assembles his own council in Rome which declares Patriarch Photius I deposed and banned, excommunicates his own lax emissaries and declares the deposed Patriarch Ignatius restored and orders Photius to step down immediately. The Photian Schism between Greek and Latin churches ensues. June, 863 Council of Metz assembled by Lothair II, with representatives of the dioceses of Lotharingia, France, Provence and Germany. But Lothair II denies Teutberga a safe-conduct to Metz, and her absence is taken as an admission of guilt. The Lotharingian bishops, who form the majority, confirm the divorce and ratify the marriage of Lothair II with Valdrada and their children legitimate. October, 863 Nicholas I's Synod in Rome annuls Metz, orders Lothair II to rip up his marriage contract with Valdrada, excommunicates Archbishop Gunther of Cologne and Bishop Dietgold of Trier, the two emissaries who had delivered the decision from Metz and threatens all the bishops at Metz with excommunication for encouraging bigamy. The excommunicated ambassadors immediately proceed to Benevento to complain to Emperor Louis II of their mistreatment by the Pope. Fall, 863 Breaking off his expedition against Bari, Emperor Louis II arrives in Rome, accompanied by the usual malcontents (Gunther of Cologne, Diethold of Trier, John of Ravenna, Gregory of Emilia, Radoald of Porto, etc.). A skirmish with a person in the assembled crowd leads a Frankish soldier to cut down a processional cross of St. Helena which contained a fragment of the True Cross. Gunther of Cologne's brother forcibly makes his way into the church, kills the sacristan, and puts his protest on the confession of St. Peter. Pope Nicholas I, indignant at these sacrilegious violations, retires to pray, refusing to meet the Emperor. The responsible Frankish soldier dies of a fever two days later, and Emperor Louis himself gets ill. Seeing in this a divine premonition, Emperor Louis II accedes to the Pope's decision and orders the German bishops to leave Italy. However, Gunther defiantly returns to his seat in Cologne, an act of insubordination.. But all the other bishops who had participated at Metz, decide to make submission to the pope.  - Pope Nicholas I and Emperor Louis II 863 Death of Ahmed of Ifriqiya. He is succeeded by Aghlabid Emir Ziyadat-Allah II of Ifriqiya. Replaced next year by the unbalanced Emir Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya. 863 Mission to the Slavs At the invitation of Rotislav of Moravia, who seeks to resist incorporation into the Frankish sphere of influence, East Christian missionaries St. Methodius and St. Cyril penetrate Great Moravia. The Slavic alphabet, "Cyrillic", is introduced by them around this time.  - St. Cyril and St. Methodius
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 10, 2007 23:20:21 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA[/b]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 20:59:36 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA864Louis the German defeats Ratislav of Great Moravia and forces him to recognize Frankish suzerainity. Edict of Pistes by Charles the Bald regulating minting and coinage. ( Edict of Pistes) September, 864 Venetian Reform. Doge Pietro Tradonico is ambushed and killed by an armed band. A violent struggle in the streets of Venice ensues between the Doge's Croatian guard and the armed attackers. A riot ensues and the leading conspirators are themselves killed by the mob. Peace follows. Election of the new Doge Orso Participazio I of Venice, a nobleman who had nothing to do with the violent end of Tradonico. Initiates a program of radical reform, including the creation of a system of elected judges ("giudici") as the nucleus of a dogal curia, to supplement the doge and provide more checks & balances to dogal power than the two tribunes and the occasional assembly ("arengo"). Also centralizes power, bringing outlying areas closer to Rialtan rule and creates more independent bishoprics in the Venetian lagoon, thus diluting the power of the Patriarch of Grado. Orso Participazio I864 The southeastern Sicilian city of Noto falls to the Aghlabids under Khaf'gia ibn Sufyan, followed soon after by Sicili. 864 Prince Boris I of Bulgaria converts to Christianity (Greek rite), partly under duress as part of a peace with the Byzantines. But Bulgaria's traditional alliance with the Franks opened the way for Latin missionaries to swarm into the Bulgar khanate and instruct the Bulgars to Latin rite Christianity, much to the annoyance of Constantinople. The Roman Bishop Formosus of Porto, had a leading role in this. 865February, 865 Third Expedition to Bari. Having been distracted by the Roman affair, Emperor Louis II begins preparing his third expedition against Bari. He issues the Constitutio promotionis exercitus, painstakingly detailing the raising of the armies and order of command. His initial plan is to depart next March and proceed south by the Adriatic coast to Lucera (in Apulia). Lothair II reluctanctly agrees to the Pope Nicholas II's will and terminates his marriage with Valdrada and reconciles with his sterile wife Theoberga. 865 Danish Invasion of England begins with the "Great Heathen Army" of Danish Vikings land in England and capture Northumbria. 866866 Troina falls to the Aghlabids. The southeastern towns Noto and Ragusa, which had risen in revolt, are swiftly subjugated again. Tour of Campania Louis II sets off for southern Italy, but having left later than planned and seeking to ensure that he is not going to be interfered with by the Italian lords, changes his plans and, at Pescara, cuts west across the peninsula for a tour of the Campania rather than proceeding down the Adriatic coast. Stopping by Monte Cassino in June, he is cordially received by the Abbott Bertario. He proceeds to Capua, where he immediately divests the untrustworthy Count-Bishop Landulf II and grants Capua to Lambert I of Spoleto. He then proceeds to Salerno, to confer with Prince Guaifer I and then on to Amalfi. Doubling back (carefully avoiding Naples), Louis II proceeds through Pozzuoli, Sessa and Caudio to Benevento, where he is received by the unreliable Adelchis of Benevento. 866 Macedonian Coup In a palace coup in Constantinople, with permission from Emperor Michael III, Basil of Macedonia (probably an Armenian actually) murders the regent and co-ruler Caesar Bardas and makes himself co-emperor. 867March, 867 The imperial army under Emperor Louis II leaves Benevento and ventures into the Emirate of Bari. Hostilities begin. 867 Antagonized by the Pope, who seeks to press the old 787 papal claims on Capua, Lambert I of Spoleto-Capua plunders Rome and bully the pope and notables, as if he is lord of the place. 867 Synod of Constantinople assembled by the schismatic Patriarch Photius I declares Pope Nicholas I deposed. Photius also issues a statement accusing the Latin Church of apostasy because (1) they fast on Saturday; (2) do not begin Lent until Ash Wednesday (instead of three days earlier, as in the east), (3) do not allow priests to be married; (4) do not allow priests to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation; (5) have added the 'filioque' to the Creed. Under the authority of Emperor Michael III, Photius dispatches an emissary to the Western Emperor Louis II offering him all sorts of titles (including augustus) if he executes the sentence. September, 867 Regent and co-emperor Basil of Macedonia assassinates Byzantine Emperor Michael III in his chambers and marries his mistress, Eudocia Ingerina. End of the Armorian dynasty. Basil ascends as Emperor Basil I ("the Macedon") of Byzantium. Beginning of Macedonian dynasty of Eastern Rome, which will briefly revive Byzantine fortunes. Basil I deposes Photius I as Patriarch of Constantinople, thereby putting an end to one item of contention between the Latin and Greek churches. In reward, Nicholas I shelves the plan to make Bulgaria a dependency of Latin Roman church, allowing it to return to Greek Constantinople.  - Byzantine Emperor Basil I ('the Macedon') November, 867 Death of St. Nicholas I the Great, who fought to establish the universal pre-eminence of the Bishop of Rome. He is succeeded by Pope Adrian II in December His papacy will be overwhelmed by a series of scandals that hit the Lateran, and the domineering politics of the Carolingian brothers. Adrian II initiates his papacy with a series of merciful gestures, lifting the excommunications of Anastasius, the German bishops Gunther and Dietgold and, rather significantly, Valdrada (lover & putative wife of Lothair II of Lorraine).  - Pope Adrian II Under Adrian II, power is taken by a corrupt and scandal-ridden noble clique led by the nomenclator Gregory (chief financial officer) and his son-in-law, George of Aventino (a ruined noble suspected of murdering his first wife in order to marry Gregory's already scandalous daughter Constantina). The secundicerius Stephen is Gregory's brother. Associated with them is the powerful faction of the learned and formidable Bishop Formosus of Porto (a future pope). December, 867 Advancing too slowly, hit by epidemics and Arab guerillas, Emperor Louis II withdraws back to Benevento. 868868 Operations against Bari resumed with a little more success. Louis II takes Venosa (in Lucania), Matera (between Bari and Taranto) and goes as far as Oria (a Jewish city in the Apulian peninsula, between Taranto and Brindisi). But the Apulian coast remains firmly in Arab hands and the fortifications of Taranto and Bari easily withstand the imperial assaults. Louis II lays siege to Bari but realizes it is useless as the Arabs have control of the sea and can easily replenish them. Needing naval support, Emperor Louis II appeals to the maritime states. Naples, allied with the Sicilian Arabs, refuses. Amalfi, friendly with the Emperor, but not wishing to risk their good relations and commercial ties with the Arabs also refuses. Only Gaeta offers a naval force, but it is too small to maintain a blockade. It pays dearly for it too -- a Sicilian fleet sets upon and raids Gaeta that very same year. 868 Byzantine Alliance: In need of a navy to reduce Bari and Taranto, Emperor Louis II turns to the Byzantine Emperor Basil I An alliance is signed between them, to be sealed by the marriage between the son of Basil I and Irmengarda, daughter of Louis II. 868 A Byzantine expeditionary force to Sicily is defeated by Khaf'gia ibn Sufyan near Syracuse.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 21:02:11 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 22:32:41 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA869869 King Lothair II of Lorraine, encouraged by the new Pope Adrian II's leniency, believes the divorce with Teudberga and remarriage with Valdrada can be pushed through after all. Lothair II travels to Italy, and proceeds to Benevento to meet with his brother. Reluctantly, Emperor Louis II removes himself from Venosa and hurries up to Benevento to a conference. Lothair II goes up to Montecassino and then to Rome, where, in a conference with Pope Adrian II, is duly informed that the question of the divorce will be considered again later that year in a synod in Francia (Aachen?) and ratified at a council in Rome. Encouraged by the news, Lothair II prepares to travel north. While Emperor Louis II is in Benevento, a Byzantine fleet under the command of Admiral Niceta arrives in the waters of Bari, both to lend support to the Lombard siege as well as to pick up Louis II's daughter, Irmengarda. But Irmengarda refuses to leave without her brother present (alternatively, some say Louis II decided to hold off the marriage until seeing the outcome of the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople). Taking this as an affront, the Byzantine fleet leaves and returns to Corinth. With the departure of the Byzantine fleet, Louis II lifts the siege of Bari and heads back northwest to Benevento. But a sally by the Emir of Bari devastates the Frankish rearguard as they retire, and goes on to sack the sanctuary of St. Michael in Mt. Gargano. August, 869 Death of Lothair II of Lorraine, in Piacenza, on his way back to Aachen. By right, the territory should be inherited by his brother Emperor Louis II of Lombardy-Burgundy, then busy on campaign against Bari. But his uncle, Charles the Bald, makes a bid for the territory. He offers Louis the German a bit for his assistance. 869 Aghlabids capture Malta. 869 A fleet of Arab freebooters land in Provence and build an enclave and harbor at Camargue. 869-70 Fourth Council of Constantinople ('Photian Council') (8th Ecumenical Council according to Catholics, but not Orthodox) convened by Emperor Basil I and Pope Adrian II. Briefly reconciles Western and Eastern Churches. Patriarch Photius I of Constantinople is condemned, excommunicated and banished to a monastery on the Bosphorus. But the Latin church receives a black eye when Bulgaria is placed under the ecclesiastical authority of the Eastern Church. It is ratified in 870. Bishop Formosus of Porto, who had aspired to become Archbishop of Bulgaria, is widely blamed in Roman circles for 'losing Bulgaria' to the Greeks. 870February, 870 Hoping to resume the alliance with Basil I, Emperor Louis II dispatches Anastasius to Constantinople to renegotiate the marriage contract. It is that very month that the results of the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople are revealed. Through the Spring, Emperor Louis II resumes his southern campaign furiously, driving Emir Sawdan's forces back into Bari and lays siege to Bari again. August, 870 Treaty of Mersen signed between Charles the Bald and Louis II the German, partitioning Lorraine, the domains of the late Lothair II, between them at the Meuse river. The rightful successor, Emperor Louis II of Burgundy-Lombardy, busy against the Arabs in Bari, is kept out of the Lotharingian spoils.  - Treaty of Mersen Refusing the partition, Duke Girard of Lyons raises a revolt on Louis II's behalf. But he is quickly subjected and his lands of Lyonnais and Vienne annexed into Charles the Bald's domains. 870 Charles the Bald acquires as his mistress (& later marries), Richilda of Metz, niece of Teutberga of Lorraine and sister of Boso of Metz. As a reward for pimping his sister, Boso receives the laical administration of Abbey of St. Maurice, his first substantial piece of land, plus some more titles & jobs. 870 Pope Adrian II dispatches St. Cyril's brother, St. Methodius as archbishop to Great Moravia, to continue his proselytization among the pagan Slavs. Controversially, Adrian II allows Methodius to adopt a Slavonic liturgy. German nobles and clergy, fearing this might encourage Moravians to resist "Germanization", disapprove and secretly arrest Methodius in 871. With the support of Carloman of Bavaria, Prince Svatopluk of Nitra revolts and deposes his uncle, Ratislav of Great Moravia and has himself acclaimed as Prince Svatopluk I of Great Moravia. Svatopluk I of Great Moravia 871January, 871 January, Charles the Bald appoints his new brother-in-law Boso of Metz as Count Boso of Vienne & Lyons, replacing the deposed Girard of Lyons who is now forcibly retired to his lands in Vezelay. February, 871 Fall of Bari to the forces of Emperor Louis II. The Emir Sawdan of Bari, attempts a last stand in the citadel. But finally drawn out, his life spared on account of the plea of the daughter of the Duke of Benevento (who had been held hostage, but was well-treated, by the Emir).  - Louis II at Bari. Louis II now turns to Taranto, a much more difficult citadel given its close connection with Aghlabid Sicily. His requests for Byzantine naval support suddenly get side-tracked into a war of words over the title of "emperor" (basileus), by which Louis II peculiarly refuses to address Basil I (who had, after all usurped the Constantinople throne). Basil I responds questioning whether Louis II's imperial title, granted by the Pope, is itself real. The debate over title morphs into a political-religious debate over Rome-Constantinople hierarchies. Basil I begins to lay feelers out to the disgruntled princes of southern Italy, who fear losing their independence to the Frankish Emperor. The captive Emir Sawdan of Bari and perhaps even Charles the Bald encourages them. August, 871 Italian Conspiracy. Emperor Louis II's vassals Prince Adelchis of Benevento and Guaifer I of Salerno, conspire with the emperor's other enemies, Lambert I of Spoleto-Capua and Sergius II of Naples. Adelchis captures Louis II in his palace in Benevento. Upon news that Louis II had been killed, Charles the Bald claims Italy and begins preparations for an expedition to Rome. August, 871 Aghlabid invasion of Salerno. Emir Muhammad II of Ifriqiya disembarks a 20,000 strong Ifriqiyan army under the command of Abdallah near Taranto, who proceeds to lay siege to Salerno. Guafier of Salerno manages to hold and defend the city. Aghlabid detachments are sent against Capua and Benevento, to prevent relief. Another detachment sent to bolster Naples, who are allied with the Arabs. Amalfi, having also entered a league with the Ifriqiyans, is left unwatched.  - Siege of Salerno. Abdallah intercepts a messenger. (Skylitzes cron.) September, 871 Alarmed at the unexpected Ifriqiyan invasion, Adelchis of Benevento releases Louis II, albeit forcing the latter to swear to leave Benevento and not attempt to avenge himself on the Lombard princes. But Emperor Louis II returns to Rome, secures the support of Pope Adrian II and sets down plans to avenge himself on the conspirators. Lambert I of Spoleto-Capua flees to Benevento. Unable to chase him there, Louis II deposes Lambert and installs a cousin of Queen Angilberga, as Duke Suppo of Spoleto, and then returns north to Pavia. Apparently, the mystic Count-Bishop Landulf II is also restored in Capua. 871 - Moravian War Carloman of Bavaria arrests Svatopluk of Great Moravia for breaking their pact. But an anti-Frankish uprising in the Moravian lands changes his mind. Svatopluk is released and charged with pacifying the territory. However, Svatopluk ends up siding with the rebels and declares himself independent. The Marquises of the East March (Ostmark, Austria) launch an invasion of Moravia. 872 872 Doge Marino of Amalfi breaks his league with the Arabs and relieves Salerno, which was on the verge of falling. It is reported that soon after, the Aghlabid commander Abdallah dies and command of the Ifriqiyan army passes to a certain Abd al-Malik, who resumes the siege. Spring, 872 Hoping to put his uncles in check, Emperor Louis II descends to Rome, ostensibly for a coronation as King of Lorraine by Pope Adrian II. 872 After much hesitation, Emperor Louis II dispatches a Frankish army under a relative, Gunther, to assist the beleagured southern Italian states against the Ifriqiyan assault. The Franks proceeds first to Capua. Although Gunther himself is killed, the Franks defeat the Arab detachment near Capua at the Battle of San Martino. Part of the Arab remnants proceed to the mouth of the Volturno, the others join their compatriots in Benevento and Salerno. Those fleeing to Benevento are cut down in the chase. The remnants that arrive in Salerno sow panic among their comrades. Abd al-Malik decides to lift the siege of Salerno and board ship back home. With this campaign, the Emperor Louis II has regained mastery of Capua, Spoleto and Salerno. But he has been unable to pry Naples out the Muslim alliance and the rebellious Adelchis is still well-entrenched in Benevento.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 22:32:58 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA
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