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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 22:37:52 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 22:38:09 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA889 Saracen Fraxinet A group of about twenty Arab freebooters from Andalusia -- possibly with a letter of marque from Umayyad Cordoba -- set anchor in the gulf of St. Tropez, in Provence (still reeling from the Viking raid thirty years before and the feudal chaos that followed the death of Boso of Arles in 887). They establish a fortified base at Fraxinet (Farakhshanit, named after nearby Roman village of Fraxinetum, now La Garde-Freinet). After raiding the surrounding area, word gets out and the original colony is bolstered by ever and ever larger contingents of Saracen adventurers. After depleting the area, they proceed east, up the Cote d'Azur, bring ever more towns, like Frejus, under their control. Eventually, they loop west, raid Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles, and then proceed north by the Rhone valley into the Alps and Piedmont. Their experienced Berber mountaineers prove invaluable in seizing control of the Alpine passes of Val di Susa and the western end of the Ligurian Appenines. - Sarecen incursions from Fraxinet Saracen tower in Piedmont889 Magyar Migration The Magyars (Hungarians) , an Ugric tribe from Central Asian steppes that had settled in the Ukraine, are pushed by their rivals, the Pechnegs, into the Balkans, where they quickly get entangled in the Byzantine-Bulgar war. Attacked by the Bulgars, the Magyars head north and settled in an empty region of Moravia. 890KINGDOM OF LOWER BURGUNDY - Assembly at Valence, the fractious nobles of Provence, who had ruled in anarchy since 887, declare the son of the late Boso of Vienne, as King Louis ("the Blind") of Lower Burgundy (Cisjurane Burgundy, Provence), after doing homage to the missi of King Arnulf of Germany as imperial overlord. - Provence 890 Death of Aione II of Benevento. He is succeeded by Prince Orso of Benevento The Byzantines attack. 890 Rebellious Sicilians send a fleet against against the Emir Ibrahim II in Ifriqiya. 891February, 891 Unable to withstand the pressure any longer and unable to draw Arnulf south to Italy, Pope Stephen V reluctantly crowns the Lombard King, Duke Guido III of Spoleto, as Emperor Guido ("Spoleto") of the West in Rome, ending the Carolingian dynasty of emperors and beginning the Italian line. September, 891 Death of Pope Stephen V. Election the controversial Bishop Formosus of Porto as Pope Formosus. There is conflict over the appointment, as Formosus once had his orders removed and had switched from one see to another. He also has little love for the Guido of Spoleto, the Lombard king and emperor - Formosus of Porto, Pope Formosus 891 THEME OF LONGOBARDIA After a three-month siege, the city of Benevento falls to the stratego Simbaticio. The last prince Orso of Benevento is deposed (killed?) and Benevento becomes the new capital of Byzantine Italy, now reorganized as the "Theme of Longobardia". Abbey of Monte Cassino is made a protectorate and the Byzantines turn their attentions to Salerno (under Guaimar I) and Capua (under Antenulf). Gregory will substitute Simbaticio as stratego and attempt to conquer Salerno (to no avail). - 9th C. Byzantines 891 German King Arnulf defeats the Norseman Siegfried of Friesland at the Battle of Dyla and expels the Viking colonists from Germany. 892April, 892 Wary of Pope Formosus's tough reputation with no great love for Spoleto, Emperor Guido hurries to Rome. After much obsequies, he persuades Pope Formosus to crown his twelve-year old son, Lambert II of Spoleto, as co-Emperor, thereby associating him with his throne. But, despite the formalities, he does not succeed in getting into Formosus' good graces. 892 MARCH OF IVREA. Partly to organize defenses in western Lombardy against the Arabs of Fraxinet, Emperor Guido creates a march in Piedmont and invests it in a Frankish knight Marquis Anscar I of Ivrea. - Ivrea June, 892 Moravian War Having successfully expelled the Vikings, Arnulf of Germany invades Great Moravia which is threatening Bavaria. But Svatopluk of Moravia is well-entrenched. Arnulf contents himself with ravaging the country. 892 Era of the Bishops (Part 1). Endeavoring to counter the increasingly independent power of the lords, the Frankish kings begin to substitute the rule of the Count with the rule of a Bishop. The earliest such grant happens in 892 in Modena, where the Bishop of Modena is granted all the royal property (walls, towers, taxes, open spaces, etc.), and rights of jurisdiction over the tenants of the Church. In return, the Bishop is to provide for the upkeep of fortifications, roads and bridges. However, the Count retains the rights in the city as outside of it. But that will change in the next century. The Bishop of Bergamo receives such a grant in 904 and the rest follow through much of the 10th Century. May, 892 Sicilian Rebellion Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya dispatches Muhammad ibn Fadhl to Palermo with an army to impose central authority from Qairouan. But his heavy-handed presence prompts a uprising a few months later. The governor is expelled and the Sicilians make a bid for independence. 893893 During a break in the Moravian war, Pope Formosus dispatches an ambassador to Regensburg, requesting Arnulf of Germany come to Italy and "save" it from Guido of Spoleto. Arnulf, wary of leaving Germany while Svatopluk is still at large, dispatches a Swabian army under his illegtimate son and heir Zwentibold to Italy. Zwentibold's Swabian army crosses the Alps into Friuli, where he makes junction at Verona with the armies of the deposed King Berengar I. They both proceed to lay siege to Pavia, where the usurper Emperor Guido of Spoleto had entrenched himself. After three months campaign, Zwentibold receives orders to head back to Bavaria, in case of a Magyar intervention. Berengar retires to Verona. 893 French Civil War Rebel French noblemen with separatist tendencies elect Charles the Simple, the youngest son of Louis II ("the Stammerer") as king of France. Civil war breaks out in France between the supporters of the rival monarchs Eudes of Paris and Charles the Simple. 893 Death of Svatopluk of Moravia. The Great Moravian empire is partitioned among his three sons, who immediately sue for peace with Arnulf of Germany. 893 Guaimar I of Salerno associates his son, Guaimar II, as co-ruler of Salerno. 893 Birth of Louis the Child, the first legitimate son of Arnulf of Carinthia. Arnful begins making arrangements to displace his illegitimate son, Zwentibold, as heir. 894January, 894 Second Expedition to Italy Freed from the Moravian threat, Arnulf invades Italy at the head of a powerful German army. Joining up with Berengar of Friuli at Verona, he proceeds west. Brescia falls with little resistance, but the Germans are forced to lay siege to Bergamo. February, 894 After stiff resistance, Bergamo falls to Arnulf and is brutally sacked. Hoping to avoid Bergamo's fate, the cities of Milan and Pavia open their doors to Arnulf. Count Maginfred of Milan submits to the Emperor, as does Guido's nephew, Margrave Adalbert II of Tuscany, his brother Boniface and the Counts Hildenbrand and Gerardo at Pavia. Guido of Spoleto escapes from Pavia to hide in the mountains of Spoleto. March, 894 Arnulf of Germany proceeds to Piacenza and from there, invades central Italy. But suddenly, Arnulf calls the invasion off and returns to Pavia -- probably because Duke Rudolf of Burgundy was threatening to invade Lorraine, or because Adalbert II of Tuscany had returned into revolt and taken a strong position in the Apennines. Arnulf has himself proclaimed King Arnulf of the Lombards at Pavia and then returns to Germany, leaving the former king Berengar of Friuli as his vice-regent in Italy. - Arnulf of Carinthia, King of the Lombards Arnulf's return to Germany through Alps is harried by militias dispatched by Rudolf of Burgundy and Marquis Anscar I of Ivrea. Only with much difficulty is Arnulf able to get his army through the Val d'Aosta and, through St. Moritz and Constance, to pass back into Germany. In the meantime, Guido of Spoleto descends from the Appenine mountains and re-seizes the Italian kingdom, forcing the vice-roy Berengar to retreat back into Friuli. November, 894 Death of Guido III of Spoleto, King of the Lombards and Emperor of the West, while travelling between Piacenza and Pavia. His eighteen-year-old son, Duke Lambert II of Spoleto, already associated as co-Emperor since 892. At the pleading of Archbishop Foulques of Rheims, Pope Formosus reconciles with the young emperor. Lambert proceeds from Spoleto to Pavia, where he is acclaimed and crowned as King Lambert ("Spoleto") of the Lombards. He associates his brother as co-Duke Guido IV of Spoleto. However, the machinations of their domineering mother, the dowager Ageltrude are soon to change all that. 894 Pressured by the Moravians, the Magyars begin to filter into the Pannonian plains.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 22:38:24 GMT -5
CAROLINGIAN LOMBARDIA
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 11, 2007 22:38:42 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA895895 Eudes of France takes a large army against Rheims and forces anti-King Charles the Simple to flee to Germany. Arnulf of Germany, throwing off his agreements with Eudes, charges Zwentibold and the counts of Lorraine to invade France and install his kinsman, Charles the Simple, on the throne. May, 895 Kingdom of Lorraine. Wary of Burgundy's machinations, the German king Arnulf carves out a new kingdom for his illegitimate son and displaced heir, who ascends as King Zwentibold of Lorraine. He sets up a government with Archbishop Radbod of Trier as chancellor and Archbishop Hermann I of Cologne as chaplain. - Lorraine 895 Arles + Tuscany Death of Count Theobald of Arles, with two sons, Hugh (future king of Italy) and Boso VI. His widow, the Carolingian princess Bertha of Lorraine, marries Marquis Adalbert II "the Rich" of Tuscany. In this manner, the Burgundian house of the Bosonids of Arles is connected with the house of the Bonifaci of Lucca. 895 Byzantine governor Gregory of Italy, is replaced by a new stratego Barsaci, who moves the capital of Byzantine Italy from Benevento to Bari, leaving behind only a small garrison under a Greek commander Theodore. 895 Recovery of Benevento The move of the Byzantine capital from Benevento to Bari prompts the Lombards into action. With the assistance of the Spoletan dowager Angeltrude, an army under Guido IV of Spoleto-Camerino (brother and co-ruler of Emperor Lambert) conquers Benevento from Byzantium. Guido IV is invested as Duke Guido ("Spoleto") of Benevento, thereby uniting the two big Italian states. Byzantine attempts to retake Benevento are defeated. September, 895 The acquisition of Benevento by the house of Spoleto, which the Pope has long considered his preserve, alarms Rome. Pope Formosus dispatches an ambassador inviting Arnulf of Germany to come back down to Italy and recover Benevento for the Holy See. October, 895 Third Expedition of Arnulf to Italy Arnulf leaves for Italy, not only to take it from the Spoletans down but also to bring Berengar of Friuli (who was unhappy with his demotion from king to regent).to order. December, 895 Partition of Lombardia. Arnulf arrives in Pavia and reorganizes the Lombard state. He partitions the northern part of the kingdom into two halves, the western half (' March of Lombardy') is placed under Count Maginfred of Milan, while the eastern half (' March of Verona') is invested in Count Walfred of Verona. With this, Berengar of Friuli is dispossessed of his duchy. December, 895 Arnulf crosses the Po river and divides his army in two: one corps (Swabian) proceeds to Florence (via Bologna), while taking the other corps (Franks) by Lunigiana to the precincts of Rome. He celebrates Christmas at Lucca, and proceeds slowly to the walls of Rome. 896January, 896 Arnulf arrives at the walls of Rome, to see the spectacle of the dowager-duchess Angeltrude manning the defenses of the city. (Emperor Lambert had been dispatched into Spoleto, and Pope Formosus was besieged in the Lateran palace). February, 896 Arnulf's Germany army storms Rome (the Leonine part). Angeltrude flees to Spoleto, leaving the remainder of the city to Arnulf. Pope Formosus, released, crowns the German king as Emperor Arnulf of the west. March, 896 Arnulf proceeds against Spoleto, where Lambert and his mother are entrenched. But along the way, he has a stroke and is unable to proceed. The gravely ill Arnulf retires back to Bavaria, leaving Spoleto still in enemy hands. April 896 Death of Pope Formosus, the controversial Bishop of Porto. Election of Pope Boniface VII, but he only survives a couple of weeks. Election of Pope Stephen VI, an old enemy of Pope Formosus, supported by the party of Lambert of Spoleto and his mother Angeltrude. - Pope Stephen VI 896 Lambert of Spoleto proceeds to reconquer Italy. Heading north, he captures western Lombardy, beheads Maginfred of Milan, and invests the March of Lombardy in the palatine count Amadeus of Milan. In the meantime, Berengar of Friuli recovers Verona (March of Friuli) from Arnulf's candidated, marquis Walfred of Verona. Accord of Pavia An accord is reached between Lambert II of Spoleto and Berengar of Friuli. Berengar is allowed to keep the area between the Adda and the Po, while the rest goes to Lambert (including sovereignty over the marches of Tuscany and Spoleto-Camerino). 896 Arrival of the Magyars. Leaving Moravia, the Magyars cross the Carpathian mountains into the sparsely-populated Pannonian plain (then part of the Frankish Avar march) and found their new state. Arpad is elected as their supreme chieftan. - The Entry of the Magyars (a 360-degree 19th C. painting by Arpad Feszty click here for quicktime .mov) 896 In an overreach of power, Zwentibold of Lorraine takes steps to dispossess four powerful Lorraine nobles on minor charges. Arnulf disapproves this excess and orders his son to restore the three of the nobles to their dominions. 897February, 897 "The Cadaver Synod" Pope Stephen VI orders the exhumation of the nine-month-old corpse of Pope Formosus, to be put on trial by a synod of bishops. The synod condemns Formosus and erases all evidence of his ordination and tenure. All acts of Formosus are declared null and void. Grisly trial of the corpse of Pope Formosus (19th C. painting by Laurens) July, 897 Death of Pope Stephen VI, imprisoned and strangled by a popular uprising, supported by members of the Formosan clique. Election of an partisan of Formosus as Pope Romanus. But he dies soon after and is succeeded by another Formosan partisan Pope Theodore II, who has Formosus's remains fished out from the Tiber and given a dignified burial. 897 Benevento+Salerno Called back north, Guido IV of Spoleto-Benevento leaves Benevento for Rome, leaving behind the Bishop Peter of Benevento as regent in his name. Guido offers Benevento to his brother-in-law, Guaimar I of Salerno. 898January, 898 After only a few weeks, Pope Theodore II dies. The papal throne is usurped by a Spoletan ally and enemy of the Formosan clique calling himself Sergius III. But, with the encouragement of Lambert of Spoleto, who hopes to put an end to the Roman factionalism, Sergius is deposed and John of Tivoli, a non-Roman "above" both German and Italian parties, is elected as Pope John IX. Sergius takes refuge at the court of Adalbert II of Tuscany. - Pope John IX January, 898 Synod of St. Peter immediately convened by Pope John IX. Pope Formosus is cleared and his acts restored -- save for the coronation of Arnulf, which being imposed by "force", is considered null. Lambert of Spoleto is restored as emperor. It also establishes that henceforth, the consecration of an elected pope must be done before an imperial missi. Spring, 898 Synod of Ravenna convened by John IX and attended by Emperor Lambert. The Carolingian and Spoletan pacts with the Church of Rome are renewed. The restoration of Church property is demanded, particularly from Lambert's cousin, the powerful Marquis Adalbert II of Tuscany. The protectorate of Spoleto over the Papal States is recognized by allowing Romans appeal freely to the Emperor and thus making Lambert responsible for law and order there. Also, the common habit of the populace of Rome of plundering the Lateran palace in between papacies is outlawed. July, 898 Tuscan Revolt Pushed on by his wife, Bertha of Lorraine, Marquis Adalbert II of Tuscany revolts against his cousin, Emperor Lambert, after the Synod of Ravenna. The Tuscan army proceeds against Pavia. Lambert, then at Marengo, dispatches a detachment that surprises and defeats the Tuscans at the Battle of Borgo S. Donnino. Adalbert II is captured and taken to Pavia. October, 898 Restoration of BerengarDeath of Lambert II of Spoleto, Emperor of the West, falling from his horse on a hunting trip (although some claim he was killed in vengeance by Hugo, son of the beheaded duke Maginfred of Milan). With the death of Lambert, Berengar of Friuli seizes Pavia and releases the Tuscan count Adalbert II. Receiving homage from Adalbert II and other Italian nobles, thus Berengar is restored as King Berengar I ('Friuli') of the Lombards. - Berengar I, Marquis of Friuli, King of the Lombards 898 On account of his cruelty, Prince Guaimar I of Salerno-Benevento is blinded by Beneventine lords and retreats to Salerno. Guido IV of Spoleto-Benevento offers the duchy to his uncle (his mother's younger brother) -- the former Lombard duke, deposed in 884, Radelchis II is restored as duke of Benevento. 898 Murder of Guido IV of Spoleto (& ex-Benevento). Lambert's brother & co-ruler, last of the Nantes house of Spoleto, Guido IV is murdered by Alberic, a Frankish lord with interests in Camerino, probably at the instigation of Berengar of Friuli. He ascends as Duke Alberic I of Spoleto-Camerino. 898 Death of Eudes of France. Charles the Simple is recognized as the sole king of France, putting an end to the civil war. 898 Lorraine nobles revolt against Zwentibold and invite Charles the Simple of France to invade Lorraine. 898 Arabs sack Farfa, the imperial abbacy and one of the most important in Italy. 898 Aquitaine + Lower Burgundy William I the Pious of Aquitaine, Count of Lyons & Macon, marries Engelberga, sister of Louis the Blind of Lower Burgundy.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:06:34 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:06:50 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size] 899August 899 Magyar Invasion of Italy. Arpad's Magyars launch a massive invasion of northern Italy. The Magyars overrun the Lombard plain all the way to Pavia. - Magyars in action. Berengar of Friuli assembles a large army against the Magyars and confronts them near the Adda. Daunted at the strong force, Arpad of the Magyars offers to make peace and restore much of what they've taken, if they are permitted to leave Italy unmolested. Berengar refuses. The Magyars withdraw to the Brenta and renew the offer, offering to leave all their booty and even some hostages. Again Berengar refuses, and awaits them to cross the Brenta for a final battle. September, 899 Battle of Cartigliano. In a surprise attack, the Magyars take a circuitous route through the mountains, crossing the Brenta there and, then proceeding south to fall upon the encamped Italian army at Cartigliano on the Brenta River. The Magyars massacre much of Berengar's unprepared army. Bolstered by the victory at Cartigliano, the Magyars renew the offensive and head across Lombardia, sacking Treviso, Vicenza, Bergamo and other towns all the way to Vercelli, then, turning south, they head down the Emilian road, sacking Reggio, Modena, Nonantola Abbey and Bologna. The Magyars turn back north towards the shores of the Venetian lagoon. The mainland towns of Cittanova, Fine & Equilo fall quickly, before proceeding to north to Treviso, then west to Padua. Swinging south, they take Chioggia and then Pellestrina and advance along the lidi sand banks towards Malamocco. But their advance into the lagoon is checked by the assembly of the Venetian fleet under Pietro Tribuno, which defeats the Magyar's river-crossing vessels at the Battle of Albiola. The Magyars pull back. The close-call with the Magyars prompts the Doge Pietro Tribuno to initiate the fortification of the Rialto and the building of protective chains over the grand canal. 899 Berengar of Friuli, deprived of an army and his country sacked, sues for peace with the Magyars, offering plunder and hostages. Arpad accepts peace and leave Italy, moving back into Pannonia. 899 Louis of Lower Burgundy invests his cousin Hugh (future king of Italy and eldest son of Bertha of Lorraine, from her first marriage Theobald of Arles) as Count Hugh of Arles and Vienne. December, 899 Death of the German king Arnulf from paralysis following a stroke. He is succeeded by his eldest son King Louis III ("the Child") of Germany. Louis the ChildLouis the Child immediately claims his half-brother Zwentibold's Kingdom of Lorraine and the two brothers go to war. The Lombard throne is left temporarily vacant. 900Capua + Benevento Count Atenulf of Capua (son of Landenulf) conquers Benevento, deposes the restored Lombard duke Radelchis II "the Foolish" of Benevento and unites two southern Lombard duchies. The Byzantines do not react. More interested in putting an end to the Arab threat then they are in recovering Benevento, they offer a strategic alliance to Atenulf. February, 900 Death of Pope John IX, who had rehabilitated Formosus and tied the papacy closely to the Spoletans. Election of Pope Benedict IV. - Benedict IV February, 900 Assembly at Forchheim. Louis the Child is proclaimed King of Germany while at the assembly of Diedenhofen, the Lorraine nobles declare Louis the Child their monarch and depose Zwentibold. Zwentibold is subsequently assassinated. The Kingdom of Lorraine is reduced back to a duchy under the German crown. 900 Death of Marquis Anscar I of Ivrea. His son ascends as Marquis Adalbert of Ivrea. He is married to Gisela, a daughter of Berengar of Friuli. 900 With Berengar of Friuli's reputation in tatters after the Magyar debacle, powerful Italian nobles, led by the marquises Adalbert II of Tuscany and Adalbert of Ivrea, invite Louis the Blind of Lower Burgundy to take up the Italian crown. August, 900 Seeking to put down the rebellion, Aghlabid Emir Ibrahim II dispatches a strong Ifriqiyan army under his son, Abu Abbas Abdallah ibn Ibrahim to Sicily. Landing in Mazara, he proceeds to lay siege to Trapani. But the Palermans raise an army under Mesud Baghi and send it to relieve Trapani. The Ifriqiyan fleet, anchored off the coast, is blown apart by a tempest. The Sicilians and Ifriqiyans clash at a terrible Battle of Trapani. Without a clear victory, the Sicilians withdraw back to Palermo. The Ifriqiyans follow them and defeat them at the Battle of Palermo in September. The defenders withdraw into the fortified old center (Cassaro), leaving the Ifriqiyans to sack the town and suburbs. After another week or so, an agreement is reached between the Palermans and the Ifriqiyans: in return for safe-passage of the rebel leaders into exile, the Sicilians yield Cassaro to Abu Abbas Abdallah. Numerous Palerman refugees flee to Byzantine Taormina. In this manner, the Aghlabids recover Sicily. Fall, 900 With Palermo safe in his hands, Aghlabid general Abu Abbas immediately launches himself against the Byzantine enclaves on the east coast of Sicily. He proceeds to lay siege to Catania, hoping that city would fall before the winter. But to no avail. Abu Abbas returns to Palermo. September, 900 King Louis (the Blind) of Lower Burgundy arrives in Pavia and is acclaimed by the Lombard nobility and crowned as King Louis IV ("the Blind") of the Lombards. Without an army to challenge him, Berengar retires to his domains in Friuli. 901February, 901 After a three-year interruption, the imperial crown is passed on to Louis the Blind of Lower Burgundy-Lombardia, who thus ascends as Emperor Louis III ("the Blind") of the West, crowned by Pope Benedict IV in Rome. March, 901 Aghlabid general Abu Abbas Abdallah resumes his campaign against the Byzantine enclaves of Sicily. He dispatches his fleet towards Messina, while he himself proceeds to Damona, bombarding the town walls relentlessly with mangonels. June, 901 Sack of Reggio On hearing rumors of the assembly of a Byzantine army in Calabria, Abu Abbas Abdallah breaks off the bombardment of Damona and rushes up to Messina, where he is picked up by the his fleet. Crossing the straits, he proceeds to Reggio (in Calabria) Appearing before its walls, the Byzantine garrison takes flight, surrendering the mighty city to the Aghlabids. The wealthy city is thoroughly sacked. Abu Abbas Abdallah then boards his fleet and defeats a relief Byzantine navy dispatched from Constantinople at the naval Battle of Messina. He then spends the remainder of the year dismantling the fortifications at Messina (lest it be taken back by Byzantines) and transferring the booty from Reggio back to Palermo. 901 Magyars raid Italy again, this time limiting themselves to Friuli. 901 Death of the blind Guaimar I of Salerno. His son and co-ruler since 893 ascends as Prince Guaimar II of Salerno. 902Adalbert II of Tuscany revolts against his former friend, Emperor Louis III. He helps Berengar of Friuli recover the Kingdom of Italy. Louis III abdicates the crown and retires back to Provence, compelled to swear to never to set foot back in Italy. Spring, 902 Ibrahim's Campaign His authoritarianism having earned the disgust of his subjects, the unloved Emir Ibrahim II abdicates the Ifriqiyan throne -- ostensibly, having a pious change of heart and deciding to dedicate himself to warring against the Christians in Sicily and finishing off the Byzantines in a blaze of final glory. His son, Abu Abbas Abdallah, conqueror of Reggio, returns from Sicily and ascends as Aghlabid Emir Abu Abbas Abdallah II of Ifriqiya. Ibrahim II proceeds to Sousse, where he raises a large army of volunteers for a final campaign in Sicily. His expedition lands in Trapani in June and proceeds to Palermo, where he raises some more volunteers. His volunteer army formed, ex-emir Ibrahim II proceeds towards Taormina. - the Ribat of Sousse, assembly point of Ibrahim II's army. As the city prepares its defenses, the Byzantine garrison of Taormina (reinforced by the emperor) goes forth to meet Ibrahim II, but they are crushed at the Battle of Giardini. Bereft of their commanders the army panics, and disperses. But Taormina, sitting upon a rock, is impregnable. August 1, 902 Impatient, Ibrahim II circles the city and orders a detachment to climb the rocky-seaward face of the citadel, which the remaining defenders had neglected to watch. At the appropriate moment, the black flag of the Caliphate is raised, the defenders are overwhelmed, the gates swung upon and Taormina falls. In uncharacteristic fashion, Ibrahim II deals relatively mercifully with the city. Seeing all further resistance as hopeless, most of the other Greek enclaves surrender too. A few scattered outposts remain, but of little consequence. After nearly seventy-five years, all of Sicily is now in Aghlabid hands. - Fall of Taormina (Skylitzes cron.) September, 902 After dismantling defenses and accepting surrenders, Aghlabid ex-emir Ibrahim II takes his massive army to Messina and crosses the straits into Calabria to begin his march to conquer the rest of Italy and (so he advertises) march overland to take Constantinople itself. Meeting little resistance, Ibrahim II proceeds swiftly through Calabria. News of the advance of this ferocious man prompts quite a panic in the southern Italian towns. But Ibrahim then gets bogged down laying siege to Cosenza, a small citadel in northern Calabria that shouldn't have been any trouble. October, 902 Taken suddenly ill with dysentry, ex-emir Ibrahim II dies in a chapel near the siege of Cosenza. His grandson, Ziyadat-Allah, takes over the army, but decides to lift the siege and return back to Sicily. 902 Fatimid Revolt With fierce Emir Ibrahim II gone, Ismaili (Fatimid) missionary, Abu Abdallah al-Shi'i whips the Kotama Berbers of Kabylia into a powerful army and launches his campaign against the Aghlabid rulers of Ifriqiya. Al-Shi'i immediately dispatches an invitation to the Fatimid spiritual leader, Obeid Allah al-Mahdi to come to North Africa. In the meantime, Emir Abdallah II is deposed by his own son in a palace coup, who ascends as Emir Ziyadat-Allah III of Ifriqiya
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:07:31 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size]
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:07:51 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size] 903Hoping to establish a better power base and rebuild Magyar-ravaged Italy, Berengar of Friuli proceeds to issue a multitude of concessions and privileges to the ecclesiastical lords and monasteries. In September, he issues great concessions to the Bobbio Abbey, in January 904 to Reggio-in-Emilia, in June 904 granting the Bishop of Bergamo the state powers. He also grants much royal property and privileges to the bishops of Aquileia, Asti and Treviso. - Berengar I's grants of royal property, 890-925. At Byzantine urging, Atenulf of Caputa-Bevento launches the first attack on Arab Garigliano, with little success. July, 903 Death of Pope Benedict IV. His successor, Pope Leo V, is deposed in a month and locked in a monastery by his spiritual assistant Cardinal Christopher, who ascends as (Anti-)Pope Christopher I. The Formosan party is split. 904January, 904 Antipope Christopher is deposed and the old anti- Pope Sergius III is restored to the papacy (legitimately, this time -- or, rather, at the head of a Roman army, with the support of Adalbert II of Tuscany and the Roman nobility). All the results of the 'cadaver synod' are reinstated. The Formosan clique is brutally dealt with, many of them driven into exile. All Formosan investitures are declared null and void and bishops requested to resubmit. - Pope Sergius III THE PORNOCRACY The ascension of Sergius III marks the beginning of the "Pornocracy" ('rule of whores') period of the papacy, which will last for 150 years. During this time, the clergy will be gradually sidelined and rule over Rome dominated by the high Roman nobility. At the head of the Roman nobility is Theophylact, Count of Tusculum, who will ascend under Sergius III to become magister militi (head of the army), vestararius (finance minister), Dux, Consul and Senator of Rome. His wife ( Theodora) and daughter ( Marozia) will dominate Roman affairs and the papal succession for a couple of generations and their descendents will continue their dominance well into the next century. The 'Pornocracy" period represents the complete victory of the Roman nobility over the clergy, after two centuries of struggle. The House of Theophylact will produce several successor lines, like the Conti di Tuscolo, Crescenzi, Stefani, Colonna, and Conti di Segni families. 904 Magyars raid Italy again, proceeding all the way to Piacenza. 904 Berengar grants the Bishop Adalbert of Bergamo a grant of jurisdiction over the city of Bergamo. 905Berengar of Friuli arranges a truce with the Magyars on payment of a tribute. The Magyars withdraw from Italy, change direction and begin raiding Germany. Annoyed at Berengar's church donations, Adalbert II of Tuscany changes his mind again and re-invites Emperor Louis III of Lower Burgundy to Italy. Louis III takes the road immediately. Abandoned by his great magnates, Berengar of Friuli retires to Verona again. Then, feeling unable to challenge the large Provencal force, skips up to Bavaria, then being invaded by the Magyars. Berengar goes into hiding, and deliberately spreads the rumor that he is dead, while preparing his comeback. July, 905 On hearing that Louis III had gone to inspect Verona, Berengar of Friuli takes a hired Magyar army on a forced march from Bavaria across the Alps and swiftly captures the town and Emperor Louis. For having broken his pact of 902, Berengar mutilates Louis III of Lower Burgundy (blinding him) and dispatches him back to Provence. Berengar is restored as King of Italy. He steps up his donations to monasteries and churches. Back in Provence, his wounds leaving him unable to govern properly, Louis the Blind gradually relinquishes the government of Lower Burgundy to his cousin, Count Hugh of Vienne & Arles. 907907 Magyars invade and destroy the Moravian empire and ravage Bavaria. 908908 Duke Atenulf of Capua-Benevento attacks Arab Garigliano again, this time with the assistance of Naples and Amalfi. Crossing the Garigliano, Atenulf defeats an Arab army at Setra and reaches the walls of their fortified camp. But the sudden withdrawal of the Neapolitans from the enterprise renders the siege useless. Atenulf dispatches his son Landulf to Constantinople to beg the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise for naval assistance. Much to the Pope's alarm, Leo VI makes a pact whereby Atenulf of Capua-Benevento submits himself as a Byzantine vassal, in return for military assistance and the title of patricius. But the campaign against Garigliano is temporarily suspended, as both allies go through a change of leadership soon after. 909March, 909 Fatimid Ifriqiya Under the military leadership of the Fatimid missionary Abdullah al-Shi'i, the Kotama Berbers capture Qairouan and Raqqada and depose the last Aghlabid Emir Ziyadat-Allah III. Fatimid spiritual leader al-Mahdi takes up the leadership of the Fatimid state and proclaims himself Caliph Obeid Allah ('al-Mahdi'). - FatimidsHasan ibn al-Khinzir is appointed Fatimid governor of Sicily and immediately sets out to take control of the island. 909 Abbey of Cluny founded by William I 'the Pious' of Aquitaine on his Burgundian hunting estates, with the approval of Pope Sergius III. Cluny starts out as a stricter Benedictine abbey under its first Abbot Berno, but it will become the greatest, richest and most influential of monasteries in High Medieval Europe. The "custom of Cluny" refused secular feudal grants, thereby disentangling abbeys from the control of king, count and bishop and reorganizing them as a centrally-governed federated system of priories. - Abbot of Cluny (r) meets religious dignitaries. Abbey of Cluny - pics Early Cluny - virtual reconstructionCharter of Cluny
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:08:17 GMT -5
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:08:39 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size] 910 Death of Atenulf I of Capua-Benevento, who had just turned into a Byzantine vassal.. His sons ascend jointly as Landulf I of Benevento and Atenulf II of Capua. Although both are suzerain over both parts, they are based in different locations. Bosonids + Ivrea Death of Gisela of Friuli, daughter of Berengar and wife of Marquis Adalbert of Ivrea, a union which leaves a son (the future Berengar II). Adalbert of Ivrea proceeds to marry Ermengarda of Lucca, daughter of Adalbert II of Tuscany & Bertha of Lorraine, thus expanding the influence of the Bosonids to the large northern march (only a irrelevant child, Anscar II, emerges from this union). 911Duchy of Normandy Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles III ("the Simple") of France and Rolf (Hruolf, Rollo), chieftan of Norse Vikings of the lower Seine. The Norsemen acquire the right to settle in northern France and Rolf acquires the title of Duke Rolf ('the Granger') of Normandy as a fief of the French crown. The Normans convert en masse to Christianity the very next year. - Scene at St. Claire-sur-Epte, Rolf refusing to kneel in homage for Normandy, tries to kiss the foot of Charles III and accidentally upends him. Rolf the Granger of Normandy (statue in Falaise) - Duchy of Normandy Norman settlement of Normandy911 Fatimid Sicilian governor Ibn al Khinzir raids the south Italian coasts. In another expedition later in the year, the Sicilians raid the Abbacy of Novalesa. 911 Saracens from Fraxinet seize control of Alpine passes in Piedmont and begin launching raids further inland. 911 Hugh, Count of Arles & Vienne, eldest son of Bertha of Lorraine, cousin of the incapacitated Louis III the Blind and effective governor of Lower Burgundy takes up the title of Marquis Hugh of Provence. 911 New Germany. Death of Louis III ("the Child") of Germany. End of the Carolingian dynasty in Germany and beginning of elective German crown. Duke Conrad of Franconia becomes King Conrad I ("Franconia") of the Germany. Upon taking the royal throne, Conrad abdicates his Franconian dominions to his brother, who ascends as Duke Eberhard III of Franconia. - Conrad I of Franconia (r) in action (15th C. depiction f. Kronik of Wurzburg) The nobles of Lorraine refuse to recognize the new German monarch Conrad and instead declare the Carolingian French monarch, Charles III the Simple, as their sovereign. April, 911 Death of Pope Sergius III. Election of Pope Anastasius III, a creature of the Senator Theophylact. May have been an illegitimate son of Sergius III. 912October, 912 Death of Rudolf I of Upper Burgundy. He is succeeded by his son, who becomes King Rudolf II of Upper Burgundy. Marquis Hugh of Provence marries his cousin, Willa of Arles, the widow of Rudolf I of Upper Burgundy. Sicilian Revolt Arab and Berber magnates of Palermo and Grigenti rebel against the heavy-handed Fatimid governor Ibn al Khinzir. Revolt of the German Dukes German dukes Henry the Fowler of Saxony and Arnulf the Bad of Bavaria claim themselves to be sovereign princes, not recognizing the authority of overlord King Conrad I of Germany as he is not a Carolingian. Erchanger of Swabia and Conrad's own brother, Duke Eberhard III of Franconia, join the rebels. 913In a diplomatic gesture to palliate rebellious Sicilians, Fatimid Caliph al-Mansur replaces the unpopular governor Ibn Abi Khinzir with Ali bin Umar al-Balawi. But the Sicilian lords find this unacceptable and decide to declare independence of Sicily. They acknowledge allegiance to the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir and acclaim an Aghlabid prince, Ahmed ibn Khorob, as Emir of Sicily. Unwisely dividing their attentions, the Sicilians re-launch their conquest of Byzantine Calabria, while only half-preparing for the inevitable Fatimid reaction from North Africa. July, 913 Death of Pope Anastasius III. Election of Pope Lando, another creature of Theophylact. Curiously, this is the last pope to introduce a new name ('Lando') in the papal lists. Henceforth, all popes will invariably use the names of predecessors (John, Benedict, Boniface, Leo, Steven, etc.) Other than that, unremarkable. 914 914 Sicilian Arabs destroy the Fatimid fleet at the Battle of Lamta. Another Fatimid expeditionary force is also defeated. Arabs from Garigliano establish advanced strongholds in the Lazio at Trevi (in the Sabine hills, near Palestrina) and Sutri. From here, they encroach on the papal cities of Orte, Narni and Nepi with impunity. 914 Death of Pope Lando, possibly violently on the orders of Theodora I, the wife (and soon to be widow) of Theophylact. By now, she has eclipsed her husband and taken on the titles of senatrix, patricia and vestararia of Rome. She installs the twenty-something Archbishop John XII of Ravenna (reputedly her lover) as Pope John X. The canonical law which forbade sitting bishops from becoming popes is bent for the first time. - John of Ravenna, Pope John X The young John was actually a reasonable choice. An energetic man who set about immediately focusing on the Saracen colonies in Papal lands, he had the full support of the Roman nobility and a close relationship with Alberic I, marquis of Spoleto-Camerino, necessary ingredients for any military action. 915915 Pope John X and Alberic of Spoleto jointly lead a series of operations to expel the Arabs from the Patrimony of St. Peter. With the assistance of local militias, Arab settlements are cleared from the Via Cassia (Sutri, Nepi, Narni) and the Sabine hills (Trevi, Siculi). The Arab colonists retreat to the stronghold of Garigliano. In the meantime, in an unlucky turn of events for the fledgling state, a violent tempest sinks much of the rebel Sicilian fleet off the coast of Calabria. The Fatimid navy has no difficulty in capturing and/or destroying its scattered remnants. The obliteration of the Sicilian fleet leaves the Garigliano stronghold on the mainland completely exposed. 915 Christian League Pope John X wastes no time and assembles a league among the southern Italian states against Garigliano. He secures the support of Berengar of Friuli and Alberic I of Spoleto. Coordinating with Nicholas Picingli, the Byzantine strategos of Longobardia, he also lines up Landulf I of Benevento-Capua, Gregory IV of Naples and Guaimar II of Salerno. They also secure the cooperation of John I of Gaeta, bought at a great price, but being the immediate neighbors of Garigliano, the most important June, 915 Pope John X and Alberic I of Spoleto lead the army of the Christian league to lay siege to Garigliano (fortified Arab camp in the area between Miturnae and Monte d'Argento), which is blockaded from the sea by a Byzantine navy. August, 915 After three months of siege, plagued by hunger, the Arabs decide to break out of Garigliano and find their way back to Sicily by any means possible. The Christians fall on the fleeing Arabs and an intense round of hand-to-hand fighting ensues. The Arabs are dispersed into the woods and mountains, where, for the next few days, Christian parties hunt them down and mercilessly slaughter them one by one. The fall of Garigliano ends the major phase of Arab presence on the southern Italian mainland.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:09:03 GMT -5
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:09:24 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size] Fall, 915 Spoleto + Theophylact The conqueror of Garigliano, Alberic I of Spoleto marries (or takes as concubine) Marozia, daughter of the Roman senators Theophylact and Theodora, and allegedly former lover of Pope Sergius III. With this alliance, Rome effectively delivers itself as a Spoletan protectorate. - Marozia, patricia and senatrix of Rome. November, 915 In reward for his support of Garigliano, Pope John X finally crowns the Italian sovereign Berengar of Friuli as Emperor Berengar I in Rome. The other claimants to the imperial dignity, Louis the Blind of Lower Burgundy (technically, the current emperor) and Conrad I of Germany (beset by ducal rebellions), are in no position to dispute it. c. September, 915 Death of Adalbert II ("the Rich") of Tuscany, under suspicious circumstances. His family is briefly imprisoned in Mantua by Berengar, but subsequently released c.916. Adalbert II is succeeded by his son who ascends as Marquis Guido of Tuscany. Despite the Mantuan confinement, Guido will emerge to be devotedly loyal to Emperor Berengar, but his powerful mother Bertha of Lorraine (herself a Carolingian with a high claim to the title) and his sister Ermengarda of Lucca (Marquise of Ivrea) most definitely aren't. 916Fatimid Conquest of Sicily Sicilian Berbers in Girgenti revolt and depose the independent Emir Ahmed ibn Khorob and offer Sicily to the Fatimids of Ifriqiya. The Fatimids welcome the turn of events, but refuse to grant the new Berber rulers of Sicily their autonomy. A Fatimid expeditionary force under Abu Said Musa lands in Sicily and, with some difficulty, takes control of the island. The Fatimids appoint one of their own, Salam ibn Rashid, as new emir of Sicily. Ahmed ibn Khorob is dispatched to Raqqada and executed. 917917 - Death of Erchanger of Swabia. His son is recognized as Duke Burchard II of Swabia. 918Fatimid invasion of Italy From their new base in Sicily, the Fatimids launch their first organized expedition against mainland Italy. The Fatimids capture Reggio and begin penetrating Calabria. 919919 Duchies of Germany Death of King Conrad I of Germany. On Conrad's own recommendation, his great rival Duke Henry the Fowler of Saxony is elected as King Henry I ("the Fowler") of Germany. As a champion of ducal power, Henry the Fowler recognizes the stem dukes and all their sovereign privileges -- himself in Saxony, Arnulf the Bad in Bavaria, Burchard II in Swabia, etc. - Stem duchies of Germany. 919 After an absence of nearly 15 years, the Magyars raid Italy again, sacking the Po valley. 919 - Giselbertenghi of Bergamo Count Suppo IV of Bergamo is deposed. Rule in Bergamo is partitioned between a new Lombard lord Giselbert Samson, who is invested as Count Giselbert I of Bergamo (who will be count-palatine in Pavia too) and Bishop Adalbert of Bergamo. Beginning of the Giselbertenghi dynasty of Bergamo. 920 French Barons' Revolt Seeing the success of the ducal revolt in Germany, the great French lords revolt against against their king Charles the Simple. The nobles of Lorraine, under Duke Gisilbert of Lorraine, switch suzerainity back to Germany again, recognizing Henry I of Germany as their sovereign. They eventually elect an anti-king, the brother of Eudes of Paris, who ascends as Robert I of France. 920 Calabrian Revolt Chafing under Byzantine rule and encouraged by the Fatimids, the Calabrians revolt against the Byzantines and kill the patrician John Bizalone. 920 Archbishop of Ravenna obtains a ducal grant over the Exarchate of Ravenna, from Berengar. 921Italian Barons' Revolt promoted by the marquise-dowager Bertha of Tuscany and her daughter Ermengarda, marquise of Ivrea. The first to rebel is the count palatine Olderic of Friuli, who reacts violently to the imposition of a new tribute by Emperor Berengar I. He is quickly joined by Marquis Adalbert I of Ivrea (husband of Ermengarda of Lucca), Gisilbert I of Bergamo, Archbishop Lambert of Milan and others. The rebels quietly assemble their armies near Brescia and invite Rudolf II of Upper Burgundy to assist them. Berengar, getting wind of the conspiracy, hires a Magyar mercenary corps and falls upon them. At the Battle of Verona, Olderic is killed and the barons of Ivrea and Bergamo are captured. In the aftermath, Ivrea escapes and Bergamo is released. Knowing he needs a local power, Berengar appoins Giselbert I of Bergamo as count palatine of Italy. Apulian Revolt Following their Calabrian neighbors, an even more brutal uprising breaks out in Ascoli and spreads throughout Apulia. The Byzantine stratego, Ursilone, and numerous other officials are killed. Prince Landulf I of Benevento-Capua invades and seizes several strongpoints in Byzantine Apulia. The The Apulian nobility, professing loyalty to Byzantium, petition Constantinople to appoint Landulf as stratego of the Theme of Langobardia. But Constantinople responds that Landulf must first withdraw his troops and the Apulian nobles submit to Byzantium, before anything is contemplated. Landulf does so, but fails to receive his reward. Angrily, Landulf I of Benevento-Capua breaks off his vassalage ties to the Byzantine Empire. Patriarch Frederick I of Aquileia defeats the Magyar incursion at the Battle of Lupoglava. 922922 - Fatimids conquer Morocco. 922 Second Fatimid expedition against Italy, led by Masud ibn Ghalib al-Wusuli. They proceed to Apulia and sack Taranto. 922 - Burgundian invasion of Italy Count Giselbert I of Bergamo goes into rebellion against Berengar, crosses the Alps into Burgundy and gives the "holy lance" of Italian sovereignty to Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy, inviting him (once again) to invade Italy. The invitation is signed by Archbishop Lambert of Milan, Bishop Guido of Piacenza, Bishop Adalbert of Bergamo and Bishop Beatus of Tortona. After making some preparations, King Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy invades Italy in December. 922 In the chaos of Italian uprisings and civil war, Berengar gives the Magyars a pass to raid central Italy, all the way down the eastern coast, where they clash with Byzantine forces. 923February, 923 Emperor Berengar I of Friuli retires to Verona to assemble his army, letting Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy make his way unchallenged to Pavia, where he is acclaimed as King Rudolph ("Upper Burgundy") of the Lombards. Count Giselbert I of Bergamo is his right-hand man. July, 923 Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy-Lombardia narrowly defeats Emperor Berengar I at the Battle of Fiorenzuola, near Piacenza, after he is reinforced in the nick of time by his brother-in-law, Count Boniface of Bologna. Berengar retires to the fortified city of Verona, where Rudolph II decides not to molest him. 923 - Partition of Italy - A pact is reached between Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy and Berengar of Friuli. Berengar abdicates the imperial title and cedes sovereignty over the rest of Italy (incl. Spoleto) to Rudolf II, while Berengar keeps sovereignty over Friuli, Tuscany and Rome. c. 923 Death of Adalbert I of Ivrea, leaving the vast Ivrean march in the hands of his wife, dowager-Marquise Ermengarda ('Lucca') of Ivrea (daughter of Bertha of Lorraine & sister of Guido of Tuscany). Ermengarda passes over Adalbert's eldest son Berengar (son from first marriage to Gisela, a daughter of Berengar of Friuli) to install her own son as Margrave Anscar II of Ivrea, with herself as regent. 923 French ducal revolt succeeds. Duke Rudolf the Justicer of Burgundy (not to be confused with the Burgundian kings) ascends as French king. December, 923 His half of Italy secured, Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy leaves Italy.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:09:39 GMT -5
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:09:57 GMT -5
FEUDAL LOMBARDIA[/size] 924924 Invitation to Hugh of Provence - Annoyed at the loyalty of Guido of Tuscany (her second son) to Berengar of Friuli, the Tuscan dowager-marchioness Bertha of Lorraine invites her first son (from Theobald of Arles), Marquis Hugh of Provence to seize the Italian crown. As Rudolph II has returned to Upper Burgundy, Hugh climbs over the Alps with a Provencal militia, but is swiftly defeated by Emperor Berengar of Friuli. Emboldened by this victory, Berengar begins planning with Magyar mercenaries to usurp Rudolph II's portion of Italy. 924 Another Fatimid expedition against Italy, under Masud ibn Ghalib, captures and plunders monastery of St. Agatha (Sant' Agata) in Calabria and returns laden with booty. 924 By promising tribute, the German King Henry I the Fowler arranges a truce with the Magyars. 924 Hugh of Provence, on behalf of Louis the Blind of Burgundy, does homage to his kinsman, King Rudoph of France. Winter, 924-5 Magyar invasion of Italy, led by the voivod Salardo, on behalf of Berengar of Friuli, into the Lombard domains of Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy. The Magyars sack Mantua, Bergamo, Brescia and proceed to lay siege to Pavia. 925March, 925 Sack of Pavia Pavia falls to the Magyars hired by Berengar of Friuli and using his siege weaponry. It is brutally sacked. A large portion of the population, including the bishops of Pavia and Vercelli are killed. The remaining citizens are forced to pay a large tribute to keep their homes intact. The brutal Magyar sack alienates a good part of the Lombard population from Berengar's cause. April, 925 Death of Berengar of Friuli, former emperor and king of half of Italy, assassinated by conspirators at church in Verona, in vengeance for the Magyar depredations. Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy-Lombardy, now undisputed ruler of all of Italy. He proceeds cautiously to take up Berengar's domains, reaffirming and issuing new concessions to the multitude of bishops and lords that had benefited from Berengar's generosity. In the chaos in Friuli with the death of Berengar and the Magyar raids, the Patriarch of Aquileia assumes temporal powers over the march. The Venetians take the opportunity to occupy some Istrian lands, prompting a brief clash with the self-proclaimed Marquis Wintherius of Istria, who proceeds to occupy Grado. c. 925 Berengar's death (possibly earlier) clears the way for Alberic I of Spoleto, husband of Roman senatrix Marozia, to attempt to seize Rome on his own account. But Pope John X organizes an uprising and expels him from Rome. Alberic I flees to Orte, where he sends out messengers calling on the Magyars for assistance. But a mob in Orte, informed by papal agents, rises up and murders Alberic I. He is replaced by a Burgundian party lord who ascends as Duke Boniface I of Spoleto (relation uncertain; possibly the same Count Boniface of Bologna - a son-in-law of Rudolf II - who will be marquis again later in 945 as Boniface II of Spoleto). At exactly this time, there is the death of Bertha of Lorraine, having barely lived long enough time to rejoice in the murder of her arch-rival Berengar of Friuli. Her daughter and confidante, the Marquise Ermengarda of Ivrea, becomes the effective head of the Bosonid house in Italy. She will continue her mother's policies. May, 925 Bosonid Gambit With Berengar dead, Ermengarda of Ivrea finally secures the support of her brother Guido of Tuscany and invites their half-brother, Marquis Hugh of Provence (Bertha of Lorraine's son from her earlier marriage to Theobald of Arles), to try taking the Italian crown again. Archbishop Lambert of Milan persuades Pope John X, himself tired of Marozia's Roman party, to support the invitation. Hugh of Provence lands in Pisa soon after, where he is received by the Tuscan barons and papal legates. The reaction is immediate. Rudolph II of Burgundy and his new father-in-law, Duke Burchard II of Swabia, lead a Burgundian-Swabian invasion army into Italy over Great St. Bernard's Pass to confront Hugh. But rather than going for Pavia, they decide to head to Ivrea, to preemptively check any trouble that might arise from that quarter. But Burchard II is drawn away by the Archbishop Lambert of Milan, who proceeds to enter into a long parlay with him, while Ermengarda prepares her forces. 925 Giselbert of Lorraine swears fealty to Henry I the Fowler. At long last, Germany annexes Lorraine. - Empire, 925. 925 Fifth Fatimid expedition against Italy, led by Jafar ibn Obeid. Landing in the Abruzzi, they overrun Apulia all the way to Otranto. After defeating the Byzantine stratego, the Arabs lay siege to Oria. It doesn't last long. Oria falls, the defenders are massacred and the remainder taken as slaves back to Africa. 926April, 926 Realizing his delay in Milan has been but a distraction, Burchard II of Swabia breaks off the feigned negotiations and hurries to Ivrea. But the Italian magnates had time to prepare and ambush and defeat the Swabians at the Battle of Novara. Burchard II is killed in the process. Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy, disillusioned by the news, surrenders Italy to Hugh of Provence and returns to Burgundy. Conradiner Swabia The death of Burchard II in Novara prompts the widow, Regelinda of Friuli (possibly sister of Berengar I) to marry Count Herman of Wetterau, a descendent of the Franconian line of Counts of Wetterau (stemming from the old German monarch Conrad I). He is invested as Duke Herman I ("Wetterau") of Swabia by King Henry I the Fowler at the Diet of Worms. July, 926 Hugonid Italy From Pisa, Marquis Hugh of Provence proceeds to Pavia, where he is acclaimed and crowned King Hugh ("Provence") of the Lombards by Archbishop Lambert of Milan, thus usurping the title of Rudoph II of Upper Burgundy. Upon ascension to the Italian throne, Hugh cedes the counties of Arles and Vienne to his blood-brother Boso (son of Theobald of Arles and Bertha of Lorraine), who ascends as Count Boso of Arles-Vienne. Knowing he cannot completely rely on his Tuscan relatives, Hugh of Provence nonetheless tries to construct a party of his own from Provencal relatives, e.g. Bishop Elduin of Verona. 926 Pact of Mantua The new Italian king Hugh of Provence meets with Pope John X at Mantua. Although the details are missing, it is presumed that the new King and the Pope form an alliance against their sponsors, the Ermengarda of Tuscany-Ivrea and Marozia of Theophylact respectively. It is to be assumed that the Pope offers an imperial coronation and promises to facilitate the appointment of Hugh's (many, many) relatives to important ecclesiastical posts, in return for which Hugh is to support Pope John X's efforts against the estranged Roman party of Theophylact, now led by Marozia (widow of Alberic I of Spoleto), and support his authority over the Patrimony of St. Peter. Tuscany + Theophylact. Threatened the Papal-Royal alliance, the sponsors join hands and form a counter-alliance. Marquis Guido of Tuscany (Hugh of Provence's half-brother) marries the Roman Senatrix Marozia. Undaunted by Marozia's new alliance, Pope John X secures Hugh's assent to appoint his brother, the Marquis Peter of Spoleto (replacing the Burgundian lord Boniface I of Spoleto) and consul Romanorum. The Marquis Peter attempts to take control of Rome on the Pope's behalf and grind away at the power of the House of Theophylact. July, 926 Slavic pirates, possibly in conjunction with Arabs, seize Siponte in the Italian "ankle". 927927 Magyars raid Friuli. August, 927 A Slavic expeditionary force under Sain, in conjunction with Fatimid Sicily, captures and destroys Taranto, deporting much of the population. 927 Death of Bermo of Cluny. Succeeded by Abbot Odo of Cluny, who will become a close ally of the House of Theophylact and greatly expand the Cluniac reformation to Italy. - St. Odo, Abbot of Cluny 928928 Cluniac independence Swiss Abbey of Romanmontier adheres to the Abbey of Cluny (the first to join the Cluniac franchise), provoking a conflict with the local bishop who had authority there. Pope John X issues edict confirming the Abbey of Cluny's immediate and direct subjection to the Holy See alone, thereby forbidding interference by any other bishops in Cluny's affairs. That is extended to the new priory. June, 928 Death of Louis III of Lower Burgundy (Provence). With the approval of his kinsman, King Rudolf of France, the Lombard king Hugh of Provence strips Louis III's illegitimate son and heir, Charles Constantine, of his inheritance and has himself acclaimed as King Hugh ("Provence") of Lower Burgundy. Marozia's Coup The political battle between Pope John X and the Roman nobility heats up when Marozia's husband, Guido of Tuscany, infiltrates an armed band into Rome to assault the Lateran palace. The Pope's brother, Marquis Peter of Spoleto, unable to hold out in Rome, withdraws north up the Tiber to Orte. Peter returns soon after, accompanied (it is said) by a Magyar force and recovers the Lateran. The sight of the fearsome Magyars within Rome prompts a popular uprising (or, alternatively, Marozia engineers it). Peter is overwhelmed and murdered before the Pope's very eyes. Pope John X is captured by Marozia's party and confined to the Castle of Sant'Angelo. The senatrix declares herself Patricia of Rome. - Marozia, Patricia and Senatrix of Rome. 928 Appointment of a certain Theobald I of Spoleto to replace the Pope's brother, Peter. 928 Slavic-Sicilian Arab expeditionary force, under Sain, returns and seizes Otranto, although pressed by epidemic, they withdraw soon after. After seizing some enclaves on the Tyrrhenian coast, Sain sails into the harbors of Naples and Salerno and forces them to pay a enormous sum to go away. 928 - Drang nach osten Foundation of four northeastern German marches to push against the Slavs in the east -- the Billungsmark (stem of Macklenberg, against the Obdorites), the Nordmark (stem of Brandenburg, against the Wends), the Lusatian march (against the Lusitzi) and the March of Meissen (stem of electoral Saxony, against the Sorbs). 928 Devastated by Magyar raids, Hugh of Provence allows the bishopric of Concordia to be annexed to Aquileia. 929 May, 929 Death of Pope John X, in captivity in the castle of San' Angelo. Marozia, head of the House of Theophylact and mistress of Rome, engineers the election of one of her creatures, who ascends as Pope Leo VI. 929 Death of Guido of Tuscany, second husband (third lover) of the Roman mistress Marozia. Foul play on Marozia's account is suspected. His brother ascends as Marquis Lambert of Tuscany. Slavic-Arab buccaneer, Sain, defeats a small Byzantine fleet, seizes Termoli (in Molise, on the Adriatic coast) and returns to Africa laden with booty and slaves. 929 Death of Giselbert I of Bergamo, Count Palatine of Italy. His eldest son ascends as Count-Palatine Lanfranc I of Bergamo. December, 929 Death of Pope Leo VI, after only a few months. Marozia, once again, engineers the election of yet another of her creatures, Pope Stephen VII - Pope Stephen VII.
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Post by Khalid ibn Walid on Feb 12, 2007 18:10:15 GMT -5
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