under the Duke of Naples. This is the first Norman state, as distinct from groups of mercenaries who fought for a master. At that time Pandulf V, a Lombard, reigned as Duke of Capua. He died in 1057; then Richard of Aversa, Rainulf's nephew, besieged Capua, took it in 1058, and so, in 1062, began the line of Norman Dukes of Capua. The Pope, Alexander II (1061-1073), confirmed his title and made him independent of either Empire. This is significant. The Norman states in Italy from the beginning claimed absolute independence of any Emperor at all.
Meanwhile a mightier line of conquerors was arriving from Normandy. Eight miles north-east of Coutances stood the castle of Hauteville-la-Guichard. Here lived a Norman knight, Tancred de Hauteville.[1] He was quite a small knight; he had only one manor. He was destined to be the father of one of the greatest conquerors and the grandfather of one of the greatest kings of Europe. Old Tancred had twelve sons, fine young men all of them, three of them very great men indeed. They were of the classical type of Norman adventurers. At home they could not look for much inheritance; but they had their swords, their horses, their Norman valour, and, I suppose one must say, their Norman unscrupulousness. They were ready to go forth with these and see what they could pick up in the great world beyond Coutances. William, Drogo, Humfrey, Robert, and Roger picked up quite a lot.
One after another the de Hautevilles came South to Italy. William came first. About the year 1032 he took service under Pandulf of Capua; then he fought for George Maniakes in Sicily. In 1042 he founded the county of Apulia, with Melfi as its capital. He is William Iron-arm. Melfi is the first of the de Hauteville settlements in Italy. In 1053 Pope Leo IX (1048-1054) headed an alliance of Lombards and all inhabitants of Southern Italy against the Normans. Even the Western Emperor (Henry III, 1039-1056) sent a small contingent. This army was going to efface even the Norman name. Instead, it was utterly defeated. The Pope himself fell into the hands of the Normans, but they knelt at his feet and escorted him back to Benevento with all respect. Then the Pope made the political mistake of investing his former enemies with all they could conquer. This gave them a pretence of right, though they hardly needed that.
- ↑ De Hauteville — Az. a bend counter-gobony, gu. and arg., which arms may now be seen triumphant all over the Cappella Palatina at Palermo.
