Southern Italy in 1112
CE showing the major states and cities. Smaller states and city-states, usually under the
suzerainty or
vassalage of the larger states, are not shown.
(died 1156) was the count of
Aversa and the
prince of Capua from 1127 until his death .
He was the only son and successor of
Jordan II of Capua. According to the
Lombard chronicler
Falco of Benevento, he was "of delicate constitution, he could endure neither labour nor hardship."
In the final month of 1127,
Pope Honorius II came to
Benevento to preach a
crusade against Count
Roger II of Sicily in order to prevent the union of his county with the duchy of
Apulia (
Duke William II being recently deceased). On
30 December, Robert was installed as prince. He was quickly recruited for the endeavour by the pope, who went to
Capua for the ceremony. The pope probably hoped to use Capua as a counterpoise against
Apulia, as in the days of Robert's grandfather and great grandfather. Likewise, Robert may have intended to be the chief papal protector, as his ancestors had been. However, he was weak-willed and he soon fell ill and wanted out. Eventually, the coalition commenced negotiations on Roger's arrival with an army. Honorius even successfully negotiated the independence of Capua. In 1129, however, Robert submissively surrendered suzerainty to the duke of Apulia and, the next year (on
25 December 1130), he, as Roger's vassal-in-chief, laid the crown on his head at his royal coronation.
In 1132, Robert rebelled with many other south Italian vassals of the king of Sicily and with the support of
Pope Innocent II and his coalition of
Louis VI of France,
Henry I of England, and the
Emperor Lothair II. Robert defeated Roger at the
Battle of Nocera on
24 July, but Roger burnt Aversa and, by 1134, forced
Ranulf, count of
Alife, and the nominally
Byzantine Duke
Sergius VII of Naples to submit. Robert was chased from his city and Roger made his third son
Alfonso prince in his stead (1135).
Robert fled to
Pisa, where he gathered a navy and made war against Roger in Sicily, but it was a stalemate. The Pisan fleet ravaged
Amalfi and took much loot. Laden with this plunder and accompanied by a papal legation, Robert went to
Germany to plead for the aid of the emperor. In Spring 1137, the emperor came down with
Pope Innocent II;
Henry the Proud,
duke of Bavaria; and a large force. They took
Benevento,
Bari, and Capua itself, installing Ranulf as duke of Apulia and Robert in Capua, vindicating these actions in battle. But when the emperor left Italy, Roger sacked Capua yet again. On
25 July 1139, Robert and the pope were defeated in battle on the
Garigliano, at
Galluccio, ambushed by Roger. The pope was captured, though Robert escaped. They thereafter acknowledged him as
principatus Capuae. When Alfonso died in 1144, Roger made his fourth son
William prince. When Roger died in 1154, William succeeded him as king and duke, but Robert retook Capua (1155). He died soon after and William brought Capua within the kingdom of Sicily permanently.
Robert left a son named Jordan who lived in
Constantinople, where he served the
Emperor Manuel I Comnenus as
sebastos and diplomat. He journeyed to Rome in 1166-1167 to try and aid the reunion of the
Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox churches.
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Category:1156 deathsCategory:NormansCategory:Italo-NormansRobert 2Robert 2Category:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)fr:Robert II d'Aversait:Roberto II di Capuaru:Роберт II (князь Капуи)uk:Роберт II (князь Капуанський)
