Atenulf, Prince of Benevento
Encyclopedia
Atenulf was the son of Pandulf III of Benevento
. In 1040, Benevento still had the prestige of being the first of the independent Lombard
principalities of the Mezzogiorno
. So, when the Lombard Arduin
, topoterites
of Melfi
, and his Norman
mercenaries rebelled against Byzantine
authority, they elected the son of Landulf as their leader, calling him "prince of Benevento."
After the assassination of the Catepan
Nicephorus Doukeianos
, the Normans planned to elect a leader from amongst their own, but William of Apulia
notes that Atenulf had "perhaps given them gold or silver and thus led them to renege on a prior agreement." Thus was he elected leader.
On 3 September 1041, the rebels defeated the new Byzantine catepan, Exaugustus, the son of the great Boiannes, and took him captive. The catepan was taken captive to Benevento
. At about that time, the prince of Salerno, Guaimar IV
, began to draw the Normans under his banner with myriad promises. In February 1042, probably feeling abandoned, and perhaps bribed by the Greeks, Atenulf negotiated the ransom of Exaugustus and then fled with the ransom money to Greek territory, where he died in obscurity (but probably wealth). He was replaced as leader by Argyrus.
Pandulf III of Benevento
Pandulf III was the prince of Benevento in the Mezzogiorno in medieval Italy, first as co-ruler with his father, Landulf V, and grandfather, Pandulf II, from 1012 or thereabouts to 1014, when the elder Pandulf died. He co-ruled with his father until his death in 1033...
. In 1040, Benevento still had the prestige of being the first of the independent Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
principalities of the Mezzogiorno
Mezzogiorno
The Midday is a wide definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the southern half of the Italian state, encompassing the southern section of the continental Italian Peninsula and the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to a large number of minor islands...
. So, when the Lombard Arduin
Arduin the Lombard
Arduin was a Greek-speaking Lombard nobleman who fought originally for the Byzantines on Sicily and later against them as the leader of a band of Norman mercenaries....
, topoterites
Topoterites
Topotērētēs was a Byzantine technical term, meaning deputy or lieutenant . As such, it was used in different ways throughout the Empire's history. In the 9th-11th centuries, the topotērētēs was the deputy of senior military commanders of the themata, the tagmata and the Byzantine navy...
of Melfi
Melfi
Melfi is a town and comune in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.-Geography:On a hill at the foot of Mount Vulture, Melfi is the most important town in Basilicata's Vulture, both as a tourist resort and economic centre.-Early history:Inhabited...
, and his Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
mercenaries rebelled against Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
authority, they elected the son of Landulf as their leader, calling him "prince of Benevento."
After the assassination of the Catepan
Catapanate of Italy
The Catepanate of Italy was a province of the Byzantine Empire, comprising mainland Italy south of a line drawn from Monte Gargano to the Gulf of Salerno. Amalfi and Naples, although north of that line, maintained allegiance to Constantinople through the catepan...
Nicephorus Doukeianos
Nicephorus Doukeianos
Nikephoros II Doukeianos was the catepan of Italy from 1039 until 1041. He saw the early rebellion of Arduin the Lombard, but not is completion. He was killed at Ascoli Satriano early in 1040. With his death, the insurrection accelerated.-Source:*Chalandon, Ferdinand. Histoire de la domination...
, the Normans planned to elect a leader from amongst their own, but William of Apulia
William of Apulia
William of Apulia was a chronicler of the Normans, writing in the 1090s. His Latin epic, Gesta Roberti Wiscardi , written in hexameters, is one of the principal contemporary sources for the Norman conquest of southern Italy, especially the career of Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia . It was composed...
notes that Atenulf had "perhaps given them gold or silver and thus led them to renege on a prior agreement." Thus was he elected leader.
On 3 September 1041, the rebels defeated the new Byzantine catepan, Exaugustus, the son of the great Boiannes, and took him captive. The catepan was taken captive to Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
. At about that time, the prince of Salerno, Guaimar IV
Guaimar IV of Salerno
Guaimar IV was Prince of Salerno , Duke of Amalfi , Duke of Gaeta , and Prince of Capua in Southern Italy over the period from 1027 to 1052. He was an important figure in the final phase of Byzantine authority in the Mezzogiorno and the commencement of Norman power...
, began to draw the Normans under his banner with myriad promises. In February 1042, probably feeling abandoned, and perhaps bribed by the Greeks, Atenulf negotiated the ransom of Exaugustus and then fled with the ransom money to Greek territory, where he died in obscurity (but probably wealth). He was replaced as leader by Argyrus.