Athanasius of Naples
Encyclopedia
Athanasius was the Bishop (as Athanasius II) and Duke of Naples from 878 to his death. He was the son of Gregory III
and brother of Sergius II
, whom he blinded and deposed in order to seize the throne while he was already bishop.
In this usurpation, Athanasius was originally supported (financially) by Pope John VIII
, who desired to break the Neapolitan friendship with the Saracens. John had even written to Athanasius in a letter dated 9 September 876, saying "non diligere Deum, qui mandata eius participando cum perfidis non custodit."
In 879, John excommunicated Athanasius, for the latter had not yet broken with the Moslems. He was instead involving himself in the wars over the throne of Capua
. He assisted Atenulf
against his brothers and cousins. With Byzantine troops
, he besieged Capua itself. From about 881, he himself ruled Capua, technically a vassal of Prince Guaimar I of Salerno
. He and Guaimar fought an indecisive war while the latter was preoccupied with the Saracen menace Athanasius was ignoring. In 886, Athanasius, since released from excommunication, was allied with the Saracens again and received a threat from Pope Stephen V
of a blockade of Naples.
By 887, Atenulf was installed in Capua as count. In 888, Athanasius and Atenulf disputed the region of "Liburnia" and went to war. They fought an indecisive battle at S. Carzio on the Clanio.
In 895, Athanasius fomented a revolt of the Neapolitan populace in the city of Salerno
. However, Guaimar's young son, Guaimar II
, put it down.
Domestically, Athanasius increased the power and prestige of Naples. He was a hellenophile who worked to preserve many Greek manuscsripts and maintain good relations with Byzantium
. He had a daughter, Gemma, who married Landulf I of Benevento
, son of his former ally Atenulf. He was succeeded as duke by his nephew Gregory IV
and as bishop by his brother Stephen.
Gregory III of Naples
Gregory III , eldest son of Sergius I of Naples and Drusa, was the duke of Naples as co-regent with his father from 850 and as successor to his father from his father's death in 864 to his own some six years later. He was recorded as a man of learning, fluent in both Greek and Latin.During his...
and brother of Sergius II
Sergius II of Naples
Sergius II was Duke of Naples from 870 to 877.He continued the policies of his father, Gregory III, and grandfather, Sergius I. He maintained good relations with the Franks or the Byzantines only as it suited Neapolitan interests....
, whom he blinded and deposed in order to seize the throne while he was already bishop.
In this usurpation, Athanasius was originally supported (financially) by Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
, who desired to break the Neapolitan friendship with the Saracens. John had even written to Athanasius in a letter dated 9 September 876, saying "non diligere Deum, qui mandata eius participando cum perfidis non custodit."
In 879, John excommunicated Athanasius, for the latter had not yet broken with the Moslems. He was instead involving himself in the wars over the throne of Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
. He assisted Atenulf
Atenulf I of Capua
Atenulf I , called the Great , was the prince of Capua from 7 January 887 and of Benevento from 899, when he conquered that principality...
against his brothers and cousins. With Byzantine troops
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
, he besieged Capua itself. From about 881, he himself ruled Capua, technically a vassal of Prince Guaimar I of Salerno
Guaimar I of Salerno
Guaimar I was the prince of Salerno from 880, when his father entered the monastery of Monte Cassino in August. His parents were Prince Guaifer and Landelaica, daughter of Lando I of Capua...
. He and Guaimar fought an indecisive war while the latter was preoccupied with the Saracen menace Athanasius was ignoring. In 886, Athanasius, since released from excommunication, was allied with the Saracens again and received a threat from Pope Stephen V
Pope Stephen V
Pope Stephen V was pope from 885 to 891. He succeeded Pope Adrian III, and was in turn succeeded by Pope Formosus. In his dealings with Constantinople in the matter of Photius, as also in his relations with the young Slavonic church, he pursued the policy of Pope Nicholas I.His father, Hadrian, who...
of a blockade of Naples.
By 887, Atenulf was installed in Capua as count. In 888, Athanasius and Atenulf disputed the region of "Liburnia" and went to war. They fought an indecisive battle at S. Carzio on the Clanio.
In 895, Athanasius fomented a revolt of the Neapolitan populace in the city of Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
. However, Guaimar's young son, Guaimar II
Guaimar II of Salerno
Guaimar II was the Lombard prince of Salerno from 901, when his father retired to a monastery, to his death. His father was Guaimar I and his mother was Itta. He was associated with his father in the principality from 893...
, put it down.
Domestically, Athanasius increased the power and prestige of Naples. He was a hellenophile who worked to preserve many Greek manuscsripts and maintain good relations with Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
. He had a daughter, Gemma, who married Landulf I of Benevento
Landulf I of Benevento
Landulf I , sometimes called Antipater, was a Lombard nobleman and the Prince of Benevento and of Capua from 12 January 901, when his father, Atenulf I, prince of Capua and conqueror of Benevento, associated his with him in power...
, son of his former ally Atenulf. He was succeeded as duke by his nephew Gregory IV
Gregory IV of Naples
Gregory IV was the firstborn son of Duke Sergius II of Naples and successor of his paternal uncle, Bishop Athanasius, in 898, when he was elected dux, or magister militum, unanimously by the aristocracy. His other paternal uncle, Stephen, succeeded Athanasius as bishop...
and as bishop by his brother Stephen.
Sources
- Engreen, Fred E. "Pope John the Eighth and the Arabs." Speculum, Vol. 20, No. 3. (Jul., 1945), pp. 318-330.
- ErchempertErchempertErchempert was a monk of Monte Cassino in the final quarter of the ninth century. He chronicled a history of Lombard Benevento, giving especially vivid account of the violence surrounding his monastic retreat in his own day. The work, Historia Langobardorum Beneventanorum, stops in the winter of...
. Historia Langabardorvm Beneventarnorvm. at The Latin LibraryThe Latin LibraryThe Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. The texts have been drawn from different sources. Many were originally scanned and formatted from texts in the Public Domain. Others have been downloaded from various sites on the Internet . Most of the recent texts have been...
. - Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: IV Arconati – Bacaredda. Rome, 1962.