Gregory III of Naples
Encyclopedia
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 tenure, his brothers played a significant role. Caesar was his admiral, Athanasius
was bishop of the city, and Stephen was bishop of Sorrento. Stephen was later, as Stephen III, bishop also. Sergius, their father, allied with Landulf, the gastald
of Suessola and Sessa
and son of Lando I
, Count of Capua.
In 859, Gregory received the Byzantine title of magister militum
. In May that year, a massive joint expedition of Salerno
, Naples
, and Amalfi
marched on Capua
, led by Caesar and Gregory, and their brother-in-law of Suessola. Lando I was in a paralysis at that time and his son Lando II
took up arms to defend the city. He defeated the forces sent against them, numbering some 7,000, at the bridge of Teodemondo over the Volturno
. Caesar was captured with 800 soldiers and led back to Capua in a triumph. Erchempert
places the battle on 8 May, the day of Michael the Archangel, whose cult was popular among the Lombards. It is therefore significant to Erchempert (a Lombard) that the Lombard Lando should defeat a largely Greek army on such a day.
Sergius, before dying, bade his son to follow the counsel of his brother the bishop, who was a familiaris of the Emperor Louis II and a papal legate with connections in the Roman curia. In 866, Gregory personally accompanied Louis against Capua, Salerno, and Amalfi. In the spring of 867, however, he commended himself and his duchy to the Byzantine emperor Basil I
and began minting Byzantine coins with Basil's effigy again. Gregory fell seriously ill in January 870 and left the government to his son Sergius II
. He died in March.
Sergius I of Naples
Sergius I was the first duke of Naples of his dynasty, often dubbed the "Sergi," which ruled over Naples for almost three centuries from his accession in 840 until the death of his namesake Sergius VII in 1137....
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
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin.
During his tenure, his brothers played a significant role. Caesar was his admiral, Athanasius
Athanasius I, Bishop of Naples
Saint Athanasius I was the bishop of Naples from 850 to his death. He was the second son of Sergius I of Naples and became bishop at the same time his brother, Gregory, became co-duke. Athanasius was an intimate of both the court of the Western Emperor and that of the Pope...
was bishop of the city, and Stephen was bishop of Sorrento. Stephen was later, as Stephen III, bishop also. Sergius, their father, allied with Landulf, the gastald
Gastald
A gastald was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne with civil, martial, and judicial powers. By the Edictum Rothari of 643, the gastalds were given the civil authority in the cities and the reeves the like authority in the countryside...
of Suessola and Sessa
Sessa
Sessa is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Sessa is first mentioned in 1335 as Sexa....
and son of Lando I
Lando I of Capua
Lando I was the count of Capua from 843. He was the eldest son and successor of Landulf the Old. Like his father, he supported Siconulf against Radelchis in the civil war dividing the Principality of Benevento in the 840s....
, Count of Capua.
In 859, Gregory received the Byzantine title of magister militum
Magister militum
Magister militum was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, the term referred to the senior military officer of the Empire...
. In May that year, a massive joint expedition 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....
, Naples
Duchy of Naples
The Duchy of Naples began as a Byzantine province that was constituted in the seventh century, in the reduced coastal lands that the Lombards had not conquered during their invasion of Italy in the sixth century...
, and Amalfi
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
marched on 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...
, led by Caesar and Gregory, and their brother-in-law of Suessola. Lando I was in a paralysis at that time and his son Lando II
Lando II of Capua
Lando II, called Cyruttu, was the count of Capua briefly for six months in 861. He was the eldest son and successor of Lando I.In May 859, a massive joint expedition of Salerno, Naples, Amalfi, and Suessola marched on Capua. Lando I was in a paralysis at that time and his son Lando II took up arms...
took up arms to defend the city. He defeated the forces sent against them, numbering some 7,000, at the bridge of Teodemondo over the Volturno
Volturno
The Volturno is a river in south-central Italy.-Geography:It rises in the Abruzzese central Apennines of Samnium near Rocchetta a Volturno and flows southeast as far as its junction with the Calore River near Caiazzo and runs south as far as Venafro, and then turns southwest, past Capua, to...
. Caesar was captured with 800 soldiers and led back to Capua in a triumph. Erchempert
Erchempert
Erchempert 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...
places the battle on 8 May, the day of Michael the Archangel, whose cult was popular among the Lombards. It is therefore significant to Erchempert (a Lombard) that the Lombard Lando should defeat a largely Greek army on such a day.
Sergius, before dying, bade his son to follow the counsel of his brother the bishop, who was a familiaris of the Emperor Louis II and a papal legate with connections in the Roman curia. In 866, Gregory personally accompanied Louis against Capua, Salerno, and Amalfi. In the spring of 867, however, he commended himself and his duchy to the Byzantine emperor Basil I
Basil I
Basil I, called the Macedonian was a Byzantine emperor of probable Armenian descent who reigned from 867 to 886. Born a simple peasant in the Byzantine theme of Macedonia, he rose in the imperial court, and usurped the imperial throne from Emperor Michael III...
and began minting Byzantine coins with Basil's effigy again. Gregory fell seriously ill in January 870 and left the government to his son 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....
. He died in March.
Sources
- 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: LXIII Labroca – Laterza. RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 2004. - Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LIX Graziando – Grossi Gondi. RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 2002.