Guaimar II of Salerno
Encyclopedia
Guaimar II (died 4 June 946) was the Lombard
prince of Salerno from 901, when his father retired (or was 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. He was responsible for the rise of the principality: he restored the princely palace, built the palace church of San Pietro a campanile
, and restored gold coinage.
In 895, when his father was captured, he ruled the principality and when Duke Athanasius of Naples
incited a revolt against Guaimar I, it was only through his assistance that the revolt was put down. After his despotic and unpopular father retired, or was forced by him, to enter the monastery of San Massimo
, he took over the reins of government completely.
At first, he continued the Byzantine
alliance of his father and received the titles of patricius and protospatharius. He also allied himself to Capua
, then united to the Principality of Benevento, by marrying Atenulf I
's daughter Gaitelgrima
. That was his second marriage: he married the daughter of his first marriage, Rotilda, to Atenulf III, the nephew of Atenulf II and son of Landulf I
. His first marriage is also interesting in that he may have had a son named Guaimar by this marriage. This Guaimar has caused some to renumber succeeding Guaimars, making Guaimar III
Guaimar IV and Guaimar IV
Guaimar V.
Guaimar II joined, like his father-in-law, the fight against the Moslems which had been only secondary to his father and grandfather. He was present at the Battle of the Garigliano in 915, where the forces of Gaeta
, Naples
, Capua
, Benevento
, Salerno
, Lazio, Spoleto
, Rome
, and even Byzantine Italy
defeated the Moslems of the Garigliano fortress. The Chronicum Salernitanum attributes many other victories over the Saracens to him.
After the Garigliano, Guaimar joined Landulf I of Capua against Byzantium
, renouncing his allegiance in 923 or 926. By agreement with Landulf, they jointly attacked Apulia
and the Campania
. Apulian conquests were to be Landulf's, while Campanian ones Guaimar's. Landulf was largely unsuccessful, but Guaimar was very much so. Landulf called in the assistance of Theobald of Spoleto, but the unscrupulousness of the latter broke down the alliance and, in the early 930s, Guaimar returned to the Byzantine fold, with much persuasion from the protospatharius Epiphanius. In 940, at the urging of his wife, he accepted the exiled Landulf of Benevento
and his sons, bestowing on them territories in Salerno.
Guaimar was a religious prince. He endowed San Massimio, which was founded by his grandfather, Guaifer
. He also supported the Cluniac reformers in his final years. He associated his son by his second wife, Gisulf
, with him in 943 and Gisulf succeeded when Guaimar died on 4 June 946.
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...
prince of Salerno from 901, when his father retired (or was retired) to a monastery, to his death. His father was Guaimar I
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...
and his mother was Itta. He was associated with his father in the principality from 893. He was responsible for the rise of the principality: he restored the princely palace, built the palace church of San Pietro a campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
, and restored gold coinage.
In 895, when his father was captured, he ruled the principality and when Duke Athanasius of Naples
Athanasius of Naples
Athanasius was the Bishop 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....
incited a revolt against Guaimar I, it was only through his assistance that the revolt was put down. After his despotic and unpopular father retired, or was forced by him, to enter the monastery of San Massimo
San Massimo
San Massimo is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 25 km southwest of Campobasso...
, he took over the reins of government completely.
At first, he continued the 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...
alliance of his father and received the titles of patricius and protospatharius. He also allied himself to 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...
, then united to the Principality of Benevento, by marrying Atenulf I
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...
's daughter Gaitelgrima
Gaitelgrima
Gaitelgrima is a Lombard feminine name. There are several notable Gaitelgrimas in history. The identities of these four women are often confused because they were all closely related to each other and to two men: Guaimar III of Salerno and his son, Guaimar IV, whose enumeration is often altered...
. That was his second marriage: he married the daughter of his first marriage, Rotilda, to Atenulf III, the nephew of Atenulf II and son of Landulf I
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...
. His first marriage is also interesting in that he may have had a son named Guaimar by this marriage. This Guaimar has caused some to renumber succeeding Guaimars, making Guaimar III
Guaimar III of Salerno
Guaimar III was duke of Salerno from around 994 to his death. His date of death is sometimes given as 1030 or 1031, but the most reliable sources consistently indicate 1027. Under his reign, Salerno entered an era of great splendour...
Guaimar IV and 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...
Guaimar V.
Guaimar II joined, like his father-in-law, the fight against the Moslems which had been only secondary to his father and grandfather. He was present at the Battle of the Garigliano in 915, where the forces of Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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....
, Lazio, Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
, Rome
Rome
Rome 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...
, and even Byzantine Italy
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...
defeated the Moslems of the Garigliano fortress. The Chronicum Salernitanum attributes many other victories over the Saracens to him.
After the Garigliano, Guaimar joined Landulf I of Capua against 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...
, renouncing his allegiance in 923 or 926. By agreement with Landulf, they jointly attacked Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
and the Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
. Apulian conquests were to be Landulf's, while Campanian ones Guaimar's. Landulf was largely unsuccessful, but Guaimar was very much so. Landulf called in the assistance of Theobald of Spoleto, but the unscrupulousness of the latter broke down the alliance and, in the early 930s, Guaimar returned to the Byzantine fold, with much persuasion from the protospatharius Epiphanius. In 940, at the urging of his wife, he accepted the exiled Landulf of Benevento
Landulf of Conza
Landulf of Conza , a Lombard nobleman, was briefly Prince of Benevento in 940 and then briefly Prince of Salerno in 973. The son of Atenulf II of Benevento, Landulf ruled on his father's death as co-prince with his uncle, Landulf I, who soon sent him into exile...
and his sons, bestowing on them territories in Salerno.
Guaimar was a religious prince. He endowed San Massimio, which was founded by his grandfather, Guaifer
Guaifer of Salerno
Guaifer was the Prince of Salerno from 861. The son of Daufer the Mute and grandson of Daufer the Prophet, he was the first of the Dauferidi to sit on the Salernitan throne which his family dominated unobstructed until 977.Guaifer's sister, Adelchisa, married Sicard of Benevento and when Sicard...
. He also supported the Cluniac reformers in his final years. He associated his son by his second wife, Gisulf
Gisulf I of Salerno
Gisulf I was the eldest son of his father, Guaimar II, and his second wife Gaitelgrima. He was associated with his father as prince of Salerno in 943 and he succeeded him on his death in 952...
, with him in 943 and Gisulf succeeded when Guaimar died on 4 June 946.