Individual Details
Prince Bohemond I of Antioch Prince of Tarante
(1058 - 3 Mar 1111)
Boemund was born in 1058, the eldest son of Robert Guiscard, duke of Apulia, and his first wife Alberade di Buonalberga, who was divorced by his father in 1058. He inherited Robert's large size and height. His father gave him command of the campaign against Byzantine Illyria in 1081. He captured Valona, was defeated in a naval battle by the Venetians allied with Byzantium, but then laid siege to Durazzo. During his father's temporary absence attacking Rome, Boemund lost most of the conquered territory. On the death of his father, he fought his half-brother Roger, whom his father had designated sole heir in Apulia. Moving southwards from his castle at Tarento, he captured Oria and Otranto, and was able to force peace in return for the grant, not only of Oria and Otranto, but also of Gallipoli, Tarento and Brindisi together with the region between Conversano and Brindisi, with the title Prince of Tarento. In 1090 he annexed Bari, but was faced with rebellion by the count of Conversano and the lord of Montescaglioso.
As one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Boemund swore allegiance to Emperor Alexios I Komnenos of Byzantium in April 1097, agreeing that the emperor should become overlord of any new principalities founded by the crusaders and that any land captured which had previously belonged to the empire should be handed back to Byzantium. He played a decisive role in the capture of Antioch on 28 June 1098 after a siege lasting eight months. The leaders of the crusade disagreed about which of them should control Antioch. After Raymond 'de Saint-Gilles', comte de Toulouse, finally marched south in January 1099 to continue the crusade, Boemund remained in possession of Antioch.
He declared himself Boemund I, prince of Antioch in defiance of his oath of allegiance to the emperor. He was confirmed as prince of Antioch in Jerusalem at Christmas 1099 by Daibert, the newly elected patriarch of Jerusalem, although with doubtful authority as John of Oxeia had been appointed patriarch of Antioch. He enlarged his principality by taking Edessa. He was captured by the Danishmend emir Malik Ghazi in 1100 while defending his new acquisition against the Turks. While in captivity he is said to have had an affaire with either the emir's daughter or one of his wives. He negotiated his release in 1103 for a payment of a ransom of 100,000 besants, and returned to Antioch where he resumed his position in place of his nephew Tancred who had been installed as regent in his absence. Together with Joscelin de Courtenay, he captured Muslimiye in the summer of 1103 and Basarfut in March 1104, both in the territory of Aleppo. In the summer of 1104 the Byzantines recaptured Tarsus, Adana and Mamistra.
Faced with these attacks from both the Turks and Byzantium, both of whose interests were threatened by the establishment of the new principality of Antioch on their borders, Boemund appointed his nephew Tancred as regent in Antioch and returned to Europe in 1104 for reinforcements, with a view particularly to attacking Alexios I, emperor of Byzantium.
On 25/26 May 1106 at Chartres he married Constance de France, daughter of Philippe I, king of France, and Bertha of Holland, and divorced wife of Hugues I, comte de Troyes. Boemund and Constance had two sons, Boemund, who would succeed his father in 1126, marry and have progeny, and Jean.
With English, French and Papal support, Boemund marched on Byzantium, but was defeated at Avlona near Durazzo in October 1107. Emperor Alexios confirmed him as prince of Antioch, but obliged him to accept Byzantine suzerainty in the Treaty of Devol of 1108. Boemund lived the rest of his life in Apulia, and died at Bari in 1111.
Source: Leo van de Pas
As one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Boemund swore allegiance to Emperor Alexios I Komnenos of Byzantium in April 1097, agreeing that the emperor should become overlord of any new principalities founded by the crusaders and that any land captured which had previously belonged to the empire should be handed back to Byzantium. He played a decisive role in the capture of Antioch on 28 June 1098 after a siege lasting eight months. The leaders of the crusade disagreed about which of them should control Antioch. After Raymond 'de Saint-Gilles', comte de Toulouse, finally marched south in January 1099 to continue the crusade, Boemund remained in possession of Antioch.
He declared himself Boemund I, prince of Antioch in defiance of his oath of allegiance to the emperor. He was confirmed as prince of Antioch in Jerusalem at Christmas 1099 by Daibert, the newly elected patriarch of Jerusalem, although with doubtful authority as John of Oxeia had been appointed patriarch of Antioch. He enlarged his principality by taking Edessa. He was captured by the Danishmend emir Malik Ghazi in 1100 while defending his new acquisition against the Turks. While in captivity he is said to have had an affaire with either the emir's daughter or one of his wives. He negotiated his release in 1103 for a payment of a ransom of 100,000 besants, and returned to Antioch where he resumed his position in place of his nephew Tancred who had been installed as regent in his absence. Together with Joscelin de Courtenay, he captured Muslimiye in the summer of 1103 and Basarfut in March 1104, both in the territory of Aleppo. In the summer of 1104 the Byzantines recaptured Tarsus, Adana and Mamistra.
Faced with these attacks from both the Turks and Byzantium, both of whose interests were threatened by the establishment of the new principality of Antioch on their borders, Boemund appointed his nephew Tancred as regent in Antioch and returned to Europe in 1104 for reinforcements, with a view particularly to attacking Alexios I, emperor of Byzantium.
On 25/26 May 1106 at Chartres he married Constance de France, daughter of Philippe I, king of France, and Bertha of Holland, and divorced wife of Hugues I, comte de Troyes. Boemund and Constance had two sons, Boemund, who would succeed his father in 1126, marry and have progeny, and Jean.
With English, French and Papal support, Boemund marched on Byzantium, but was defeated at Avlona near Durazzo in October 1107. Emperor Alexios confirmed him as prince of Antioch, but obliged him to accept Byzantine suzerainty in the Treaty of Devol of 1108. Boemund lived the rest of his life in Apulia, and died at Bari in 1111.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 1058 | ||||
| Marriage | 1106 | Constance de France | |||
| Death | 3 Mar 1111 | Bari |
Families
| Spouse | Constance de France (1078 - 1125) |
| Child | Prince Bohemond II of Antioch (1108 - 1131) |