William Iron Arm

For the duke of Aquitaine whose nickname is sometimes translated "Iron Arm", seeWilliam IV, Duke of Aquitaine.

William I of Hauteville(c.1000/1010 – 1046), known asWilliam Iron Arm,was aNormanadventurer who was the founder of the fortunes of theHauteville family.One of twelve sons ofTancred of Hauteville,he journeyed to theMezzogiornowith his younger brotherDrogoin the first half of the eleventh century (c.1035), in response to requests for help made by fellow Normans underRainulf Drengot,count of Aversa.

Between 1038 and 1040, he and other Normans fought inSicilyalong with theLombardsas mercenaries for theByzantine Empireagainst theKalbids.It was there that he won his nickname "Iron Arm" by single-handedly killing theemirofSyracuseduring a sally at the siege of Syracuse. When theByzantinegeneralGeorge Maniakespublicly humiliated the Salernitan leader,Arduin,the Lombards withdrew from the campaign, along with the Normans and theVarangian Guardcontingent. After Maniakes was recalled toConstantinople,the newcatapan of Italy,Michael Doukeianos,appointed Arduin the ruler ofMelfi.Melfi, however, soon joined otherApulianLombards in a revolt against Byzantine rule, in which they were supported by William and the Normans. The Byzantines, however, managed to buy off the nominal leaders of the revolt – firstAtenulf, brother of Pandulf III of Benevento,and thenArgyrus.In September 1042, the Normans elected their own leader, ignoring Arduin. The revolt, originally Lombard, had become Norman in character and leadership.

William was elected by the Normans as their count after the defection of Argyrus. He and the other leaders, chief among them Drogo andPeter,petitionedGuaimar IV,Prince of Salerno,for recognition of their conquests. They received the lands around Melfi as afiefand proclaimed Guaimar "Duke of Apulia and Calabria".At Melfi in 1043, Guaimar divided the region (except for Melfi itself) into twelvebaroniesfor the benefit of the Norman leaders:AsclettinreceivedAcerenza,TristanreceivedMontepeloso,Hugh TubœufreceivedMonopoli,Peter receivedTrani,and Drogo receivedVenosa.William himself, predominant among the Norman leaders, received the lordship ofAscoli.He was married to Guida, daughter ofGuy,duke ofSorrento,and niece of Guaimar.

Tomb of the Hautevilles,Abbey of the Santissima Trinità,Venosa

During his reign, William and Guaimar began the conquest ofCalabriain 1044 and built the great castle of Stridula, probably nearSquillace.In 1045, he was defeated nearTarantoby Argyrus. He died in early 1046 and was succeeded by his brother Drogo.

His titles were never confirmed by theHoly Roman Emperor.Drogo would be legally called "Count of the Normans in all Apulia and Calabria" (Comes Normannorum totius Apuliae e Calabriae), and so William is usually titled likewise.

References

• Ghisalberti, Albert (ed).Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: II Albicante – Ammannati.Rome,1960.
• Gwatkin, H.M.,Whitney, J.P.(ed) et al.The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III.Cambridge University Press,1926.
• Norwich, John Julius.The Normans in the South 1016–1130.Longmans:London,1967.
• Chalandon, Ferdinand.Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicilie.Paris,1907.
• Gravett, Christopher, and Nicolle, David.The Normans: Warrior Knights and their Castles.Osprey Publishing:Oxford,2006.
• Beech, George.A Norman-Italian Adventurer in the East: Richard of Salerno.1993.

External links

• History of the Norman World.
• Leeds Medieval History Texts in Translation.
• Norman Centuries – A Norman History Podcast by Lars Brownworth.