In Duke Richard II's Normandy an impoverished knight named Tancred de Hauteville struggled to provide for his twelve sons. The eldest of them - William - declined his inheritance and headed to southern Italy to seek his trade as a mercenary. He was the first of the Normans to set foot in Sicily and, under the service of a Byzantine general, he found fame and fortune beyond his wildest hopes. Join Lars Brownworth as he looks at William Iron-Arm, the man who set the foundations of a family legacy that would one day outshine even the Duke of Normandy.

Episode 8 - William Iron-Arm

Lars Brownworth, author of "Lost to the West" and creator of the "12 Byzantine Rulers" podcast presents "Norman Centuries", a podcast on the Normans. While popular Norman history focuses on the regions of France and England, Norman Centuries covers the lesser known Italian Normans as well. Visit us at http://NormanCenturies.com/

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

The Principality of Antioch outlasted the Norman Kingdom of Sicily by a century, and its founder by nearly two. This unlikely survivor was a testament to the restless Norman Spirit which had carried their arms triumphantly to the borders of the Medieval Christian world. Join Lars Brownworth as he concludes the history of the Normans and looks back on their magnificent, if often overlooked, achievement.

Episode 20 - The Norman Achievement

The First Crusade fell like a present into Bohemond's lap. Italy wasn't big enough for his ambitions (especially with his uncle blocking him at every turn) and now here was an opportunity to win fame and wealth in the east, and to look pious while doing it. What better way to prove himself worthy of his father than by accomplishing Guiscard's glittering eastern dream? Join Lars Brownworth as he follows Bohemond on Crusade, where he again matched wits with his old nemesis Alexius, and carved out a kingdom around one of the Near East's most famous cities.

Episode 19 - Bohemond - Part 2 - Bohemond in the East

A great father can be both a blessing and a curse, and no one was more aware of that than Bohemond de Hauteville. The first-born son of the adventurer Robert Guiscard, Bohemond spent most of his formative years trying to both prove himself worthy and escape his father's formidable shadow. At every turn, however, fate seemed to conspire against him. Disinherited before he reached the age of five, he was raised by a step-mother who was determined to keep him from an inheritance, and actively held back by more powerful members of his family. But Bohemond had Guiscard's blood flowing in his veins and an unwavering belief in his eventual triumph. Join Lars Brownworth as he traces Bohemond's struggle to claim a place in the sun.

Episode 18 - Bohemond - Part 1

Frederick II was the most polarizing figure to rule as king of Sicily. To some he was the antichrist - a heretical monster whose harem and open contempt of Christianity was the scandal of civilized Europe. To others, however, he was Stupor Mundi - the 'wonder of the world'. He was in many ways a walking contradiction. A German Emperor who was raised on the streets of Palermo, a cynical Teutonic politician in love with the pomp and legends of the south, and a Renaissance monarch in the High Middle Ages. Join Lars Brownworth as he looks at the life of Frederick II, the grandson of both Norman Sicily's greatest king and its deadliest enemy.

Episode 17 - Stupor Mundi

Tancred of Lecce came to the throne of Sicily in its darkest hour. Mocked by his critics as the 'Monkey King', he was weakened by civil and religious unrest, and faced invasion by the mighty German Empire. But he never gave up, and through a mixture of energy and courage he fought his enemies at every step. His struggle against impossible odds illuminates the final gloomy days of the Kingdom of Sicily. Join Lars Brownworth as he looks at the tragic life of Norman Sicily's last Hauteville King.

Episode 8 - William Iron-Arm

Download our free app to listen on your phone