• Born: Abt 1031, Sicily
• Married (1): 1061
• Married (2): Abt 1077
• Married (3): Abt 1087
• Died: 22 Jun 1101, Mileto, Provincia di Vibo-Valentia, Calabria, Italy
• Buried: Chiesa della SS. Trinità, Mileto, Provincia di Vibo-Valentia, Calabria, Italy

  Research Notes:

Malaterra names "septimus Rogerius minor" last among the sons of Tancred & his second wife. The Annals of Romoald agree that he was the youngest son. Amatus records that the brothers "Mauger, Geoffrey, William and Roger" arrived in Apulia from Normandy, dated from the context to [1054/57]. He joined his brother Robert Guiscard in Calabria in autumn 1057, where he soon subdued much of the western part of the peninsula from his base at Cape Vaticano. He helped suppress a rebellion in Melfi, but quarrelled with his brother and left his service in early 1058. He joined his brother Guillaume Count of the Principate, and installed himself in the castle of Scalea from where he led a life of brigandage. He helped his brother Robert Guiscard to suppress the rebellions in Calabria triggered by the famine of 1058, in return for the promise of half the territory involved. He captured Messina in 1061, and crossed to Sicily. The Chronicon Breve Normannicum records "Rogerius comes" captured "Mandorium" in 1061. Still not having received his reward for helping Robert Guiscard in 1058, Roger issued an ultimatum in 1062. Robert reacted by besieging Roger at Mileto, but was captured at Gerace. A compromise was reached, seemingly based on a scheme to divide each town and castle into two separate areas of influence. Roger returned to Sicily in Aug 1062, basing himself at Troina. After being besieged there for four months, he defeated the Muslims at Cerami in 1063. Further progress in the conquest was slow, but marked by the victory at Misilmeri in 1068. He helped his brother capture Bari in 1071, the two of them returning immediately afterwards to Sicily where they took Palermo in 1072 after offering terms of surrender which were favourable to the Muslim population.

Robert Guiscard claimed suzerainty over the island, having been invested as Duke by the Pope several years earlier, but installed his brother as ROGER I Count of Sicily. According to Houben, Roger never used the title "magnus comes" or "Great Count", which was attributed to him in documents after his death. Houben also points out that "magnus" may have been intended in the sense of "elder" in the later documentation, to distinguish him from his son. Progress in conquering the island of Sicily was slow, and further delayed by calls from Robert "Guiscard" for Roger's military help in Apulia. However, Trapani was conquered in 1077, and Taormina in Aug 1079. In 1081, the Muslims recaptured Syracuse, but lost it again to Roger's son Jourdain. Roger's conquest of Sicily was completed by 1091, when he also captured Malta. Magnanimous in victory, he was able to lay the foundations for a highly successful, multi-cultural state in Sicily where Muslim, Greek and Norman elements all prospered. Roger I also established control in areas of peninsular Italy. His nephew Roger "Borsa" Duke of Apulia ceded him those parts of Sicily and Calabria which were still under the control of Apulia in return for military support against his half-brother Bohémond. Roger I also demanded the lordship of Naples in return for helping Richard II Prince of Capua establish himself in 1098.

He founded the Benedictine Abbey at Mileto where he was buried. Lupus Protospatarius records the death in Jun 1101 of "Rogerius comes Siciliæ". The Annales Siculi record the death in Jul 1101 of "comes Rogerus pater regis Rogerii". The monk Conrad´s Brevis Chronica records the death in Jul 1101 "apud Miletum" of "Comes [Rogerius comes]" and his burial "in ecclesia quam ipse fundaverat". ¹