Preliminary/Rough draft section of the TL.
1086: Tutush I, the governor of Seljuk Syria, is defeated by Malik Shah I. However Süleyman ib Kutalmish continues his revolt in Anatolia. In Constantinople, Alexius senses and opportunity and attacks Kutalmish in Anatolia while the majority of his forces are committed elsewhere.
1087: Roger I, the ‘Great’ Count of Sicily, marries Adelaide del Vasto of Savonna. This helps forge new links between the Sicilians and the Genoese. Alexius retakes Nicea and Nicomedia.
1088: Bruno, Bishop of Segni is elected Pope. He takes the name Urban II [1], and preaches for a compromise in the Investiture Controversy. All of Ionia is retaken by the Byzantines. Robert Guiscard dies in April, and is interred in Alexandria. Bohemond succeeds him as King of Egypt, and Roger Borso as Duke of Apulia.
1089: Eleanor de Hauteville gives birth to Mark and Bohemond II in Melfi. Kutalmish is defeated finally by Malik Shah. The Seljuk lord comes to an uneasy truce with the Byzantines, allowing them to keep their Anatolian gains for now.
1090: Malik Shah begins to raid Norman outposts in the Sinai Peninsula, testing their strength. Bohemond, sensing trouble, heads to the Sinai at the head of a sizeable force.
1091: Malik Shah marches into Egypt at the head of a huge Seljuk army. Contemporary estimates range from 30,00 to 100,000, though the likely size was around 45,000. Bohemond has around 10,000 soldiers. He sends a letter to the Pope, pleading for help. This sets off the First Crusade.
1091-1097: [The First Crusade]
1092: Simon de Hauteville is born to Roger and Adelaide. The conquest of Sicily is completed. In an uncharacteristically brilliant tactical move during a pitched battle at Bilbeis, Bohemond (having the high ground) orders for the levies to be broken. The Nile bursts out, drowning many of Mailk Shah’s troops, and the Seljuk Lord himself. What is left of the Seljuk army retreats, and is captured by the pursuing Norman cavalry.
1095: Roger de Hauteville is born to Roger and Adelaide.
1098: Roger the younger is discovered to have leprosy, and is sent to a colony. He dies in obscurity twelve years later. Count Roger is granted Apostolic Legateship of the island
1101: Roger I dies. Simon succeeds him in Sicily and Calabria under the regency of his mother.
1101- 1110: The regency of Adelaide. Inexperienced politically, yet determined to raise her remaining son as a worthy successor to the first, Adelaide relies mainly on the help of the Arab and Greek court advisors to run the country. Young Simon thrives during the regency. He is just as charming, diplomatic, and cunning as his OTL counterpart [2], but due to the longer lasting influence of his Norman father, is more martially adept.
1112: While passing through Messina to Jerusalem, Bohemond II befriends his cousin Simon. The two are quite different;
Simon is taller than average, yet Bohemond is a giant among men; Both inherited good looks from their parents’ lines, with Roger being darker due to his Italian ancestry; Simon grew his hair long, and supports an impressive beard for his age, while Bohemond has strictly trimmed hair. Both have a great interest in geography and language. Simon teaches Bohemond Greek, while learning Coptic from him.
[1] Different from OTL Urban (Named Otto de Lagery). His Italian birth will become important.
[2] Roger II.
1086: Tutush I, the governor of Seljuk Syria, is defeated by Malik Shah I. However Süleyman ib Kutalmish continues his revolt in Anatolia. In Constantinople, Alexius senses and opportunity and attacks Kutalmish in Anatolia while the majority of his forces are committed elsewhere.
1087: Roger I, the ‘Great’ Count of Sicily, marries Adelaide del Vasto of Savonna. This helps forge new links between the Sicilians and the Genoese. Alexius retakes Nicea and Nicomedia.
1088: Bruno, Bishop of Segni is elected Pope. He takes the name Urban II [1], and preaches for a compromise in the Investiture Controversy. All of Ionia is retaken by the Byzantines. Robert Guiscard dies in April, and is interred in Alexandria. Bohemond succeeds him as King of Egypt, and Roger Borso as Duke of Apulia.
1089: Eleanor de Hauteville gives birth to Mark and Bohemond II in Melfi. Kutalmish is defeated finally by Malik Shah. The Seljuk lord comes to an uneasy truce with the Byzantines, allowing them to keep their Anatolian gains for now.
1090: Malik Shah begins to raid Norman outposts in the Sinai Peninsula, testing their strength. Bohemond, sensing trouble, heads to the Sinai at the head of a sizeable force.
1091: Malik Shah marches into Egypt at the head of a huge Seljuk army. Contemporary estimates range from 30,00 to 100,000, though the likely size was around 45,000. Bohemond has around 10,000 soldiers. He sends a letter to the Pope, pleading for help. This sets off the First Crusade.
1091-1097: [The First Crusade]
1092: Simon de Hauteville is born to Roger and Adelaide. The conquest of Sicily is completed. In an uncharacteristically brilliant tactical move during a pitched battle at Bilbeis, Bohemond (having the high ground) orders for the levies to be broken. The Nile bursts out, drowning many of Mailk Shah’s troops, and the Seljuk Lord himself. What is left of the Seljuk army retreats, and is captured by the pursuing Norman cavalry.
1095: Roger de Hauteville is born to Roger and Adelaide.
1098: Roger the younger is discovered to have leprosy, and is sent to a colony. He dies in obscurity twelve years later. Count Roger is granted Apostolic Legateship of the island
1101: Roger I dies. Simon succeeds him in Sicily and Calabria under the regency of his mother.
1101- 1110: The regency of Adelaide. Inexperienced politically, yet determined to raise her remaining son as a worthy successor to the first, Adelaide relies mainly on the help of the Arab and Greek court advisors to run the country. Young Simon thrives during the regency. He is just as charming, diplomatic, and cunning as his OTL counterpart [2], but due to the longer lasting influence of his Norman father, is more martially adept.
1112: While passing through Messina to Jerusalem, Bohemond II befriends his cousin Simon. The two are quite different;
Simon is taller than average, yet Bohemond is a giant among men; Both inherited good looks from their parents’ lines, with Roger being darker due to his Italian ancestry; Simon grew his hair long, and supports an impressive beard for his age, while Bohemond has strictly trimmed hair. Both have a great interest in geography and language. Simon teaches Bohemond Greek, while learning Coptic from him.
[1] Different from OTL Urban (Named Otto de Lagery). His Italian birth will become important.
[2] Roger II.
