In 18 June 1053 an "anti-Norman" coalition army of Byzantines, Lombards and Swabians clashed with a Norman army under the leadership of Robert Guiscard near Civitate in south Italy.
The result of this battle was a Norman victory which allowed Normans to imprison Pope Leo IX (who was residing in the city of Civitate watching the battle) and force him to recognise Normans as sovereigns of Southern Italy...
Official recognition came 6 years later when Pope Nicholas II signed the treaty of Melfi recognising Robert Guiscard as Duke of Apulia and Calabria and Count of Sicily...
WI Normans were defeated in this battle? Anti-Norman coalition outnumbered the Norman army but poor leadership and the desertion of some Italian troops during the battle gave victory to the Normans.
It should be noted that Pope Leo IX was negotiating an alliance with Emperor Constantine IX against the Normans but the quick movement of Normans forced Leo IX to go to battle before an ERE army could arrive for help...
If Leo IX had won the battle and concluded an alliance with ERE could they have pushed Normans back thus keeping South Italy and Sicily under ERE's control and also avoid the 1054 schism?
The result of this battle was a Norman victory which allowed Normans to imprison Pope Leo IX (who was residing in the city of Civitate watching the battle) and force him to recognise Normans as sovereigns of Southern Italy...
Official recognition came 6 years later when Pope Nicholas II signed the treaty of Melfi recognising Robert Guiscard as Duke of Apulia and Calabria and Count of Sicily...
WI Normans were defeated in this battle? Anti-Norman coalition outnumbered the Norman army but poor leadership and the desertion of some Italian troops during the battle gave victory to the Normans.
It should be noted that Pope Leo IX was negotiating an alliance with Emperor Constantine IX against the Normans but the quick movement of Normans forced Leo IX to go to battle before an ERE army could arrive for help...
If Leo IX had won the battle and concluded an alliance with ERE could they have pushed Normans back thus keeping South Italy and Sicily under ERE's control and also avoid the 1054 schism?