Roger de Flor

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Roger de Flor
Born1267
Brindisi, Kingdom of Sicily
(modern-day Italy)
Died30 April 1305(1305-04-30) (aged 37–38)
Adrianople, Byzantine Empire
(modern-day Edirne, Turkey)
AllegianceCrown of Aragon
Catalan Company
Years of service1282–1305
Entry of Roger de Flor in Constantinople
by José Moreno Carbonero

Roger de Flor (1267 – 30 April 1305), also known as Ruggero/Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores, was an Italian military adventurer and

Great Catalan Company and held the title Count of Malta
.

Biography

Roger de Flor was born in

German falconer named Richard von Blum (Blume means flower in German) in the service of Emperor Frederick II. Richard von Blum was killed fighting at the Battle of Tagliacozzo
in 1268.

At eight years old Roger de Flor was sent to sea in a

apostate. This resulted in his relegation from the order. Roger fled to Genoa, where he borrowed a considerable sum from Ticino Doria, purchased a new vessel, and began a career in piracy.[1]

The struggle between the Aragonese

vice-admiral. When the Peace of Caltabellotta brought the war to an end in 1302, Frederick was unwilling and unable to keep a mercenary army and was anxious to free the island from troops (called "Almogavars"), whom he no longer had the means of paying. Given the political and military situation, Roger found an opportunity to make his services useful in the East fighting the Ottoman Turks, who were ravaging the Byzantine Empire
.

Emperor

Andronicus II Palaeologus of the Byzantine Empire was facing siege by the Ottoman Turks, an Islamic tribe approaching the capital of his empire after defeating his armies and ransacking most of his domains. Looking for assistance from the European kingdoms, Andronicus II made Roger an offer of service along with the Almogavar army under his command. In September 1302, Roger with his fleet and army, now known as the Catalan Company, 6,500 strong, arrived at Constantinople.[2] He was adopted into the imperial family, married to the emperor's niece Maria Asenina (daughter of Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria),[3] and made grand duke (megas doux
) and commander-in-chief of the army and the fleet.

Facing strong opposition from the powerful Genoese, some weeks passed lost in dissipation, intrigues, and bloody quarrels against the Genoese who were intent on keeping him out of the circles of power. Roger and his men were sent into

Philadelphia, then invested and reduced to extremities by the Turks.[4] Given his position of unchallenged military power, he was accused of serving his own interest instead of those of the emperor because he was determined to create a principality in the East for himself. He sent his treasures to Magnesia, but the people slew his Catalans
and seized the treasures. He then laid siege to the town, but his attacks were repulsed, and he was compelled to retire.

Being recalled to Europe, he settled his troops in Gallipoli and other towns, and visited Constantinople to demand pay for the Almogavars. Roger was created Caesar, perhaps in December 1304; other sources indicate that the date was shortly before Roger's death ("in 1305 the title of Caesar, which conferred great ceremonial status, though less real power") [5] and even days before ("Flor being promoted kaisar in April 1305").[6]

In April 1305, he was assassinated in

Adrianople by Andronikos' son Michael.[7] The Catalan Company later avenged itself, plundering from Macedonia to Thrace in what has been called the "Catalan Vengeance".[a]

He was fluent in Greek.[8]

Adaptations

The early history of the Catalan Company was chronicled by Ramon Muntaner, a member of the company, in his Crònica.

The life of Roger de Flor inspired the fictional character of

Valencia in 1490. It is one of the best-known medieval works of literature in the Catalan language and played an important role in the evolution of the Western novel thanks to its influence on Miguel de Cervantes
.

Roger de Flor is one of the main characters of The Horsemen of Death ("Surma ratsanikud"; 1963), a historical novel by Estonian writer Karl Ristikivi. Roger de Flor is the title and the main character of a historical novel by the late Greek writer and publisher Kostas Kyriazis.

Spanish poet Mariano Capdepón composed a play dealing with the last days of Roger's life. The composer Ruperto Chapí used this text for his opera Roger de Flor (1878).

One of the units of the

Paratrooper Brigade of Spain
is named after him.

Notes

  1. ^ The latter's reaction is known to history as the Catalan Vengeance: a two-year devastation of Thrace and a two-year devastation of Macedonia, each havoc ceasing only when very little remained for the Company or their Turk allies to ruin.[7]

Citations

  1. ^ a b Dupuy (2003), p. 329.
  2. ^ Waley (1985), p. 164.
  3. ^ Pavlov (2005).
  4. ^ Korobeinikov (2014), pp. 285–286.
  5. ^ David Abulafia, The Western Mediterranean Kingdoms: The Struggle for Dominion, 1200-1500 (Taylor & Francis, 2014) p.121
  6. ^ "The Catalan Company in the East", by David Jacoby, in The Medieval Way of War: Studies in Medieval Military History in Honor of Bernard S. Bachrach ed. by Gregory I. Halfond (Routledge, 2016) p. 155
  7. ^ a b Burns (1954), p. 752.
  8. ISBN 978-1-317-02419-4
    .

References

General references

  • Ernest Marcos Hierro, Almogàvers: la història, L'esfera dels llibres, Barcelona 2005.
  • Francisco de Moncada, Catalan Chronicle.
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