Oliventi - March 17, 1041
An army of 1200 Normans and Lombard rebels fought twice their number of Byzantines. The Normans numbered from 300-500 horsemen with the Lombards making up the rest. There were also 500 foot available, but they were virtually useless, having no shields! The Normans left these foot in reserve, along with a few cavalry, according to William of Apulia “to maintain their courage.”
The Normans divided the cavalry into three groups of 250, with the Norman knights in the front ranks of all three units. In their initial charge, they broke through three successive lines of Byzantines! A quick victory.
Monte Maggiore - May 4, 1041
A total of 2,000 Lombardo-Normans fought against a larger Byzantine army composed of Varangian Guardsmen, Calabrians, Lombards, Thracians and Anatolians. The Norman army contained 700 heavy cavalry and 1300 foot. Using the ‘spearhead’ or wedge, the Norman knights again smashed through successive lines of Byzantines, who quickly broke from the force of the attack.
Monte Sciroco - Sept. 3, 1041
Again numbering 700 heavy cavalry, including some Lombards, the Normans under William Fer-a-bras were confronted by the Byzantines in Italy. The Greeks tried to lure the Normans into a precipitous pursuit by use of a ‘feigned flight’, but the Normans would not ride after then into the woods! Instead they yelled at their retiring foes “Do not run away now. When we have conquered, then you can flee”. In the ensuing fight, the Byzantines managed to hold against the Normans and started to overwhelm them when William, in his tent with malaria, saw his troops about to run. He got on his horse, rallied his troops and routed the Byzantines!
Taranto and Siponto - 1052
Again fighting the Byzantines, beat them at Taranto, nearly destroyed them at Siponto.
Civitate - June 18, 1053
Pope Leo and a Papal-Lombard army attempted to effect a joining with the Byzantines to oppose the Normans in Italy. The Papal force consisted of 2500 cavalry and 700 Swabian two-handed swordsmen as well as some levy foot militia. The Normans had 3000 cavalry under Humfrey and Robert de Hauteville (Guiscard) and a unit of Calabrian foot who took no part in the battle. Robert held a ‘battle’ of cavalry in reserve while two others rode against the Papal army in a surprise dawn attack. The charge broke the Lombard cavalry, but the Swabians held out and died to a man.
Faro - Feb. 1061
Roger de Hauteville, his nephew Serlon and Geoffrey Ridelle invaded Sicily with 160 knights and 400 sergeants. After raiding the countryside, they were attacked by the Muslim garrison of Messina. Outnumbered by at least 5-1, Roger took a portion of his knights and circled around behind the Muslims while Geoffrey and Serlon attacked them in a wedge from the front. As the Muslims recoiled, Roger hit them in the rear, routing them.
Castrogiovanni - Summer 1061
Robert Guiscard with 700 Norman knights and sergeants along with 1300 Sicilian Greeks fought an army of 15,000(!) Saracens in Sicily. Forming his knights into two wedges, Roger’s and his own in reserve, Guiscard charged the Muslims as they advanced in three lines. The knights easily routed the numerous Saracens with their first charge.
Castrogiovanni II & III - Spring 1063
Roger attacked a force of Muslim cavalry while on a raid and totally destroyed them, capturing horses and weapons.
Later, using Serlon and a handffl of knights as bait, Roger lured a large number of Saracens into a pass where the Normans attacked them and destroyed them.
Cerima - 1063
Roger again faced an army of “steel clad horsemen of the desert” who reportedly numbered 30,000! The Normans had formed up on a ridge, awaiting the Saracen attack. Roger had 100 knights and 1000 retainers, formed in two wedges, one in front and one in reserve. The Saracens crossed a stream but would not charge uphill so Roger ordered Serlon to take 36 knights and 300 retainers and attack the small Saracen held village below. This they did, routing the Saracens within. The main Muslim army then charged uphill toward the terribly outnumbered Normans.
Instead of giving ground, Roger had dressed one of his men in the shining armor and arms of the mythical St. George. With this knight, mounted on a large white charger, leading the way, the fanatic Normans went wild, routing the demoralized Saracens who were caught coming uphill against the Norman wedges coming down!
Menzil el-Emir - 1068
Roger again had the Saracens at a disadvantage, tactically. The Muslims were guarding a pass, but Roger’s men charged down on them from higher ground, the wedge routing them.
Palermo expedition - July 1071
Guiscard gathered 58 ships and transported Normans, European mercenaries, Lombards and Byzantine prisoners(!) willing to fight for pay rather than languishing in a prison.
Salerno campaign - 1076
Three divisions of Normans, Greeks and Saracens (willing to fight their own religious cousins for loot!)
Durazzo - 1081-82
Robert’s greatest battle. Fielding 1300 Norman knights and 15,000 other troops including Italian levies, Saracens and Greek mercenaries, The Norman general faced Alexius Comnena and the might of Byzantium... 30-50,000 strong. The Turkish horse archers frustrated the Normans while the Varangians routed the Italian militia. Robert had placed units of his knights in with the foot to ‘steady’ them, and slowly, the tide of battle turned, especially when Robert led his 800 man division against the main Byzantine infantry line, breaking it and causing Alexius to run from the field... a.k.a. Darius at Guagamela.
Greek campaign of 1082
Bohemond vrs. Alexius in two battles. At Jamina, Alexius set up a wagon barriar to prevent the Normans from routing his army at first attack. Bohemond simply sent his cavalry around both flanks of the barrier and hit the Byzantines in enfilade, routing them.
At Vardar, Bohemond again outsmarted Alexius and defeated the Byzantines.
Larissa - Spring 1083
Bohemond divided his army into two ‘battles’, leaving the Apulian foot to hold the camp. He took command of the foremost wedge, attacking the Byzantines in echelon, causing the Greeks to run away. Alexius had sent much of his army in a wide attack on the Norman camp, though, and they proceeded to destroy the Apulians. Alexius then sent his horse archers after Bohemond’s knights, but the Normans fought their way out of the encirclement.
Cosenza campaign of 1092
Roger commanded 5000 Normans, thousands of Saracens and Calabrians as well as large numbers of Sicilian Greeks in putting down the revolt of Cosenza.
This is an article on how to put together an army for use with the Medieval Warfare rules. We will be looking at the Early Norman army list, specifically the army of Robert Guiscard in Italy in the latter part of the 11th century. We will be using the Early Norman army list, with the section limited to Normans in Italy/Sicily only.
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Figures in the photographs are Old glory painted by Dave Dugas from the collection of Bob Beattie.
Medieval Warfare is Terry Gore's wargames rules set available at: http://www.saga-publishing.com
Before discussing the makeup of The early Norman army for Medieval Warfare rules, it is worthwhile to describe several of the early battle that this Norman army participated in historically.
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