Alexander of Telese () was an Italian chronicler and historian, and the

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

of San Salvatore, near Telese, in

southern Italy Southern Italy (, , or , ; ; ), also known as () or (; ; ; ), is a macroregion of Italy consisting of its southern Regions of Italy, regions. The term "" today mostly refers to the regions that are associated with the people, lands or cultu ...

from before 1127 to before November 1143. His most famous work is ''The Deeds Done by King Roger of Sicily'' (''Gesta Rogeri''), a largely biographical work covering the reign of

Roger II of Sicily Roger II or Roger the Great (, , Greek language, Greek: Ρογέριος; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Kingdom of Sicily, Sicily and Kingdom of Africa, Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon, C ...

. This work was written at the request and with the patronage of Matilda, a half-sister of Roger and, from 1131, estranged wife of

Ranulf II, Count of Alife Ranulf II (or Rainulf II, ; died 30 April 1139) was the count of Alife (CE), Alife and Caiazzo, and duke of Apulia. He was a member of the Italo-Norman Drengot family which dominated the Principality of Capua for most of the century between 1050 ...

. It covers only the years after 1127 in detail, ending abruptly in 1136. Though written for the sister of Roger and wife of his chiefest enemy, it was definitely sympathetic to Roger. There is a clear contrast with the chronicle of his contemporary Falco of Benevento, who opposed Roger in everything.

References

Sources

* Norwich, John Julius. ''The Normans in the South 1016-1130''. Longmans:

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, 1967. *Norwich, John Julius. ''The Kingdom in the Sun 1130-1194''. Longman:

, 1970. *Alexander of Telese, translated by G. A. Loud. ''The Deeds Done by Roger of Sicily''
Introduction
an
Books OneTwoThree
an
Four
*Percy (Strerath), Sandra. ''Les liens d'homme à homme dans l'entourage du roi Roger de Sicile d'après l'«Ystoria Rogerii Regis Sicilie Calabrie atque Apulie d'Alexandre de Telese»'' / ''Interpersonal relationships in the entourage of the King of Sicily, according to the Ystoria Rogerii Regis Sicilie Calabrie atque Apulie of Alexander of Telese''. MA Thesis (Supervising teacher: Mme le Professeur Huguette Taviani-Carozzi). Université de Provence. 2002

External link

*
De rebus gestis Rogerii Siciliae regis
' (in Latin) {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander of Telese 1143 deaths Italian chroniclers 12th-century Italian historians Year of birth unknown 12th-century writers in Latin