In the process, Roger leveraged numerous elements from the diverse cultures that surrounded him to project his power across the wider Mediterranean world. What this incredibly ambitious ruler achieved in just a few decades is nothing short of astounding.
An uncertain future
Roger I was the son of a minor Norman lord whose main claim to fame is the twelve sons he produced with his two wives. The political state that Roger I had created with the support of his older brother, Robert Guiscard, was fragile and new. It was not until 1091 that Roger I had the entire island under his control. Sicily was won as a result of a long, drawn-out campaign prosecuted by very small armies.
Once the conquest of the island was finished, however, the challenges did not end. Just as he came to dominate the island, Roger I was faced with a serious succession crisis as his only surviving son, an unfortunate soul named Geoffrey, became riddled with leprosy, a disease with which most Europeans were
