Terror and territorium in Alexander of Telese's Ystoria Rogerii regis: political cultures in the Norman kingdom of Sicily

Abstract

Alexander of Telese's account of Roger II of Sicily, the Ystoria Rogerii regis, is imbued with the notion of terror regius that scholars have treated in a practical sense, understanding it to mean the use of physical violence. This article inquires into the meaning of terror to reveal the author's intellectual horizons and the social function of his narrative. Firstly, this concept seems to define the hegemonic ethos, the performative role of the coronation ceremony, the establishment of judicial institutions and consequently the power relations between the ruler and his subjects, in such a manner as to assert the king's primacy over centrifugal powers inherent in the feudal system. Secondly, the concept is always associated with the physical territory of the king's dominions. It is maintained that Alexander of Telese is influenced by Romano-Byzantine concepts of territoriality that are equally to be discerned in Roger II's administrative and judicial institutions. It is therefore argued that the narrative aims at shaping political attitudes both for rulers and subjects.