George of Antioch

George of Antioch (died 1151 or 1152) was the first true ammiratus ammiratorum, successor of the great Christodulus. George was a Syrian born Byzantine Christian of Greek ancestry. He was born in Antioch, whence he moved with his father, Michael, and mother to Tunisia. His parents found employment under the Zirid Sultan, Tamim ibn Muizz. George fell out with Tamim's son and successor, Yahya, and secretly left for Christian Sicily, stealing away in disguise aboard a Palermitan ship, then harboured in Mahdia, while his Muslim masters prayed. Upon arrival in the Sicilian capital, George went immediately to the palace and found service with the Norman count, Roger II.

Due to his bilingualism (in Greek and Arabic) and his familiarity with the Mediterranean, he was soon working as an ambassador on missions to Fatimid Egypt. He rose to the title of familiaris of the court and by 1123 had risen to second in command in Christodulus' navy. In the attack on Mahdia that year, George captured the fortress of ad-Dimas, but the campaign had to be abandoned. In the following five years, George overshadowed Chrisotodulus and by 1127 had replaced him in the position of emir of Palermo. In that year, both emirs were present at Montescaglioso with Count Roger, but Christodulus seems to have died soon thereafter and George succeeded him.

George was instrumental in fully subduing independent-minded Apulia and Calabria in the years following Roger's succession there. In 1129, George brought sixty ships to bear on besieged Bari, then rebellious under Prince Grimoald Alferanites. Surrender was forced, but Roger pardoned the prince. In 1131, Roger demanded that the citizens of Amalfi turn over the keys to the castle as well as full control over their city's defences. The Amalfitans refused and George blockaded the city and captured all Amalfitan ships, forcing the city to surrender. In 1132, George was given the title ammiratus ammiratorum, which translates as Admiral of Admirals in modern English, but was understood as Emir of Emirs to his contemporaries. He was also given the Greek title "Archon of Archons".

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