Roger de Flor was born in
Brindisi in the
Kingdom of Sicily, the second son of an
Italian noblewoman of
Brindisi and a
German falconer named Richard von Blum (
Blume means
flower in
German) in the service of Emperor
Frederick II. Richard von Blum was killed fighting at the
Battle of Tagliacozzo in 1268. At eight years old Roger de Flor was sent to sea in a
galley belonging to the
Knights Templars. He entered the order and became captain of a galley called "El falcó". After rescuing wealthy survivors during the
siege of Acre by the
Mamluk Sultan
Al-Ashraf Khalil in 1291, he went to
Cyprus. Following intrigues and personal disputes he was accused of robbery and denounced by the
Pope Boniface VIII as a thief and an
apostate. This resulted in his relegation from the order. Roger fled to
Genoa, where he borrowed a considerable sum from Ticino Doria, purchased a new vessel, and began a career in
piracy. The struggle between the Aragonese
kings of Aragon and the French
kings of Naples for the possession of
Sicily was in progress at that time and Roger, by then one of the most experienced military commanders of his time, was called to the service of
Frederick, King of Sicily, who gave him the rank of
vice-admiral. Roger conducted a series of effective naval raids with his fleet of privateers, striking at Angevin, Aragonese, and French shipping. In 1301 a flotilla of supply ships under his command was vital to lifting the
second siege of Messina. When the
Peace of Caltabellotta brought the war to an end in 1302, Frederick was unwilling and unable to keep a mercenary army and was anxious to free the island from troops (called "
Almogavars"), whom he no longer had the means of paying. Given the political and military situation, Roger found an opportunity to make his services useful in the East fighting the
Ottoman Turks, who were ravaging the
Byzantine Empire. Emperor
Andronicus II Palaeologus of the Byzantine Empire was facing siege by the Ottoman Turks, an Islamic Beylic approaching the capital of his empire after defeating his armies and ransacking most of his domains. Looking for assistance from the European kingdoms, Andronicus II made Roger an offer of service along with the Almogavar army under his command. In September 1302, Roger with his fleet and army, now known as the
Catalan Company, 6,500 strong, arrived at
Constantinople. He was adopted into the imperial family, married to the emperor's niece Maria Asenina (daughter of
Ivan Asen III of
Bulgaria and
Irene Palaiologina), and made grand duke (
megas doux) and commander-in-chief of the army and the fleet. Facing strong opposition from the powerful
Genoese, some weeks passed lost in dissipation, intrigues, and bloody quarrels against the Genoese who were intent on keeping him out of the circles of power. Roger and his men were sent into
Asia, and reportedly beat the Turks back as far as Armenia and Iran. After these successful encounters with the Turks, Roger and his army went into winter quarters at
Cyzicus. In May 1304 they again took the field, defeated the Turks at Germe along with Byzantine forces under
Hranislav and rendered the important service of relieving
Philadelphia, then invested and reduced to extremities by the Turks. Given his position of unchallenged military power, he was accused of serving his own interest instead of those of the emperor because he was determined to create a principality in the East for himself. He sent his treasures to
Magnesia, but the people slew his
Catalans and seized the treasures. He then laid siege to the town, but his attacks were repulsed, and he was compelled to retire. Being recalled to
Europe, he settled his troops in
Gallipoli and other towns, and visited Constantinople to demand pay for the Almogavars. Roger was created
Caesar, perhaps in December 1304; other sources indicate that the date was shortly before Roger's death ("in 1305 the title of Caesar, which conferred great ceremonial status, though less real power") and even days before ("Flor being promoted
kaisar in April 1305"). In April 1305, he was assassinated in
Adrianople by Andronikos' son
Michael IX. The Catalan Company later avenged itself, plundering from
Macedonia to
Thrace in what has been called the "Catalan Vengeance". He was fluent in
Greek. ==Legacy and fiction==