Roger of Salerno

Dr. Nicholas Morton in his book titled "The Field of Blood" describes Roger's personality in terms of a vigorous and martial leader, someone who eagerly followed in Tancred’s "of good memory" footsteps and was “every bit as pugilistic” (militarily aggressive) as his predecessor. Morton stresses Roger’s energetic commitment to defending Antioch, which during his time was one of Christendom’s easternmost polities, and willingness to engage the Artuqid Turks, though Morton highlights that Roger was perhaps too eager in his belligerence, as on the eve of the Battle of Ager Sanguinis, it ultimately resulted in his demise and a reassessment by the Antiochene lords of territorial pretensions on Aleppo and the rest of Syria. == References ==