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____ Guaimar III
Birth:          ABT  983 
Death:          1031 

Notes
adherent of the Emperor Otto III
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaimar_III_of_Salerno
Guaimar III (also Waimar, Gaimar, Guaimaro, or Guaimario and sometimes numbered 
Guaimar IV) (c. 983 – 1027×31) was the Lombard prince of Salerno from around 994 to 
his death. Under his reign, Salerno entered an era of great splendour. Opulenta 
Salernum was the inscription on his coins. He made Amalfi, Gaeta and Sorrento his 
vassals and annexed much of Byzantine Apulia and Calabria.

He was the second eldest son of Prince John II of Salerno. The eldest was Guy, who 
ruled as co-ruler with his father from January 984 to 988. Sometime between January 
and March 989, John made Guaimar co-regent. In 994 (also given as 998 or 999), his 
father died and he became sole ruler.

In 999, a band of Norman pilgrims returning from Jerusalem stopped at the port of 
Salerno. While they were staying there, the city was attacked by Saracen pirates. The 
Salernitans were afraid to offer battle, but the warlike Normans were not. Soon their 
bravery drew out the Salernitans and together they routed the Moslem force. Guaimar 
promptly offered the Normans numerous incentives to stay, but to no avail. Before they 
left, however, the Normans promised to spread the word about the need for fighting 
men in the south.

As a member of the independent Lombard leadership of the Mezzogiorno, Guaimar 
supported the Lombard rebel Melus of Bari. After Melus's defeat in 1011, Guaimar was 
paid a visit by the victorious Byzantine catapan, Basil Mesardonites, in October. Later, 
he sheltered Melus. Guaimar was nominally a vassal of Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, 
but after the defeat at Cannae in 1018, he discreetly transferred his allegiance to the 
Byzantine Emperor Basil II. When Henry died in 1024, Guaimar sent an embassy to the 
new emperor, Conrad II, to plead for the release of his brother-in-law Pandulf IV of 
Capua, the Wolf of the Abruzzi. Conrad naively complied. Upon his return, Pandulf 
immediately put his old capital, Capua, under siege, an endeavour in which he had the 
support of Guaimar and his Normans under Ranulf Drengot and the catepan of Italy, 
Boiannes.

In 1015, Guaimar made his eldest son by his first wife, Porpora of Tabellaria 
(d.c.1010), co-prince as John III. In 1018, however, John died. Guaimar then made 
co-prince his eldest son by his second wife, Gaitelgrima, the sister of Pandulf. It was 
this son, also named Guaimar, who succeeded him in 1027 at the age of fourteen or 
sixteen under the regency of Gaitelgrima, who was basically the pawn of her brother 
Pandulf. Guaimar III's second son, Guy, was made gastald of Capua by his uncle and 
later duke of Sorrento by his elder brother. His third son, Pandulf, became lord of 
Capaccio (his daughter Theodora became the second wife of Geoffrey of Hauteville). 
He had a daughter (probably about 1026) named Gaitelgrima, who married 
successively the brothers Drogo and Humphrey, counts of Apulia.

Parents
____ Giovanni II (John II) (ABT  940 - ABT  997)
____ Sikelgaita (ABT  942 - )

Siblings
____ Guaimar III (ABT  983 - 1031)

Marriage To OF BENVENTO Gaitelgrima (ABT 980 - AFT 1027) m. ABT 1010 Notes Parents ____ Pandolfo "the Elder" (ABT 960 - 13 Aug 1014) ----- ----- () Children by OF BENVENTO Gaitelgrima ABT 980 - AFT 1027
____ Guaimar (Waimar) IV (ABT 1013 - 3 Jun 1052)
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