Background
Humphrey was probably the youngest son of Tancred of Hauteville by his first wife Muriel.
Humphrey was probably the youngest son of Tancred of Hauteville by his first wife Muriel.
In his early years in Lavello, he employed a young Richard Drengot, who was later to serve him against the pope. He granted Mauger the Capitanate and William the Principate. His reign began amid the troubles which had ended his brother"son
Humphrey vigorously punished the instigators of his brother"s assassination, especially the principal murderer.
Many Norman knights were in rebellion and pillaging papal lands. Guaimar IV of Salerno supported Humphrey"s succession, but he was soon assassinated.
Pope Leo IX organised a coalition against the Normans and marched south. The pope"s forces and those of the Normans fought the Battle of Civitate near Civitate sul Fortore on 18 June 1053.
Humphrey led the armies of the Hautevilles (assisted by his younger half-brother Robert Guiscard) and Drengots (assisted by Richard Drengot) against the combined forces of the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
The Normans destroyed the papal army and captured the pope, whom they imprisoned in Benevento, which they had been authorised by the emperor to capture in 1047. They finally released him on 12 March 1054. Leo died soon after. In the aftermath of Civitate, the Normans under Humphrey took advantage of the severely weakened papacy to further their conquest.
He took Oria, Nardò, and Lecce by the end of 1055.
Robert Guiscard, the hero of Civitate, meanwhile conquered Minervino Murge, Otranto, and Gallipoli before Humphrey sent him back to Calabria in fear of his growing power and influence. Upon his death in 1057 (or 1056 according to some sources), Humphrey was succeeded as count by Robert.
Humphrey is buried in the Abbey of the Santissima Trinità in Venosa. Humphrey"s wife was called a "sister of the Duke of Sorrento" by Amatus of Montecassino.
This would make her Gaitelgrima, a daughter of Guaimar III of Salerno.
Humphrey had two children:
Abagelard, born after 1044 and died in Greece in 1081
Herman, born after 1045 and died in Byzantium in 1097
We know that Humphrey also had at least one daughter because of a story told by Amatus. Gradilon was captured by the Guiscard"s troops near Trevico in the summer of 1079 and blinded.