John II of Salerno
Encyclopedia
John II called the Accursed (Maledictus), son of Lampert of Spoleto
, was the count of the palace of Salerno
in 980 and acting regent
for Prince Pandulf II
. He was pushed out with the prince by the duke of Amalfi
, Manso, in 981. The rule of the Amalfitan and his son John was oppressive and the local populace rose in revolt and elected the Spoletan John prince in 983, expelling Manso.
He tried, through appointing his scribe Toto as advocate, to control the monastery of San Massimo and her property, but failed. Together with his wife Sichelgaita, he founded S. Maria de Domno and put it directly under the authority of the archdiocese of Salerno. Under its first abbot, Radoald, it was very successful, though John's attempts to control religion in his principality were less so. In January 984, John associated his son Guido with him, but Guido died in 988. Between January and March 989, he associated his next son Guaimar
, who succeeded him. He left other sons in Pandulf, Lambert, John, and Peter.
According to a legend related by Peter Damian
, there was an eruption of Mount Vesuvius
and John exclaimed that surely it was an omen foretelling the death of some rich man, who would surely end up in hell. The next day, John was found dead in the arms of a prostitute. Perhaps this is the basis for his epithet "accursed".
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
, was the count of the palace of Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
in 980 and acting regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for Prince Pandulf II
Pandulf II of Salerno
Pandulf II was the prince of Salerno , the second of such princes of the family of the princes of Capua. He was originally appointed heir to the childless Gisulf I of Salerno, who had been reinstated on his throne by Pandulf's father, Pandulf Ironhead. On the former's death in 977, he succeeded...
. He was pushed out with the prince by the duke of Amalfi
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
, Manso, in 981. The rule of the Amalfitan and his son John was oppressive and the local populace rose in revolt and elected the Spoletan John prince in 983, expelling Manso.
He tried, through appointing his scribe Toto as advocate, to control the monastery of San Massimo and her property, but failed. Together with his wife Sichelgaita, he founded S. Maria de Domno and put it directly under the authority of the archdiocese of Salerno. Under its first abbot, Radoald, it was very successful, though John's attempts to control religion in his principality were less so. In January 984, John associated his son Guido with him, but Guido died in 988. Between January and March 989, he associated his next son Guaimar
Guaimar III of Salerno
Guaimar III was duke of Salerno from around 994 to his death. His date of death is sometimes given as 1030 or 1031, but the most reliable sources consistently indicate 1027. Under his reign, Salerno entered an era of great splendour...
, who succeeded him. He left other sons in Pandulf, Lambert, John, and Peter.
According to a legend related by Peter Damian
Peter Damian
Saint Peter Damian, O.S.B. was a reforming monk in the circle of Pope Gregory VII and a cardinal. In 1823, he was declared a Doctor of the Church...
, there was an eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting...
and John exclaimed that surely it was an omen foretelling the death of some rich man, who would surely end up in hell. The next day, John was found dead in the arms of a prostitute. Perhaps this is the basis for his epithet "accursed".