Jordan count of Ariano (from 1102), was a petty baron in Apulia

Apulia

Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...

 during the reign of the Duke William II

William II, Duke of Apulia

William II was the duke of Apulia and Calabria from 1111 to 1127. He was the son and successor of Roger Borsa. His mother, Adela of Flanders, had previously been queen of Denmark, and he was a half-brother of Charles the Good....

. He was the son and successor of Count Eribert and Altrude of Buonalbergo.

In 1114, he and Robert I of Capua

Robert I of Capua

Robert I , count of Aversa and prince of Capua from 1106, on the death of his elder and heirless brother Richard, was the second eldest son of Jordan I of Capua and Gaitelgrima, daughter of Guaimar IV of Salerno....

 assaulted Benevento

Benevento

Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...

, but the Archbishop Landulf II

Landulf II, Archbishop of Benevento

Landulf II was the Archbishop of Benevento from 8 November 1108 to his death. He succeeded Roffredo more than a year after the latter's death on 9 September 1107. The main source for his eventful reign is the contemporary chronicler and fellow Lombard and Benventan Falco.Landulf was a son of...

 made peace with them.

He rebelled against the duke and, at Nusco

Nusco

Nusco is a town and comune in the province of Avellino in the south of Italy, east of Naples, with c. 4,400 inhabitants. It is situated in the mountains between the valleys of the Calore lucano and Ofanto Rivers.-History:...

 in 1121, he took a troop of knights to threaten and insult the duke, saying, according to Falco of Benevento

Falco of Benevento

Falco of Benevento was an Italian twelfth-century historian, notary and scribe in the papal palace in Benevento, his native city, where he was born to high-standing parents.He is an important chronicler for the years between 1102 and 1139 in the Mezzogiorno...

, "I will cut your coat short for you." The contumacious vassal then plundered the entire district. William begged assistance from the more powerful Roger II of Sicily

Roger II of Sicily

Roger II was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, later became Duke of Apulia and Calabria , then King of Sicily...

, who, in exchange for all Calabria

Calabria

Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

 and the duke's halves of Palermo

Palermo

Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...

 and Messina, crossed the straits and subjugated the count of Ariano. When Jordan died, his young son was put under the suzerainty of his neighbour, Count Ranulf of Alife.

Sources

• Norwich, John Julius
  John Julius Norwich
  John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
  
  . The Normans in the South, 1016–1130. London, 1967.
• Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Rome, 2003.