Atenulf I "magnus" prince of Capua & Benevento

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atenulf_I_of_Capua

- http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/atenolfo_res-d384b6b1-87e6-11dc...

- http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SOUTHERN%20ITALY,%20PRE-NORMAN.htm#...

ATENOLF, son of LANDENOLF of Capua & his wife --- (-[912]). Erchempert records that, after the death of "Landulfus" [dated to 879 by the editor of the MGH edition], "nepotes illius" divided Capuan territories among themselves and that "Pandonolfus" took "urbem Tianensem et Casam Irlam", "Lando" took "Berelais et Suessam", "alter Lando" took "Calinum et Caiaziæ", "Atenolfus" took "castrum in Calvo", and that "Landulfum…adolescentulum Landoni filium" was consecrated as bishop[1521]. The same passage records that "filii Pandonis" imprisoned "Landulfum et Atenulfum fratres suos, filios…Landonulfi" at "Caiaziac castro"[1522]. The Cronica de Monasterio Sanctissimi Benedicti record that "Atenolfus comes" succeeded "mense Ianuario" [dated to 887 by the editor of the MGH edition] as Count of Capua and ruled for 10 years and 6 months, adding that later he also became "princeps Beneventi"[1523]. Erchempert records that, after the accession of "Atenolfus", he was opposed by "Landone germano eius…cum ceteris fratribus"[1524], which passage must refer to Lando [II] ex-Count of Capua (cousin of Atenolf not brother). The Cronica de Monasterio Sanctissimi Benedicti record war between Capua and Naples "in Liburia ad sanctum Cartium" in the second year of Atenolf´s reign, that Atenolf "indictione 6 post dies undecim" captured "Berelais", but that in the same week he was defeated by "Aio princeps [Prince of Benevento] cum quodam patricio Constantinopolitano"[1525]. Prince of Benevento: in Jan 900, he deposed Radelchis Prince of Benevento "cognatus eius" and seized the Beneventan throne[1526], after which Benevento was united with Capua and the counts of Capua adopted the princely title. He used the title "Langobardorum gentis princeps" in contemporary sources[1527]. According to the "Catalogus Principum Capuæ", "Atenulfus magnus…de comite factus est princeps"[1528]. The Annales Beneventani record the death of Count Atenolf in 912[1529]. The Chronicon Vulturnense records a charter dated Nov 914 "quinto anno patriciatus domni nostri Landulfi…et quinto anno domni nostri Athenulfi principis"[1530], which suggests either that the date of death recorded by the Annales Beneventani is incorrect or that their father Atenolf associated his two sons in the government of his territories three years before he died.

m firstly ([884]%29 --- of Naples, daughter of SERGIUS II Duke of Naples & his wife --- (-before 899). "Iohannes consul et dux" [Duke of Naples] signed a pact with "domno Landolfo et domno Atenolfo seu et domno Atenolfo principibus, filiis et nepos domni Atenolfi principis" (Princes of Benevento and Capua) promising mutual help, among other things, against Sarracen attacks, dated to [Mar 933/939], which names "domni Landenolfi patrui vestri et domni Sergi abii vestri"[1531]. Stasser points out that, from a chronological point if view, the grandfather of the named princes of Benevento and Capua could only have been Sergius II Duke of Naples, and that therefore their mother must have been his daughter[1532].

m secondly (before 899) [--- di Benevento, daughter of ADELCHIS Prince of Benevento & his wife Adeltruda ---. The Annales Beneventani record that Atenulf deposed Radelchis Prince of Benevento "cognatus eius" and seized the Beneventan throne[1533]. Stasser suggests that "cognatus" in this passage should be interpreted as "brother-in-law" and therefore that Atenulf had married secondly the daughter of Prince Adelchis.]

Atenolf & his first wife had two children:

Atenulf I (died 910), called the Great (Latin magnus), was the prince of Capua from 7 January 887 and of Benevento from 899, when he conquered that principality. He also used the title princeps gentis Langobardorum: "prince of the Lombard people," an echo of the title used by the earliest prince of Benevento following the collapse of Lombard cohesion in 774.

The son of Landenulf, gastald of Teano, Atenulf, through his influence and conquests, succeeded in vindicating his Lombard family's pretensions to princely status, à la those of Benevento and Salerno. From the 879, Capua had been contested between several candidates, but, by 887, Atenulf had removed his brothers and cousins from contention and become sole prince with the assistance of the hypatus Athanasius of Naples. In the next year (888), he was at war with Athanasius over "Liburnia." They fought an indecisive battle at S. Carzio on the Clanio.

Atenulf then turned his attention to Benevento, which had recently been under Byzantine and then Spoletan control. He conquered it from the once-deposed Prince Radelchis II in 899 and was acclaimed prince in Santa Sofia in Benevento in January 900. He was opposed by the one-time regent of Benevento, the Bishop Peter, whom he exiled to Salerno. Having united most of the Lombard Mezzogiorno, he directed his aggression towards the Saracens of the Garigliano.

Atenulf allied with Amalfi and Gregory IV of Naples and attacked and defeated the Saracens in 903. He made himself a vassal of the Byzantines in order to receive military assistance, but got none. He spent the rest of his life preparing for major second expedition. He died before its fruition, though it resulted in the famous and successful Battle of Garigliano in 915. For his successes against the Moslems, he was the dedicatee of a poem of Eugenio Vulgario. Atenulf was succeeded by his son Landulf I, whom he had associated in the princeship in 901. Atenulf declared the two principalites of Capua and Benevento inseparable and instituted the principle of co-rule between sons and brothers which was to guide the principality until its division in 981.