George of Antioch

George of Antioch ( * 1080-1090 probably in Antioch, † April-August 1151 ) was a military leader and high court official under Roger II of Sicily.

Life

He grew up in what is now Tunisia, fled to Sicily, where he found employment at the local Count Roger II later. After the death of Christodoulos he was as Ammiratus the leading staff of Roger II and was entitled ammiratus ammiratorum or Archon TON archontōn. 1143 he founded the church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio in Palermo for the " memoria " of his family. Already in 1127 he had founded the Greek monastery of S. Michele in Mazara. The Ponte dell'Ammiraglio in Palermo was built in 1132, on his behalf. In 1147 he began a campaign of conquest and plunder by the Mediterranean Sea, in which he conquered Corfu, Mahdia, Sfax and Soussa and 1149 Konstantin Opel besieged.