Roussel de Bailleul

   Commander of the Norman (q.v.) mercenaries at the battle of Mantzikert (q.v.) in 1071. Previous Norman commanders Robert Crespin and Hervé Frankopoulos (q.v.) proved unreliable, as did Roussel, who sought to use the turmoil in Asia Minor (q.v.) as an opportunity to carve out a kingdom for himself, much the same as other Normans had in southern Italy (q.v.). His rebellion of 1073 was successful in this regard, creating a brief Norman mini-state in the Armeniakon (q.v.). Roussel was suppressed in 1075 by general and future emperor Alexios (I) Komnenos (qq.v.).