Bohemond I of Antioch

Bohemond I was the eldest son of the Norman conqueror Robert Guiscard and an experienced commander in the wars of southern Italy and the Byzantine Empire. He joined the First Crusade with a Norman contingent and became one of its most capable and ambitious leaders. During the siege of Antioch he negotiated with Firouz, whose cooperation allowed crusaders to enter the city in June 1098.

Bohemond claimed Antioch and remained there rather than continuing with the main army to Jerusalem. His principality became a major crusader state but also brought conflict with Byzantium and neighbouring powers. Fiction often emphasises the combination of strategic ability, personal charisma and territorial ambition that made him indispensable to the crusade and distrusted by other leaders.