duchy · Italy
Duchy of Naples
Origins
Naples remained in Byzantine hands after the Lombard conquest. In 661 Emperor Constans II appointed Basil as its first duke, subject to the strategos of Sicily. Over the next century the dukes came from local families, and Duke Stephen II, who also became bishop, ruled with little reference to Constantinople.
Rule and society
Naples was a Greek-Latin city of merchants and landowners, governed by dukes who also controlled Cumae, Sorrento and Amalfi for a time. Sergius I founded a hereditary dynasty in 840. The duchy fought the Lombards of Benevento, but sometimes allied with Arab raiders, earning papal condemnation. Greek liturgy and learning survived alongside Latin, and Naples kept a strong civic identity.
Decline and legacy
The Normans conquered the surrounding lands in the 11th and 12th centuries. After resisting a long siege in 1135–37, Duke Sergius VII made peace with Roger II and was killed fighting for him at Rignano in 1137; after a brief interlude of self-rule, Naples submitted to Roger in 1139 and joined the Kingdom of Sicily. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Naples.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (7)
- Duchy of Naples was a vassal of Byzantine Empire661 CE – 840 CE
- Duchy of Gaeta split from Duchy of Naples839 CE
- Duchy of Sorrento split from Duchy of Naples839 CE
- Republic of Amalfi split from Duchy of Naples839 CE
- Duchy of Naples was a vassal of Principality of Capua1027 CE – 1029 CE
- County of Aversa was a vassal of Duchy of Naples1030 CE – 1038 CE
- Duchy of Naples was conquered by Kingdom of Sicily1137 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Naples. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-naples
- MLA
- “Duchy of Naples.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-naples. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Naples.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-naples.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Naples’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-naples (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻