1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Roger II was never supposed to inherit his father&amp;rsquo;s possessions.&amp;nbsp; He was the youngest of 18 children, and only five when the Great Count died.&amp;nbsp; The nobility dutifully pledged their allegiance but there seemed little chance that his mother- an Italian foreigner in the Norman court- could hold the regency until he matured.&amp;nbsp; And yet, against the odds Roger II emerged from his uncertain childhood as the most forceful personality on the Mediterranean stage.&amp;nbsp; Under him Norman rule in southern Italy blossomed into its most brilliant flower.&amp;nbsp; Join&amp;nbsp;Lars&amp;nbsp;Brownworth as he looks at the rise of Roger II, Sicily&amp;rsquo;s first and greatest king. Norman Centuries | A Norman History Podcast by Lars Brownworth http://www.normancenturies.com/ <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/1592514/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/1592514