While Robert, being the oldest among the two, inherited the main title, Roger became his vassal after being given the newly conquered County of Calabria.

A disagreement between Roger and Robert led the former to leave Sicily, but he quickly returned along with Countess Judith to defend the inhabitants of Troina, then threatened by the Muslims.

[8] Even if Goffredo Malaterra reports an utterly exaggerated account of the battle, we know that Serlo II, Roger's nephew, led a smaller army in the conflict.

According to legend, Saint Michael Archangel, shining with light, appeared galloping in front of the Christians and guided them to victory.

After putting together an army of 500 soldiers, Roger tried to seize control of Palermo, but after three months of scarce results, he decided to abandon the idea.

After Duke Robert conquered Bari, last Byzantine holding in Italy, in 1070, he redirected his focus to Sicily, and helped Roger in the conquest of the island's major cities.

During the siege of Butera in 1089, Roger was notified about the arrival of Pope Urban II at Troina, and had to leave the work to his men.

Arrived at Mileto to celebrate his marriage to Adelaide del Vasto, he received some ambassadors from the city of Noto who asked for peace and surrendered to Sicily.

In addition, due to immigration by Lombards and Normans, Latin Christianity gradually replaced that of the Greek Byzantine tradition.

In 1091 Roger, in order to avoid an attack from North Africa, set sail with a fleet to conquer Malta.

[11] The invasion was romanticized in later centuries, and legends arose that the Count gave the Maltese their red and white flag by cutting a part of his banner.

The Papacy, favouring a prince who had recovered Sicily from Greeks and Muslims, in 1098 granted Roger and his heirs the apostolic legateship of the island.

Roger created new Latin bishoprics at Syracuse, Girgenti and elsewhere, nominating the bishops personally, while he turned the archbishopric of Palermo into a Catholic see.

[14] In the cities, the Muslims, who had generally secured such rights in their terms of surrender, retained their mosques, their qadis, and freedom of trade; in the country, however, they became serfs.

Roger drew the mass of his infantry from the Muslims; Saint Anselm, visiting him at the siege of Capua, 1098, found "the brown tents of the Arabs innumerable".

Upon Roger's death, his son, Simon of Hauteville, became the Count of Sicily, with his mother, Adelaide del Vasto, acting as his regent.

[16] The marriage produced only daughters: In 1077, a year after Judith's death, Roger married a second time, to Eremburga of Mortain.