The Dukes of Naples were the military commanders of the ducatus Neapolitanus, a Byzantine outpost in Italy, one of the few remaining after the conquest of the Lombards. In 661, Emperor Constans II, highly interested in south Italian affairs (he established his court in Syracuse), appointed a Neapolitan named Basil dux or magister militum. Thereafter a line of dukes, often largely independent and dynastic from the mid-ninth century, ruled until the coming of the Normans, a new menace they could not weather. The thirty-ninth and last duke, Sergius VII, surrendered his city to King Roger II of Sicily in 1137. Dukes appointed by Byzantium Gudeliscus, as duke of Campania (dux Campaniae) Guduin, first recorded duke of Naples seized by the rebel John of Conza Anatolius 661–666 Basil 666–670 Theophylactus I 670–673 Cosmas 673–677 Andrew I 677–684 Caesarius I 684–687 Stephen I 687–696 Bonellus 696–706 Theodosius 706–711 Caesarius II 711–719 John I 719–729 Theodore I 729–739 George 739–755 Gregory I 755–766 Stephen II 767–794 Gregory II 794–801 Theophylactus II 801– Anthimus –821 Theoctistus 821 Theodore II 821–832 Stephen III 832–834 Bonus 834 Leo 834–840 Andrew II 840 Contardus Hereditary dukes These dukes were more independent than their predecessors and they were not chosen by the emperor, but the descendants of Sergius I, who was elected by the citizens. Sergian dynasty (Sergii) 840–864/865 Sergius I 864/865–870 Gregory III 870–877/878 Sergius II 877/878–898 Athanasius 898– Gregory IV –919 John II 919–928 Marinus I 928–968/969 John III 968/969–992/997 Marinus II 992–997/999 Sergius III 997/999–1005 John IV 1005–1038 Sergius IV, co-ruling with his son (below) after 1033 1027–1029 under control of Pandulf IV of Capua 1033–1050 John V, co-ruling with his father (above) before 1038 and with his son (below) after 1038–1076 Sergius V, co-ruling with his father (above) until 1050 1077–1107 Sergius VI, co-ruling with his son (below) after 1090 1090–1122 John VI, co-ruling with his father (above) until 1107 1122–1137 Sergius VII 1137–1139 vacant In 1139, Naples capitulated to the Normans and shortly after elected a Norman ruler from the ruling dynasty. House of Hauteville 1139–1144 Alfonso 1144–1154 William In 1154, William succeeded to the Sicilian crown and the line of dukes ends. Notes External links Naples in the Dark Ages by David Taylor and Jeff Matthews. Further reading Chalandon, Ferdinand. Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicile, 2 vol. Paris: 1907. Norwich, John Julius. The Normans in the South