Roussel of Baieul, Norman lord and mercenary († 1078)

Forced into exile for some misdemeanour, Roussel of Bailleul is an example of the Norman adventurer who set off to seek his fortune in the Mediterranean region. He was found alongside Roger of Hauteville in 1063, in Sicily, at the battle of Cerami. He then set off to join the troops of mercenaries at the service of Byzantium. Taking advantage of the great defeat at the hands of the Turks in Mantzikert in 1071, Roussel set up on his own and fought both for the Turks and the Greeks. In 1073 he was ruler of a principality near Ankara. Having defeated the Byzantine army, he selected and supported a usurper. The legitimate emperor allied himself with the Turks who captured Roussel in 1074. However, Roussel paid his ransom and resumed his autonomous policy. He submitted for a while to Alexius Comnenus, but in 1076 was free again and pursued his career as a mercenary until his mysterious death in 1078.