Roger inherited authority while still a child, leaving senior advisers unusually powerful. George first worked under Christodoulos and gained administrative and diplomatic responsibilities. Christian and Muslim scholars disagree about when he began to undermine his patron, but Christodoulos had lost his position by 1126 and George had assumed his powers. Delegated work gave George the experience and court relationship needed to advise an adult monarch as a colleague rather than a father figure. His logistical skill also supported Roger's campaigns against rivals in southern Italy and helped turn territorial claims into durable royal authority.
Chapter · 14:32-30:13
Roger II's court and George's rise past Christodoulos
Follow George from administrator and Fatimid ambassador to the trusted minister who displaced Roger II's earlier power behind the throne.