Frederick III The Simple

Frederick III (or IV) (1 September 1341 – 27 January 1377), called the Simple, was King of Sicily from 1355 to 1377. He was the second son of Peter II of Sicily and Elisabeth of Carinthia. He succeeded his brother Louis. The documents of his era call him the "infante Frederick, ruler of the kingdom of Sicily", without any regnal number.

"Frederick the Simple" is often confused with an earlier Sicilian monarch, Frederick II, who chose to call himself "Frederick III", even though he was actually only the second King Frederick to occupy the Sicilian throne, as also this Frederick has been dubbed by later generations of genealogists and historians as Frederick III.

Frederick III was born in Catania, and succeeded to his brother Louis in 1355 under the regency of his sister, Euphemia of Sicily. In his youth the reign was under the control of powerful Sicialian barons, in particular of Artale I Alagona. The beginning of Frederick III's reign was also plagued by intermittent wars with the Kingdom of Naples (see War of the Sicilian Vespers) and also by the Black Death, to which his elder brother and predecessor had succumbed. In 1372 he was able to come to peace terms with Naples and Pope Gregory IX, obtaining the title of tributary King of "Trinacria".

He appointed his uncle, Roland, to act on his behalf in the Duchy of Athens and Neopatria.

On 11 April 1361, Frederick married his first wife Constance of Aragon, daughter of King Peter IV of Aragon. They had only one daughter, Maria. On 17 January 1372, Frederick married secondly Antonia of Balzo. There were no children from this marriage. Frederick was betrothed again to Antonia Visconti, but he died before the wedding and was succeeded by his only child, Queen Maria.

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Louis
King of Sicily
1355–1377
Succeeded by
Maria
Preceded by
Frederick I
Duke of Athens
1355–1377
Dukes of Athens
De la Roche dynasty
  • Otto
  • Guy I
  • John I
  • William I
  • Guy II



Brienne dynasty §
  • Walter I
  • Joanna of Châtillon
  • Walter II
  • Isabella
  • Sohier
  • Walter III
  • Louis
Catalan Domination
  • Roger Deslaur
  • Manfred
  • William II‡
  • John II‡
  • Frederick I‡
  • Frederick II
  • Maria with Peter (IV) of Aragon‡
Acciaioli dynasty
  • Nerio I
  • Antonio I
  • Nerio II
  • Antonio II
  • Claire with Bartolomeo Contarini
  • Francesco I
  • Francesco II
  • §from Walter I's death in 1311 titular, but recognized in Argos and Nauplia
  • ‡Also Dukes of Neopatria
  • † Venetian control in 1395–1402
Infantes of Aragon
1st Generation
  • Sancho I
  • García
2nd Generation
  • Peter I
  • Ferdinand
  • Alfonso I
  • Ramiro II
3rd Generation
  • Peter
4th Generation
  • Peter
  • Ramon/Alfonso II
  • Peter, Count of Cerdanya/Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Provence
  • Sancho, Count of Provence
  • Ramon
5th Generation
  • Peter II
  • Alfonso II, Count of Provence
  • Sancho
  • Ferdinand
  • Ramon Berenguer
6th Generation
  • James I
7th Generation
  • Alfonso
  • Peter III
  • James II of Majorca
  • Ferdinand
  • Sancho
  • James, Lord of Jérica
  • Peter, Lord of Ayerbe
8th Generation
  • Alfonso III
  • James II
  • Frederick III of Sicily
  • Pedro
  • James 
  • Sancho of Majorca 
  • Philip 
  • Ferdinand, Viscount of Aumelas 
  • James, Lord of Jérica
  • Peter, Lord of Ayerbe
9th Generation
  • James
  • Alfonso IV
  • John
  • Peter, Count of Ribagorza
  • Ramon Berenguer, Count of Ampurias
  • Peter II of Sicily 
  • Roger 
  • Manfred, Duke of Athens and Neopatria 
  • William II, Duke of Athens and Neopatria 
  • John, Duke of Randazzo 
  • James III of Majorca 
  • Ferdinand, Viscount of Aumelas 
  • James, Lord of Jérica
  • Peter, Lord of Jérica
  • Alfonso, Lord of Cocentaina
10th Generation
  • Alfonso
  • Peter IV
  • James I, Count of Urgell
  • Fadrique
  • Sancho
  • Ferdinand, Marquis of Tortosa
  • John, Lord of Elche
  • Alfonso, Count of Ribagorza
  • John, Count of Prades
  • Jaime
  • John, Count of Ampurias
  • Peter, Count of Ampurias
  • Louis of Sicily 
  • Frederick IV of Sicily
  • Frederick I, Duke of Athens and Neopatria 
  • James IV of Majorca 
11th Generation
  • Peter
  • John I
  • Martin
  • Alfonso
  • Alonso, Count of Morella
  • Peter
  • Peter II, Count of Urgell
  • Infante John of Ribagorza
  • James, Baron of Arenós
  • Alfonso, Count of Ribagorza
  • Peter, Marquis of Villena
  • Peter, Count of Prades
  • James, Count of Prades
  • Louis of Prades
12th Generation
  • James
  • John
  • Alfonso
  • James, Duke of Girona
  • Fernando, Duke of Girona
  • Pedro, Duke of Girona
  • Martin I of Sicily
  • James
  • John
  • Antonio of Urgell
  • James II, Count of Urgell
  • Peter of Urgell
  • John, Baron of Etenza
13th Generation
  • Peter
  • Martin
14th Generation
  • Alfonso V
  • John II
  • Henry, Duke of Villena
  • Peter, Count of Alburquerque
  • Sancho
15th Generation
  • Charles, Prince of Viana
  • Ferdinand II
16th Generation
  • Juan, Prince of Asturias
  • John, Prince of Girona
17th Generation
  • Charles I of Spain
  • Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
  • also a prince of Majorca
  • also a prince of Sicily
Persondata
Name Simple, Frederick Iii The
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth 1 September 1341
Place of birth
Date of death 27 January 1377
Place of death

Famous quotes containing the words frederick, iii and/or simple:

    But since ‘tis only Fred,
    Who was alive and is dead,
    There’s no more to be said.
    —Unknown. On Prince Frederick (l. 11–13)

    The Empress is Legitimist, my cousin is Republican, Morny is Orleanist, I am a socialist; the only Bonapartist is Persigny, and he is mad.
    —Napoleon Bonaparte III (1808–1873)

    It would not be an easy thing to bring the water all the way to the plain. They would have to organize a great coumbite with all the peasants and the water would unite them once again, its fresh breath would clear away the fetid stink of anger and hatred; the brotherly community would be reborn with new plants, the fields filled with to bursting with fruits and grains, the earth gorged with life, simple and fertile.
    Jacques Roumain (1907–1945)