Roger de Flor Roger de Flor ( 1267 – 30 April 1305 ) , also known as Ruggero / Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores , was an Italian military adventurer and condottiere active in Aragonese Sicily , Italy and the Byzantine Empire . He held the title Count of Malta . Life . He was born in Brindisi , which was a province of Aragon at the time , the second son of a Brindisi ' s noblewoman and German falconer named Richard von Blum ( " Blume " means flower in German ) in the service of the Hohenstaufen rulers of southern Italy . At eight years old he was sent to sea in a galley belonging to the Knights Templar s . He entered the order and became captain of a galley . After rescuing wealthy survivors during the siege of Acre by the Mamluk Sultan Al - Ashraf Khalil in 1291 to Cyprus , following some intrigues and personal disputes he was accused of robbery and denounced to the pope as a thief and an apostate . This resulted in his relegation from the order . Roger fled to Genoa , where he borrowed a considerable sum from Ticino Doria , purchased a new vessel and began to play the pirate . The struggle between the Aragonese kings of Aragon and the French kings of Naples for the possession of Sicily was at this time going on ; and Roger by then one of the most experienced military commanders of his time , was called to the service of Frederick , king of Sicily , who gave him the rank of vice - admiral . When the Peace of Caltabellotta brought the war to an end in 1302 , Frederick was unwilling and unable to keep a mercenary army and was anxious to free the island from troops ( called " Almogàvers " ) , whom he had no longer the means of paying . Given the political and military situation , Roger found an opportunity to make his services useful in the east in fighting against the Ottoman Turks , who were ravaging the Byzantine Empire . Emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus of the Byzantine Empire was facing siege by the Ottoman Turks , an Islamic tribe approaching the capital of his empire after defeating his armies and ransacking most of his domains . Looking for assistance from the European kingdoms he made Roger an offer of service along with the Almogavar army under his command . In September 1303 Roger with his fleet and army , now known as the Catalan Company , arrived at Constantinople . He was adopted into the imperial family , was married to the emperor ' s niece Maria Asenina ( daughter of Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria ) , and was made grand duke ( " megas doux " ) and commander - in - chief of the army and the fleet . Facing strong opposition from the powerful Genoese , some weeks passed lost in dissipation , intrigues , and bloody quarrels against the Genoese who were intent on keeping him out of the circles of power , Roger and his men were sent into Asia , and reportedly beat the Turks back as far as Armenia and Iran . After these successful encounters with the Turks they went into winter quarters at Cyzicus . In May 1304 they again took the field , defeated the Turks at Germe along with Byzantine forces under Hranislav and rendered the important service of relieving Philadelphia , then invested and reduced to extremities by the Turks . Given his position of unchallenged military power , he was accused of serving his own interest instead of those the emperor because he was determined to found in the East a principality for himself . He sent his treasures to Magnesia , but the people slew his Catalans and seized the treasures . He then laid the siege to the town , but his attacks were repulsed , and he was compelled to retire . Being recalled to Europe , he settled his troops in Gallipoli and other towns , and visited Constantinople to demand pay for the " Almogàvers " . Roger was created Caesar , perhaps in December 1304 . In April 1305 , he was assassinated in Adrianople by Andronikos ' son Michael . The Company avenged itself , plundering the country around Gallipoli . Literature . The early history of the Catalan Company was chronicled by Ramon Muntaner , a member of the company , in his " Crònica " . The life of Roger de Flor inspired the fictional character of " Tirant lo Blanc " , an epic romance written by Joanot Martorell , published in Valencia in 1490 . It is one of the best known medieval works of literature in the Catalan language , and played an important role in the evolution of the Western novel thanks to its influence on Miguel de Cervantes .