Battle of Nocera The Battle of Nocera or Scafati was the first major battle of Roger II of Sicily and one of two of his major defeats ( the other being the Battle of Rignano ) at the hands of Count Ranulf of Alife . Background . In 1132 , the disaffected Ranulf had garnered a large force with his ally , the prince of Capua , Robert II . The rebels massed outside of Benevento and that city , usually faithful to Roger , gave in . Roger , in shock , wheeled his army around and turned instead for Nocera , the greatest fortified city of the prince of Capua , other than Capua itself . The retreat over the Apennines was miraculously quick , but the rebels moved equally speedily to meet the royal army at Nocera , but Roger destroyed the sole bridge spanning the river Sarno . The rebels , with rapidity equally miraculous , constructed a temporary bridge and moved in on the Noceran siege . Deployment . Roger raised his siege at the coming of the rebel army and Ranulf sent 250 knights ahead to the city walls to divert a fraction of the royal troops . The rebel army formed into two wings . Robert of Capua headed up the left wing and Ranulf the right . Each of the rebel wings was itself deployed into three divisions . Robert ' s divisions were formed in column , with mounted troops in the first and third lines , and foot soldiers in the second line . Ranulf formed his all - cavalry wing with his divisions in line . King Roger formed his army into eight divisions . These were deployed opposite Robert ' s wing in a column , that is , one division behind the other . The royal army , which included Muslim infantry , was said to have 3 , 000 cavalry and 40 , 000 infantry , " numbers which are certainly inflated . " Having forced a crossing , the rebel army was " in a dangerous tactical position , for with the river at their backs , there would be scant possibility of an orderly retreat across the single bridge over the Sarno . " Battle . On 24 July , a Sunday , Roger initiated the engagement , charging the prince ' s knights . The royal troops broke Robert ' s first and second lines . The Capuan infantry retreated over the makeshift bridge , which collapsed and a thousand supposedly drowned . The Capuan third division held firm and counterattacked . By this time , the second royal division had been sent into the contest . Roger ordered a second charge , which was initially successful , pushing back the remaining Capuans . At this moment , Ranulf joined the fray with 500 of the mounted men from his centre . He hit Roger ' s left flank and the royalists began to waver . Before reinforcements could be sent to help them , Ranulf had sent in his right and then his left divisions . The royal troops crumbled under the " successive shocks as they came into action . " Roger himself tried to inspire them , but they were already in retreat , the flight of the first two divisions having panicked the others . The king barely escaped to Salerno guarded by only four knights . The rebel victory was absolute . Aftermath . Seven hundred knights were captured and twenty - four loyalist barons , along with the royal camp . The royal infantry suffered heavy losses in the rout . The booty was immense , according to both rebel - sympathising chroniclers , like Falco of Benevento , and royalists , like Henry , Bishop of Saint Agatha . Among the booty was the bull of Antipope Anacletus II granting Roger the royal title . The battle was of little long - term importance , however , because the Pope Innocent II and Emperor Lothair II did not continue past Rome and so the rebels , without further assistance , lost many of their gains and were forced to surrender by July 1134 .