Rudolph Drengot was one of the Drengot family of Norman adventureres who came to Southern Italy with his brothers, Gilbert, Asclettin, Osmond, and Ranulf. The Drengots arrived in Italy in 1017 to support Melus of Bari in his rebellion against the Catapanate. According to some sources, they stopped in Rome on the way and Rudolph had an audience with Pope Benedict VIII. Whatever the case, they aided Melus until their defeat at the Battle of Cannae (1018).