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Descendants of the Salian Franks, this dynasty takes its name from Merovech, the
ancestor of Clovis. The power of the first Merovingians was limited originally
to the kingdoms of Cambrai, ruled by Clodio, and Tournai, governed by Childeric.
Clovis (481-511), son of Childeric, soon extended his authority to all of Gaul.
His conversion to Christianity under the influence of his
wife, the Burgundian princess Clotilda, paved the way for the Gallo-Roman
population to recognize and accept him as king. Divided among Clovis's four sons, who continued to expand its
borders, the kingdom was united once again under Clotaire I (558-561). His sons
in turn subdivided the legacy, but two of them, Chilperic I, king of Neustria
wedded to Fredegund, and Sigibert I, king of Austrasia married to Brunhild,
embarked on a long and savage conflict that lasted until Clotaire II (613-629)
ascended the throne. His son, Dagobert I, reigned until 639. Dagobert's royal
treasurer, Saint Eligius, established numerous religious houses and charitable
institutions in his diocese of Noyon. Around this time mayors of the palace, who
represented the interests of important landowners and royal officials, began to
wield increasing power. Mayors of the palace exerted total control over the last
Merovingians, impoverished and debauched figureheads known as rois fainéants ("
do-nothing kings " ), who were gradually supplanted by the Carolingians. The
much-vaunted Trojan origins of the Franks are but a legend that dates back to
the seventh century ; it was developed by chroniclers of the Capetian era to
enhance the monarchy's prestige.
Vercingétorix d. 46 BC
So there's one of these statues in the middle of the road of this guy Vercingétorix
and thanks to my professor I am now able to pronounce his name.
Everyday I walk home and there he is just staring at me with this crazy glazed look in his eyes. I suppose when you've been reduced
to a pigeon homing device your mind begins to wonder. I just had to know
what was up with this guy. Apparently he was chieftain of the Gallic
tribe of the Arverni whose formidable rebellion against Roman rule was
crushed by Julius Caesar. Caesar had almost completed the subjugation of
Gaul when Vercingétorix led a general uprising of the Gauls against him in
52 BC. Vercingétorix, named the king of the Arverni and general of the
confederates, used guerrilla warfare to harass Caesar's supply lines and
cleverly offered to engage Caesar's forces on terrain unfavourable to the
Romans. He successfully held the Arvernian hill-fort of Gergovia against
an assault by Caesar. Vercingétorix followed up this victory by an attack
on the Roman army, the failure of which compelled him to retreat with
80,000 troops to the prepared fortress of Alesia (in east-central France).
Caesar, with a force of 60,000 men, laid siege to the fortress and was
able to force its surrender after he had defeated the Gauls' reserve army
in the field. Vercingétorix was taken to Rome in chains, exhibited in
Caesar's triumph (52), and executed six years later. I guess it's
true you can't win 'em all.
Clovis I
Frankish king (481-511), founder of the Merovingian monarchy. He rose from tribal
chief to sole leader of the Salian Franks by dint of patience and murder.
He won Gaul and SW Germany by fighting the Romans, Alemanni, Burgundians,
and Visigoths. His wife, St. Clotilda, encouraged his conversion (496) to
Christianity. He later joined forces with TV evangelist James Bakker,
which eventually lead to his demise, or something like that.
Charles Martel
Charles Martel (688?-741), Carolingian ruler of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia
(in present northeastern France and southwestern Germany). Charles, whose surname means
“the hammer,” was the son of Pepin of Herstal and the grandfather of Charlemagne.
Pepin was mayor of the palace under the last kings of the Merovingian dynasty.
After Pepin died in 714, Charles, an illegitimate son, was imprisoned by his father's widow,
but he escaped and was proclaimed mayor of the palace by the Austrasians. A war between Austrasia
and the Frankish kingdom of Neustria (now part of France) followed, and at the end of it Charles
became the undisputed ruler of all the Franks. Although he was engaged in wars against the Alamanni,
Bavarians, and Saxons, his greatest achievements were against the Muslims from Spain, who invaded
France in 732. Charles defeated them near Poitiers at the Battle of Tours in which the Muslim leader,
Abd-ar-Rahman, the emir of Spain, was killed. The progress of Islam, which had filled all Christendom
with alarm, was thus checked for a time. Charles drove the Muslims out of the Rhône valley in 739,
when they had again advanced into France as far as Lyon, leaving them nothing of their possessions
north of the Pyrenees beyond the Aude River. Charles died in Quierzy, on the Oise River, leaving the
kingdom divided between his two sons, Carloman and Pepin the Short.
Pepin the Short
Pepin the Short (Pepin III) (714-768), first Carolingian king of the Franks(751-68),
son of Charles Martel and father of Charlemange. Succeeding his father as mayor
of the palace (741), he ruled Neustria, Burgundy, and Provence, while his
brother Carloman (d. 754) received Austrasia and what came to be Thuringia. In 743 the brothers
chose Childeric III, a Merovingian, as nominal king of all the Franks. With
their help St. Boniface effected far-reaching reforms that strengthened the
Frankish church and advanced the conversion of the Saxons. After Carloman had
retired (747) to religious life, Pepin, with the consent of the pope, St.
Zacharias, forced Childeric into a monastery and had himself proclaimed king
(751). In return for recognition by the pope, Pepin defended Rome against the
Lombards (754, 756), from whom he wrested the exarchate of Ravenna and other cities. These he ceded
to the pope, thus laying the foundation of the Papal States. Pepin also extended his territories and subdued Aquitaine.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne 742-814 King of the Franks, King of the Lombards, and the first Holy Roman Emperor,
Charles the Great consolidated a large portion of Europe under his rule,
promoted learning, and instituted innovative administrative concepts.
more »
Dagobert I
Dagobert I, c.612-c.639, Frankish king, son and
successor of King Clotaire II. His father was forced to appoint Dagobert king of
the East Frankish kingdom of Austrasia at the request of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace, and
Arnulf, bishop of Metz, who effectively ruled in Austrasia. After Clotaire's
death (629) Dagobert reunited Aquitaine with Austrasia and Neustria and became
king of all the Franks. He was, however, forced by popular demand to give (634)
Austrasia its own king in the person of his son, Sigebert III. The last of the Merovingians to exercise personal rule, he
made himself independent of the great nobles, especially of Pepin of Landen. He
extended his rule over the Basques and the Bretons. Dagobert's reign was
prosperous; he was a patron of learning and the arts. He founded the first great
abbey of Saint-Denis, where he is buried.
samedi, 21 février 2004