The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a
Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
noble family named after
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
, grandson of
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Charles Martel
Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...
and a descendant of the
Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The dynasty consolidated its power in the 8th century, eventually making the offices of
mayor of the palace and ''
dux et princeps Francorum'' hereditary, and becoming the ''de facto'' rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the Merovingian throne. In 751 the
Merovingian dynasty
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
which had ruled the
Germanic Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
was overthrown with the consent of the
Papacy
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
and the aristocracy, and
Pepin the Short, son of Martel, was crowned
King of the Franks. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak in 800 with the crowning of
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
as the first
Emperor of the Romans in the West in over three centuries. His death in 814 began an extended period of fragmentation of the
Carolingian Empire
The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the ...
and decline that would eventually lead to the evolution of the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...
and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
.
Name
The Carolingian dynasty takes its name from ''Carolus'', the Latinised name of
Charles Martel
Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...
, ''de facto'' ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. The name "Carolingian" (
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...
''karolingi'', an altered form of an unattested
Old High German
Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050.
There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...
word ''karling'' or ''kerling'', meaning "descendant of Charles" cf.
MHG ''kerlinc'') means "the family of Charles."
History
Origins
Pippin I & Arnulf of Metz (613–645)
The Carolingian line began first with two important rival Frankish families, the
Pippinids and
Arnulfings
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
, whose destinies became intermingled in the early 7th century. Both men came from noble backgrounds on the western borders of the
Austrasia territory between the
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
and
Moselle rivers, north of
Liège.
The first two figures
Pippin I of Landen and
Arnulf of Metz
Arnulf of Metz ( 582 – 645) was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia. He later retired to the Abbey of Remiremont. In French he is also known as Arnoul or Arnoulf. In English he is known as Arnold.
G ...
, from whom historians have taken the family names, both first appeared in the fourth book of the ''
Continuations of Fredegar'' as advisers to
Chlotar II of Neustria, who ‘incited’ revolt against King
Theuderic II
Theuderic II (also spelled Theuderich, Theoderic or Theodoric; in French, ''Thierry'') (587–613), king of Burgundy (595–613) and Austrasia (612–613), was the second son of Childebert II. At his father's death in 595, he received Guntram's ki ...
and
Brunhild of Austrasia in 613.
Through shared interests, Pippin and Arnulf allied their families through the marriage of Pippin's daughter
Begga and Arnulf's son
Ansegisel.
As repayment for their help in the Austrasian conquest, Chlotar rewarded both men with important positions of power in Austrasia. However, Arnulf was the first to gain. He was bestowed the bishopric of Metz in 614, entrusting him with the management of the Austrasian capital and the education of Chlotar's young son, the future
Dagobert I
Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dyna ...
.
This is a position he would hold until his retirement in 629 after Chlotar's death, when he left for a small ecclesiastical community near Habendum; he was later buried at the monastery of
Remiremont
Remiremont (; german: Romberg or ) is a town and commune in the Vosges department, northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. The town has been an abbatial centre since the 7th century, is an economic crossroads of the Moselle and Mos ...
after his death c. 645.
Pippin I (624–640)
Pippin was not immediately rewarded, but eventually was given the position of ''maior palatti'' or '
mayor of the palace' of Austrasia in 624. This reward was incredibly important, as it secured Pippin a position of prime importance with the Merovingian royal court. The mayor of the palace would essentially act as the mediator between the King and the magnates of the region; as Paul Fouracre summarises, they were 'regarded as the most important non-royal person in the kingdom.'
The reason why Pippin was not rewarded sooner is not certain, but two mayors, Rado (613 – c. 617) and Chucus (c. 617 – c. 624), are believed to have preceded him and were potentially political rivals connected to the fellow Austrasian 'Gundoinings' noble family.
Once elected, Pippin served faithfully under Chlotar until the latter's death in 629, and solidified the Pippinids' position of power within Austrasia by supporting Chlotar's son Dagobert, who became King of Austrasia in 623.
Pippin, with support from Arnulf and other Austrasian magnates, even used the opportunity to support the killing of an important political rival
Chrodoald, an
Agilolfing
The Agilolfings were a noble family that ruled the Duchy of Bavaria on behalf of their Merovingian suzerains from about 550 until 788. A cadet branch of the Agilolfings also ruled the Kingdom of the Lombards intermittently from 616 to 712.
T ...
lord.
Following King Dagobert I's ascent to the throne in c. 629, he returned Frankish politics back to Paris in
Neustria
Neustria was the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks.
Neustria included the land between the Loire and the Silva Carbonaria, approximately the north of present-day France, with Paris, Orléans, Tours, Soissons as its main cities. It late ...
, from whence it had been removed by Chlotar in 613. As a result, Pippin lost his position as mayor and the support of the Austrasian magnates, who were seemingly irritated by his inability to persuade the King to return the political centre to Austrasia.
Instead, Dagobert turned to the Pippinids' political rival family, the
Gundoinings, whose connections in
Adalgesil,
Cunibert, archbishop of Cologne, Otto and
Radulf (who would later revolt in 642)
once again removed the Pippinid and Arnulfing influence in the Austrasia assemblies.
Pippin did not reappear in the historical record until Dagobert's death in 638,
when he had seemingly been reinstated as mayor of Austrasia and began to support the new young King
Sigebert III
Sigebert III ( 630–656) was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 633 to his death around 656. He was described as the first Merovingian '' roi fainéant'' —do-nothing king—, in effect the mayor of the palace ruling the kingdom throug ...
. According to the ''Continuations'', Pippin made arrangements with his rival, Archbishop
Cunibert
Cunibert, Cunipert, or Kunibert (c. 60012 November c. 663) was the ninth bishop of Cologne, from 627 to his death. Contemporary sources mention him between 627 and 643.
Life
Cunibert was born somewhere along the Moselle to a family of the loca ...
, to get Austrasian support for the 10-year-old King Sigibert III, who ruled Austrasia whilst his brother
Clovis II
Clovis II (633 – 657) was King of Neustria and Burgundy, having succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her ...
ruled over Neustria and
Burgundy. Soon after securing his position once again, he unexpectedly died in 640.
Grimoald (640–656)
Following Pippin's sudden death, the Pippinid family worked swiftly to secure their position. Pippin's daughter
Gertrude and wife
Itta
Itta of Metz, O.S.B. (also ''Ida'', ''Itte'' or ''Iduberga''; 592–8 May 652) was the wife of Pepin of Landen, Mayor of the Palace of the Kingdom of Austrasia. After his death, she founded the Abbey of Nivelles, where she became a Colombanian ...
founded and entered the
Nivelles Abbey
The Abbey of Nivelles, is a former Imperial Abbey of the Holy Roman Empire founded in 640. It is located in Wallonia in the town of Nivelles in Province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium.
Foundation
The abbey was founded by Itta of Metz, the widow of ...
, and his only son
Grimoald worked to secure his father's position of ''maior palatii.'' The position was not hereditary and therefore passed to another Austrasian noble, Otto, the tutor of Sigebert III.
According to the ''Continuations'', Grimoald began to work with his father's accomplice Cunibert to remove Otto from office. He finally succeeded in c. 641, when
Leuthar, Duke of the Alamans killed Otto under Grimoald's and, we must assume, Cunibert's orders.
Grimoald then became mayor of Austrasia. His power at this time was extensive, with properties in
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...
,
Nijmegen,
Tongeren
Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the onl ...
and
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
; he was even called 'ruler of the realm' by
Desiderius of Cahors in 643.
This could not have been done if Grimoald had not secured Sigibert III's support. The Pippinids already gained royal patronage from Pippin I's support, but this was further bolstered by Grimoald's role in Duke Radulf of Thuringia's rebellion. Just prior to Otto's assassination, in c. 640 Radulf revolted against the Merovingians and made himself King of Thuringia. Sigibert, with an Austrasian army including Grimoald and Duke
Adalgisel
Adalgisel or Adalgis (''Adalgyselus ducis'' in contemporary Latin) was a Frankish duke and the mayor of the palace of Austrasia. He assumed that office in December 633 or January 634 at the same time that Sigebert III assumed the kingship. Along ...
, went on campaign and after a brief victory against
Fara, son of the assassinated
Agilofing
The Agilolfings were a noble family that ruled the Duchy of Bavaria on behalf of their Merovingian suzerains from about 550 until 788. A cadet branch of the Agilolfings also ruled the Kingdom of the Lombards intermittently from 616 to 712.
They ...
lord Chrodoald, the Austrasians met Radulf on the
River Unstrut where he had set up a stronghold. What followed was a disorganized battle spread over several days, in which the Austrasian lords disagreed on tactics. Grimoald and Adalgesil strengthened their position by defending Sigibert's interests, but could not establish an unanimous agreement. During their final assault, the 'men of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
' betrayed the Austrasians and joined with Radulf. This penultimate battle killed many important Austrasian lords, including Duke
Bobo
Bobo may refer to:
Animals and plants
* Bobo (gorilla) a popular gorilla at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle from 1953 to 1968
* Bobo, Vietnamese name for Job's tears, a plant of south-east Asia
Entertainment, arts and media
* ''Bobo'' (mag ...
and Count
Innowales, and resulted in Sigibert's defeat. The ''Continuations'' offers a famous description of Sigibert being 'seized with the wildest grief and sat there on his horse weeping unrestrainedly for those he had lost' as Radulf returned to his camp victorious.
Upon Sigibert's return from Unstruct, Grimoald, now mayor, began to build power for the Pippinid clan. He utilized the existing links between the family and ecclesiastical community to gain control over local holy men and women who, in turn, supported Pippinid assertions of power. Grimoald established links with Aquitanian and Columbianan missionaries
Amandus
Amandus ( 584 – 679), commonly called Saint Amand, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht and one of the great Christian missionaries of Flanders. He is venerated as a saint, particularly in France and Belgium.
Life
The chief source of details ...
and
Remaclus
Saint Remaclus (Remaculus, Remacle, Rimagilus; died 673) was a Benedictine missionary bishop.
Life
Remaclus grew up at the Aquitanian ducal court and studied under Sulpitius the Pious, bishop of Bourges. In 625 he became a monk at Luxeuil Abbe ...
, both of whom came to be influential bishops within the Merovingian court. Remaclus, in particular, was important as after becoming bishop of Maastricht, he established two monasteries:
Stavelot Abbey and Malmedy. Under Grimoald's direction, the Arnulfings were also further established with
Chlodulf of Metz
Saint Chlodulf (Clodulphe or Clodould) (605 – June 8, 696 or 697, others say May 8, 697) was bishop of Metz approximately from 657 to 697.
Life
Chlodulf was the son of Arnulf, bishop of Metz, and the brother of Ansegisel, mayor of the ...
, son of St. Arnulf, taking the bishopric of Metz in 656.
Grimoald and Childebert (656–657)
The final moment of Grimoald's life is an area that is disputed in both date and event, titled: 'Grimoald's coup'.
It involves Grimoald and his son
Childebert the Adopted
Childebert III the Adopted (''Childebertus Adoptivus'') was a Frankish king.
Childebert was a son of the Mayor of the Palace Grimoald the Elder. He was thus a grandson of Pepin of Landen.
He was adopted by King Sigebert III and Queen Chimnechi ...
taking the Austrasian throne from the true Merovingian King
Dagobert II
Dagobert II ( la, Dagober(c)tus; ang, Dægberht; died 679) was a Merovingian king of the Franks, ruling in Austrasia from 675 or 676 until his death. He is one of the more obscure Merovingians. He has been considered a martyr since at least the ni ...
, son of the late Sigibert who died young at 26 years old. Historians like
Pierre Riché
Pierre Riché (October 4, 1921 – May 6, 2019) was a French historian specializing in the early Middle Ages and the year 1000 (French: ''An mil'' or ''An mille'').
Biography
After studying at the Faculté des lettres de Paris, he passed the ...
are certain that Sigibert died in 656, having adopted Childebert due to his lack of an adult male heir. Following this, young Dagobert II was then exiled and tonsured by Grimoald and
Dido of Poitiers, who then installed Childebert as King of Austrasia. Clovis II in Neustria, uncle to Dagobert, then reacted to the revolt and lured Grimoald and Childebert into Neustria, where they were executed.
This story is only confirmed by the pro-Neustrian source,
the ''
Liber Historia Francorum'' (''LHF'') and selected charter evidence. Other contemporary sources like the ''Continuations'' fail to mention the event and Carolingian sources like
''Annales Mettenses Priores'' (''AMP'') ignore the event and even deny Grimoald's existence.
As such, historian
Richard Gerberding has suggested a different chronology and reading of the ''LHF'', which places Sigibert's death on 1 February 651. According to a Gerberding narrative, Grimoald and Dido organised Dagobert's exile around 16 January 651 to Ireland at Nivelles and then, when Sigibert died a month later, they acted out the plan and tonsured Dagobert, replacing him with Childebert, who ruled until 657. Clovis II then immediately acted and invaded Austrasia, executing Grimoald and his son.
Then, either in 657 or 662, the Neustrians (either Clovis II who died in 657 or his son
Chlothar III
Chlothar III (or ''Chlotar'', ''Clothar'', ''Clotaire'', ''Chlotochar'', or ''Hlothar'', giving rise to the name Lothair; 652–673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. When Clovis died in 657, ...
) installed infant King
Childeric II
Childeric II (c. 653 – 675) was the king of Austrasia from 662 and of Neustria and Burgundy from 673 until his death, making him sole King of the Franks for the final two years of his life.
Childeric was the second eldest son of King Clovis ...
to the throne of Austrasia, marrying him to
Bilichild
Bilichild (also Bilichildis, Bilichilde, or Blithilde) was the wife of the Frankish king of Neustria and Burgundy Childeric II. The two were married in 668 despite the opposition of the Bishop Leodegar.
Family
Bilichild was a daughter of King ...
, the daughter of Sigibert's widow
Chimnechild of Burgundy.
Grimoald and Childebert's deaths brought an end to the direct Pippinid line of the family, leaving the Arnulfing descendants from Begga and Ansegisel to continue the faction.
Pippin II (676–714)
Very little is known about Pippin's early life, but a controversial story from ''AMP'' suggests that Pippin reclaimed power in Austrasia by killing a legendary '
Gundoin Gundoin was the first Duke of Alsace in the middle of the seventh century. He was a Frankish nobleman from the Meuse- Moselle basin. He was, according to the author of the '' Vita Sadalbergae'', an "illustrious man (''vir inluster''), opulent in wea ...
' as revenge for the assassination of his father Ansegisel. This story is regarded as slightly fantastical by
Paul Fouracre
Paul J. Fouracre is professor emeritus of medieval history at the University of Manchester. His research interests relate to early medieval history, the history of the Franks, law and custom in medieval societies, charters, hagiography and serf-lor ...
, who argues the ''AMP,'' a pro-Carolingian source potentially written by Giselle (Charlemagne's sister) in 805 at Chelles, is that Pippin's role primes him perfectly for his future and demonstrates his family to be 'natural leaders of Austrasia.'
However, Fouracre does also acknowledge his existence in charter evidence and confirms that he was a political link to rival mayor
Wulfoald
Wulfoald (died 680) was the mayor of the palace of Austrasia from 656 or 661, depending on when Grimoald I was removed from that office (accounts vary: ''see his article for details''), to his death and mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy ...
. These rivalries would make Pippin natural enemies with Gundoin, making the murder plausible as part of Pippin's rise to power.
= Rise to power
=
The Arnulfing clan reappear in the contemporary historical record in c. 676, when the ''LHF'' mentions '
Pippin
Pippin or Pepin may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986
* Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...
and Martin' rising up against a tyrannical
Ebroin, mayor of Austrasia.
Pippin II, now head of the faction, and Martin, who was either Pippin's brother or relative, rose up against Ebroin and gathered an army (potentially with the aid of Dagobert II who had been brought back to Austrasia by mayor Wulfoald).
According to the ''LHF'', the Arnulfing army met Ebroin, who had gained the support of
King Theuderic III, at
Bois-du-Fays, and they were easily defeated. Martin fled to
Laon
Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
History
Early history
The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. ...
, from where he was lured and murdered by Ebroin at
Asfeld
Asfeld () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France, formerly named Ecry or Ecri.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Asfeldois''.
The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''Nationa ...
. Pippin fled to Austrasia and soon received
Ermenfred, an officer of a royal fisc who had assassinated Ebroin.
The Neustrians, with Ebroin dead, installed
Waratto
Waratto (died 686) was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy on two occasions, owing to the deposition he experienced at the hands of his own faithless son. His first term lasted from 680 or 681 (the death of Ebroin) to 682, when hi ...
as mayor, and he looked for peace with the Austrasians. Despite an exchange of hostages, Warrato's son
Gistemar
Gistemar, Ghislemar, or Gilmer (died in the 680s) was briefly the mayor of the palace in Neustria and Burgundy after deposing his father Waratton in 682. He reversed the peace with Austrasia of his father and warred with Pepin of Heristal, overc ...
attacked Pippin at
Namur and displaced his father.
He died shortly thereafter and Warrato resumed his position, wherein peace was reached but tense relations remained until Warrato's death in 686. He left behind his wife
Ansfled and his son
Berchar, whom the Neustrians installed as mayor. Against his father's policy, Berchar did not maintain peace and incited Pippin into violence.
In 687, Pippin rallied an Austrasian army and led an assault on Neustria, facing Theuderic III and the Neustrian mayor, now Berchar, in combat. They met at the
Battle of Tertry, where the ''AMP'' records that Pippin, after offering peace which was rejected by Theuderic at Berchar's behest, crossed the river
Omignon at the break of dawn and attacked the Neustrians, who believed the battle won when they saw Pippin's camp abandoned. This surprise attack was successful and the Neustrians fled.
Following this victory, Berchar was either killed, as the ''AMP'' argues, by his own people, but the ''LHF'' suggests that it is more likely that he was murdered by his mother-in-law, Ansfled.
This moment was decisive in Arnulfing history as it was the first time that any of the faction had national control. Paul Fouracre even argues it is for this that the ''AMP'' starts with Pippin II, as a false dawn upon which Charles Martel would rebuild.
However, historians have discredited the importance of this victory.
Marios Costambeys,
Matthew Innes
Matthew Innes is a British academic who is Vice Master and Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public resear ...
and
Simon MacLean
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genu ...
all show that the Tertry victory did not establish solid authority over Neustria immediately, evidenced by the fact that Pippin immediately installed 'Norbert, one of his followers' (as written in the ''LHF'') and then his son Grimoald in 696 to ensure continued influence.
= Consolidation of power
=
Pippin II then became overall mayor of the royal palace under Theuderic II, becoming mayor of Austrasia, Neustria and Burgundy.
His son
Drogo, from his wife
Plectrude
Plectrude ( la, Plectrudis; german: Plektrud, Plechtrudis) (died 718) was the consort of Pepin of Herstal, the mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, from about 670. She was the daughter of Hugobert, seneschal of Clovis IV, and Irmina o ...
, was also imbued with power when he married Berchar's widow Adaltrude (potentially maneuvered by Ansfled) and was made Duke of Champagne.
Pippin was politically dominating and had the power to elect the next two Merovingian kings after Theuderic II died in 691; he installed
King Clovis IV (691-695),
Childebert III (695-711) and
Dagobert III
Dagobert III (c.699–715) was Merovingian king of the Franks (711–715).
He was a son of Childebert III. He succeeded his father as the head of the three Frankish kingdoms—Neustria and Austrasia, unified since Pippin's victory at Ter ...
(711-715).
Pippin moved to secure further power by consolidating his position in Neustria, installing several bishops like
Gripho, Bishop of Rouen and
Bainus
Saint Bain (or Bainus, Bagne, Bagnus; died ), a disciple of Saint Vandrille, was a bishop of Thérouanne in northwest France, and then abbot of the monastery of Saint Wandrille in Normandy. His feast day is 20 June.
Monks of Ramsgate account
Th ...
at the
Abbey of Saint Wandrille
Fontenelle Abbey or the Abbey of St. Wandrille is a Benedictine monastery in the commune of Rives-en-Seine. It was founded in 649 near Caudebec-en-Caux in Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France.
First foundation
It was founded by Wandregisel or ...
in 701, which was later owned along with
Fleury Abbey (founded by Pippin in 703).
Imbued with internal strength, Pippin also began to look outwards from the Frankish Empire to subdue the people, that the ''AMP'' records, who once were 'subjected to the Franks ...
uch as
Uch ( pa, ;
ur, ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf ( pa, ;
ur, ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexand ...
the Saxons, Frisians, Alemans, Bavarians, Aquitainians, Gascons and Britons.'
Pippin defeated the pagan chieftain
Radbod in Frisia, an area that had been slowly encroached upon by Austrasian nobles and Anglo-Saxon missionaries like
Willibrord
Willibrord (; 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary and saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands. He became the first bishop of Utrecht and died at Echternach, Luxembourg.
Early life
His fath ...
, whose links would later make him a connection between the Arnulfings and the papacy.
Following
Gotfrid, Duke of Alemannia in 709, Pippin also moved against the Alemans and subjugated them again to royal control.
= Later years
=
As Pippin approached his death in late 714, he was faced with a succession crisis. Drogo, Pippin's old son, died in 707 and his second son Grimoald, according to the ''LHF'', was killed whilst praying to
Saint Lambert in
Liège in 714 by Rantgar, suspected by Paul Fouracre to be a pagan.
Pippin, before his death, made his six year old grandson
Theudoald
Theudoald (or Theodald; c. 708 – 741)''Monumenta Epternacensia'' ("''Theodaldum, filium Grimoaldi…ex Theodesina filia regis Rabodi''"). ''Monumenta Epternacensia'', MGH SS XXIII, p. 59. was the Frankish mayor of the palace, briefly unoppos ...
(Grimoald's son) his successor in Neustria, a choice that is believed to have been promoted by his wife Plectrude,
which was clearly a political choice from within the direct family line, as Pippin had two adult illegitimate children,
Charles Martel
Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...
and
Childebrand I
Childebrand I (678 – 743 or 751) was a Frankish duke (''dux''), illegitimate son of Pepin of Heristal and Alpaida, and brother of Charles Martel. He was born in Autun, where he later died. He married Emma of Austrasia and was given Burgundy by ...
, from a second wife or concubine named
Alpaida
Alpaida (also Alpaïde, Alpaide, Alphaida, Alpoïde, Elphide, Elfide, Chalpaida; 654 – c. 714) was a Frankish noblewoman who hailed from the Liège area. She became the wife of Pippin of Herstal (635 or 640 – 16 December 714) and mother to ...
.
They were ousted so Theudoald (with Plectrude's regency) could take the throne, a choice that would result in disaster.
= Death
=
When Pippin II died in December 714, the Arnulfings' dominance over Francia disintegrated. The ''LHF'' tells us that 'Plectrude along with her grandchildren and the king directed all the affairs of state under a separate government', a system which created tensions with the Neustrians.
Theudoald ruled uncontested for around six months, until June 715, when the Neustrians revolted. Theudoald and the Arnulfings' supporters met at the
Battle of Compiègne on 26 September 715,
and after a decisive victory, the Neustrians installed a new mayor
Ragenfrid
Ragenfrid (also Ragenfred, Raganfrid, or Ragamfred) (died 731) was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 715, when he filled the vacuum in Neustria caused by the death of Pepin of Heristal, until 718, when Charles Martel finall ...
and, following Dagobert's death, their own Merovingian king
Chilperic II
Chilperic II (c. 672 – 13 February 721), known as Daniel prior to his coronation, was the youngest son of Childeric II and his half-cousin wife, Bilichild. He reigned as king of Neustria from 715 and sole king of the Franks from 718 until hi ...
.
Charter evidence suggests that Chilperic was the son of the former King Childeric II, but this would make Daniel in his 40s, which is quite old to take the throne.
Charles Martel (714–741)
= Rise to power
=
Following their victory, the Neustrians joined with
Radbod, King of the Frisians
Redbad or Radbod (died 719) was the king (or duke) of Frisia from c. 680 until his death. He is often considered the last independent ruler of Frisia before Frankish domination. He defeated Charles Martel at Cologne. Eventually, Charles prevaile ...
and invaded Austrasia, aiming towards the Meuse river to take the heartland of the faction's support.
It is at this moment that Charles Martel is first mentioned in historical records, which note him surviving imprisonment by his step-mother, Plectrude. Charles managed to escape and mustered an Austrasian army to face the encroaching Radbod and the Neustrians. In 716, Charles finally met the Frisians as they approached and, although the ''AMP'' attempts equalize the losses, it is confirmed from the descriptions in the ''LHF'' and the ''Continuations'' that Charles was defeated with heavy losses.
Chilperic, Raganfred and, according to the ''Continuations'', Radbod, then travelled from Neustria through the forest of the
Ardennes and raided around the river
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
and
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, taking treasure from Plectrude and her supporters. As they returned, Charles ambushed the returning party at the
Battle of Amblève
The Battle of Amblève took place in 716 near Amel. The mayor of the palace of Austrasia, Charles Martel, defeated his Neustrian and Frisian rivals who were led by King Chilperic II, his mayor Ragenfrid, and Redbad, King of the Frisians. I ...
and was victorious, inflicting heavy losses on the Neustrian invaders.
In 717, Charles mustered his army again and marched on Neustria, taking the city of Verdun during his conquest.
He met Chilperic and Raganfred again at the
Battle of Vinchy on 21 March 717 and was once again victorious, forcing them back to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. He then swiftly returned to Austrasia and besieged Cologne, defeating Plectrude and reclaiming his father's wealth and treasure. Charles bolstered his position by installing the Merovingian king
Chlothar IV
Chlothar IV (died 718) was the king of Austrasia from 717 until his death. He was a member of the Merovingian dynasty, and was installed by Charles Martel, a contender for the office of mayor of the palace, in opposition to Chilperic II, whose r ...
in Austrasia as an opposing Merovingian to Chilperic II.
Despite not having a Merovingian king for around 40 years in Austrasia, Charles' position was clearly weak at this time and he required the support of the established Merovingians to gather military support.
Despite his weaknesses, Charles' recent success had made him a greater political entity; as such, Chilperic and Raganfred could not win a decisive victory against him. So, in 718 they too sent embassies and won the support of
Duke Eudo of Aquitaine who, at their request, mustered 'a Gascon army' to face Charles. In response, Charles brought an army to the eastern Neustrian borders and faced Duke Eudo in battle at Soissons.
Duke Eudo, realising he was outmatched, retreated to Paris, where he took Chilperic and the royal treasury and left for
Aquitaine
Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 Janu ...
. Charles pursued them, according to the ''Continuations'', as far as Orleans, but Eudo and the Neustrians managed to escape.
In 718, King Chlothar IV died and was not replaced; instead, Charles became the primary authority in Francia. He established a peace treaty with Duke Eudo that ensured Chilperic II was returned to Francia; thereafter, until Chilperic's death in 720 at
Noyon
Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a commune in the Oise department, northern France.
Geography
Noyon lies on the river Oise, about northeast of Paris. The Oise Canal and the Cana ...
, the kingship was restored with Carolingian control and Charles became the ''maior palatii'' in both Neustria and Austrasia.
Following Chilperic II's death, the Merovingian king
Theuderic IV
Theuderic IV (c. 712 – 737) or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French, ''Thierry'' was the Merovingian King of the Franks from 721 until his death in 737. He was the son of king Dagobert III.
During his reign, his realm was controlle ...
, son of Dagobert III, was taken from
Chelles Abbey
Chelles Abbey (french: Abbaye Notre-Dame-des-Chelles) was a Frankish monastery founded around 657/660 during the early medieval period. It was intended initially as a monastery for women; then its reputation for great learning grew, and with the ...
and appointed by the Neustrians and Charles as the Frankish king.
= Consolidation of power
=
With his ascension to the throne, several significant moments in Frankish history occurred. Firstly, the ''LHF'' ended, likely composed several years later in 727 and ended one of the several perspectives we have on Charles' ascension.
Secondly, and more importantly, the Arnulfing predominance in the faction ended and the Carolingian (translating to 'sons of Charles') officially began.
Once the immediate dangers were dealt with, Charles then began to consolidate his position as sole mayor of the Frankish kingdom. The civil unrest between 714 and 721 had destroyed the continental political cohesion, and peripheral kingdoms like Aquitaine,
Alemannia, Burgundy and
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
had slipped from the Carolingian's grasp. Even though the faction had, by Charles Martel's time, established strong political control over Francia, loyalty to the Merovingian power within these border regions remained.
Ending the Civil War
Charles first set out to reinstate Carolingian dominance internally within Francia: the ''Continuations'' lists Charles' continuous maneuvers which solidified the campaigns generating the Carolingian military foundation. In 718, the ''AMP'' records that Charles fought against the Saxons, pushing them as far as the river
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
and following up with subsequent campaigns in 720 and 724 which secured the northern borders of Austrasia and Neustria.
He subdued his former enemy Raganfred at
Angers
Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...
in 724 and secured his patronage, removing the remaining political resistance that had continued to thrive in western Neustria.
East of the Rhine
In 725, Charles set out against the peripheral kingdoms, starting with Alemannia. The region had almost gained independence during the reign of Pippin II and under the leadership of
Lantfrid
Lantfrid (also ''Landfrid'' or ''Lanfred'', Latinised ''Lantfridus'' or ''Lanfredus'') (died 730) was duke of Alamannia under Frankish sovereignty from 709 until his death. He was the son of duke Gotfrid. Lantfrid's brother was Theudebald.
F ...
, Duke of Alemannia, as (710–730) they acted without Frankish authority, issuing law codes like the ''
Lex Alamannorum The Lex Alamannorum and Pactus Alamannorum were two early medieval law codes of the Alamanni. They were first edited in parts in 1530 by Johannes Sichard in Basel.
Pactus Alamannorum
The ''Pactus Alamannorum'' or ''Pactus legis Alamannorum'' is the ...
'' without Carolingian consultation. As recorded in the Alemannia source, the ''
Breviary of Erchanbert'', the Alemanni 'refused to obey the duces of the Franks because they were no longer able to serve the Merovingian kings. Therefore, each of them kept to himself.'
This statement was true for more than just Alemannia and, just like in those regions, Charles brutally forced them into submission. Charles was successful in his first campaign, but returned in 730, the same year that Duke Lantfrid died and was succeeded by his brother
Theudebald, Duke of Alamannia
Theudebald or Theutbald was the Duke of Alamannia from 730 until his deposition. He was a son of Gotfrid and brother and co-ruler with Lantfrid from 709.
In 727, Theudebald expelled Pirmin, the founder of Reichenau Abbey, out of a hatred for C ...
.
As successful as campaigning had been, Charles seemingly took inspiration from
Anglo-Saxon missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
Saint Boniface, who in 719 was sent by
Pope Gregory II
Pope Gregory II ( la, Gregorius II; 669 – 11 February 731) was the bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 to his death. to convert Germany, in particular the areas of
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
and
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Dar ...
, where he established the monasteries of
Ohrdruf
Ohrdruf () is a small town in the district of Gotha in the German state of Thuringia. It lies some 30 km southwest of Erfurt at the foot of the northern slope of the Thuringian Forest. The former municipalities Crawinkel, Gräfenhain an ...
,
Tauberbischofsheim
Tauberbischofsheim is a German town in the north-east of Baden-Württemberg on the river Tauber with a population of about 13,200. It is the capital of the Main-Tauber district. It is a popular tourist destination due to its numerous historical ...
,
Kitzingen
Kitzingen () is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of the Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants. Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer ...
and
Ochsenfurt
Ochsenfurt () is a town in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. Ochsenfurt is located on the left bank of the River Main and has around 11,000 inhabitants. This makes it the largest town in Würzburg district.
Name
Like Oxford, the t ...
. Charles, realising the potential of establishing Carolingian-supportive episcopal centres, utilised
Saint Pirmin
Saint Pirmin (latinized ''Pirminius'', born before 700 ( according to many sources), died November 3, 753 in Hornbach), was a Merovingian-era monk and missionary.
He founded or restored numerous monasteries in Alemannia (Swabia), especially in ...
, an itinerant monk, to establish an ecclesiastical foundation on
Reichenau Island
Reichenau Island () is an island in Lake Constance in Southern Germany. It lies almost due west of the city of Konstanz, between the Gnadensee and the Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance. With a total land surface of and a circumference of ...
in
Lake Constance. He was expelled in 727 by Lantfrid and he retreated to
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
, where he established monasteries with the support of the
Etichonid
The Etichonids were an important noble family, probably of Frankish, Burgundian or Visigothic origin, who ruled the Duchy of Alsace in the Early Middle Ages (7th–10th centuries). The dynasty is named for Eticho (also known as Aldarich), who ru ...
clan, who were Carolingian supporters. This relationship gave the Carolingians long-term benefit from Pirmin's future achievements, which brought abbeys in the eastern provinces into Carolingian favour.
In 725, Charles continued his conquest from Alemannia and invaded Bavaria. Like Alemannia, Bavaria had continued to gain independence under the rule of the Agilolfings clan who, in recent years, had increased links with
Lombardy and affirmed their own law codes, like the
Lex Baiuvariorum
The ''Lex Baiuvariorum'' was a collection of the tribal laws of the Bavarii of the sixth through eighth centuries. The first compilation was edited by Eberswind, first abbot of Niederaltaich, in 741 or 743. Duke Odilo, founder supplemented t ...
.
When Charles moved, the region was experiencing a power struggle between
Grimoald of Bavaria
Grimoald (or Grimwald) (died 725) was the duke of Bavaria from about 715 to his death.
He was the youngest of the four sons of Theodo of Bavaria and his wife Folchaid and the uncle of Swanachild, the second wife of Charles Martel. At first, he ...
and his nephew
Hugbert, but when Grimoald died in 725, Hugbert gained the position and Charles reaffirmed their support. The ''Continuations'' records that when Charles left Bavaria, he took hostages, one of which was
Swanachild, who later would become Charles' second wife.
Paul Fouracre believes this marriage could have been intentionally forced, based upon the fact that Swanchild's heritage related her both to Alemannia and Bavaria. Not only would their marriage have allowed greater control over both regions, but it also would have cut the existing family ties that the Agilofings had to the Pippinid family branch. Plectrude's sister
Regintrud Regintrud, also known as Reginlind and Regentrud, (born 660–665,Note: the provided date of birth would be invalid if she is Dagobert I's daughter as he died 639 died 730–740) was probably the wife of Duke Theodbert of Bavaria or of his father Du ...
was married to
Theodo of Bavaria
Theodo (about 625 – 11 December c. 716), also known as Theodo V and Theodo II, was the Duke of Bavaria from 670 or, more probably, 680 to his death. It is with Theodo that the well-sourced history of Bavaria begins. He strengthened his duchy ...
, and this relation provided an opportunity for disenfranchised family members to defect.
Aquitaine, Burgundy and Provence
Following his conquest east of the Rhine, Charles had the opportunity to assert his dominance over Aquitaine and began committing military resources and performing raids in 731.
However, before he could make any major movements, Aquitaine was invaded by
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
warlord
Abd al-Rahman I. Following Abd al-Rahman's ascension in Spain in 731, another local Berber lord
Munuza
Uthman ibn Naissa () better known as Munuza, was a Berber governor depicted in different contradictory chronicles during the Umayyad conquest of Hispania.
Munuza in Asturias
One account says that he was the governor of Gijón (or possibly León) ...
revolted, set himself up at
Cerdanya and forged defensive alliances with the Franks and Aquitainians through a marriage to Eudo's daughter. Abd ar-Rahman then besieged Cerdanya and forced Munuza into retreat into France, at which point he continued his advance into Aquitaine, moving as far as Tours before he was met by Charles Martel. Carolingian sources attest that Duke Eudo begged Charles for assistance, but
Ian N. Wood claims these embassies have been invented by later pro-Carolingian annalists. Eudo was a main protagonist in the
Battle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Toulouse (721) was a victory of an Aquitanian Christian army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad Muslim army besieging the city of Toulouse, and led by the governor of Al-Andalus, Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani. The vi ...
, which famously stopped Muslim lord
Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani
Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani ( ar, السمح بن مالك الخولاني) was the Arab governor general of Al-Andalus from between 719 and 721. In 720, under his governorate he minted the first purely Arab coins in Al-Andalus as part of hi ...
's advances in
Narbonne
Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the ...
and gained Eudo praise in the ''
Liber Pontificalis''.
Charles met the Muslim force at the famous
Battle of Poitiers (732)
The Battle of Tours, also called the Battle of Poitiers and, by Arab sources, the Battle of tiles of Martyrs ( ar, معركة بلاط الشهداء, Maʿrakat Balāṭ ash-Shuhadā'), was fought on 10 October 732, and was an important battle ...
and came out victorious, killing Abd ar-Rahman. This moment cemented Charles Martel in historical records and gained him international praise.
Bede, writing at the same time in
Jarrow,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, recorded the event in his
''Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum'', and his victory gained Charles Martel the admiration of seminal historian
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian, writer, and member of parliament. His most important work, '' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788, is ...
who considered him the Christian saviour of Europe. Although his victory was considered famous, in reality his victory was far less impactful, and Charles would not gain much control in Aquitaine until Eudo's death in 735. The victory may have given the Carolingians relative local support that potentially allowed Charles to assert dominance over Eudo's son and successor
Hunald of Aquitaine, but records of continued hostilies in 736 only further cemented that relations were strained.
With a stronger establishment in Aquitaine, Charles made moves to assert his dominance into Burgundy.
The region, at least in the Northern areas, had remained controlled and allied with Frankish interest. Influential nobility like
Savaric of Auxerre Savaric (died 715) was the Bishop of Auxerre from 710 until his death. A member of high nobility, he was a warrior who held a bishopric. He was the father of Eucherius, Bishop of Orleans.
He gathered a large army and subjected the region of the N ...
, who had maintained near-autonomy and led military forces against Burgundian towns like
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [Nevers
Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is sou ...]
and
Troyes, even dying whilst besieging
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
, were the key to Charles' support. As such, Charles made multiple attempts to both gain the faction's support and remove their authority. When Savaric died during Charles' early reign, he agreed to support Savaric's nephew
Bishop Eucherius of Orléans' claim to the bishopric. However, once Charles had established a powerful basis by 737, he exiled Eucherius, with the help of a man called Chrodobert, to the monastery of
St Trond.
Charles took further military action in the same year to fully assert his authority, and installed his sons
Pippin
Pippin or Pepin may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986
* Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...
and Remigius as magnates. This was followed by the installation of political supporters from Bavaria and local supporters like
Theuderic of Autun and
Adalhard of Chalon.
This acquisition of land in southern France was supported by the increased social chaos that seemingly developed during the Civil War years. This was most apparent in
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
, where local magnates, like
Abbo of Provence Abbo was the Patrician of Provence in opposition to Maurontus in the 730s. He was also ''rector'' of Maurienne and Susa. Abbo came from the family of Waldelenus in the Besançon. They controlled the Alpine passes of Susa, Embrun, and Gap.
A ...
, were incredibly supportive of Charles' attempts to reinstate Frankish power.
In 739, he used his power in Burgundy and Aquitaine to lead an attack with his brother
Childebrand I
Childebrand I (678 – 743 or 751) was a Frankish duke (''dux''), illegitimate son of Pepin of Heristal and Alpaida, and brother of Charles Martel. He was born in Autun, where he later died. He married Emma of Austrasia and was given Burgundy by ...
against Arab invaders and Duke
Maurontus
Maurontus was the Duke or Patrician of Provence in the early 8th century (720s and 730s). He aspired to independence in the face of Charles Martel, Duke of the Franks, and the Provençal patrician Abbo.
Maurontus appeared in the ''Chronicle of ...
, who had been claiming independence and allying himself with Muslim emir Abd ar-Rahman.
It is likely due to
Childebrand's sponsorship of the manuscript that his involvement is so extensively recorded in the ''Continuations''.
According to the manuscript, Childebrand and Charles noticed the Arab army, with Maurontus' welcome, entering
Avignon and quickly moved against the alliance. They besieged the city and claimed victory; the Franks then made the decision to invade
Septimania, taking
Narbonne
Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the ...
and flanking the Arab army. The Franks then fought off a support army sent from Spain under
Omar-ibn Chaled at the
River Berre. From there the Franks then pursued the retreating Arabs and ravaged the cities of
Nîmes,
Agde
Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi.
Location
Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi conne ...
and
Béziers before returning to Francia. Later that year, Charles and Childebrand returned to Provence, likely collecting more forces, and then forcing the rebellious Maurontus into 'impenetrable rocky fastnesses out to sea.'
Paul the Deacon later records in his ''
Historia Langobardorum
The ''History of the Lombards'' or the ''History of the Langobards'' ( la, Historia Langobardorum) is the chief work by Paul the Deacon, written in the late 8th century. This incomplete history in six books was written after 787 and at any rate ...
'' Maurontus received help from the Lombards, and his Arab allies then fled. At this time, Charles then assumed control of the region and, judging from Charter evidence, appointed Abbo of Provence as ''patricius'' (Patrician) in the region.
= Ruling Francia
=
Charles also ruled the Frankish realm, although the majority of his policies were centred upon his conquests and his military ventures. In 19th century historiography, historians like
Heinrich Brunner
Heinrich Brunner ( en, Henry Brunner; 21 June 1840 – 11 August 1915) was a German historian.
Life
Brunner was born at Wels in Upper Austria. After studying at the universities of Vienna, Göttingen and Berlin, he became professor at the Un ...
even centred their arguments around Charles' necessity for military resources, in particular the development of mounted warrior or cavalry that would peak in the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...
. However, in modern historiography, historians like Pierre Riche and Paul Fouracre have discredited his ideas as too simplistic and have aimed to depict more realistic fragments of development that may or not have been interdependent.
This was the period in which the Carolingians first began to establish themselves as fully independent from the Merovingian royalty.
Vassalage and Church
Charles Martel has become notorious in historiography for his role in the development of the concept of
feudalism
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...
. The debates are rooted in the arguments of historians like
François-Louis Ganshof, who viewed Charles' reign as the birth of the 'feudal' relationship between power and property. This results from the increased use of ''
precaria
The precarium (plural precaria)—or precaria (plural precariae) in the feminine form—is a form of land tenure in which a petitioner (grantee) receives a property for a specific amount of time without any change of ownership. The precarium is t ...
'' or temporary land grants by the Carolingians, who allocated and spread their power to their subordinates. Ganshof's arguments connect these ties to a military-tenure relationship; however, this is never represented in primary material, and instead is only implied, and likely derived from, an understanding of 'feudalism' in the High Middle Ages. Recent historians like Paul Fouracre have criticised Ganshof's review for being too simplistic, and in reality, even though these systems of vassalage did exist between lord and populace, they were not as standardised as older historiography has suggested. For example, Fouracre has drawn particular attention to the incentives that drew lords and warriors into the Carolingian armies, arguing that the primary draw was 'booty' and treasure gained from conquest rather than 'feudal' obligation.
Although Charles' reign is no longer considered transitional in its feudal developments, it is seen as a transitional period in the spread of the existing system of vassals and ''precaria'' land rights. Due to Charles' continued military and missionary work, the political systems that existed in the heartlands, Austrasia and Neustria, officially began to spread to the periphery.
Those whom Charles appointed as new nobility in these regions, often with lifetime tenures,
ensured that Carolingian loyalties and systems was maintained across the kingdoms. The Carolingians were also far more strict with their land rights and tenure than their Merovingian predecessors, carefully distributing their new land to new families temporarily, but maintaining their control. Merovingians kings weakened themselves by allocating too much of their royal domains to supporting factions; the Carolingians themselves seemingly became increasingly powerful due to their generosity. By giving away their land, the Merovingians allowed themselves to become figureheads and the 'do nothing kings' that Einhard prefaced in the ''Vita Karoli Magni''.
Due to his vast military conquests, Charles often reallocated existing land settlements, including Church property, to new tenants. Ecclesiastical property and monasteries in the late Merovingian and Carolingian period were political centres and often closely related to the royal court; as such they often became involved in political matters, which often overlapped with Charles' reallocation of land. This 'secularisation' of Church property caused serious tension between the Carolingian church and state, and often gave Charles a negative depiction in ecclastical sources. The reallocation of church land was not new by Charles' reign; Ian Wood has managed to identify the practice going back to the reigns of Dagobert I (629–639) and Clovis II (639–657). The majority of the sources that depict Charles' involvement in Church land rights come from the 9th century, and are therefore less reliable, but two supposedly contemporary sources also identify this issue.
The first, a letter sent by missionary Saint Boniface to Anglo-Saxon king
Æthelbald of Mercia
Æthelbald (also spelled Ethelbald or Aethelbald; died 757) was the King of Mercia, in what is now the English Midlands from 716 until he was killed in 757. Æthelbald was the son of Alweo and thus a grandson of King Eowa. Æthelbald came to th ...
, called Charles' a 'destroyer of many monasteries, and embezzler of Church revenues for his own use...', condemning him for his use of Church property. This is supported by the second source, the ''Contintuations'', which related that, in 733 in Burgundy, Charles split the
Lyonnais
The Lyonnais () is a historical province of France which owes its name to the city of Lyon.
The geographical area known as the ''Lyonnais'' became part of the Kingdom of Burgundy after the division of the Carolingian Empire. The disintegratio ...
between his followers, this likely including Church land.
Further chronicles like the ''
Gesta episcoporum Autissiodorensium'' and the ''
Gesta Sanctorum Patrum Fontanellensis Coenobii
The ''Gesta abbatum Fontanellensium'' (Deeds of the Abbots of Fontenelle), also called the ''Gesta sanctorum patrum Fontanellensis coenobii'' (Deeds of the Holy Fathers of the Monastery of Fontenelle), is an anonymous Latin chronicle of the Abbey ...
'' recorded monasteries losing substantial land. The monastery at
Auxerre
Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...
was reduced to a hundred ''
mansus A ''mansus'', sometimes anglicised as manse, was a unit of land assessment in medieval France, roughly equivalent of the hide. In the 9th century AD, it began to be used by Charlemagne to determine how many warriors would be provided: one for eve ...
'' by Pippin III's reign, and at the
Abbey of Saint Wandrille
Fontenelle Abbey or the Abbey of St. Wandrille is a Benedictine monastery in the commune of Rives-en-Seine. It was founded in 649 near Caudebec-en-Caux in Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France.
First foundation
It was founded by Wandregisel or ...
under Abbot
Teutsind, who was appointed by Charles in 735/6, the Church's local property was reduced to a third its size.
Wood has also criticised this point and proven that the loss of land by the Church was in reality very small, the remaining land being simply leased as it went beyond the Church's capabilities. Regardless, it is apparent that Charles' expansion of control consumed plenty of reallocated properties, many of which were ecclesiastical domains.
= Interregnum, Death & Divisions
=
When King Theuderic IV died in 737, Charles did not install a Merovingian successor. Unlike his Carolingian predecessors, Charles was clearly strong enough by the end of his reign to not rely on Merovingian loyalties. He had created his own power bloc through the vassals he installed in Frankish heartlands and peripheral states.
Even prior to Theuderic's death, Charles did act with complete sovereignty in Austrasia. It was only in areas like Neustria, where Carolingian opposition historically existed, that Charles knew he would face criticism if he usurped the throne.
Therefore, until his death, Charles ruled as ''Princeps'' or Prince, officially gaining the title with his uncontested leadership with the acquisition of Provence in 737. This meant that the issue of kingship remained ever present for his successors who would have to work further to establish themselves as royal.
When Charles died in 741, he was buried at
St Denis in Paris. He made secure succession plans, likely learning from his father, that ensured Francia was effectively divided between his sons,
Carloman and Pippin as ''maior palatii''. According to the ''Continuations'', the eldest son, Carloman, was given control of the eastern kingdoms in Austrasia, Alammania and Thuringia, while Pippin was given the western kingdoms in Burgundy, Neustria and Provence.
Charlemagne
![Frankish Empire 481 to 814-en](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Frankish_Empire_481_to_814-en.svg)
The greatest Carolingian monarch was
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
, Pepin's son. Charlemagne was crowned Emperor by
Pope Leo III at Rome in 800. His empire, ostensibly a continuation of the
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period ...
, is referred to historiographically as the
Carolingian Empire
The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the ...
.
The Carolingian rulers did not give up the traditional
Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
(and Merovingian dynasty, Merovingian) practice of dividing inheritances among heirs, though the concept of the indivisibility of the Empire was also accepted. The Carolingians had the practice of making their sons minor kings in the various regions (''regna'') of the Empire, which they would inherit on the death of their father, which Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious both did for their sons. Following the death of the Emperor Louis the Pious in 840, his surviving adult sons, Lothair I and Louis the German, along with their adolescent brother Charles the Bald, fought a three-year civil war ending only with the Treaty of Verdun in 843, which divided the empire into three ''regna'' while according imperial status and a nominal lordship to Lothair who, at 48, was the eldest. The Carolingians differed markedly from the Merovingians in that they disallowed inheritance to illegitimate offspring, possibly in an effort to prevent infighting among heirs and assure a limit to the division of the realm. In the late ninth century, however, the lack of suitable adults among the Carolingians necessitated the rise of Arnulf of Carinthia as the king of East Francia, a bastard child of a legitimate Carolingian king, Carloman of Bavaria, himself a son of the First King of the Eastern division of the Frankish kingdom, Louis the German.
Decline
It was after Charlemagne's death that the dynasty began to slowly crumble. His kingdom was split into three parts, each being ruled over by one of his grandsons. Only the kingdoms of the eastern and western portions survived, becoming the predecessors of modern Germany and France. The Carolingians were displaced in most of the ''regna'' of the Empire by 888. They ruled in East Francia until 911 and held the throne of West Francia intermittently until 987. Carolingian cadet branches continued to rule in Vermandois and Lower Lorraine after the last king died in 987, but they never sought the royal or imperial thrones and made peace with the new ruling families. One chronicler of Sens dates the end of Carolingian rule with the coronation of Robert II of France as junior co-ruler with his father, Hugh Capet, thus beginning the Capetian dynasty. The Carolingian dynasty became extinct in the male line with the death of Odo I, Count of Vermandois, Eudes, Count of Vermandois. His sister Adelaide, Countess of Vermandois, Adelaide, the last Carolingian, died in 1122.
Branches
![Karolingische denier Lotharius Dorestad](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Karolingische_denier_Lotharius_Dorestad.jpg)
The Carolingian dynasty has five distinct branches:
#The Lombard branch, or Vermandois branch, or Herbertians, descended from Pepin of Italy, son of Charlemagne. Though he did not outlive his father, his son Bernard of Italy, Bernard was allowed to retain Italy. Bernard rebelled against his uncle Louis the Pious, and lost both his kingdom and his life. Deprived of the royal title, the members of this branch settled in France, and became counts of Vermandois, Valois, Amiens and Troyes. The counts of Vermandois perpetuated the Carolingian line until the 12th century. The Counts of Chiny and the lords of Mellier, Neufchâteau and Falkenstein are branches of the Herbertians. With the descendants of the counts of Chiny, there would have been Herbertian Carolingians to the early 13th century.
#The Lotharingian branch, descended from Lothair I, Emperor Lothair, eldest son of Louis the Pious. At his death Middle Francia was divided equally between his three surviving sons, into Italy, Lotharingia and Lower Burgundy. The sons of Emperor Lothair did not have sons of their own, so Middle Francia was divided between the western and eastern branches of the family in 875.
#The Aquitainian branch, descended from Pepin I of Aquitaine, Pepin of Aquitaine, son of Louis the Pious. Since he did not outlive his father, his sons were deprived of Aquitaine in favor of his younger brother Charles the Bald. Pepin's sons died childless. Extinct 864.
#The German branch, descended from Louis the German, King of East Francia, son of Louis the Pious. Since he had three sons, his lands were divided into Duchy of Bavaria, Duchy of Saxony and Duchy of Swabia. His youngest son Charles the Fat briefly reunited both East and West Francia – the entirety of the Carolingian empire – but it split again after his death, never to be reunited again. With the failure of the legitimate lines of the German branch, Arnulf of Carinthia, an illegitimate nephew of Charles the Fat, rose to the kingship of East Francia. At the death of Arnulf's son Louis the Child in 911, Carolingian rule ended in East Francia.
#The French branch, descended from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, son of Louis the Pious. The French branch ruled in West Francia, but their rule was interrupted by Charles the Fat of the German branch, two Robertians, and a Bosonid. Carolingian rule ended with the death of Louis V of France in 987. Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, the Carolingian heir, was ousted out of the succession by Hugh Capet; his sons died childless. Extinct c. 1012.
Charles Martel
Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...
(c. 688 or 686, 680–741), Duke of the Franks, Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, had six sons (3 Legitimacy (family law), illegitimate);
[Annales Einhardi 741, MGH SS I, p. 135]
:1.
Carloman (between 706 and 716–754), Duke of the Franks, Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace in
Austrasia, had one son;
::A. Drogo (mayor of the palace), Drogo (b. before 741), Mayor of the Palace in
Austrasia;
:2. Pepin the Short, Pepin (or Pippin) the Younger (known under the mistranslation Pepin the Short) (c. 714–768), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks (f. 754), had three sons;
::A.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
(Charles I the Great) (748–814), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks (f. 768), King of Italy (f. 774), Holy Roman Emperor (f. 800), had nine sons (4 Legitimacy (family law), illegitimate);
:::I. Pepin the Hunchback, Pepin (or Pippin) the Hunchback (770–811), illegitimate son, died without issue;
:::II. Charles the Younger (772/73–811), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks (f. 800), died without issue;
Herbertians or Lombard branch or Vermandois branch;
:::III. Pepin of Italy, Pepin I (or Pippin) born Carloman (777–810), King of Italy (f. 781), had one Legitimacy (family law), illegitimate son;
::::a. Bernard of Italy, Bernard I (797–818), King of Italy (f. 810), had one son;
:::::i. Pepin, Count of Vermandois, Pepin (815 – ''after'' 850) Count of Vermandois, Count of Vermandois (after 834), Lord of Senlis, Péronne, Somme, Péronne, and Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Saint Quentin, had three sons;
::::::1. Bernard II, Count of Laon, Bernard II (c. 844 – after 893), Count of
Laon
Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
History
Early history
The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. ...
had one son;
::::::2. Pepin III of Senlis, Pepin III (846–893), Count of Senlis and Count of Valois, Valois, had one son;
::::::3. Herbert I, Count of Vermandois, Herbert I (850–907), Count of Vermandois (f. 896), Meaux, and Soissons, abbot of Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Saint Quentin, had one son;
:::::::A. Herbert II, Count of Vermandois, Herbert II (884–943), Count of Vermandois, Meaux and Soissons, and abbot of Abbey of St. Medard, Soissons, St. Medard, and Soissons, had six sons;
::::::::I. Otto (or Eudes) of Vermandois-Vexin (910–946), Count of Amiens, died without issue;
::::::::II. Herbert III of Omois, Herbert III 'the Old' (911–993), Omois, Count of Omois, Meaux and
Troyes, and abbot of Abbey of St. Medard, Soissons, St. Medard, Soissons, died without issue
::::::::III. Robert of Vermandois, Robert (d. 968), Count of Meaux (f.943) and
Troyes (f.956), had one son;
:::::::::a. Herbert II of Troyes, Herbert II 'the Younger', Count of
Troyes, Meaux, and Omois (950–995) had one son;
::::::::::i. Stephen I, Count of Troyes, Stephen, Count of Troyes, Meaux, Vitry-en-Perthois, Vitry and Omois (d. 1020) died without male issue;
::::::::IV. Adalbert I, Count of Vermandois, Adalbert I 'the Pious' (916–988), Count of Vermandois (f. 943) had four sons;
:::::::::a. Herbert III, Count of Vermandois, Herbert IV (953–1015), Count of Vermandois, had three sons;
::::::::::i. Adalbert II (c. 980–1015), Count of Vermandois, died without issue;
::::::::::ii. Landulf, Ancient Diocese of Noyon, Bishop of Noyon, died without issue;
::::::::::iii. Otto, Count of Vermandois, Otto (979–1045), Count of Vermandois, had three sons;
:::::::::::1. Herbert IV, Count of Vermandois, Herbert IV (1028–1080) Count of Vermandois, had one son and one daughter;
::::::::::::A. Odo I, Count of Vermandois, Odo 'the Insane' (d. ''after'' 1085), Lord of Saint-Simon, Aisne, Saint-Simon, died without issue;
::::::::::::B. Adelaide, Countess of Vermandois, Adelaide (d. 1122), Countess of Vermandois and Early modern France, Valois (f. 1080);
:::::::::::2. Eudes I (b. 1034), Lord of Ham;
:::::::::::3. Peter of Vermandois;
:::::::::b. :fr:Otton Ier de Chiny, Eudes of Vermandois
:::::::::c. Liudolfe (c. 957–986), Ancient Diocese of Noyon, Bishop of Noyon;
:::::::::d. Guy Count of Soissons
::::::::V. Hugh of Vermandois (bishop), Hugh of Vermandois (920–962) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Archbishop of Rheims, died without issue;
:::IV. Louis the Pious, Louis I the Pious also called the Fair, and the Debonaire (778–840), Duchy of Aquitaine, King of Aquitaine (f. 781), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor (f. 814), had five sons (one illegitimate);
Lotharingian branch
::::a. Lothair I (795–855) Emperor (f.840) had 4 sons;
:::::i. Louis II of Italy, Louis II the Young (825–875), King of Italy (f.844), Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor (f.850) died without male issue;
:::::ii. Lothair II of Lotharingia, Lothair II (835–869), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of Lotharingia had one son (illegitimate);
::::::1. Hugh, Duke of Alsace, Hugh (855–895), Duchy of Alsace, Duke of Alsace, died without issue;
:::::iii. Charles of Provence, Charles (845–863), Lord of
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
,
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
and Transjuranian County of Burgundy, Burgundy, died without issue
:::::iv. Carloman (853–?)
Aquitainian branch
::::b. Pepin I of Aquitaine, Pepin I (797–838), Duchy of Aquitaine, King of Aquitaine (f.814) had 2 sons;
:::::i. Pepin II of Aquitaine, Pepin (823–864), died without issue;
:::::ii. Charles (archbishop of Mainz), Charles (825/30–863), Elector of Mainz, Archbishop of Mainz, died without issue;
German branch
::::c. Louis the German, Ludwig (Louis) II the German (806–876), List of German monarchs, King of the East Franks (f.843), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of East Lotharingia as Louis I, had 3 sons;
:::::i. Carloman of Bavaria, Carloman (830–880), King of the
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
(876–879), King of Italy (877–879), had one son (illegitimate);
::::::1. Arnulf of Carinthia, Arnulf (850–899), List of German monarchs, King of East Francia (f.887), disputed King of Italy (f. 894), Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor (f.896), had 3 sons;
:::::::A. Louis the Child, Ludwig IV (Louis) the Child (893–911), List of German monarchs, King of The East Franks (f. 900), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of Lotharingia as Louis III (f.900), died without issue;
:::::::B. Zwentibold (870/71–900), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of Lotharingia (f.895), died without issue;
:::::::C. Ratold of Italy (889–929) died without issue
:::::ii. Louis the Younger, Ludwig III (Louis) the Younger (835–882), List of German monarchs, King of the East Franks, and List of rulers of Lorraine, King of East Lotharingia as Louis II (f.876), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of Lotharingi
a (f.879) had 1 son;
::::::1. Louis (877–879) died in infancy
:::::iii. Charles the Fat, Charles II the Fat (839–888), List of Frankish kings, King of the West Franks (f.843), had one son (illegitimate);
::::::1. Bernard (son of Charles the Fat), Bernard (c. 871–891/2), illegitimate, died without issue;
French branch
::::d. Charles the Bald, Charles II the Bald (823–877), King of West Francia, the West Franks (f.843), Duchy of Aquitaine, King of Aquitaine (f. 848), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of Lotharingia (f. 870), Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor Charles II (f. 875), King of Italy (f. 877) had 4 sons;
:::::i. Louis the Stammerer, Louis II the Stammerer (846–879), Duchy of Aquitaine, King of Aquitaine (f. 867), List of Frankish kings, King of the West Franks and List of rulers of Lorraine, King of West Lotharingia (f. 877) had 3 sons;
::::::1. Louis III of France (863/65–882), King of the West Francia, West Franks (f. 879), died without issue;
::::::2. Carloman II of France (866/68–884), King of the West Francia, West Franks (f. 882), died without issue
::::::3. Charles the Simple, Charles III the Simple (posthumously 879–929), List of Frankish kings, King of the West Franks (898–922), List of rulers of Lorraine, King of Lotharingia (911–922), had four sons (three illegitimate);
:::::::A. Louis IV of France, Louis IV ' from overseas' (920–954), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks, had five sons;
::::::::I. Lothair of France, Lothair (941–986), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks (f.954), had four sons;
:::::::::a. Louis V of France, Louis V (966/7–987), List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks (f. 986) died without issue
:::::::::b. Otto (?–before 986)
:::::::::c. Arnulf (archbishop of Reims), Arnulf (d. 1021), illegitimate, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Archbishop of Reims, died without issue
:::::::::d. Richard (?after 991), illegitimate;
::::::::II. Carloman (945 – before 953) died in infancy
::::::::III. Louis (948–954) died in infancy
::::::::IV. Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, Charles (953–993), List of rulers of Lorraine, Duke of Lower Lotharingia (f. 977), had three sons;
:::::::::a. Otto, Duke of Lower Lorraine, Otto (970–1012), List of rulers of Lorraine, Duke of Lower Lotharingia (f. 991), died without male issue
:::::::::b. Louis of Lower Lorraine, Louis (975/980–1023) died without issue, the last legitimate Carolingian
:::::::::c. Charles (991or after – after 991) died in infancy
::::::::V. Henry (953–young) died in infancy
:::::::B. Arnulf, illegitimate;
:::::::C. Drogo, illegitimate;
:::::::D. Rorico (?–976), illegitimate, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims, Archbishop of Reims;
:::::ii. Charles the Child (847/48–866), Duchy of Aquitaine, King of Aquitaine, died without issue
:::::iii. Lothar (848?–866) died without issue
:::::iv. Carloman, son of Charles the Bald, Carloman (849?–877/78), Abbot of Abbey of Echternach, Echternach, died without issue
:::::v. Drogo (872/73–873/74), twin of Pepin, died in infancy;
:::::vi. Pepin (872/73–873/74), twin of Drogo, died in infancy;
:::::vii son (875–875), died in infancy;
:::::viii Charles (876–877), died in infancy;
end of French branch
::::e. Arnulf of Sens, Arnulf (c. 793/794–841), illegitimate, Count of Sens
:::V. Lothair (778–779/780) died in infancy
:::VI. Drogo of Metz, Drogo or Dreux or Drogon (801–855) Roman Catholic Diocese of Metz, Archbishop of Metz, illegitimate, died without issue;
:::VII. Hugh, son of Charlemagne, Hugh (802/6–844), illegitimate, abbot of: Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Saint-Quentin (822/3), Lobbes Abbey, Lobbes (836), and Abbey of Saint Bertin, Saint-Bertin (836), Archchancellor, imperial archchancellor, died without issue;
:::VIII. Richbod (805–844), illegitimate, Abbot of Saint-Riquier, died without issue;
:::IX. Theodric (807– after 818), illegitimate, died without issue;
::B. Carloman I (751–771), List of Frankish kings, King of Franks, had four sons (two illegitimate);
:::I. Pepin (770–after 774) died without issue;
:::II. child, sex and name not known. (d. after 772) died without issue;
:::III. Charles, illegitimate;
:::IV. Carolman, illegitimate;
::C. Pepin (759–761/762) died in infancy;
:3. Grifo (noble), Grifo (726–753)
died without issue;
:4. Bernard, son of Charles Martel, Bernard (or Brenhard) (730–787) de Saint-Quentin, Aisne, Saint Quentin (d'Herstal), illegitimate, Abbot of St. Quentin, had two sons;
::A. Adalard of Corbie, Saint Adalard of Corbie (751–827) Abbot of Corbie Abbey, Corbie, steward of Louis the Pious, died without issue;
::B. Wala of Corbie, Wala (755–836) Abbot of Corbie Abbey, Corbie, Abbot of Bobbio Abbey, Bobbio, died without issue;
::C. Bernhar (776–after 821);
:5. Heronimus, illegitimate;
:6. Remigius of Rouen, Saint Remigius (or Remedius) (d. 771), illegitimate, Archbishop of rouen, archbishop of Rouen, died without issue;
Grand strategy
![Stammtafel der Karolinger](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Stammtafel_der_Karolinger.jpg)
The historian Bernard Bachrach argues that the rise of the Carolingians to power is best understood using the theory of a Carolingian grand strategy. A grand strategy is a long term military and political strategy that lasts for longer than a typical campaigning season, and can span long periods of time. The Carolingians followed a set course of action that discounts the idea of a random rise in power and can be considered as a grand strategy. Another major part of the grand strategy of the early Carolingians encompassed their political alliance with the aristocracy. This political relationship gave the Carolingians authority and power in the Frankish kingdom.
Beginning with Pippin II, the Carolingians set out to put the ("kingdom of the Franks") back together, after its fragmentation after the death of
Dagobert I
Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dyna ...
, a Merovingian king. After an early failed attempt in c. 651 to usurp the throne from the Merovingians, the early Carolingians began to slowly gain power and influence as they consolidated military power as Mayors of the Palace. In order to do this, the Carolingians used a combination of Late Roman military organization along with the incremental changes that occurred between the fifth and eighth centuries. Because of the defensive strategy the Romans had implemented during the Late Empire, the population had become militarized and were thus available for military use. The existence of the remaining Roman infrastructure that could be used for military purposes, such as roads, strongholds and fortified cities meant that the reformed strategies of the Late Romans would still be relevant. Civilian men who lived either in or near a walled city or strong point were required to learn how to fight and defend the areas in which they lived. These men were rarely used in the course of Carolingian grand strategy because they were used for defensive purposes, and the Carolingians were for the most part on the offensive most of the time.
Another class of civilians were required to serve in the military which included going on campaigns. Depending on one's wealth, one would be required to render different sorts of service, and "the richer the man was, the greater was his military obligation for service". For example, if rich, one might be required as a knight. Or one might be required to provide a number of fighting men.
In addition to those who owed military service for the lands they had, there were also professional soldiers who fought for the Carolingians. If the holder of a certain amount of land was ineligible for military service (women, old men, sickly men or cowards) they would still owe military service. Instead of going themselves, they would hire a soldier to fight in their place. Institutions, such as monasteries or churches were also required to send soldiers to fight based on the wealth and the amount of lands they held. In fact, the use of ecclesiastical institutions for their resources for the military was a tradition that the Carolingians continued and greatly benefitted from.
It was "highly unlikely that armies of many more than a hundred thousand effectives with their support systems could be supplied in the field in a single theatre of operation." Because of this, each landholder would not be required to mobilize all of his men each year for the campaigning season, but instead, the Carolingians would decide which kinds of troops were needed from each landholder, and what they should bring with them. In some cases, sending men to fight could be substituted for different types of war machines. In order to send effective fighting men, many institutions would have well trained soldiers that were skilled in fighting as heavily armored troops. These men would be trained, armored, and given the things they needed in order to fight as heavy troops at the expense of the household or institution for whom they fought. These armed retinues served almost as private armies, "which were supported at the expense of the great magnates, [and] were of considerable importance to early Carolingian military organization and warfare." The Carolingians themselves supported their own military household and they were the most important "core of the standing army in the" .
It was by utilizing the organization of the military in an effective manner that contributed to the success of the Carolingians in their grand strategy. This strategy consisted of strictly adhering to the reconstruction of the regnum Francorum under their authority. Bernard Bachrach gives three principles for Carolingian long-term strategy that spanned generations of Carolingian rulers:
The first principle… was to move cautiously outward from the Carolingian base in Austrasia. Its second principle was to engage in a single region at a time until the conquest had been accomplished. The third principle was to avoid becoming involved beyond the frontiers of the regnum Francorum or to do so when absolutely necessary and then not for the purpose of conquest”.[Bachrach, 49–50.]
This is important to the development of medieval history because without such a military organization and without a grand strategy, the Carolingians would not have successfully become kings of the Franks, as legitimized by the bishop of Rome. Furthermore, it was ultimately because of their efforts and infrastructure that Charlemagne was able to become such a powerful king and be crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800. Without the efforts of his predecessors, he would not have been as successful as he was and the revival of the Roman Empire in the West was likely to have not occurred.
See also
* :fr:Liste des comtes de Chiny, ''Liste des comtes de Chiny'' (List of the Counts of Chiny)—
*French monarchs family tree.
References
Citations
Sources
* Reuter, Timothy. ''Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056''. New York: Longman, 1991.
* MacLean, Simon. ''Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the end of the Carolingian Empire''. Cambridge University Press: 2003.
* Leyser, Karl. ''Communications and Power in Medieval Europe: The Carolingian and Ottonian Centuries''. London: 1994.
* Ferdinand Lot, Lot, Ferdinand. (1891). "Origine et signification du mot «carolingien»." ''Revue Historique'', 46(1): 68–73.
* Charles Oman, Oman, Charles. ''The Dark Ages, 476–918''. 6th ed. London: Rivingtons, 1914.
* Sidney Painter, Painter, Sidney. ''A History of the Middle Ages, 284–1500''. New York: Knopf, 1953.
* "Astronomus",
Vita Hludovici imperatoris', ed. G. Pertz, ch. 2, in Mon. Gen. Hist. Scriptores, II, 608.
* Reuter, Timothy (trans.)
'. (Manchester Medieval series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II.) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992.
* Einhard.
Vita Karoli Magni'. Translated by Samuel Epes Turner. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1880.
* Charles Cawley & FM
fmg.ca, 2006–15
* Charles Cawley & FM
fmg.ca, 2006–15
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carolingian Dynasty
Carolingian dynasty,
Frankish noble families
Descendants of individuals