Gothelo II (also Gozelo) (1008–1046), variously called ''the Coward'', ''the Sluggard'', ''the Indolent'', or ''the Lazy'' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''ignavus''), has been often said to be
Duke of Lower Lorraine
The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of t ...
after the death of his father
Gothelo I, Duke of both Lower and
Upper Lorraine
The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy.
It was founded in 959 following th ...
(1044) until his own death in 1046.
When Gothelo I died in 1044,
Godfrey III, his eldest son, who had been co-ruling in
Lower Lorraine
The Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, also called Northern Lotharingia, Lower Lorraine or Northern Lorraine (and also referred to as ''Lothier'' or ''Lottier'' for several years, was not given Lower Lorraine by the
Emperor Henry III
Henry III (28 October 1016 – 5 October 1056), called the Black or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was the eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia.
Henry was raised by ...
. Henry first threatened to give Lower Lorraine to the second son Gothelo (not known for his courage or competency and who was perhaps
mentally deficient). Godfrey rebelled and was imprisoned. Henry appointed
Frederick of Luxembourg
Frederick of Luxembourg (965 – 6 October 1019), Count of Moselgau, was a son of Siegfried of Luxembourg and Hedwig of Nordgau.
Frederick married Irmtrud, daughter of Count Herbert of Wetterau. They had issue:
* Henry VII (d. 1047), Count of Lu ...
to succeed in Lower Lorraine.
The date of Gothelo II's death has been disputed. The
homonym
In linguistics, homonyms are words which are homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of pronunciation), or homophones (equivocal words, that share the same pronunciation, regardless of spelling), or both. Using this definition, ...
y between father and son and the imprecision of the documents (including the fact that not all mention him) have made his role in the duchy of Lower Lorraine debatable.
Margraves of Antwerp
House of Limburg
1046 deaths
1008 births
House of Ardenne–Verdun
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