Eudes III (1166 – July 6, 1218), commonly known in English as Odo III, was

duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

between 1192 and 1218. Odo was the eldest son of duke Hugh III and his first wife Alice, daughter of

Matthias I, Duke of Lorraine Matthias I (1119 – 13 May 1176) was the duke of Lorraine from 1138 to his death as the eldest son and successor of Simon I and Adelaide. Like his forefathers going back to Theodoric II and even to Adalbert, he was a stern supporter of the kin ...

Life

Odo did not follow his father's aggressive policies towards France and proved a worthy ally of king

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French ...

in his wars against

John Lackland John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

and the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Otto IV of Germany Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196 ...

. He fought bravely against the latter in the

Battle of Bouvines The Battle of Bouvines was fought on 27 July 1214 near the town of Bouvines in the County of Flanders. It was the concluding battle of the Anglo-French War of 1213–1214. Although estimates on the number of troops vary considerably among mo ...

, where he lost, according to contemporary chroniclers, two horses beneath him. According to

William the Breton William the Breton (c. 1165c. 1225), French chronicler and poet, was a contemporary and dependent of French king Philip Augustus for whom he served in diplomatic missions and for whom he wrote a Latin prose chronicle and a Latin epic poem. Willia ...

he was of the phlegmatic temperament. Odo was also an important figure in the Crusade against the Cathars. When Philip II refused to get involved, the Odo stepped forward with the support of the local bishops and his vassals and organized the campaign of 1209 against the

Cathar Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Follow ...

strongholds. Before leaving on crusade against the Cathars, Odo pledged the castle of Ile-d'Ouche and the village of Crimolois to the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

to assist them in the defense of the Catholic faith.

Marriages and issue

He married in 1194 Theresa of Portugal (1156–1218), the daughter of

Afonso I of Portugal Afonso I of PortugalOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on the Spanish or French inf ...

, and

Matilda of Savoy Matilda (Mechtilde) of Savoy (1390–1438) was a daughter of Amadeo, Prince of Achaea (also known as Amadeus of Piedmont or Amadeus of Savoy) and Catherine of Geneva. She was the second wife of the Elector Palatine Louis III, whom she married on ...

. She was repudiated in 1195, having produced no children. In 1199, he married

Alice of Vergy Alice (or Alix) de Vergy (1182–1251) was Duchess of Burgundy as the second spouse of Odo III, Duke of Burgundy. She was the regent of Burgundy during the minority of her son 1218–28. Biography Alice was the daughter of Hugh, Lord of Vergy, a ...

(1182–1252), the daughter of Hugh, Seigneur de Vergy, by Gillette de Trainel. This marriage produced: * Joan (1200–1223), married

Raoul II of Lusignan Raoul II of Lusignan (c. 1200 – c. September 1, 1246, buried at the Abbey of Foucarmont) was the son of Raoul I of Lusignan and his wife Alix, Countess of Eu. He became Seigneur d'Exoudun and Count of Eu upon his father death in 1219. He was ...

(died 1250), Seigneur d'Issoudun and

Count of Eu Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

. * Alice (1204–1266) married

Robert I Robert I may refer to: *Robert I, Duke of Neustria (697–748) *Robert I of France (866–923), King of France, 922–923, rebelled against Charles the Simple *Rollo, Duke of Normandy (c. 846 – c. 930; reigned 911–927) * Robert I Archbishop of ...

(died 1262) Count of Clermont and Dauphin of Auvergne * Hugh IV (1213–1272), his successor in the duchy *Beatrice (born 1216), married Humbert III of Thoire (died 1279)

Ancestry

References

Sources

* * * *

Life

Marriages and issue

Ancestry

References

Sources

See also