The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family which descended directly from the Merovingian dynasty which came before it. The Merovingian dynasty was founded by Childeric I, king of the Franks from 457-481 AD, who, thanks to his many military outings against the Visigoths, Saxons and Alemanni, managed to establish a foot hold of territory for the dynasty that his son, Clovis I, would create a few years later. It wasn’t until Childeric and his wife, Basina, Queen of Thuringia’s son, Clovis I, succeeded his father in the year 481 at the young age of 15 that the Merovingian dynasty managed to unite the other Frankish tribes under the rule of one king. Clovis managed to extend the power of the Merovingian’s in the year 496 by defeating Syagrius,
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By the year 491 Clovis had managed to subjugate all of the Frankish kingdoms spanning the west side of the Maas, save for the Rupuarian Franks living in Cologne. He also managed to secure an alliance with Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoth’s by allowing him to marry his sister Audofleda. In the year 496 he barely defeated the Alemanni during the Battle of Tolbiac, after the king of the Ripuarian Franks, Sigobert the lame, called upon Clovis for assistance in turning away the Alemanni who were invading his land. Clotilde, Clovis’ wife, was a firm believer of the Christian faith and convinced Clovis to have their children baptised. The first child died soon after being baptised, but his other son who was ill at birth managed to recover. Clovis still sceptic of Christianity decided to pray to God for victory on the eve of the Battle of Tolbiac and, once he emerged victorious, decided to convert to the faith much to the joy of his …show more content…
This shift in power was then accompanied by a very violent fight for supremacy amongst the brothers and their associates. Fredegund, a servant of Chilperic’s wife, Audovera, had managed to convince Chilperic to divorce her. However Chilperic decided to marry Galswintha, the daughter of Athanagild the Visigothic king of Hispania. Fredegund then strangled Galswintha and married Chilperic. She then decided to order the assassination of Chilperic’s brother, Sigebert I, who was married to her sister Brunhilda. Brunhilda in an act of revenge orchestrated Chilperic’s death in September of 584. Scared Fredegund ran away with all of her late husband’s riches and her son Clothar II being granted refuge by Guntram, Chilperic’s brother, until he passed away in 592 AD Fredegund died the 8 December 597 leaving her son, Clothar II as heir. However Clothar II was too young to take the reins of power and Brunhilda is the one who is actually in charge of the Merovingian Dynasty. At the age of 29 in the year 613 Clothar II allied himself with Arnulf, the Bishop of Metz and the Mayor of the Palace, Pepin I of Landen. Clothar II eventually managed to capture Brunhilda
By the year 491 Clovis had managed to subjugate all of the Frankish kingdoms spanning the west side of the Maas, save for the Rupuarian Franks living in Cologne. He also managed to secure an alliance with Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoth’s by allowing him to marry his sister Audofleda. In the year 496 he barely defeated the Alemanni during the Battle of Tolbiac, after the king of the Ripuarian Franks, Sigobert the lame, called upon Clovis for assistance in turning away the Alemanni who were invading his land. Clotilde, Clovis’ wife, was a firm believer of the Christian faith and convinced Clovis to have their children baptised. The first child died soon after being baptised, but his other son who was ill at birth managed to recover. Clovis still sceptic of Christianity decided to pray to God for victory on the eve of the Battle of Tolbiac and, once he emerged victorious, decided to convert to the faith much to the joy of his …show more content…
This shift in power was then accompanied by a very violent fight for supremacy amongst the brothers and their associates. Fredegund, a servant of Chilperic’s wife, Audovera, had managed to convince Chilperic to divorce her. However Chilperic decided to marry Galswintha, the daughter of Athanagild the Visigothic king of Hispania. Fredegund then strangled Galswintha and married Chilperic. She then decided to order the assassination of Chilperic’s brother, Sigebert I, who was married to her sister Brunhilda. Brunhilda in an act of revenge orchestrated Chilperic’s death in September of 584. Scared Fredegund ran away with all of her late husband’s riches and her son Clothar II being granted refuge by Guntram, Chilperic’s brother, until he passed away in 592 AD Fredegund died the 8 December 597 leaving her son, Clothar II as heir. However Clothar II was too young to take the reins of power and Brunhilda is the one who is actually in charge of the Merovingian Dynasty. At the age of 29 in the year 613 Clothar II allied himself with Arnulf, the Bishop of Metz and the Mayor of the Palace, Pepin I of Landen. Clothar II eventually managed to capture Brunhilda