Généalogie and Heritage

Source: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: FRANKS, MEROVINGIAN KINGS

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Type	Valeur
Titre	Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: FRANKS, MEROVINGIAN KINGS

Entrées associées à cette source

Personnes
DAGOBERT II of the Sicambrian Franks
Flavius RICHOMERES of Toxandria Consul of the Roman Empire CR002

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Notes


Early sources are inconsistent regarding the origin of the Franks. Gregory of Tours is cautious, recording that "it is commonly said" that they came from Pannonia (see the document HUNGARY, KINGS), crossed the Rhine, and marched through Thuringia, citing"the historians whose works we still have" (although none of these works to which he refers appears to have survived to the present day). If this is correct, Frankish occupation of Pannonia predated the arrival there of the Ostrogoths, which is probablydated to the last decades of the 4th century from the account provided by Jordanes in his mid-6th century Getica. The possibility of an early connection with Thuringia is reinforced by Chlodio's supposed grandson King Childerich seeking refuge there during his temporary exile from France. A more colourful version of the early history of the Franks is provided by the 7th century chronicler known as Fredegar who records a Trojan origin, and asserts that Merovech was conceived when Chlodio's wife went swimming and encountered a Quinotaur. Ian Wood comments that there is no reason to believe that the Franks were involved in any long distance migration, as "archaeology and history suggest that they originated in the lands immediately to the east of the Rhine." This could also indicate Thuringia. The Franks are first mentioned in the context of the Barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century, Aurelius Victor and Eutropius stating that they crossed the Rhine near Köln in [257]. Gregory of Tours reports that "the Franks…set up in each country district and each city long-haired kings chosen from the foremost and most noble family of their race." If correct, this suggests a multiplicity of local leaders about whom nothing is known. Many Frankish tribes remained east of the Rhine, butby [500] most had settled west of the river. Gregory reports that Chlodio was the first Frankish leader to invade Roman-occupied Gaul, as far as the river Somme. He attributes to him the title "King of the Franks," but Chlodio was presumably only one of the many local Frankish leaders and hardly a "king" in the sense in which the word is used today. It is assumed that Chlodio was not the only Frankish leader to invade Roman-occupied Gaul. The Merovingian Frankish rulers quickly imposed their authority throughout Gaul. This presumably was partly because they were geographically well placed to fill the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Roman Empire, but was also attributable to the personality and capabilities of King Clovis. Although there are indications that the authority of Chlodio's supposed grandson Childerich was limited to "Belgica Secunda," the latter's son Clovis subjugated the different Frankish sub-groups in the territory of what is now France and, by the end of his life, ruled between the Rhine and Loire valleys as well as in Aquitaine. His successors conquered Provence, Burgundy, Rhaetia, Alemannia and Thuringia. Merovingian royal rule was regionalised. For example the four sons of King Clotaire I, who died in 561, ruled different territories from their bases in Paris, Orléans, Metz and Soissons. The divisions were later formalised into the kingdoms of Austrasia(from the Rhine to the Seine valley, including Flanders and Holland) and Neustria (between the Seine and Loire valleys), these names being used for the first time by Gregory of Tours in 577. There are many areas of uncertainty in the detail of the genealogy of the Merovingian kings. The earliest generations are reconstructed for the most part from the "History of the Franks," written by Gregory of Tours in the latter part of the 6th century.As will be seen below, little supplementary information concerning the early generations is provided by other near contemporary sources, and all subsequent chroniclers appear to have used Gregory as their primary source. Gregory was well-informed aboutcontemporary political events and the lives of members of the ruling family. For example, he writes of his personal role in the events which followed the second marriage of Queen Brunechildis [Brunechilde] to Merovech in 576. However, his narrative spans more than a hundred years so it would not be surprising if there were inaccuracies relating to individuals in the earlier part of the history. Dating presents a particular difficulty in Gregory as he rarely specifies dates, although he frequently refers to an occurrence happening a specific number of years after another event. The documents known collectively as the Chronicle of Fredegar provide a comparable level of genealogical detail for the Merovingian rulers until the mid-7th century, although as with other sources the narrative dealing with the earlier years appears based almost exclusively on Gregory's work. From the later 7th century onwards, less detail is known about the families of the Merovingian kings. This reflects the decline in their personal power and the corresponding rise in the influence of their palace "maiores domus," particularly those from the family whose descendants were later known as the Carolingian dynasty. This absence of information about the later kings is so marked that the relationships between two of them, Clotaire IV and Childerich III, and the main royal line is entirely speculative. This document sets out the families of the Merovingian Frankish kings. The families of the "maiores domus" of the kingdoms of Austrasia, Burgundy and Neustria, as well as other Merovingian nobility, are shown in the companion document MEROVINGIAN NOBILITY.

Early sources are inconsistent regarding the origin of the Franks. Gregory of Tours is cautious, recording that "it is commonly said" that they came from Pannonia (see the document HUNGARY, KINGS), crossed the Rhine, and marched through Thuringia, citing"the historians whose works we still have" (although none of these works to which he refers appears to have survived to the present day). If this is correct, Frankish occupation of Pannonia predated the arrival there of the Ostrogoths, which is probablydated to the last decades of the 4th century from the account provided by Jordanes in his mid-6th century Getica. The possibility of an early connection with Thuringia is reinforced by Chlodio's supposed grandson King Childerich seeking refuge there during his temporary exile from France. A more colourful version of the early history of the Franks is provided by the 7th century chronicler known as Fredegar who records a Trojan origin, and asserts that Merovech was conceived when Chlodio's wife went swimming and encountered a Quinotaur. Ian Wood comments that there is no reason to believe that the Franks were involved in any long distance migration, as "archaeology and history suggest that they originated in the lands immediately to the east of the Rhine." This could also indicate Thuringia.

The Franks are first mentioned in the context of the Barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century, Aurelius Victor and Eutropius stating that they crossed the Rhine near Köln in [257]. Gregory of Tours reports that "the Franks…set up in each country district and each city long-haired kings chosen from the foremost and most noble family of their race." If correct, this suggests a multiplicity of local leaders about whom nothing is known. Many Frankish tribes remained east of the Rhine, butby [500] most had settled west of the river. Gregory reports that Chlodio was the first Frankish leader to invade Roman-occupied Gaul, as far as the river Somme. He attributes to him the title "King of the Franks," but Chlodio was presumably only one of the many local Frankish leaders and hardly a "king" in the sense in which the word is used today. It is assumed that Chlodio was not the only Frankish leader to invade Roman-occupied Gaul.

The Merovingian Frankish rulers quickly imposed their authority throughout Gaul. This presumably was partly because they were geographically well placed to fill the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Roman Empire, but was also attributable to the personality and capabilities of King Clovis. Although there are indications that the authority of Chlodio's supposed grandson Childerich was limited to "Belgica Secunda," the latter's son Clovis subjugated the different Frankish sub-groups in the territory of what is now France and, by the end of his life, ruled between the Rhine and Loire valleys as well as in Aquitaine. His successors conquered Provence, Burgundy, Rhaetia, Alemannia and Thuringia.

Merovingian royal rule was regionalised. For example the four sons of King Clotaire I, who died in 561, ruled different territories from their bases in Paris, Orléans, Metz and Soissons. The divisions were later formalised into the kingdoms of Austrasia(from the Rhine to the Seine valley, including Flanders and Holland) and Neustria (between the Seine and Loire valleys), these names being used for the first time by Gregory of Tours in 577.

There are many areas of uncertainty in the detail of the genealogy of the Merovingian kings. The earliest generations are reconstructed for the most part from the "History of the Franks," written by Gregory of Tours in the latter part of the 6th century.As will be seen below, little supplementary information concerning the early generations is provided by other near contemporary sources, and all subsequent chroniclers appear to have used Gregory as their primary source. Gregory was well-informed aboutcontemporary political events and the lives of members of the ruling family. For example, he writes of his personal role in the events which followed the second marriage of Queen Brunechildis [Brunechilde] to Merovech in 576. However, his narrative spans more than a hundred years so it would not be surprising if there were inaccuracies relating to individuals in the earlier part of the history. Dating presents a particular difficulty in Gregory as he rarely specifies dates, although he frequently refers to an occurrence happening a specific number of years after another event. The documents known collectively as the Chronicle of Fredegar provide a comparable level of genealogical detail for the Merovingian rulers until the mid-7th century, although as with other sources the narrative dealing with the earlier years appears based almost exclusively on Gregory's work.

From the later 7th century onwards, less detail is known about the families of the Merovingian kings. This reflects the decline in their personal power and the corresponding rise in the influence of their palace "maiores domus," particularly those from the family whose descendants were later known as the Carolingian dynasty. This absence of information about the later kings is so marked that the relationships between two of them, Clotaire IV and Childerich III, and the main royal line is entirely speculative.

This document sets out the families of the Merovingian Frankish kings. The families of the "maiores domus" of the kingdoms of Austrasia, Burgundy and Neustria, as well as other Merovingian nobility, are shown in the companion document MEROVINGIAN NOBILITY.