Deuteria
Encyclopedia
Deuteria was a Frankish Queen consort; the first spouse of king Theudebert I
.
Deuteria belonged to an aristocratic Gallo-Roman family from Auvergne
and was a relation to Sidonius Apollinaris
, Saint Avitus and Emperor Avitus
. She was living in Septimania
, married and had a daughter, Adia, when the area was attacked by Theodebert in 533.
He fell in love with her, and when he became king the same year, he sent for her. She left her husband but brought her daughter with her to court, where she and Theudebert became lovers. At this point, her husband was still alive and Theodebert was engaged to Wisigarde, a Lombardian princess. It has never been confirmed whether the couple ever performed a wedding ceremony or not. Theodebert continued to be engaged to Wisigarde, and Deuteria is sometimes called a concubine, but Deuteria is almost without exception referred to as Queen, despite this insecurity.
In 536, Deuteria, according to legend, had her daughter drowned in fear of her becoming a rival over Theudebert. After the murder, the aristocraty had Theudebert expel Deuteria from court and forced him to marry Wisigarde. It is said that he wished to recall Deuteria after Wisigarde's death, but did not dare to.
Theudebert I
Theudebert I was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 533 to his death in 548. He was the son of Theuderic I and the father of Theudebald....
.
Deuteria belonged to an aristocratic Gallo-Roman family from Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
and was a relation to Sidonius Apollinaris
Sidonius Apollinaris
Gaius Sollius Apollinaris Sidonius or Saint Sidonius Apollinaris was a poet, diplomat, and bishop. Sidonius is "the single most important surviving author from fifth-century Gaul" according to Eric Goldberg...
, Saint Avitus and Emperor Avitus
Avitus
Eparchius Avitus was Western Roman Emperor from July 8 or July 9, 455 to October 17, 456. A Gallic-Roman aristocrat, he was a senator and a high-ranking officer both in the civil and military administration, as well as Bishop of Piacenza.A representative of the Gallic-Roman aristocracy, he...
. She was living in Septimania
Septimania
Septimania was the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septimania was ceded to their king, Theodoric II. Under the Visigoths it was known as simply Gallia or Narbonensis. It corresponded roughly with the modern...
, married and had a daughter, Adia, when the area was attacked by Theodebert in 533.
He fell in love with her, and when he became king the same year, he sent for her. She left her husband but brought her daughter with her to court, where she and Theudebert became lovers. At this point, her husband was still alive and Theodebert was engaged to Wisigarde, a Lombardian princess. It has never been confirmed whether the couple ever performed a wedding ceremony or not. Theodebert continued to be engaged to Wisigarde, and Deuteria is sometimes called a concubine, but Deuteria is almost without exception referred to as Queen, despite this insecurity.
In 536, Deuteria, according to legend, had her daughter drowned in fear of her becoming a rival over Theudebert. After the murder, the aristocraty had Theudebert expel Deuteria from court and forced him to marry Wisigarde. It is said that he wished to recall Deuteria after Wisigarde's death, but did not dare to.