All Topics  
List of Frankish Kings

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

List of Frankish Kings
 
 
  Topics List of Frankish Kings Topic Home

The Franks
Franks

The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
 were originally led by dukes
Dux

Dux is Latin for leader and for duke, and in Ancient Rome could refer to anyone who commanded troops, such as tribal leaders....
 (military leaders) and reguli
Rex

Rex is the Latin word for "Monarch" . Rex is an English language male given name.Rex may also refer to:...
 (petty kings). The Salian
Salian Franks

File:Seal_of_Childeric_I_Tournai tomb.jpgThe Salian Franks or Salii were a subgroup of the early Franks who originally had been living north of the limes in the coastal area above the Rhine River in the northern Netherlands, where today there still is a region called Salland....
 Merovingians
Merovingian dynasty

The Merovingians were a Salian Franks dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the fifth century....
 rose to dominance among the Franks and conquered most of Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul

Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for 600 years....
. They also conquered the Visigoths in 507. The sons of Clovis conquered the Burgundians
Kingdom of Burgundy

Burgundy is a region of Western Europe which has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy, and a third Kingdom of Burgundy was very nearly created....
 and Alamanni
Alamanni

The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic languagess located around the upper Main river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211?17 and claimed thereby to be their defeater....
. They acquired the Provence
Provence

Provence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative regions of France of Provence-Alpes-C?te d'Azur....
 and made the Bavarii
Bavarii

The Bavarii were a large and powerful tribe which emerged late in Germanic peoples tribal times, in what is now the Czech Republic . They replaced, or perhaps are simply another phase of, the previous inhabitants - the Rugians....
 and Thuringii
Thuringii

The Thuringii or Toringi were a Germanic people which appeared late during the V?lkerwanderung in the Harz Mountains of central Germania around 280, in a region which still bears their name to this day — Thuringia....
 their clients. The Merovingians were later replaced by a new dynasty called the Carolingian
Carolingian

File:Charlemagne denier Mayence 812 814.jpgThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century....
s in the 8th century.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'List of Frankish Kings'
Start a new discussion about 'List of Frankish Kings'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Franks
Franks

The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
 were originally led by dukes
Dux

Dux is Latin for leader and for duke, and in Ancient Rome could refer to anyone who commanded troops, such as tribal leaders....
 (military leaders) and reguli
Rex

Rex is the Latin word for "Monarch" . Rex is an English language male given name.Rex may also refer to:...
 (petty kings). The Salian
Salian Franks

File:Seal_of_Childeric_I_Tournai tomb.jpgThe Salian Franks or Salii were a subgroup of the early Franks who originally had been living north of the limes in the coastal area above the Rhine River in the northern Netherlands, where today there still is a region called Salland....
 Merovingians
Merovingian dynasty

The Merovingians were a Salian Franks dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the fifth century....
 rose to dominance among the Franks and conquered most of Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul

Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for 600 years....
. They also conquered the Visigoths in 507. The sons of Clovis conquered the Burgundians
Kingdom of Burgundy

Burgundy is a region of Western Europe which has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy, and a third Kingdom of Burgundy was very nearly created....
 and Alamanni
Alamanni

The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic languagess located around the upper Main river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211?17 and claimed thereby to be their defeater....
. They acquired the Provence
Provence

Provence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative regions of France of Provence-Alpes-C?te d'Azur....
 and made the Bavarii
Bavarii

The Bavarii were a large and powerful tribe which emerged late in Germanic peoples tribal times, in what is now the Czech Republic . They replaced, or perhaps are simply another phase of, the previous inhabitants - the Rugians....
 and Thuringii
Thuringii

The Thuringii or Toringi were a Germanic people which appeared late during the V?lkerwanderung in the Harz Mountains of central Germania around 280, in a region which still bears their name to this day — Thuringia....
 their clients. The Merovingians were later replaced by a new dynasty called the Carolingian
Carolingian

File:Charlemagne denier Mayence 812 814.jpgThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century....
s in the 8th century. By the end of the 9th century, the Carolingians themselves were replaced throughout much of their realm by other dynasties. The idea of a "King of the Franks" or Rex Francorum gradually disappeared over the 12th and 13th centuries.

A timeline of Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was, according to old Germanic practice, frequently divided among the sons of a leader upon his death and then eventually reunited.

Dukes and reguli


Early rulers

This list of early rulers is incomplete, as our sources leave open many gaps.
  • Ascaric
    Ascaric

    Ascaric or Ascarich was an early List of Frankish kings, who, along with his co-ruler Merogais, is the earliest Frankish ruler known. He was an enemy of the Roman Empire....
  • Merogais
    Merogais

    Merogais was an early List of Frankish kings, who, along with his co-ruler Ascaric, is the earliest Frankish ruler known. He was an enemy of the Roman Empire....
  • Mallobaudes
    Mallobaudes

    Mallobaudes was a 4th-century Franks king, who also held the Roman title of comes domesticorum.In 354 he was a tribunus armaturarum in the Roman army in Gaul, where he served under Claudius Silvanus who usurped power in 355....
  • Genobaud
    Genobaud

    Genobaud was a leader of the Franks. He invaded the Roman Empire in the year 388.This invasion is documented by Gregory of Tours, who cited the now lost work of Sulpicius Alexander....
  • Sunno
    Sunno

    Sunno was a leader of the Franks in the late 4th century that invaded the Roman Empire in the year 388 when the usurper and leader of the whole of Roman Gaul, Magnus Maximus was surrounded in Aquileia by Theodosius I...
  • Marcomer
    Marcomer

    Marcomer was a Franks leader in the late 4th century that invaded the Roman Empire in the year 388, when the usurper and leader of the whole of Roman Gaul, Magnus Maximus was surrounded in Aquileia by Theodosius I....
  • Pharamond
    Pharamond

    Pharamond or Faramund is a legendary early king of the Franks first referred to in the anonymous 8th century Carolingian text Liber Historiae Francorum, also known as the Gesta regnum Francorum....
    , son of Marcomer, semi-legendary king
  • Theudemeres
    Theudemeres

    Theudemeres was a Franks king. He was the son of the Roman commander Richomeres and his wife Ascyla.Not much is known of Theudemeres. According to Gregory of Tours a war broke out between the Franks and the Romans some unknown time after the fall of the usurping Emperor Jovinus who had been supported by the Franks....
    , son of Richomeres
    Richomeres

    Flavius Richomeres was a Franks who lived in the late 4th century. He took service in the Roman army and made a career as comes, magister militum, and consul....
    , King circa 422
  • Aegidius
    Aegidius

    Aegidius was a Gallo-Roman promoted as magister militum in Gaul under Flavius A?tius around 450. He was an ardent supporter of Majorian, whom he helped to gain power....
  • Sigobert the Lame
    Sigobert the Lame

    Sigobert the Lame was a king of the Franks in the area of Z?lpich and Cologne.He was presumably wounded at the knee at the Battle of Tolbiac against the Alamanni....
    , King 483–507, killed by his son Chloderic the Parricide
  • Chlodoric the Parricide
    Chlodoric the Parricide

    Chlodoric the Patricide murdered his own father, Sigobert the Lame, in order to take his kingdom. Chlodoric acted upon the instigation of Clovis I a rival king of the Salian Franks....
    , son of Sigebert, King 507, dethroned by Clovis


Rulers of the Salians
Salian Franks

File:Seal_of_Childeric_I_Tournai tomb.jpgThe Salian Franks or Salii were a subgroup of the early Franks who originally had been living north of the limes in the coastal area above the Rhine River in the northern Netherlands, where today there still is a region called Salland....

  • Clodio
    Clodio

    Chlodio was a king of the Salian Franks from the Merovingian dynasty. He was known as a Long-Haired King and lived at a place on the Thuringian border called Dispargum....
    , possible son of Pharamond, King at Dispargum and later Tournai
    Tournai

    Tournai is a Walloon Region city and Municipalities in Belgium of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut ....
     (426–447)
  • Merovech
    Merovech

    Merovech is the legendary founder of the Merovingian dynasty of the Salian Franks, which later became the dominant Franks tribe. He allegedly lived in the first half of the fifth century....
    , son of Chlodio, King at Tournai (447–458)
  • Childeric I
    Childeric I

    File:CHILDERICI REGIS.jpgChilderic I was the Merovingian king of the Salian Franks from 457 until his death, and the father of Clovis I.He succeeded his father Merovech as king, traditionally in 457 or 458....
    , son of Merovech, King at Tournai (458–481)
  • Clovis I
    Clovis I

    Clovis was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Franks under one king. He succeeded his father Childeric I in 481 as King of the Salian Franks, one of the Frankish tribes who were then occupying the area west of the lower Rhine, with their centre around Tournai and Cambrai along the modern frontier between France and Belgium, in an...
    , son of Childeric I, King at Tournai (481–511), later united most of the Franks and Roman Gaul


All of the following may have been related to Clovis in some degree and eventually removed by before 509:
  • Chararic
    Chararic (Frankish king)

    Chararic was a List of Frankish kings from sometime before 486 until after 507. He was an adversary of Clovis I of the Salian Franks. The primary source for his career is Gregory of Tours....
  • Ragnachar, probably king at Cambrai
    Cambrai

    Cambrai is a Communes of France in the Nord Departments of France in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France of the department.Cambrai is the seat of Archdiocese of Cambrai whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages....
     from before 486, killed by Clovis
  • Ricchar, brother of Ragnachar, killed by Clovis at Cambrai
  • Rignomer, brother of Ragnachar, killed by Clovis at Mans


Merovingian kings of the Franks

All the Franks
  • Clovis I
    Clovis I

    Clovis was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Franks under one king. He succeeded his father Childeric I in 481 as King of the Salian Franks, one of the Frankish tribes who were then occupying the area west of the lower Rhine, with their centre around Tournai and Cambrai along the modern frontier between France and Belgium, in an...
    , 509
    509

    EventsBirths*Emperor Kimmei, emperor of Japan*Christian Na, Korean philosopher*Wei XiaokuanDeaths...
    –511
    511

    Events...


Clovis I united all the Frankish petty kingdoms as well as most of Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul

Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for 600 years....
 under his rule, conquering the Domain of Soissons
Domain of Soissons

In the Late Antiquity period, two states in the area of modern-day northwest France were termed the Domain of Soissons. This area is often incorrectly called the Kingdom of Soissons or the Kingdom of Syagrius....
 of the Roman general Syagrius
Syagrius

Syagrius was the son of Aegidius, the last Roman magister militum per Gaul. Syagrius preserved his father's rump state between the Somme and the Loire around Domain of Soissons after the collapse of central rule in the Western Empire, the so-called "Kingdom" of Syagrius, as Gregory of Tours understood it, applying the Frankish term for...
 as well as the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse. He took his seat at Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
, which along with Soissons
Soissons

Soissons is a Communes of the Aisne department in the Aisne Departments of France in Picardie in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about 100 kilometres northeast of Paris....
, Reims
Reims

The city of Reims lies in the Champagne-Ardenne region in northeastern France 129 km east-northeast of Paris.Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, Metz
Metz

Metz is a city in the northeast of France, capital of the Lorraine R?gion in France and prefecture of the Moselle Departments of France.It is located at the confluence of the Moselle River and the Seille rivers....
, and Orl้ans
Orl้ans

Orl?ans is a city in north-central France, about 130 km southwest of Paris. It is the capital of the Loiret Departments of France and of the Centre R?gion in France....
 became the chief residences. Upon his death, the kingdom was split among his four sons:

Soissons
  • Chlothar I, 511
    511

    Events...
    –561
    561

    Events...


Paris
  • Childebert I
    Childebert I

    Childebert I was the Frankish King of the Franks, a Merovingian dynast, one of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511....
    , 511
    511

    Events...
    –558
    558

    Events...
  • Chlothar I, 558
    558

    Events...
    –561
    561

    Events...


Orl้ans
  • Chlodomer
    Chlodomer

    Chlodomer, also spelled Clodomir or Clodomer was the second of the four sons of Clovis I, List of Frankish Kings. On the death of his father, in 511, he divided the kingdom of the Franks with his three brothers: Theuderic I, Childebert I, and Clotaire I....
    , 511
    511

    Events...
    –524
    524

    Events* 25 June - Battle of V?zeronce: The Franks defeat the Burgundians....
  • Childebert I
    Childebert I

    Childebert I was the Frankish King of the Franks, a Merovingian dynast, one of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511....
    , 524
    524

    Events* 25 June - Battle of V?zeronce: The Franks defeat the Burgundians....
    –558
    558

    Events...
  • Chlothar I, 558
    558

    Events...
    –561
    561

    Events...


Reims
  • Theuderic I
    Theuderic I

    Theuderic I was the Merovingian king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia ? as it is variously called ? from 511 to 533 or 534.He was the son of Clovis I and one of his earlier wives or concubines....
    , 511
    511

    Events...
    –534
    534

    Events...
    • Munderic
      Munderic

      Munderic was a Merovingian pretender and claimaint to the List of Frankish kings. He was a wealthy nobleman and landowner with vast estates in the region around Vitry-en-Perthois near Ch?lons-sur-Marne....
      , 533
      533

      Events...
      , rival king in the Auvergne
  • Theudebert I
    Theudebert I

    File:Theodebert_I_534_548_king_of_Metz.jpgTheudebert I was the Merovingians king of Austrasia from 533 to his death in 548. He was the son of Theuderic I and the father of Theudebald....
    , 534
    534

    Events...
    –548
    548

    Events...
  • Theudebald
    Theudebald

    Theudebald or Theodebald , son of Theudebert I and Deuteria, was the king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia—as it's variously called—from 547 or 548 to 555....
    , 548
    548

    Events...
    –555
    555

    Events...
  • Chlothar I, 555
    555

    Events...
    –561
    561

    Events...


Chlothar I eventually inherited all of the Frankish kingdoms after the deaths of his brothers or their successors. After his own death, the kingdom was once again split among his four sons:

Soissons (eventually Neustria)
  • Chilperic I
    Chilperic I

    File:Chilperic I & Fredegunde00.jpgChilperic I was the king of Neustria from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of Clotaire I, sole king of the Franks, and Aregund....
    , 561
    561

    Events...
    –584
    584

    Events...
  • Chlothar II, 584
    584

    Events...
    –629
    629

    Events...


Paris
  • Charibert I
    Charibert I

    Charibert I was the Merovingian List of Frankish kings, the second-eldest son of Chlothar I and Ingund, wife of Clotaire I. His elder brother was Gunthar, son of Chlothar I, who died sometime before their father's death....
    , 561
    561

    Events...
    –567
    567

    Events...
  • Chilperic I
    Chilperic I

    File:Chilperic I & Fredegunde00.jpgChilperic I was the king of Neustria from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of Clotaire I, sole king of the Franks, and Aregund....
    , 567
    567

    Events...
    –584
    584

    Events...
  • Chlothar II, 584
    584

    Events...
    –629
    629

    Events...


Orl้ans (eventually Burgundy)
  • Guntram
    Guntram

    Saint Guntram was the king of Kingdom of Burgundy from 561 to 592. He was a son of Chlothar I and Ingunda. On his father's death , he became king of a fourth of the kingdom of the Franks, and made his capital at Orl?ans....
    , 561
    561

    Events...
    –592
    592

    Events...
    • Gundoald, 584
      584

      Events...
      –585
      585

      Events...
      , rival king in Aquitaine
  • Childebert II
    Childebert II

    Childebert II was the Merovingian king of Austrasia, which included Provence at the time, from 575 until his death in 595, the eldest and succeeding son of Sigebert I, and the king of Burgundy from 592 to his death, as the adopted and succeeding son of his uncle Guntram....
    , 592
    592

    Events...
    –595
    595

    Events...
  • Theuderic II
    Theuderic II

    Theuderic II , king of Kingdom of Burgundy and Austrasia , was the second son of Childebert II. At his father's death in 595, he received Guntram's kingdom of Burgundy, with its capital at Orl?ans, while his elder brother, Theudebert II, received their father's kingdom of Austrasia, with its capital at Metz....
    , 595
    595

    Events...
    –613
    613

    Events...
  • Sigebert II
    Sigebert II

    Sigebert II was king of Kingdom of Burgundy and Austrasia . Bastard son of Theuderic II of Austrasia, he succeeded his father in 613; but the mayor of the palace of Austrasia, Warnachar, feared that at his young age he would fall under the influence of his great-grandmother Brunhilda of Austrasia....
    , 613
    613

    Events...
  • Chlothar II, 613
    613

    Events...
    –629
    629

    Events...


Reims and Metz (eventually Austrasia)
  • Sigebert I
    Sigebert I

    Sigebert I was the king of Austrasia from the death of his father in 561 to his own death. He was the third surviving son out of four of Clotaire I and Ingund....
    , 561
    561

    Events...
    –575
    575

    Events...
  • Childebert II
    Childebert II

    Childebert II was the Merovingian king of Austrasia, which included Provence at the time, from 575 until his death in 595, the eldest and succeeding son of Sigebert I, and the king of Burgundy from 592 to his death, as the adopted and succeeding son of his uncle Guntram....
    , 575
    575

    Events...
    –595
    595

    Events...
  • Theudebert II
    Theudebert II

    Theudebert II , King of Austrasia , was the son and heir of Childebert II. He received the kingdom of Austrasia plus the cities of Poitiers, Tours, Vellay, Bordeaux, and Ch?teaudun, as well as the Champagne, France, the Auvergne , and Alamannia, on the death of his father in 595, but was dominated by his grandmother Brunhilda of Austrasia,...
    , 595
    595

    Events...
    –612
    612

    Events...
  • Theuderic II
    Theuderic II

    Theuderic II , king of Kingdom of Burgundy and Austrasia , was the second son of Childebert II. At his father's death in 595, he received Guntram's kingdom of Burgundy, with its capital at Orl?ans, while his elder brother, Theudebert II, received their father's kingdom of Austrasia, with its capital at Metz....
    , 612
    612

    Events...
    –613
    613

    Events...
  • Sigebert II
    Sigebert II

    Sigebert II was king of Kingdom of Burgundy and Austrasia . Bastard son of Theuderic II of Austrasia, he succeeded his father in 613; but the mayor of the palace of Austrasia, Warnachar, feared that at his young age he would fall under the influence of his great-grandmother Brunhilda of Austrasia....
    , 613
    613

    Events...
  • Chlothar II, 613
    613

    Events...
    –623
    623

    Events...


Chlothar II defeated Brunhilda
Brunhilda of Austrasia

Brunhilda was a Frankish queen who ruled the eastern kingdoms of Austrasia and Kingdom of Burgundy in the names of her sons and grandsons. Initially known as a liberal ruler of great political acumen, she became notorious for her cruelty and avarice....
 and her grandson, reunifying the kingdom. However, in 623, in order to appease particularistic forces and also to secure the borders, he gave the Austrasians his young son as their own king. His son and successor, Dagobert I
Dagobert I

File:Dagobert_I_Triens_UZES_629_639_gold_1240mg.jpgDagobert I was the king of Austrasia , King of the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy ....
, emulated this move by appointing a sub-king for Aquitaine, with a seat at Toulouse
Toulouse

Toulouse is a commune of France in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea....
, in 629 and Austrasia in 634.

Neustria and Burgundy
  • Dagobert I
    Dagobert I

    File:Dagobert_I_Triens_UZES_629_639_gold_1240mg.jpgDagobert I was the king of Austrasia , King of the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy ....
    , 629
    629

    Events...
    –639
    639

    Events...
  • Clovis II
    Clovis II

    Clovis II succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as Neustria and King of Burgundy. His brother Sigebert III had been Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her untimely death in her early thirties in 642....
    , 639
    639

    Events...
    –658
    658

    Events...
  • Chlothar III, 658
    658

    Events...
    –673
    673

    Events...
  • Theuderic III
    Theuderic III

    Theuderic III was the king of Neustria on two occasions and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691. Thus, he was the king of all the Franks from 679....
     673
    673

    Events...
  • Childeric II
    Childeric II

    Childeric II was the king of Austrasia from 662 and of Neustria and Kingdom of Burgundy from 673 until his death, making him sole King of the Franks for the final two years of his life....
    , 673
    673

    Events...
    –675
    675

    Events...
  • Theuderic III
    Theuderic III

    Theuderic III was the king of Neustria on two occasions and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691. Thus, he was the king of all the Franks from 679....
    , 675
    675

    Events...
    –691
    691

    See 691...


Aquitaine
  • Charibert II
    Charibert II

    File:Caribert II Tremissis Banassac 629 632.jpgCharibert II , a son of Clotaire II and his second wife Sichilde, was briefly king of Aquitaine from 629 to his death, with his capital at Toulouse....
    , 629
    629

    Events...
    –632
    632

    Events...
  • Chilperic
    Chilperic of Aquitaine

    Chilperic was the infant son of Charibert II, and briefly king of Aquitaine in 632. He was killed shortly after his father in 632, under orders by Dagobert I, Charibert's half-brother....
    , 632
    632

    Events...
  • Dagobert I
    Dagobert I

    File:Dagobert_I_Triens_UZES_629_639_gold_1240mg.jpgDagobert I was the king of Austrasia , King of the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy ....
    , 632
    632

    Events...
    –639
    639

    Events...


Austrasia
  • Dagobert I
    Dagobert I

    File:Dagobert_I_Triens_UZES_629_639_gold_1240mg.jpgDagobert I was the king of Austrasia , King of the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy ....
    , 623
    623

    Events...
    –634
    634

    Events...
  • Sigebert III
    Sigebert III

    Sigebert III was the king of Austrasia from 634 to his death probably on 1 February 656, or maybe as late as 660. He was the eldest son of Dagobert I....
    , 634
    634

    Events...
    –656
    656

    Events...
  • Childebert the Adopted
    Childebert the Adopted

    When King Sigebert III died in 656, Grimoald the Elder had Sigebert's son Dagobert II shorn of hair and packed off to an Ireland monastery and then proclaimed his own son, Childebert the Adopted , king of Austrasia....
    , 656
    656

    Events...
    –661
    661

    Events...
  • Chlothar III, 661
    661

    Events...
    –662
    662

    Events*The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of the Lombards, driving Perctarit into exile and killing Godepert.*Emperor Tenji of Japan orders Abe no Hirafu to escort Buyeo Pung to Baekje, where he is made to take up the succession to the dignity....
  • Childeric II
    Childeric II

    Childeric II was the king of Austrasia from 662 and of Neustria and Kingdom of Burgundy from 673 until his death, making him sole King of the Franks for the final two years of his life....
    , 662
    662

    Events*The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of the Lombards, driving Perctarit into exile and killing Godepert.*Emperor Tenji of Japan orders Abe no Hirafu to escort Buyeo Pung to Baekje, where he is made to take up the succession to the dignity....
    –675
    675

    Events...
  • Clovis III
    Clovis III

    Clovis III was the king of Austrasia from 675 to 676. Perhaps the son of Theuderic III or Clovis II, the Austrasian magnates who proclaimed him called him an illegitimate son of Clotaire III....
    , 675
    675

    Events...
    –676
    676

    Events...
  • Dagobert II
    Dagobert II

    Dagobert II was the List of Frankish Kings , the son of Sigebert III and Chimnechild of Burgundy. He was the last of the Merovingian dynasty to rule independently in Austrasia, with the exception of Charles Martel's dubious candidate Clotaire IV....
    , 676
    676

    Events...
    –679
    679

    Events...


Theuderic III was recognized as king of all the Franks in 679. From then on, the kingdom of the Franks can be treated as a unity again for all but a very brief period of civil war.

  • Clovis IV
    Clovis IV

    Clovis IV , son of Theuderic III, was the sole king of the Franks from 691 until his death. Although Clovis IV is called "King of the Franks", he was really a puppet ruler?a roi fain?ant?of Pepin II, mayor of the palace of Austrasia....
    , 691
    691

    See 691...
    –695
    695

    Events...
  • Childebert III
    Childebert III

    File:Childebert_III_694_711.jpgChildebert III, called the Just , son of Theuderic III and Clotilda and sole king of the Franks , he was seemingly but a puppet of the mayor of the palace, Pepin of Heristal, though his placita show him making judicial decisions of his own will, even against the Arnulfing clan....
    , 695
    695

    Events...
    –711
    711

    Events...
  • Dagobert III
    Dagobert III

    Dagobert III was Merovingian king of the Franks .He was a son of Childebert III and Edonne. He succeeded his father as the head of the three Frankish kingdoms—Neustria and Austrasia, unified since Pippin's victory at Tertry in 687, and the Kingdom of Burgundy—in 711, at the age of twelve....
    , 711
    711

    Events...
    –715
    715

    Events...
  • Chilperic II
    Chilperic II

    Chilperic II , born Daniel, the youngest son of Childeric II, was king of Neustria from 715 and sole king of the Franks from 718 until his death....
    , 715
    715

    Events...
    –721
    721

    Events...
     
    • Chlothar IV, 717
      717

      Events...
      –720
      720

      Events...
      , rival king in Austrasia
  • Theuderic IV
    Theuderic IV

    Theuderic IV or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French language, Thierry was the Merovingian List of Frankish Kings from 721 until his death....
    , 721
    721

    Events...
    –737
    737

    Events...
     
  • interregnum
    Interregnum

    An interregnum is a period of discontinuity of a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next , and the concepts of interregnum and Regent therefore overlap....
     737
    737

    Events...
    –743
    743

    Events...
     
  • Childeric III
    Childeric III

    Childeric III was the last king of the Franks in the Merovingian dynasty from 743 to his deposition in 751.The throne had been vacant for seven years when the mayor of the Palace, Carloman, son of Charles Martel and Pepin the Short, decided in 743 to recognize Childeric as king....
    , 743
    743

    Events...
    –751
    751

    Events...


Carolingians


Mayors of the palace

The Carolingians were initially mayors of the palace under the Merovingian kings, first in Austrasia and later in Neustria and Burgundy. In 687, Pippin of Heristal took the title Duke and Prince of the Franks (dux et princeps Francorum) after his conquest of Neustria in at the Battle of Tertry
Battle of Tertry

The Battle of Tertry was an important engagement in Merovingian Gaul between the forces of Austrasia on one side and those of Neustria and Burgundy on the other....
. This was cited by contemporary chroniclers as the beginning of Pippin's "reign." Between 715 and 716, the descendants of Pippin disputed the succession.

  • Pippin I of Landen (Austrasia: 623–629 and 639–640)
  • Grimoald I (Austrasia: 643–656; died 662)
  • Pippin II of Herstal (Austrasia: 680–714, Neustria and Burgundy: 687–695)
  • Drogo
    Drogo of Champagne

    Drogo , son of Pepin of Heristal and Plectrude, was the duke of Champagne by appointment of his father in 690 and duke of Burgundy from the death of Nordebert in 697....
     (Burgundy: 695–708)
  • Grimoald II (Neustria: 695–714, Burgundy: 708–714)
  • Theudoald
    Theudoald

    Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria and Charles Martel in Austrasia by the nobles, after the death of his grandfather, Pepin of Heristal....
     (Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy: 714–716)
  • Charles Martel
    Charles Martel

    Charles "The Hammer" Martel was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace and ruled the Franks in the name of a Titular ruler. Late in his reign he proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks and by any name was de facto ruler of the Frankish Realms....
     (Austrasia: 715–741, Neustria and Burgundy: 718–741)
  • Carloman
    Carloman, son of Charles Martel

    Carloman was the eldest son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud. On Charles' death , Carloman and his brother Pippin the Short succeeded to their father's legal positions, Carloman in Austrasia, and Pippin in Neustria....
     (Austrasia: 741–747; died 754 or 755)
  • Pippin III the Short (Neustria and Burgundy: 741–751, Austrasia: 747–751)
In 751, Pippin III became the King of the Franks and the office of mayor disappeared. The Carolingians displaced the Merovingians as the ruling dynasty.

Kings of the Franks

  • Pepin the Short, 751–768
  • Carloman I, 768–771 (Burgundy, Alemannia, southern Austrasia)
  • Charles I
    Charlemagne

    Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
    , called Charlemagne, 768–814 (at first only Neustria, Aquitaine, northern Austrasia), King of the Lombards 774, Emperor 800
    • Duke of Maine: Charles the Younger, 790–811
    • Italy: Pepin of Italy, 781–810; Bernard of Italy
      Bernard of Italy

      Bernard was the King of Italy from 810 to 818. He plotted against his uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious, when the latter's Ordinatio Imperii made Bernard a vassal of his cousin Lothair I....
      , 810–817
    • Aquitaine: Louis the Pious
      Louis the Pious

      Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks with his father, Charlemagne, from 813....
      , 781–814
  • Louis I
    Louis the Pious

    Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks with his father, Charlemagne, from 813....
    , called the Pious, Emperor and King of the Franks with Charlemagne 813–814, senior from 814-840
    • Italy: Lothair I, 817–855
    • Bavaria: Louis the German
      Louis the German

      Louis the German , was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye....
      , 817–843
    • Aquitaine: Pepin I
      Pepin I of Aquitaine

      File:Pepin_I_Aquitaine_denier_817_838.jpgPepin I was King of Aquitaine. He was the second son of Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye....
      , 817–838; Charles the Bald
      Charles the Bald

      File:Charles le Chauve denier Bourges after 848.jpgCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith, daughter of Welf....
      , 838–855, in opposition to Pepin II
      Pepin II of Aquitaine

      File:Pepin_II_d_Aquitaine_obole_845_to_848.jpgPepin II, called the Younger , was King of Aquitaine from 838 as the successor upon the death of his father, Pepin I of Aquitaine....
      , 838–851


Louis the Pious made many divisions of his empire during his lifetime. The final division, pronounced at Cr้mieux
Cr้mieux

Cr?mieux may refer to:* Adolphe Cr?mieux, French lawyer and statesman* Hector-Jonathan Cr?mieux, French playwright and librettist* The residents of Cr?mieu, a town near Lyon, France, known as Cr?mieux....
 in 838, made Charles the Bald heir to the west, including Aquitaine, and Lothair heir to the east, including Italy and excluding Bavaria, which was left for Louis the German. However, following the emperor's death in 840, the empire was plunged into a civil war that lasted three years. The Frankish kingdom was then divided by the Treaty of Verdun
Treaty of Verdun

In the Treaty of Verdun-sur-Meuse of 843 the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, Charlemagne's grandsons, divided his territories, the Frankish Empire, into three kingdoms....
 in 843. Lothair was allowed to keep his imperial title and his kingdom of Italy, and granted the newly created Kingdom of Middle Francia
Middle Francia

Middle Francia designates the short-lived realm created for Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I wedged between East Francia and West Francia. A natural outcome of the Franks tradition of treating the res publica as private property, it was created in the partition of Louis the Pious' legacy that was embodied in the 843 Treaty of Verdun....
, a corridor of land stretching from Italy to the North Sea, and including the Low Countries, the Rhineland (including Aachen), Burgundy, and Provence. Charles was confirmed in Aquitaine, where Pepin I's son Pepin II was opposing him, and granted West Francia (modern France), the lands west of Lothair's Kingdom. Louis the German was confirmed in Bavaria and granted East Francia (modern Germany), the lands east of Lothair's kingdom.

The following table does not provide a complete listing for some of the various regna of the empire, especially those which were subregna of the Western, Middle, or Eastern kingdom such as Italy
King of Italy

King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire. Until 1870, however, no ?King of Italy? ruled the whole peninsula, though some pretended to such authority....
, Provence, Neustria
Neustria

The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities....
, and Aquitaine.

Western Kingdom (eventually France
France in the Middle Ages

France in the Middle Ages covers an area roughly corresponding to modern day France, from the death of Charlemagne in 814 to the middle of the 15th century....
) 		Middle Kingdom
Middle Francia

Middle Francia designates the short-lived realm created for Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I wedged between East Francia and West Francia. A natural outcome of the Franks tradition of treating the res publica as private property, it was created in the partition of Louis the Pious' legacy that was embodied in the 843 Treaty of Verdun....
 		Eastern Kingdom (eventually Germany
Kingdom of Germany

The Kingdom of Germany grew out of East Francia in the tenth century.The eastern partition of the Treaty of Verdun of 843 was never entirely Frankish and consisted also of large populations of Saxons, Bavarii, Thuringii, Alemanni and Frisii....
)
Names marked with an asterisk (*) were not Carolingians, but Robertians.
  • Charles II
    Charles the Bald

    File:Charles le Chauve denier Bourges after 848.jpgCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith, daughter of Welf....
    , called the Bald, 843–877, King of Italy and Emperor 875
    • Aquitaine: Charles the Child
      Charles the Child

      Charles the Child was the King of Aquitaine from October 855 until his death in 866. If his father, Charles the Bald, and great grandfather, Charlemagne, are counted as rulers of Aquitaine, he would be numbered Charles III....
      , 855–866; Louis the Stammerer
      Louis the Stammerer

      Louis the Stammerer , was the King of Aquitaine and later List of French monarchs. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orl?ans....
      , 866–877
    • Neustria: Louis the Stammerer
      Louis the Stammerer

      Louis the Stammerer , was the King of Aquitaine and later List of French monarchs. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orl?ans....
      , 856–877
  • Louis II
    Louis the Stammerer

    Louis the Stammerer , was the King of Aquitaine and later List of French monarchs. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orl?ans....
    , called the Stammerer, 877–879
  • Louis III
    Louis III of France

    Louis III , king of France, was the second son of King Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde, and became king, jointly with his brother Carloman of France, on his father's death in 879....
    , 879–882, jointly with
  • Carloman II, 879–884
  • Charles the Fat
    Charles the Fat

    Charles the Fat was the Duke of Swabia from 876, King of Italy from 879, Carolingian Empire from 881, King of Germany from 882, and King of France from 884....
    , 884–888, Emperor 881
  • Odo,* 888–898
    • Aquitaine: Ranulf II
      Ranulf II of Aquitaine

      Ranulf II was Count of Poitou from 866 and Duke of Aquitaine from 887. On the death of Charles the Fat in 888, he styled himself King of Aquitaine and did so until 889 or his death, after which the title fell into abeyance....
      , 888–889 (Ramnulfid, not Carolingian)
  • Charles III
    Charles the Simple

    Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was a member of the Carolingian dynasty who ruled as List of French monarchs from 893 to 922/923....
    , called the Simple, 898–922/923
  • Robert I
    Robert I of France

    Robert I , King of France , was the younger son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and the brother of Odo, Count of Paris, who became king of the Western Franks in 888....
    ,* 922–923
  • Rudolph
    Rudolph of France

    Rudolph was the Duke of Burgundy between 921 and 923 and List of French monarchs from thereafter to his death. Rudolph inherited the duchy of Burgundy from his father, Richard, Duke of Burgundy....
    ,* 923–936
  • Louis IV
    Louis IV of France

    File:Louis IV denier Chinon 936 954.jpgLouis IV , called d'Outremer or Transmarinus , reigned as List of French monarchs from 936 to 954....
    , called Transmarinus, 936–954
  • Lothair
    Lothair of France

    Lothair , sometimes called Lothair IV, was the Carolingian king of West Francia , son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony....
    , 954–986
    • Aquitaine: Louis the Sluggard
      Louis V of France

      Louis V , called the Indolent or the Sluggard , was the King of West Francia from 986 until his early death. The son of Lothair of France and his wife Emma of Italy, a daughter of Lothair II of Italy, he was the last Carolingian monarch....
      , 980–986
  • Louis V
    Louis V of France

    Louis V , called the Indolent or the Sluggard , was the King of West Francia from 986 until his early death. The son of Lothair of France and his wife Emma of Italy, a daughter of Lothair II of Italy, he was the last Carolingian monarch....
    , called the Sluggard, 986–987


After this, the House of Capet
House of Capet

For a full history of the Capetian family, see Capetian dynasty.The House of Capet, or The Direct Capetian Dynasty, , also called The House of France , or simply the Capets, which ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328, was the most senior line of the Capetian dynasty - itself a derivative dynasty from the...
 ruled France. For the continuation, see the list of French monarchs
List of French monarchs

The monarchs of France ruled, first as kings and later as emperors , from the Middle Ages to 1870. There is some disagreement as to when France came into existence....
.
  • Lothair I, 843–855, Emperor from 824 (senior Emperor from 840)
    • Italy: Lothair I, 818-855; Louis II
      Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor

      Louis II the Younger was the King of Italy from 844 and then Holy Roman Emperor from 855 until his death.He was the eldest son of the Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
      , with his father 839–855


After Lothair's death in 855, his realm was divided between his sons:

  • Louis II
    Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Louis II the Younger was the King of Italy from 844 and then Holy Roman Emperor from 855 until his death.He was the eldest son of the Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
    , 855–875, the eldest son, succeeded his father as Emperor and received Italy. For the continuation, see King of Italy
    King of Italy

    King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire. Until 1870, however, no ?King of Italy? ruled the whole peninsula, though some pretended to such authority....
    .
  • Lothair II
    Lothair II of Lotharingia

    Lothair II , was the second son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. He was married to Teutberga, daughter of Boso the ElderUpon his father's death in 855, he received as his kingdom a territory west of the Rhine stretching from the North Sea to the Jura mountains....
    , 855–869, the second son, received the northern half of Middle Francia, which came to be named "Lotharingia" (Lorraine) from his name. For the continuation, see the list of rulers of Lorraine
    List of rulers of Lorraine

    The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions. The first rulers of the region were kings of the Franks whose kingdom was called Lotharingia....
    .
  • Charles
    Charles of Provence

    Charles of Provence was the Carolingian List of Kings of Burgundy from 855 until his early death in 863.Charles was the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
    , 855–863, the youngest son, received the southern half of Middle Francia, consisting of Provence and Burgundy. For the continuation, see King of Burgundy
    King of Burgundy

    The following is a list of the Kings of Kingdom of Burgundy....
    .


  • Louis II
    Louis the German

    Louis the German , was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye....
    , called the German, 843–876
    • Bavaria: Carloman
      Carloman of Bavaria

      Carloman, was the eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia , and Hemma, daughter of the count Welf. He was duke of Bavaria from 876 and of Italy from 877 until he was incapacitated in 879 and died in 880....
      , with his father 864–876


Louis divided his lands between his three sons, but they all ended up in the hands of the youngest by 882:
  • Carloman
    Carloman of Bavaria

    Carloman, was the eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia , and Hemma, daughter of the count Welf. He was duke of Bavaria from 876 and of Italy from 877 until he was incapacitated in 879 and died in 880....
    , King of Bavaria 876-880. King of Italy 877
  • Louis III
    Louis the Younger

    Louis the Younger , sometimes Louis III, was the second eldest of the three sons of Louis the German and Hemma. He succeeded his father as the List of German monarchs on 28 August 876 and his elder brother Carloman of Bavaria as Rulers of Bavaria from 880....
    , called the Younger, King of Saxony, Franconia, and Thuringia 876–882, inherited Bavaria from his brother Carloman in 880
  • Charles III
    Charles the Fat

    Charles the Fat was the Duke of Swabia from 876, King of Italy from 879, Carolingian Empire from 881, King of Germany from 882, and King of France from 884....
    , called the Fat, King of Swabia, Alemannia and Rhaetia 876–887, inherited Italy from his brother Carloman in 879, and inherited the remainder of East Francia from his brother Louis in 882. Emperor 881


On the deposition of Charles the Fat, East Francia went to his nephew:
  • Arnulf
    Arnulf of Carinthia

    Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of Germany from 887 and Holy Roman Emperor from 896 until his death. He was the illegitimate son of Carloman, King of Bavaria, and his concubine, Liutswind, of Carantanians origin, daughter of one Count Ernst....
    , 887–899, King of Italy and Emperor 896
    • Italy: Ratold
      Ratold of Italy

      Ratold was a King of Italy who ruled for a month or so in 896.He was younger illegitimate son of Arnulf of Carinthia by a concubine. His mother may have been the same mother as Zwentibold, but may on the other hand have been a Lombards, thus gaining the child standing among the people of Italy, or a Slav, based on his name....
      , 896
    • Lotharingia: Zwentibold
      Zwentibold

      Zwentibold was the illegimate son of the Holy Roman Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia. In 895 his father granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which he ruled until his death....
      , 895–900
  • Louis the Child
    Louis the Child

    Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingians ruler of East Francia.He was the only legitimate son of the Arnulf of Carinthia and his wife, Ota, wife of Arnulf of Carinthia, a member of the Conradines....
    , 899–911


Louis the Child
Louis the Child

Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingians ruler of East Francia.He was the only legitimate son of the Arnulf of Carinthia and his wife, Ota, wife of Arnulf of Carinthia, a member of the Conradines....
 was the last East Frankish Carolingian ruler. He was succeeded by Conrad of Franconia and then the Saxon Ottonian dynasty
Ottonian

The Ottonian dynasty was a dynasty of List of German Kings and Emperors , named after its first emperor but also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin....
. For the continuation, see the list of German monarchs
List of German monarchs

This article lists the German monarchs, ruling over the territory of Germany from the creation of a separate East Francia in 843 until the end of German monarchy in 1918....
.


External links



Further reading

  • The history of France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     as recounted in the "Grandes Chroniques de France", and particularly in the personal copy produced for King Charles V
    Charles V of France

    Charles V , called the Wise, was List of French monarchs from 1364 to his death and a member of the House of Valois. His reign marked a high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armies recovering much of the territory ceded to England at the Treaty of Br?tigny....
     between 1370 and 1380 that is the saga of the three great dynasties, the Merovingians, Carolingian
    Carolingian

    File:Charlemagne denier Mayence 812 814.jpgThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century....
    s, and the Capetians
    Capetian dynasty

    The Capetian dynasty is the largest European royal house. It includes any of the direct descendants of Hugh Capet of France. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri%2C_Grand_Duke_of_Luxembourg of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the House of Bourbon of the dynasty....
    , that shaped the institutions and the frontiers of the realm. This document was produced and likely commissioned during the Hundred Years' War
    Hundred Years' War

    The Hundred Years' War was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne, which was vacant with the extinction of the senior House of Capet line of French kings....
    , a dynastic struggle between the rulers of France and England with rival claims to the French throne. It should therefore be read and considered carefully as a source, due to the inherent bias in the context of its origins.
  • The Cambridge Illustrated History of France - Cambridge University Press
    University of Cambridge

    The University of Cambridge , located in Cambridge, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in the Anglosphere....
  • The Origins of France: Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000 by Edward James ISBN 0-333-27052-5
  • Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720 (Manchester Medieval Sources); Paul Fouracre (Editor), Richard A. Gerberding (Editor) ISBN 0-7190-4791-9
  • Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Merovingian Dynasty: .
  • Medieval France: An Encyclopedia, eds. W. Kibler and G. Zinn. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995.