Clovis I "the Great", King of the Franks

Other Events and Attributes:

• History: birth to death
• Crowned: 481; In 481, he was crowned the King of the Salic Franks.
• Reign: From 481 to 511; King of the Franks (Merovingian dynasty)

Notes:

Name:


History:
Clovis I's name was also spelt Chlodovech.

Clovis is considered the founder of the French State. In 486, in co-operation with other Frankish chieftains, he defeated the last great Roman army in Gaul under the commander Syagrius near Soissons. He then went on to defeat many minor princes, kings and tribal chieftains to form the first Frankish Kingdom. However, the exact chronology of Clovis' reign is hopelessly obscure; even the identity of the various peoples he is said to have defeated and absorbed into his kingdom is debatable. According to legend, an angel gave Clovis I an iris flower or "fleur-de-lis" after accepting the Christian faith, and Clovis I then used fleur-de-lis as his symbol. However, it is entirely unlikely that Clovis underwent an experience of profound enlightenment during which he renounced the many Celtic, Germanic and Roman deities to embrace Jesus Christ. He more likely viewed Christ as another powerful god; an ally he could call upon to give him victory in battle. At the time of his death, his kingdom covered most of what is now France and the western part of Germany. According to ancient Frankish law and tradition, the kingdom was split up among his sons Clodomir, Theodoric I (also Thierri I), Childebert I and Clothaire I. [see picture below] The situation was far from peaceful as the Merovingian Kings spent much of the next two centuries squabbling over the various thrones. Although a temporary union of the Frankish Kingdoms occurred several times when a single heir survived, the situation was chaotic as various kings sought to displace one another.

Clovis I was baptized as an adult on 22 Sep 496.

Family/Spouse: unknown wife. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Theoderich I, King of the Franks

Clovis married Saint Clothilda in 492. Clothilda (daughter of Childperic II, King of the Burgundians and Caretana) was born about 480; died in 544 in Basilica of Saint Martin, Tours, Centre-Val de Loire, France; was buried in Abbey of Saint Genevieve, Paris, Île-de-France, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ingomer was born in 493; died in 493.
2. Chlodomer, King of the Franks at Orléans was born in 495; died on 21 Jun 524.
3. Childebert I, Kings of the Neustrian Franks was born in 497; died on 23 Dec 558; was buried in Église Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Paris, Île-de-France, France.
4. Clothaire I, King of the Franks was born about 501 in Soissons, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France; died in 30 Nov 561 - 31 Dec 561; was buried in Abbey of Saint-Médard de Soissons, Soissons, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France.
5. Theod
6. chro 502

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reign: From 458 to 481; Chieftain of the Salian Franks (Merovingian dynasty)
• Crowned: 463; He began to lead the Franks prior to 463 and was the last Frankish chieftain [Chieftain of the Salian Franks] to continue the tradition of service under Roman commanders. Although he had some sort of falling out with the Roman commanders in Northern Gaul, he remained intimately involved in the world of late Roman civilization. He may have received direct subsidies from Constantinople as well. He later adopted the title, "King of the Franks" and ruled as such. He lead a life of debauchery according to Gregory of Tours, and was deposed and fled to Thuringia. For the next eight years, northern Gaul was ruled by General Ægidius. Thereafter with Saxon support, Childeric regained his throne.

Childeric married Basina of Thuringia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• General Information: The uncertainty surrounding these early chieftains is illustrated by the legend that Merovich was said to have been born of two fathers. When already pregnant by King Chlodio, his mother went swimming in the ocean where she was seduced by an unknown marine creature, a bestæ Neptuni Quinotauri similis. This creature, part man, part bull, and part marine creature, impregnated the Queen a second time. Thus Merovech carried the blood of the Frankish rulers as well as that of an aquatic creature.
• Crowned: 448; He became the Chieftain of the Salian Frank in 448.
• Reign: From 450 to 458; Chieftain of the Salian Franks (Merovingian dynasty)
• Military: 451; In 451, he defeated Attila "the Hun".

Other Events and Attributes:

• History: birth to death
• Reign: From 430 to 450; Chieftain of the Salian Franks (Merovingian dynasty)

Notes:

History:
He was also known as Clodius V, and Clodion.

Often described as "King of the Franks", Chlodio may be more accurately referred to as a "Chieftain of the Salian Franks". Frankish warriors served as Roman soldiers; and this service was rewarded as the Salians were allowed to spread out from their "reservation" known as Toxandria (Tiesterbant near Campine in the southern Netherlands) into what is to-day Begium, northern France as well as along the lower Rhine. Much of this expansion was peaceful, although in 428 and again in 450 the Roman general Ætius crushed Frankish uprisings led by Chodio. At other times, there was close co-operation as in the Frankish support given Ætius in his defeat of the Huns near Orléans in 451.