Dynasty of Frankish kings descending from Merovech, the Merovingians ruled over Gaul until 751. This foundational dynasty of the French monarchy has long been subject to a “dark legend,” propagated since the 6th century by Gregory of Tours and later by their successors, the Carolingians, through the writings of Einhard. The Merovingians thus became the “do-nothing kings” in the imaginations of students, a perception that persisted until the 19th century and beyond.
Aside from Clovis and for different reasons, Dagobert I, the Merovingian period was akin to a black hole in French history. Nevertheless, these kings and queens stood at the crossroads between the conclusion of “barbaric” antiquity and the Middle Ages, where the foundations of France were being laid.
The Mythical Origin of the Merovingians
The Merovingian dynasty has its roots in a tribe of Salian Franks, stemming from a branch of the Frankish people settled between the Rhine and the Scheldt. Its name is derived from the legendary Merovech, the son or nephew of Clodion the Hairy, who purportedly ruled from 448 to 457 over a tribe of Salian Franks and allied with the Roman general Aetius against the Huns in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. Initially, its power was confined to the realms of Cambrai and Tournai, situated between present-day France and Belgium. Following four more or less legendary rulers, who were merely tribal leaders, Clovis I, reigning from 481 to 511 and the son of Childeric I, emerged as the true founder through numerous conquests.
In 498, Clovis and his warriors were baptized by the Bishop of Reims, Remigius, thereby gaining the support of the Catholic clergy and the Pope of Rome. He subjected the Burgundians to tribute in 500 and, at the Battle of Vouillé in 507, crushed the Visigoths, forcing them into Spain. With mastery over almost the entirety of Gaul, he soon consolidated the Salian and Ripuarian Franks under his authority. As the supreme leader of Germanic tribes in Gaul, Clovis worked towards amalgamating Frankish customs with Gallo-Roman legislations, giving rise to the Salic Law of the Frankish Kings.
The Frankish Kingdom, One and Divisible
At his death in 511, Clovis bequeathed to his sons an immense kingdom, with Paris as its capital and Catholicism as its religion. What followed may have appeared paradoxical, especially when compared to the actions of the dynasties that succeeded the Merovingians: divided among Clovis’s sons, the Frankish kingdom nevertheless remained united. Claude Gauvard described it as a ‘simultaneously unified and divisible’ realm. It was this apparent paradox that allowed the Merovingians to continue expanding their territory, becoming a continental power, and resisting civil wars. Only for a time…
The division of 511 among Thierry, Clodomir, Clotaire, and Childebert is inspired by the Roman system of civitates, confirming the continuity between the Frankish kingdom and the imperial tradition. While territorially divided and possessing four capitals (Reims, Paris, Orléans, and Soissons), the political unity is genuine, primarily grounded in familial ties.
However, one should not idealize the situation; succession disputes quickly arise with the deaths of Clovis’s first sons. Firstly, Clodomir (524), whose son Cloud must flee and become a cleric before his death, lends his name to a well-known city. The rest of Clodomir’s kingdom is divided among the three surviving brothers. At the death of the eldest, Thierry, complications arise as his son, Théodebert, enjoys prestige surpassing that of his uncles. He seizes the opportunity to assert ambitions beyond Gaul, minting gold coins with his effigy and provoking the anger of Emperor Justinian. Théodebert died in 548 without achieving his goals, despite conquests in Alemannia and Bavaria.
The situation finally clears with the extinction of the senior branch and the demise of Childebert. This allows Clotaire I to reign alone until 561. Another division occurs upon his death, once again among his sons, now reduced to three by 567 (with the death of Charibert I). This marks the decisive moment when the Frankish kingdom is divided into three regions that will have a lasting impact: Austrasia (Rhine region, Champagne, and Aquitaine), Burgundy (former Burgundian kingdom and Kingdom of Orléans), and Neustria (Tournai region, “Normandy,” and the Paris region). This pivotal moment coincides swiftly with a genuine civil war erupting in 570. Before this, the Frankish kingdom had successfully asserted itself on the international stage.
Merovigians: An “International” Power
The sons of Clovis are determined to extend their father’s victories, despite internal divisions within the kingdom. United as the regnum francorum for foreign policy, they strategically exploited internal strife within the Burgundian kingdom, particularly religious disputes between Catholics and Arians.
The Merovingians make their first attempt in 523, facing resistance, and a subsequent try a year later results in the loss of Clodomir. With cautiousness, they waited for a decade before launching another campaign led by Childebert I, Clotaire I, and Theodebert I. This time, they emerge victorious, absorbing the Burgundian kingdom while dividing the spoils among themselves.
The successes of the Merovingians captured the attention of the emperor in Constantinople, with the primary objective being dominance over Italy, still under the Ostrogoths. Recognizing the Franks as both a threat and potential allies against the Byzantines, the Ostrogoths offered Provence to secure Frankish neutrality against the emperor. The Franks seized the opportunity and entered Provence in 537, gaining access to the Mediterranean. With this acquisition, they nearly re-established the unity of Roman Gaul, with only Septimania eluding their grasp from the Visigoths.
Moving northward, Thierry I and Clotaire I form an alliance with the Saxons, defeating the king of Thuringia and annexing the western part of his kingdom in the same year as the Provence conquest. Two years later, Theodebert I conquered Alemannia and Bavaria, briefly extending his influence into Northern Italy. It was not until the arrival of the Lombards in the 560s that the Frankish advance halted, partly due to internal conflicts and civil war.
The Civil War Hits the Kingdom of the Merovingians
The death of Charibert I, son of Chlothar I, in 567 led to a new division of the Merovingian kingdom, sparking a genuine civil war among the three brothers: Sigebert, Chilperic, and Gontran. This conflict was also a result of risky marital alliances between the Merovingians and their neighbors, the Gothic rivals.
Women played a central role in the political struggles of the late 6th century. The rivalry intensified between Brunehaut, wife of Austrasian king Sigebert I, and Fredegund, wife of Chilperic I, king of Neustria. Brunehaut, a Visigothic princess and daughter of King Athanagild, accused Fredegund of orchestrating the murder of her sister, Galswinthe, the previous wife of Chilperic I. The situation worsened as the king of the Visigoths died without an heir, intensifying ambitions, particularly those of Chilperic.
This triggered the faida, characteristic of Germanic peoples, and a downward spiral ensued. The intrigues of the two queens led to the assassinations of Sigebert I (575) and then Chilperic I (584). Gontran attempted to remain somewhat aloof from the conflict, which escalated into armed warfare in the early 570s. After her husband’s death, Brunehaut held the reins of power in Austrasia, championing her son, Childebert II. He quickly opposed Fredegund’s son, Chlothar II, reigniting the war despite peace attempts initiated by Gontran (Andelot Pact, 587).
The situation became more complicated with Gontran’s death in 592 and the entry of the sons of his nephew, Childebert II, who had succeeded him but died four years later. Theudebert II and Theuderic II continued the war against Chlothar II, who found himself in increasing difficulty.
Nevertheless, Queen Brunehaut faced growing opposition in Austrasia, leading her to seek refuge in Burgundy with Theuderic II. However, she incurred the wrath of the local aristocracy there as well. Additionally, the sons of Childebert II entered into rivalries, much to the delight of Chlothar II. Theuderic II confined his brother Theudebert II to a monastery, and he himself died in 613. Brunehaut then attempted to regain control and install one of her great-grandsons, but the aristocrats handed her over to her rival, who subjected her to a long torture before executing her.
The end of Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages
A segment of contemporary historians, demarcate the end of antiquity with the death of Brunehaut, a Visigothic princess described as “still very Roman.” The ascension of Chlothar II, and particularly his son Dagobert, “[seals] the unity of the Frankish kingdom” (according to the chronicle of Fredegar) and likely signifies its zenith before the rise of the Pippinids.
The end of the conflict between Queens Brunhilda and Fredegund, and later their sons, allowed Chlothar II to ascend to the throne unopposed. During the early 7th century, both the king and, to a greater extent, his son Dagobert, played crucial roles in the zenith of the Merovingian dynasty.
However, troubles arose swiftly, starting with the successors of Dagobert, leading to the emergence of what was not yet a distinct dynasty, the Pippinids. Through their strategic influence over Merovingian authority, the Pippinids eventually surpassed it, notably under the leadership of Charles Martel.
Chlothar II and the Regna
Supposed to be king since 584, Chlothar II eventually ruled alone after the deaths of his Merovingian rivals and Queen Brunehaut in the early 610s. However, the Frankish kingdom remained divided into three regna: Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy, causing unrest among the aristocracy. Clotaire II needed to legitimize his power and “seal the peace.”
In 614, drawing inspiration from Clovis, he convened assemblies in Paris with both aristocrats and bishops, addressing both the religious and political issues of the kingdom almost simultaneously with the Edict of Paris, promulgated in October of that year. Chlothar II secured support from both the nobility and the clergy, solidifying his own authority. While personally reigning over Neustria, he remained the paramount sovereign of the regnum francorum, not hesitating to punish the aristocrats from other regna who showed tendencies toward independence, such as Godin, who attempted to force Chlothar II to appoint him mayor of the palace of Burgundy in 627.
Tensions persisted, and the king continually negotiated with the regna, especially Austrasia. The aristocrats of Austrasia persuaded the king to send his young son Dagobert to them, allowing them to leverage his youth to exert real power over this regnum, strategically significant in the struggle against the Avars and the Wends. Among these nobles was a certain Pepin I, known as Pepin of Landen.
The Reign of Dagobert I
Two years before his death, Chlothar II once again convened the assemblies, and in the enacted acts, the idea of a sacred monarchy began to emerge. He died in 629, and his son Dagobert succeeded him, leaving Austrasia for Neustria. Dagobert’s legitimacy does not seem to be contested by the nobles, whether from Austrasia, where he comes from or from the other two realms.
However, he has a brother, Caribert, whom he sends to Aquitaine, where he dies in 632. Dagobert I begins his reign with a journey to Burgundy to reassure the aristocracy about his intentions. He then settles in Paris. Saint Eloi, the goldsmith of his father, Chlothar II, and bishop of Saint Ouen, becomes his chief advisor.
The “Austrasian problem” remains. The regnum is powerful; its nobles are difficult to control, holding strategic positions such as mayor of the palace. Nevertheless, Dagobert managed to install his son Sigebert on the Austrasian throne in 632.
Two years later, he designates the kingdoms of Burgundy and Neustria for his newborn son, Clovis, thus ensuring his succession. Upon his death in 639, the Frankish kingdom was once again divided.
Dagobert’s reign coincides with the emergence of Islam, particularly the early Muslim conquests. The Byzantine emperor was interested in the Frankish king, just like his predecessors. However, past experiences have served as a lesson, and while there are embassy exchanges (as in 629), the time is no longer for alliances.
Nevertheless, it is known from Fredegar that the Franks were probably aware of the troubles of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius with the Arabs between 637 and 641.
The foreign policy of the Merovingians in the early decades of the 7th century is far removed from Byzantine concerns in the Near East. Dagobert’s focus is on consolidating the borders of the regnum francorum, primarily in Aquitaine (with Gascony) and Brittany.
He works on this around 635, but while he subdues the Basques, he must settle for a diplomatic agreement in Brittany without gaining control of the region.
To the East, Thuringia, Alemannia, and then Bavaria were subjected to tribute, and their rulers were appointed by the Franks. Here, Dagobert takes advantage of the threat from the Wends, Slavs settled in Pannonia; however, he does not succeed in subduing them. Finally, the Frankish king begins to take an interest in Frisia but cannot establish a real foothold.
The “Lazy Kings (Roi fainéant)” and the Mayors of the Palace
Upon the death of Dagobert in 639, his sons Sigebert III and Clovis II divided the Merovingian kingdom. As anticipated, the former became the king of Austrasia, while the latter assumed the kingship of Neustria, also supporting the increasingly autonomous Burgundy. However, challenges arose swiftly.
In Neustria, Clovis II was too young to rule. Power was shared between his mother Nanthilde, initially a servant married to Dagobert in 629 because Gomatrude had not produced a male heir, and the palace mayors, first Aega and later Erchinoald. The latter successfully arranged the marriage of the young king to Bathilde, an Anglo-Saxon slave, in 648. Exploiting her husband’s death in 657 and the subsequent demise of the mayor of the palace a year later, Bathilde seized power, attempting to reunify the regnum francorum amidst escalating rivalries with Austrasia.
In the Eastern realm, the influence of palace mayors began during Dagobert’s reign with Pepin I. Sigebert III, the new king, sought to sideline the Pippinids by favoring another family. Nevertheless, Grimoald, Pepin’s son, also rose to this strategic position, labeled by Bishop Didier of Cahors as the “rector of the entire court or rather of the entire kingdom.” The Pippinids’ role was already so significant that historians briefly considered Sigebert III’s death in 656 as potentially triggering a Pippinid “coup d’État.”
Ultimately, it was a matter of intricate succession and rivalry between the mayor of the palace and the queen. This underscores the decisive influence of individuals in this position, particularly the Pippinids. Neustrians and Bathilde’s intervention were necessary to sideline Grimoald and his protege Childebert, whom he had made king at the expense of Dagobert II, Sigebert’s son, exiled in Ireland. Nonetheless, it was Childeric II, Bathilde’s son, who became the king of Austrasia in 662.
Merovingian Rivalries Benefit the Pippinids
The challenges faced by the Pippinids proved to be temporary. The rivalry between Neustria and Austrasia, coupled with tensions among the nobility within the regna, ultimately facilitated their resurgence.
In Neustria, Ebroin, the new mayor of the palace, removed Queen Balthild of Chelles in 665 and asserted control over King Chlothar III. Tensions escalated with the nobility, particularly in 673, when Ebroin imposed Theuderic III, the son of Clovis II, and Bathilde, as the successor to Chlothar III. This move sidelined Austrasian King Childeric II, the favored choice among the aristocrats.
The situation was further complicated, leading Neustria into a civil war. Ebroin became one of its victims, assassinated in 682. However, even though successive kings faced challenges, the fundamental principle of the Merovingian dynasty remained unchallenged.
The issues in Neustria eventually extended to Austrasia, where Dagobert II was assassinated a few years after returning from exile. The instability and vacancy in the position of the mayor of the palace after the death of Wulfoad, Ebroin’s rival, paved the way for the return of the Pippinids—a family still powerful but under scrutiny by other aristocrats.
Duke Pepin II of Herstal, among them, became the mayor of the palace of Austrasia in the early 680s. In 687, he defeated his rivals from Neustria, who were allied with the Burgundians, at the Battle of Tertry, simultaneously seizing the treasury of Theuderic III.
The End of the Merovingians
The rise to power of the Mayor of the Palace, Pepin of Herstal, marks the beginning of the end for the Merovingians. However, the mayor of the palace allows the king to remain, merely stripping him of the essence of his power. The true authority rests in the hands of those who then bear the title “princes,” the mayors of the palaces of Neustria and Austrasia, exclusively from the Pippinid family.
This influence solidified further with the successors of Pépin II, despite attempts at rebellion by other nobles upon his death in 714. His son, Charles, prevails against the Neustrians under Rainfroi in the 720s, as well as against external foes, the Arab-Berbers at Poitiers (Battle of Tours) in 732, and the Frisians two years later.
Nevertheless, Charles Martel does not assume the title of king, even upon the death of the last Merovingian, Theuderic IV, in 737, when he bypasses the successor, Childeric III. The last descendants of Clovis, from the reign of Pepin II onward, have been labeled by Carolingian historiography (heirs of the Pippinids) as “do-nothing kings.” They are placed on the throne by the mayors of the palaces, tossed about by winds of politics and rivalries (as seen in the struggle between Rainfroi and Charles with Chilperic II), and no longer wield real power.
However, it was not until 751, with the ascension of Charles’s son, Pepin the Short, that the Merovingian kings effectively made way for a new dynasty, that of the Carolingians.
The List and Chronology of the Merovingian Kings
During the Merovingian reign, the kingdom was often divided among the heirs of a king. With the succession of rulers, the Frankish kingdom was primarily divided into three territories: Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy. Thus, it is common for several kings to rule during the same period. Here is the list of Merovingian kings:
- Childeric I (458 – 481) – First of the Merovingian kings.
- Clovis I (481 – 511) – Ruled in Neustria and Austrasia.
- Clodomir (511 – 524) – Ruled the kingdom of Orléans.
- Theuderic I (511 – 534) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Childebert I (511 – 558) – Ruled in Burgundy.
- Chlothar I “le Vieux” (511 – 561) – Ruled in Neustria, then Austrasia and Burgundy.
- Theudeber I (534 – 548) – Ruled in Austrasia and Burgundy.
- Thibaut (548 – 555) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Charibert I (561 – 567) – Ruled in Paris.
- Sigebert I (561 – 575) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Chilperic I (561 – 584) – Ruled in Neustria.
- Gontran (561 – 592) – Ruled in Burgundy.
- Childebert II (575 – 596) – Ruled in Austrasia, then Burgundy.
- Theudebert II (595 – 612) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Theuderic II (595 – 613) – Ruled in Burgundy.
- Sigebert II (613 – 613) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Chlothar II “the Young” (584 – 629) – Ruled in Neustria, then Austrasia and Burgundy.
- Dagobert I (623 – 639) – Ruled in Austrasia, then Neustria and Burgundy.
- Charibert II (629 – 632) – Ruled in Aquitaine.
- Sigebert III (639 – 656) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Clovis II (639 – 657) – Ruled in Neustria and Burgundy.
- Childebert the Adopted (656 – 662) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Chlothar III (657 – 673) – Ruled in Neustria and Burgundy.
- Childeric II (662 – 675) – Ruled in Austrasia, then Neustria and Burgundy.
- Theuderic III (675 – 691) – Ruled in Neustria and Burgundy, then Austrasia.
- Clovis III (675 – 676) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Dagobert II (676 – 679) – Ruled in Austrasia.
- Clovis IV (691 – 695) – Ruled in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy.
- Childebert IV (695 – 711) – Ruled in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy.
- Dagobert III (711 – 715) – Ruled in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy.
- Chilperic II (715 – 721) – Ruled in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy.
- Chlothar IV (715 – 719) – Ruled in Neustria and Austrasia.
- Theuderic IV (721 – 737) – Ruled in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy.
- Interregnum of Charles Martel (737-741), mayor of the palace.
- Interregnum of Pepin the Short (741-743), mayor of the palace.
- Childeric III (743 – 755) – Ruled in Neustria, Austrasia, and Burgundy.
Key Dates In The Merovingian Era
December 25, 496 — Baptism of Clovis
Driven by his wife Clotilde, a Catholic Burgundian princess, Clovis is baptized by Bishop Remi, surrounded by his army. As the other kings were Arians, he became the first Catholic sovereign of the West.
November 27, 511 — Death of Clovis
The Frankish king died in Paris at the age of approximately 46. His kingdom is divided among his four sons: Theuderic I (Reims), Chlodomer (Orléans), Childebert I (Paris), and Chlothar I (Soissons). He is buried in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles in Paris.
January 19, 639 — Death of Dagobert I
The Frankish king, Dagobert I, is buried in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, which he had expanded in anticipation of his funeral. His reign, lasting for 10 years, was marked by the unification of the Frankish kingdom, to which he gave Paris as the capital. Austrasia, Neustria, Burgundy, and Aquitaine were united in 632. After his death, this unity will be broken: the illegitimate son of Dagobert, Sigebert III, will become the king of Austrasia, and his legitimate son, Clovis II, will ascend to the throne of Neustria and Burgundy.
December 16, 714 — Death of Pepin the Younger
Pepin of Herstal or Pepin the Younger, sovereign of the Frankish kingdoms of Neustria and Austrasia, dies, designating his 26-year-old illegitimate son, Charles Martel, as his sole successor. His wife, Plectrude, disagrees and bestows sovereignty over both palaces to her grandson, Theodebald. Charles Martel will have to contend with Plectrude’s ambitions and the uprisings of the Neustrian nobility before being able to reign supreme over the Frankish kingdom.
October 22, 741 — Death of Charles Martel
Although he was never king of the Franks, the mayor of the palaces of Austrasia and Neustria is buried in the Basilica of Saint-Denis among the kings. The Frankish kingdom is divided between his two sons, Carloman and Pepin the Short.
November 751 — Pepin the Short, King of the Franks
Having gained the support of the Pope, Pepin the Short deposed Childeric III and proclaimed himself king of the Franks in Soissons. His accession to the throne marks the end of the Merovingian dynasty and the birth of the Carolingian dynasty.
