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- FRANKS,
group of Germanic tribes that, about the middle of the 3d century ad ,dwelt along the middle and lower Rhine River. The Franks appeared inthe Roman provinces around 253 and soon thereafter establishedthemselves in two principal groups, the Salian and the Ripuarian. TheSalian Franks inhabited the territory along the lower stretches of theRhine, and the Ripuarian Franks lived along the middle course of theriver. The Salians were conquered by the Roman emperor Julian in 358and became allies of Rome. During the early 5th century, when theRomans retired from the Rhine, the Salians established themselves inmost of the territory north of the Loire River.
Under the Salian king Clovis I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty,the power and extent of the Frankish kingdom grew considerably. In 486Clovis overthrew Syagrius (430?-86), the last Roman governor in Gaul,and then successively subjugated the Alamanni, the Burgundians, theVisigoths of Aquitania, and the Ripuarian Franks. Ultimately, theborders of his kingdom extended from the Pyrenees Mountains toFriesland and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Main River. Clovis wasconverted to Christianity in 496, and thus began the close connectionbetween the Frankish monarchy and the papacy.
After the death of Clovis, the kingdom was divided among his foursons, and for the following century it went through several divisionsand reunifications until finally consolidated by Clotaire II (c.584-629) in 613. Shortly after his death, however, the kings ceased toexercise any influence, and authority passed into the hands of thegreat officers of state, most notably the major of the palace ( majordomus ). The office of major domus existed in all of the Frankishkingdoms. In the eastern part, Austrasia, however, arose a powerfulfamily, the Carolingian, which retained exclusive possession of thepalace mayoralty for more than 100 years, ruling as monarchs in factif not in name. In 687 Pepin of Herstal, the Austrasian mayor of thepalace, overthrew the forces of Neustria (the western part) andBurgundy, setting himself up as major domus of a united Frankishkingdom. His son, Charles Martel, extended the frontiers of thekingdom in the east and in 732 repelled the Moors in a decisive battlefought at a site between Tours and Poitiers. Frankish power attainedits greatest development under Charles Martel's grandson, Charlemagne,who in his time was the most powerful monarch in Europe. On Dec. 25,800, he was crowned Carolus Augustus, emperor of the Romans, by PopeLeo III. Charlemagne's imperial title was later borne by the HolyRoman emperors until the early 19th century. His Frankish lands, morespecifically, developed into the kingdom of France, which is named forthe Franks.
See also Carolingian ; Holy Roman Empire ; Merovingian . For furtherinformation on this topic, see ~Biblio. Holy Roman Empire , ~Biblio.France, Paris . Source: Infopedia by SoftKey.
MEROVINGIAN,
dynasty of kings that ruled the Franks, a Germanic tribe, from ad 481to 751. The kings were descendants of the chief of the Salian Franks,Merovech or Merowig, who ruled from 448 to 458 and from whom thedynasty's name was derived. The first Merovingian ruler was Clovis I,grandson of Merovech. Clovis became king of both the Salian andRipuarian Franks. In addi-tion, through an aggressive policy ofconquest supported by the church, Clovis enlarged his kingdom until itincluded most of present-day France and part of Germany. After hisdeath in 511 the kingdom was divided among his four sons intoAustrasia, Neustria, Burgundy, and Aquitaine. The divisions werereunited by Clotaire I (497- 561), divided after his death, and thenreunited under Clotaire II (c. 584-629).
The last strong Merovingian monarch was the son of Clotaire II,Dagobert I, who ruled from 629 to 639. Under his numerous successorsthe Frankish kingdom became decentralized. Royal power gradually gaveway to the noble families who exercised feudal control over most ofthe land. The most important was the Carolingian. The Carolingiansheld the office of mayor of the palace and after 639 were kings in allbut name. In 751 the Carolingian mayor of the palace deposed thereigning king, Childeric III (r. about 743-52), and assumed royalpower himself as Pepin the Short, putting an end to the Merovingiandynasty.
Source: Infopedia by SoftKey.
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