Belisarius, on his return from Carthage to…

...Geneva; ...

Clovis in 509 had been the first Frankish chief to style himself "King of the Franks", or rex Francorum.

He had conquered the Kingdom of Soissons of the Roman general Syagrius and expelled the Visigoths from southern Gaul at the Battle of Vouillé, thus establishing Frankish hegemony over most of Gaul (excluding Burgundy, Provence, and Brittany), which he has left to his successors, the Merovingians, to conquer.

Clovis had divided his realm between his four sons in a manner which will become familiar, as his sons and grandsons in turn will divide their kingdoms between their sons.

The Burgundians, one of the Germanic peoples who had filled the power vacuum left by the collapse of the western half of the Roman Empire, had in 411 crossed the Rhine and established a kingdom at Worms.

Amid repeated clashes between the Romans and Huns, the Burgundian kingdom eventually occupied what is today the borderlands between Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Sigismund, son of king Gundobad, had ruled Burgundy from 516, but in 523-524, Chlodomer, King of Orléans, had joined with his brothers in an expedition against the Burgundians, possibly at the instigation of his mother Clotilde, who was eager to avenge her nephew’s assassination by Sigismund.

After the Franks had defeated Sigismund and his younger brother Godomar in battle, Godomar had fled and Sigismund had been taken prisoner by Chlodomer, who then returned to Orléans.

Godomar, however, had rallied the remnants of the Burgundian army and returned triumphantly to Burgundy at the head of the troops sent by his ally, the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great, massacring the garrison the Franks had left behind.

Chlodomer, having directed the assassination of Sigismund and his sons Gisald and Gondebaud on May 1, 524, then marched on Burgundy with his brother Theuderic, King of Metz.

Chlodomer had been killed on this expedition, in the summer of the same year, at the Battle of Vézeroncem in Isère.

In 532, Clovis’s surviving sons—Childebert of Paris, Chlothar of Soissons and Theuderic of Metz—had invaded Burgundy again.

The death of Athalaric in 534 generates a succession crisis in the Ostrogothic kingdom, the Burgundian ally.

The Burgundian kingdom now devoid of protection, Chlothar, Theudebert, and Childebert take the opportunity to invade.

The Franks have by this time apprehended and killed King Godomar, extinguishing the Burgundian royal dynasty.

The Burgundian kingdom is overtaken, incorporated along with Savoy, into the Merovingian realms, and divided between the three Frankish rulers.

In addition to Dijon and Mâcon, Childebert receives Lyon and …

…Chlothar obtains Grenoble, …

…Die, and some of the neighboring cities.

Chlothar I: Expansion, Fratricide, and the Consolidation of Frankish Power

Following the death of Clovis I in 511 CE, his kingdom is divided among his four sons, with Chlothar I receiving a significant portion of northern Gaul, including:

• Soissons, which he makes his capital.
• Laon, Noyon, Cambrai, and Maastricht, along with territories along the lower course of the Meuse River.

However, Chlothar, known for his ambition and ruthlessness, seeks to expand his domain at the expense of both his enemies and his family.

Chlothar's Seizure of Chlodomer's Lands (524 CE Onward)

• In 524 CE, Chlodomer, Chlothar’s brother and king of Orléans, is killed at the Battle of Vézeronce against the Burgundians.
• His three young sons, Gunthar, Theudebald, and Clodoald, are entrusted to Queen Clotilde, their grandmother, until Chlodomer’s widow remarries Chlothar I.
• Chlothar, along with his brother Childebert I, sees an opportunity to eliminate potential rivals and consolidate power.

The Murder of Chlodomer’s Children

• Chlothar and Childebert send a messenger to Clotilde, offering her the choice:
  • Would she rather see her grandsons tonsured and made monks, or killed outright?
• Clotilde, preferring that they live in the service of God rather than be slain, chooses the monastic option.
• However, Chlothar ignores her wishes and has Gunthar and Theudebald murdered.
• Clodoald, the youngest, escapes, later renouncing his royal lineage by cutting his hair, the symbol of Frankish kingship, and becoming a monk.
  • He eventually founds the Abbey of Nogent and is later venerated as Saint Cloud.

Chlothar’s Share of Chlodomer’s Kingdom

• With Chlodomer’s sons eliminated, Chlothar and Childebert divide his lands.
• Chlothar’s share includes the cities of:
  • Tours

• •  
  • Poitiers

• •  
  • Chartres

• •  
  • Orléans

This significantly expands his territory, further increasing his power and making him one of the most dominant Merovingian rulers.

The Legacy of Chlothar’s Ruthlessness

• Chlothar establishes himself as the most ambitious and cunning of Clovis’ sons, using marriage, murder, and war to increase his holdings.
• His territorial acquisitions strengthen his claim to the entire Frankish kingdom, though full unification will take decades of conflict.
• His actions foreshadow the internal struggles of the Merovingians, where family betrayal and political assassinations become a hallmark of Frankish rule.

Chlothar will continue to expand his influence and dominion, eventually reuniting the entire Frankish kingdom under his sole rule by 558 CE, marking the height of Merovingian power.

Childebert I: The Frankish King of Paris and the Burgundian Campaigns (r. 511–558 CE)

As one of the four sons of Clovis I, Childebert I inherits Paris as his capital after the partition of the Frankish kingdom in 511 CE. Like his brothers, Childebert seeks to expand his power, particularly through wars against the Burgundian Kingdom.

1. Childebert’s Role in the Burgundian Wars

• Childebert actively participates in the Frankish campaigns against Burgundy, alongside his brothers Chlothar I and Theuderic I.
• In 532 CE, he besieges Autun, a key Burgundian stronghold.
• After the final defeat of Burgundy in 534 CE, he receives his share of the spoils, which includes:
  • Mâcon
  • Other towns further south, expanding his domain toward the Rhône Valley.

2. Childebert’s Growing Power and Political Role

• By 534 CE, with Burgundy absorbed into the Frankish kingdom, Childebert’s territory and influence increase, making Paris a political and military center.
• He continues to play a significant role in Frankish affairs, often engaging in alliances and conflicts with his brothers.

3. Legacy and Later Years

• Childebert’s expansion southward strengthens Frankish control over former Roman and Burgundian lands, setting the stage for future Merovingian rule over Gaul.
• His reign marks an important step in the consolidation of Frankish power after Clovis, as the Merovingians continue to eliminate rival kingdoms and incorporate their territories.

By 558 CE, following the deaths of his brothers, Chlothar I reunites the entire Frankish kingdom, marking the end of the early Merovingian partitions. However, Childebert's role in the Frankish expansion into Burgundy remains a key moment in the transformation of early medieval Gaul.