Childeric II (c. 653[1] – 675) wasKing of the Franks in the 7th century. He ruledAustrasia from 662 andNeustria andBurgundy from 673 until his death, making him sole king for the final two years of his life.
| Childeric II | |
|---|---|
| King of the Franks | |
 Childericʻs solidus of pale gold | |
| King in Austrasia | |
| Reign | 662–675 |
| Predecessor | Chlothar III |
| Successor | Clovis III |
| King of Neustria and Burgundy | |
| Reign | 673–675 |
| Predecessor | Theuderic III |
| Successor | Theuderic III |
| Born | c. 653 |
| Died | c. 675 (aged 21–22) |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Bilichild |
| Issue | Dagobert Chilperic II |
| Dynasty | Merovingian |
| Father | Clovis II |
| Mother | Balthild |
Childeric was the second eldest son of KingClovis II[2] and grandson of KingDagobert I and QueenNanthild.[3] His mother was SaintBalthild and his elder brother wasChlothar III,[3] who was briefly sole king from 661 but gave Austrasia to Childeric the next year. Childeric was still a mere child when he was raised on the shields of his warriors and proclaimed king in Austrasia.[4]
Childericmarried his cousinBilichild,[5] who gave birth to two sons: Dagobert and the future kingChilperic II.[6]
After the death of Chlothar in 673,Theuderic III, his youngest brother, inherited his kingdoms, but a faction of prominent Burgundian nobles led bySaint Leodegar andAdalrich rebelled against Theuderic andEbroin,Mayor of the Palace, inviting Childeric to become king in Neustria and Burgundy.[7] He soon invaded his brother's kingdom and displaced him, becoming sole king. He made his AustrasianMayor of the Palace,Wulfoald, mayor in Neustria and Burgundy as well, upsetting his supporters in Burgundy who did not wish to see functionaries active in a kingdom other than their native one. In March 675, Childeric grantedhonores inAlsace to Adalrich with the title ofdux. This grant was most probably the result of Adalrich's continued support for Childeric in Burgundy, which had often disputed possession of Alsace with Austrasia.
The final straw for the magnates of Neustria was Childeric's illegal corporal punishment of a nobleman named Bodilo. In 675, Bodilo and his friends Amalbert and Ingobert conspired to assassinate the king, who was killed, along with his wife Bilichild and his five-year-old son Dagobert, while hunting in the forest of Livry (present-dayLognes). Childeric's younger son, Chilperic, was absent and thus survived. He grew up in a monastery.
Childeric, his wife, and their son Dagobert were buried inSaint-Germain-des-Prés, nearParis, where their tombs were discovered in 1645 and the contents pilfered.
References
edit- ^Bachrach, Bachrach & Leese 2018.
- ^Jean Verseuil,Les rois fainéants: de Dagobert à Pépin le Bref 629-751, édition Critérion, Paris, 1946 (ISBN 978-2-7413-0136-3)
- ^abDetlev Schwennicke,Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band I (Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, 1980), Tefel 1
- ^Patrick J. Geary,Before France & Germany, The Creation & Transformation of the Merovingian World (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), p. 180
- ^Ian Wood,The Merovingian Kingdoms, 450–751 (London, New York:, Longman, 1999), p. 73
- ^Paule Lejeune,Les reines de France, Paris, 1989,ISBN 2-86594-042-X, p. 44
- ^Patrick J. Geary,Before France & Germany, The Creation & Transformation of the Merovingian World (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), pp. 189–190
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Childeric".Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Sources
edit- Bachrach, Bernard S.; Bachrach, David S.; Leese, Michael (2018).Deeds of the Bishops of Cambrai, Translation and Commentary. Routledge.ISBN 9781317036210.
External links
edit
Media related toChilderic II at Wikimedia Commons
Childeric II Born: 653 Died: 675 | ||
| Preceded by | King of the Franks in Austrasia 662–675 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | King of the Franks in Neustria and Burgundy 673–675 | Succeeded by |