Les rois fainéants
(“do-nothing kings”)
Causes of Merovingian Collapse:
1. Child kings: involvement of regents, esp.
king’s mother or maior domus (mayor
of the palace)
2. Role of nobility: competition for role
of maior domus; and desire for
regional independence
Causes of Merovingian Collapse:
3. Role of church: political support; family
prestige; sources of stability
Baldechildis, wife of Clovis II
(r. N, B: 638-57), mother of
Chlothar III (r. N, B: 657-73)
Image Link: Family Tree of the Early Carolingians:
<http://www.friesian.com/history/carolig1.gif>
Keep this handy!
Pippinids
Bishop Arnulf of Metz (d. 641)
Pippin I (d. 640)
Pippinids
Grimoald, son of Pippin I
Childebertus Adoptivus
Pippin II (MD A: c. 680-714)
Sigibert III (r. A: 634-56)
Dagobert II
680 Pippin II becomes maior domus in
Austrasia
687 Pippin II defeats rivals at Tertry, installs
own choice of maior domus in Neustria
c. 696 Grimoald, son of Pippin II, becomes
maior domus of Neustria
714 Deaths of Pippin II and Grimoald
Pippinids
Pippin II (MD A: c. 680-714)
Grimoald, son of Pippin II
(MD N: c. 696-714)
Theudoald, son of Grimoald
(MD N: 714-15)
715 Neustrians depose Theudoald, elect own
maior domus
718 Charles Martel’s Austrasians decisively
defeat Neustrians at Soissons
723 Charles Martel finishes consolidating
hold over Neustria
730s Charles Martel consolidates hold over
Burgundy
Carolingians
Charles Martel (“The Hammer”,
MD A: 715-41, N: 723-41,
B: early 730s-741)
Bases of Carolingian power:
1. The nobility
Pippin II and the royal court
Charles Martel and the installation
of lay followers into bishoprics
etc.
Bases of Carolingian power:
2. The church
Pippin II patronising church
Charles Martel: installation of
followers in church offices;
spread of Roman Christianity
739 Pope sends relics to Charles Martel
Bases of Carolingian power:
3. Other bases
Pippin II: political marriages
Charles Martel: military conquest:
Alemannia and Frisia (734)
Provence (739)
Alliance with Bavaria (725-41)
Raids on Aquitaine (731, 735)
Map Link: The Growth of Frankish Power:
<http://www.shadowedrealm.com/lib/images/medieval/
maps/map067.jpg>
The popes look west?
716 Duke of Bavaria establishes alliance
with pope
732/33 Charles Martel defeats Muslims
at Tours/Poitiers
739 Pope sends relics to Charles Martel
Causes of Merovingian Collapse:
1. Child kings
2. Role of nobility
3. Role of church
4. Appropriation of functions and benefits
of role of kings by Pippinids/
Carolingians
Battle of Tours/Poitiers, 732/33
‘Abd al-Rahman
Eudo of Aquitaine
Bordeaux
Map Link: Map of the Battle of Tours:
<http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/WestEurope/Tours.Gif>
Significance?
Gibbon: “[The battle that] rescued our
ancestors of Britain and our
neighbours of Gaul from the civil and
religious yoke of the Koran.”
Merely defeat of a Muslim raiding
party?
Extension of Charles Martel’s influence
into S. Francia
735 Maurontus of Provence calls in
Muslims of Septimania to help
against Charles Martel
739 Charles Martel decisively defeats
Maurontus and allies
Involvement of Muslims in local
politics
Realpolitik trumping religion
Christian sources:
Chronicle of 754/Isidore of Beja
Probably not real name of author
Spanish Christian living under Muslim
rule
Chronicle of St Denis
Monastic chronicle, compiled at Abbey
of St. Denis, near Paris, 12th-15th c.
Muslim sources:
Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam (d. 871)
Egyptian historian, author of Futuh
Misr wa Akhbaruha (History of the
Conquest of Egypt and Reports
about It)
Later Anonymous Muslim Source