Clotaire Ier

Clotaire Ier the Old man ( towards 497 - November 29th 561)

  • King d' Austrasie of 555 with 561
  • King de Neustrie of 511 with 561
  • King d' Orléans of 532 with 561
  • Co-king de Burgondie with his brother Childebert of 534 with 558
  • King de Paris and of Burgundy of 558 with 561

Genealogy

He is the son of Clovis I {{er}} and Clotilde.

His/her first concubine (wife?) named Chunsène, then his second wife was Ingonde first once in 517, then Gondioque and finally Radegonde in 538. He marries again Ingonde like his sister Arnegonde.

He is the father inter alia Chramne (with Chunsène), of Caribert, Gontran, Sigebert and Chilpéric.

Biography

He was the third wire of Clovis and the second of the three that this last had with Clotilde.

With died of his father, in 511, it divides the kingdom of the Francs, the Regnum Francorum , with his three brothers: Thierry Ier, Clodomir Ier and Childebert Ier. Whereas Thierry, the elder one, is largely favoured, Clotaire shares half of the kingdom of Clovis with his/her two other brothers. It is the Neustrie which falls to him.

In 517, he marries Ingonde.

In 523 - 524, at the instigation of Clotilde, Clotaire and her three brothers unite in a forwarding against Burgondes.

With died of Clodomir, the June 25th 524, with the Battle of Vézeronce, Clotaire marries its widow, Gondioque; but that is not enough so that it obtains the territory of his late brother: the Salic law imposes the division of the kingdom between wire of Clodomir. To avoid that, Clotaire is combined with Childebert I {{er}} to organize the assassination of the young heirs (532). Out of the three children, two will be killed, and the last (Clodoald), of abor hidden by faithful partisans, will give up his share and will choose the monastic life. Clotaire and Childebert will be able to then divide freely the territory of their brother.

In 538, he marries Radegonde. But this one will prefer to be withdrawn in a convent, rather than living at its sides. It founded the abbey Holy-Cross, first monastery of women of Europe, with Poitiers. She was then canonized Sainte Radegonde.

Ingonde having required of him to find a husband with his sister Arnegonde, worthy of its high line, the king found finally better applicant only itself and also decided to marry the second of the sisters. He forced them to live together until the death of Ingonde towards 546. Arnegonde was the mother of Chilpéric (539 - 584) which will be king of the Neustrie.

Clotaire still marries Chunsina , then Vulderade (555), widow of Thedebald, king d' Austrasie.

The deaths of Theobald (grandson of its late brother Theodoric) in 555, and of Childebert, died without descent in 558, thus make it possible Clotaire to again reunify the Regnum Francorum of his/her father Clovis.

His/her Chramne son gave him wire with retordre as well: pushed by his uncle Childebert, he twice plotted continuation against his father; Clotaire granted first once to him its forgiveness, but Chramne repeats in 560. This time, Clotaire is well decided to finish some. Chramne takes refuge in Brittany, near the count Conomor, but the troops of the count cannot resist the army of Clotaire: Conomor is overcome and killed; Chramne, it, are captured and strangled, then Clotaire orders that its skin is locked up, with all its family, in a hut at which it was put fire.

Its reign was marked by several military campaigns, in particular:

  • the war against Burgondes (523 - 526);
  • the countryside of Thuringe (530);
  • the invasion of the Burgondie (534), in company of his/her brother Childebert (territory for whom they will divide the crown);
  • the failed attempt at invasion of the wisigothic Hispanie (542), with Childebert; it will be pushed back with Saragossa.

At the end of its reign, the frank kingdom is with its apogee, covering all the Gaulle (except for the Septimanie) and part of the current Germany. He dies in 561 with Compiegne at the 64 years age, leaving his kingdom to his four sons, which will partegeront the heritage by drawing lot:

One lent these last words to him on his bed of dead:

See too

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