See also: Philippe Auguste (homonymy)

Philippe II known as Philippe Auguste , born the August 21st 1165 with Gonesse, died with Mantes the July 14th 1223, is the seventh king of the Dynastie known as of the direct Capétiens. He is the son heir to Louis VII known as the Young person and to Adèle of Champagne.

The nickname of Auguste that one gave him of alive sound, is a direct reference to the ancient title, though other interpretations were provided under its reign: it can recall the month of its birth, or the Latin verb augere which means “to increase”, “make grow”. This nickname could indeed have been to him given when he added to the royal Domaine in July 1185 (Treated Boves) the seigniories of Artois, Valois, of Amiens and a good part of the Vermandois.

Philippe Auguste remains one of the most admired and studied monarchs medieval France, because not only the length of his reign, but also of his important military victories and accomplished essential progress to strengthen the royal capacity and to put an end to the feudal time.

The reign

Beginnings: a fast assertion (1179-1189)

King at fifteen years

The birth of Philippe Auguste, in 1165, is accommodated like a miracle by the royal family. Indeed, Louis VII awaits since nearly thirty years a heir and it is his third wife, Adèle of Champagne, which gives him this wire tardily hoped so much. Waiting which is worth with the future Philippe II the nickname of Dieudonné .

Philippe is associated with the throne as of the fourteen years age, in 1179. The ceremony of the sacring is delayed besides: victim of an accident of hunting, the life of the young prince is in danger. The health condition of the prince is sufficiently serious so that Louis VII moves in England, in spite of his declining health, and will collect himself on the tomb of Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury died in 1170.

Philippe Auguste is finally crowned with Rheims, by his uncle, the archbishop Guillaume with the White Hands, November 1179. The death of his/her father occurs the September 18th 1180 and leaves to Philippe only king, at fifteen years.

Confronted with the weakening of the royal capacity, Philippe Auguste proves quickly with the height of the challenge. Its marriage, celebrated with Bapaume on April 28th, 1180 with Isabelle de Hainaut, brings the to him Artois in dowry. Then in June 1180, three months before the death of his father, it signs the treaty of Gisors with Henri II of England. These two events reinforce the position of the young king vis-a-vis the houses of Flanders and Champagne.

Inside the field, one of the first decisions of Philippe Auguste is the expulsion of the Juifs and the confiscation of their goods in April 1182, a decision which slices with protection that his/her father had granted to the Jewish community. The official motivation designates the Jews like person in charge of various calamities, but the real objective is especially to reinflate the royal cases, well badly in point at this beginning of reign. These measurements are popular, and do not last: the prohibition of the territory (moreover difficult to make respect) cease in 1198, and the conciliating attitude that Louis VII had adopted becomes again soon the standard.

A node of competitions

As of 1181, the conflict with the barons is reanimated, carried out by the count of Flanders, Philippe of Alsace. Philippe Auguste manages to counter the ambitions of this last by breaking his alliances with the duke of the Brabant and the archbishop of Cologne, Philippe de Heinsberg. In July 1185, the treaty of Boves confirms to the king the possession Vermandois, Artois and Amiénois.

The Plantagenêts are the other major concern of Philippe Auguste. The possessions of Henri II of England, also count of Anjou, include/understand the Normandy, the Vexin and the Brittany. After two years of combat (1186 - 1188), the situation remains undecided. Philippe tries to benefit from the competitions between wire of king d' Angleterre, Richard with which it binds friendship, and its junior Jean Without Ground. A peace of Status quo is finally negotiated, whereas the pope Gregoire VIII calls with the crusade, after the catch of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187. The death of Henri II in July 1189 closes this episode. The urgency is at the beginning in Holy Land.

The third crusade and competition with Richard (1190-1199)

A curtailed crusade

Philippe Auguste and Richard leave together for the Third crusade, which also mobilizes the majority of the large barons de France. They embark at the end of the summer 1190, Philippe of Genoa and Richard of Marseilles. But they are surprised by the storms of winter in the Mediterranean and must wait several months in Sicily, with Messine. There, the competition between the two kings is revived around the projects of marriage of Richard, who breaks his engagement to Alix (half-sister of Philippe) and engages with Bérengère de Navarre. Philippe Auguste leaves Messine as soon as it can it, on March 30th 1191.

It arrives at Acre on April 20th 1191 and takes part in the seat of the city, controlled by the Moslems. Richard arrives only in June, after a turning by Cyprus: the English reinforcements are welcome but the quarrels begin again immediately between the two kings. To worsen the situation, they both are touched Alopécie: plunged in an high fever, they lose hair and nails. Philippe Auguste also loses the use of an eye. Military operations advance however: the French bore first once the walls of Acre on July 3rd, without success; then they are the English who fail. Weakened, besieged capitulate on July 12th 1191.

The crusade does nothing but start, however Philippe decides to take the way of the return. The death of the count de Flandre occurred on June 1st at the time of the seat of Saint-Jean-in Acre, is undoubtedly not foreign there: it reopens the sensitive file of the Flemish succession. On the way of the return, Philippe passes by Rome where the pope authorizes it to leave the crusade. The king returns to Paris on December 27th 1191.

See also: Third crusade

Flemish succession

It is the first concern of Philippe on his return of crusade. The death of the count de Flandre, without descent, causes covetousnesses, with three applicants: Baudouin, count de Hainaut, Éléonore de Vermandois, countess of Beaumont, and Philippe Auguste himself.

Finally, Baudouin is designated as heir to the Comté of Flanders after payment to: 5000 money marcs. However, Philippe Auguste confirms by a charter of 1192 Valois and Vermandois with Eléonore, which must be allocated to the king after the death of this one. Lastly, the king receives Péronne and the Artois, in the name of his Louis son, like heritage of the queen Isabelle de Hainaut died in 1190. The royal positions in north thus are reinforced considerably.

The business of the marriage

After the disappearance of the queen Isabelle, Philippe Auguste knows that it owes remarier as fast as possible. The dynastic succession is indeed not assured: his/her only son, Louis, are only four years old and have just survived a serious disease. The choice of Ingeburge of Denmark remains mysterious. Sister of the king Knut VI, eighteen years old, it is only one of the many possible wives for Philippe. Always it is that an agreement is concluded on a dowry from 10.000 marc from money, the princess is brought in France, Philippe the meeting with Amiens on August 14th 1193 and marries the very same day it. The following day, Philippe makes curtail the ceremony of the crowning of the queen and dispatches Ingeburge with the monastery of Saint-Maur-of-Ditches. The king announces that it wishes to make cancel the marriage.

The reasons of this precipitated separation, followed for seven years Ingeburge of captivity and, for Philippe, the absolute refusal to recognize its place of queen, are unknown and gave place to all the possible speculations on behalf of the contemporaries like historians. To defend the cancellation of the marriage, Philippe wishes to put forward family ties prohibited by the Church. An assembly of bishops and barons easily give reason to the king, who remarie with haste with Agnès de Méranie, Bavarian noble young person, as of June 1196.

But the new Innocent pope III, elected in 1198, does not hear it this ear. Wishing to affirm its authority, it enjoint Philippe Auguste to return Agnes and to return her place in Ingeburge. In the absence of reaction of the king, the prohibited is pronounced on the kingdom on January 13rd 1200. Philippe leaves however the cause outstanding, Ingeburge remains captive, from now on in the tower of Étampes. The king organizes finally a ceremony of reconciliation, and the interdict is raised in September 1200. But the ceremony does not completely return its place in Ingeburge, and the revocation proceedings of the marriage continue, Philippe being from now on bigamist. The council of Soissons which meets in March 1201 concludes however by the failure from Philippe Auguste, who shortens itself the debates and gives up making break the marriage. Finally, in July 1201, Agnès de Méranie dies in Poissy by giving to Philippe a second male heir, Philippe (after having given rise to a girl, Marie, in 1198), recognized like such by the pope in November 1201. The crisis is temporarily closed and the dynastic succession is assured.

Philippe takes again the revocation proceedings of the marriage in 1205, this time on reason for nonconsumption. He even plans to force the events while remariant himself once again. Noting definitively that these projects lead to an awkward dead end, the king brutally puts an end to the negotiations rupture in 1212 (as in 1201) and, resigned, returns his place, if not of wife, at least of queen, in unhappy Ingeburge.

The fight against Richard Lion-hearted

Richard Lion-hearted continues the crusade after the departure of Philippe: he takes again the Palestinian main ports, until Jaffa, and restores the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, although the city itself escapes to him. He negotiates finally truce a five years with Saladin and re-embarks in October 1192. The storms of winter surprise it again: failed Corfou, it is captured by the duke of Austria Léopold V, which gives it between the hands of the Germanic emperor Henri VI, its enemy. For the release of Richard, the emperor asks for a ransom of one hundred thousand marc of money, plus fifty thousand marcs to help it to conquer the Sicily.

Philippe benefits from the situation to negotiate with Jean Without Ground, the younger brother of Richard, who is not in a hurry to see this last returning. Hoping to recover the English crown thanks to the support of Philippe, it lends homage in 1193. Then, whereas Philippe Auguste tackles the possessions of the Plantagenêts, Jean yields to king de France is Normandy (except Rouen), Vaudreuil, Verneuil and Évreux, by a written agreement, in January 1194. By his diplomatic smoothness and military Philippe holds his rival in respect.

Richard is finally released on February 2nd 1194. His/her mother, Aliénor of Aquitaine, paid two thirds of the ransom requested, that is to say a hundred and thousand marc of money, the balance having to be later versed. Its response is immediate. It makes move back Philippe who must give up the essence of his recent conquests in a first treaty in January 1196. Then the engagements begin again, always with the advantage of Richard who invades the Vexin (1197 - 1198). The two kings seek supports, while the new pope Innocent III, which wishes to set up a news Croisade, the growth to be negotiated. The situation is regulated abruptly: at the time of the seat of the castle of Châlus (the Limousin) in 1199, Richard is struck by an arrow. He succumbs to his wound a few days later, on April 6th, to forty and one years and the ridge of his glory.

The great conquests (1199-1214)

Victories vis-a-vis Jean Without Ground

The succession of Richard Lion-hearted does not go from oneself: vis-a-vis Jean Without Ground the young person Arthur of Brittany (nineteen years), wire of his older brother Geoffroi died in 1186, is a serious applicant. Philippe Auguste benefits from this competition and, as it had given an opinion for Jean against Richard, it takes this time position for Arthur against Jean. He receives the homage of the count de Bretagne to spring 1199. This enables him to negotiate in strong position with Jean Without Ground, and the Traité Narrow part, in May 1200, is favorable to Philippe Auguste. The treaty is sealed by the marriage between Louis de France and Blanche of Castille, niece of Jean.

The hostilities really do not cease, and concentrate from now on in Aquitaine. Philippe thus approaches on the one hand Arthur, and convenes Jean, his vassal under the Traité Narrow part, for his actions in Aquitaine and in Tours. Jean does not present himself naturally, and the court of France pronounces the confiscation of its strongholds.

The continuation is played on the army ground. Philippe leaves as of spring 1202 to the attack Normandy while Arthur attacks the Poitou. But the young count is surprised by Jean without Ground at the time of the seat of Mirebeau, and made captive with his troops. Arthur of Brittany disappears in the months which follow, probably assassinated beginning 1203. Philippe then makes sure the support of vassal of Arthur and takes again his action in Normandy in spring 1203. He dismantles the system of the Norman castles, takes Vaudreuil, and starts the seat of Castle-Strapping man in September 1203. On his side, Jean makes the error leave the Normandy to return to England, in December 1203. Castle-strapping man falls on March 6th 1204.

Philippe Auguste can then invade the whole of the Normandy: Cliff, Caen, Bayeux, then Rouen which capitulates on June 24th 1204 by noting that the help of Jean does not arrive. Verneuil and Arques falls immediately after and completes the success of Philippe, who has just taken all Normandy in two years of countryside. Philippe turns then to the valley of the the Loire, it takes initially Poitiers in August 1204, then Loches and Chinon in 1205. Jean and Philippe agree finally on a truce with Thouars, starting from October 13rd 1206. For Philippe Auguste, it from now on these fast conquests should be stabilized.

Consolidation of the conquests

All the period which is spread out 1206 with 1212 sees Philippe Auguste endeavouring to consolidate his territorial conquests. The domination capétienne is accepted in Champagne, in Brittany, Auvergne, but the Comté of Boulogne and the Flanders pose problem.

Renaud de Dammartin, count of Boulogne, is a first source of concern. In spite of the attentions of Philippe Auguste, who Marie in particular in 1210 his son Philippe Hurepel with Mathilde, girl of Renaud, this last negotiates with the enemy camp, and the suspicions of Philippe shape when the count undertakes to strengthen Mortain, in Western Normandy. In 1211, Philippe passes to the offensive, it takes Mortain, Aumale and Dammartin. Renaud de Dammartin flees near the count of Bar-le-Duc and does not constitute any more one immediate danger.

In Flanders opens one period of uncertainty: Baudouin, count de Flandre and of Hainaut, takes share with the Fourth crusade as from the summer 1202, takes part in the catch of Constantinople and is elected emperor of the new Latin empire founded in May 1204. But it is made prisoner by the Bulgarian ones in 1205 and is killed shortly after. Philippe, brother of Baudouin and count of Namur, which ensures regency in Flanders, swears finally fidelity with Philippe Auguste, against the opinion of its advisers. The king, to stabilize the county, Marie the only heiress of Baudouin, his daughter Jeanne, with Ferrand of Flanders, in 1211. Philippe thinks of being able to count on his vassal.

Lastly, the Germanic businesses constitute another major stake. After the death of the emperor Hohenstaufen, Henri VI, in 1197, a new emperor must indeed be indicated by the pope Innocent III. Two candidates are declared: on the one hand, Otton of Brunswick, supported by his/her uncle Jean Without Ground and favorite of the Innocent pope III and, on the other hand, Philippe de Souabe, brother of Henri VI, supported by Philippe Auguste and crowned King of the Romans in 1205. This last however is assassinated in June 1208: from now on without rival, Otton is crowned emperor in October 1209. Besides innocent III regrets quickly its choice since the new emperor expresses soon his Italian ambitions. Otton is excommunicated in 1210, and Philippe Auguste negotiates with Frederic II of the Holy roman Empire, the son of Henri VI, crowned King of the Romans to Mainz in 1212 by Siegfried II von Eppstein, bishop of Mainz, an ally that Philippe Auguste hopes well to oppose to the ambition of Otton.

Bouvines, or the apogee of the reign

The incredible success of Philippe Auguste leads soon his rivals to be linked. The opposition crystallizes in 1212: one naturally counts there Jean Without Ground and Otton of Brunswick. Renaud de Dammartin is the true craftsman of the coalition: he which does not have anything any more to lose returns to Frankfurt to find the support of Otton, then in England where it makes homage to Jean, who officially restores it in his English possessions. The hostilities between Philippe and Jean begin again immediately.

At the same time, the first operations of the Crusade against the Albigensians, carried out by barons, see quarreling the count de Toulouse and the crusaders. Philippe Auguste gives this question to later and concentrates on the English danger. He brings together his barons with Soissons on April 8th 1213, load his son Louis to lead forwarding against England and obtains the support of all his vassal, except one: Ferrand, the count of Flanders which it even installed to him two years earlier. Philippe seeks new supports then, in particular near Henri of the Brabant. After one period of hesitation, the pope Innocent III on the other hand chooses to support Jean, a moral support but not negligible. The preparations of the conflict are prolonged: the preliminary draft of Philippe, who wishes to invade England, takes water literally when its fleet is attacked by the enemy coalition with Damme, in May 1213. The following months see Philippe and Louis to bait itself against the counties of Boulogne and Flanders. The cities of north all are almost devastated.

In February 1214, Jean unloads finally on the continent, with La Rochelle, hoping to take Philippe with reverse. A strategy which functions initially, since Jean gains partisans among the barons of the the Limousin and in the Poitou. In May 1214, it goes up to the valley of the the Loire and takes Angers. Philippe, always engaged in Flanders, then entrusts to Louis the response against Jean. The young prince immediately turns to the fortress of the Rock-with-Monks. With his approach, Jean is taken of panic: the support of the barons poitevins wavers, while it is announced that Louis is accompanied by 800 knights. The king of England flees on July 2nd, the English rout is total. But the coalition did not lose yet: it is in north that all must be played.

See also: Battle of the Rock-with-Monks

The final confrontation between the armies of Philippe and the coalition, led by Otton, is from now on inevitable, after several weeks of approach and avoidance. On Sunday, July 27 1214, the army of Philippe, continued by the coalition, arrives at Bouvines to cross the bridge on the Marque. In this Sunday, prohibition to fight is absolute for the Christians, but Otton decides to pass to the offensive, hoping to surprise the enemy whereas it crosses the bridge. The army of Philippe is well surprised by the back, but this one organizes the response quickly before the troops do not engage on the bridge. Those are turned over quickly against the coalition. The French right wing engages against the Flemish knights, led by Ferrand. Then, in the center, Philippe and Otton face. In the fray of cavalry, Philippe is désarçonné, it falls, but its knights protect it, offer a fresh horse to him, and the king takes again the attack, until pushing Otton to be beaten a retreat. Lastly, on the left wing, the partisans of Philippe come to end from Renaud de Dammartin, captured after a long resistance. The fate has just rocked in favor of Philippe, in spite of the numerical inferiority of its troops (1300 knights and 4000 to 6000 sergeants with foot, against 1300 to 1500 knights and 7500 sergeants with foot for the coalition). The victory is total: the emperor is in escape, the men of Philippe made 130 prisoners, including five counts, in particular the traitor honni, Renaud de Dammartin, and the count of Flanders, Ferrand.

The coalition is dissolved in the defeat. The September 18th 1214, with Chinon, Philippe signs a truce of status quo for five years with Jean who continues to badger his positions in the south. The English king turns over to England in 1214. By this treated of Chinon, Jean without Ground gives up all his possessions in the north of the the Loire: the Berry and the Touraine, with the Maine and the Anjou turned over in the royal field, which covers from now on one the third of France, and, singularly increased is released of all the threats.

See also: Battle of Bouvines

After the victory (1214-1223)

The English forwarding of Louis

The victory is total on the continent, and the royal ambitions do not stop there. Indeed, Philippe Auguste wishes to go further against Jean of England. He puts forward thus that Jean must be private throne, pointing out his treason towards Richard in 1194, and the murder of his Arthur nephew. Putting forward an interpretation besides contestable of the genealogy of his White wife of Castille, Louis leads a forwarding in England. The unloading takes place in May 1216 and Louis, with the head of many troops (1200 knights, more many English rebels), conquers the English kingdom, in particular London where it settles. Only Windsor, Lincoln and Dover resists. But in spite of reserved warm welcome with Louis by a majority of English bishops, the support of the pope for Jean remains firm, and Louis is excommunicated. Finally, Jean dies suddenly of a serious indigestion, on October 19th 1216. The old allies of Jean then make crown in all haste Henri III, nine years old. Innocent III also has just died, but its successor Honorius III continuous to defend the loyal supporters. The bishops withdraw soon their support for Louis and the rebels assagissent themselves. The prince returns to seek supports in France beginning 1217 and turns over to England. He is beaten by Guillaume the Marshal with Lincoln. Louis agrees to negotiate peace in June, this one is concluded in September 1217 and its excommunication is raised.

The attitude of Philippe Auguste as for this forwarding is ambiguous. In any case the king does not support it officially. But it is not very probable to imagine that it did not give its approval to this one, at least on a purely private basis.

The crusade against the Albigensians

Started in 1208, the crusade against the Albigensian heretics turned to the confrontation between Simon IV of Montfort, which leads the crusade made up barons of north, and Raymond VI, count of Toulouse, which supports the heretics secretly. In addition, Pierre II of Aragon has sights on the area and encourages the camp of the count de Toulouse before being itself demolishes and killed by Simon de Montfort with Muret, in 1213.

After the Battle of the Rock-with-Monks, Louis share first once for the South in April 1215, and helps Simon de Montfort to consolidate his positions. This one becomes finally count de Toulouse, with the agreement of the pope Honorius III and of Philippe Auguste, to whom it lends homage. But the town of Toulouse resists, its seat lasts, and Simon dies there in April 1218. The pope designates his son Amaury de Montfort like successor and enjoint with Philippe Auguste to send a new forwarding. Louis leaves in May 1219, joined Amaury with the seat of Marmande, whose inhabitants are massacred. After forty days of Ost, Louis returns without to have been able to take Toulouse. A new forwarding is sent by Philippe in 1221, under the orders of the bishop of Bourges and the count of Walk, without more success.

It is necessary to underline the rather low scale of these various forwardings. In spite of the reiterated calls of Innocent III and its successors, Philippe, too occupied by the businesses of Flanders and the fight against Jean without Ground, takes care not to intervene personally in the South to put an end to the Albigensian heresy. However, in its relationships to papacy, he recalls with constancy his rights of suzerain on the county, and authorizes finally his son to be crossed in 1219. It is necessary to await the reign of its successors so that the Albigensian problem is regulated.

See also: Albigensian Crusade

Peace, finally

After Bouvines, military operations proceed in England or in the South of France. The field, and more largely the whole of the north of the Loire, remain in peace, according to the terms of the concluded truce with Chinon in 1215, originally for five years, and prolonged in 1220 with the guarantee of Louis, an association which marks the beginning of the transition from Philippe to his son and heir.

If the conquests by the weapons cease, Philippe extends nevertheless his influence while benefitting from the problematic cases of successions. It is the case in Champagne at the time of the accession of Thibaut IV, which enables him to sit its suzerainty. It is the case especially when the king recovers certain grounds like Issoudun, Bully, Alençon, Clermont-in-Beauvaisis, as well as the Ponthieu.

The prosperity of the kingdom at the end of the reign of Philippe Auguste is an established fact. One thus considers the surplus annual of the Treasury at 25.210 books in November 1221. On this same date, the Treasury has in its cases 157.036 books, that is to say more than 80% of the total ordinary annual income of monarchy. The will of Philippe Auguste, written in September 1222, confirms these figures, since the sum of its legacies rises with 790.000 books parisis, that is to say nearly four years of incomes! This will is written whereas the health condition of Philippe makes fear death. This one occurs finally ten months later.

Whereas it is with Pacy, Philippe decides to attend the organized ecclesiastical meeting with Paris for the preparation of news Croisades, against the opinion of his doctors. He does not survive the tiredness of the voyage and dies on July 14th 1223, with Mantes. Its body is brought to Paris, and its funeral is quickly organized, in Saint-Denis, in the presence of the large ones of the kingdom. For the first time, the body of king de France covered of all the Regalia is exposed to the veneration of the people before his burial in a solemn rite inspired by that of kings d' Angleterre.

Philippe Auguste and the exercise of the capacity: the invention of the State?

Conquests

With his death, Philippe II leaves with his son and successor Louis VIII a considerably increased territory. Contrast is seizing between the advent of Philippe, under a quasi-supervision of the barons, with a field which makes of him the king of the Île-de-France more than of the France, and the end of its reign, with an increased field, for which it is necessary to add many territories subjected by homage of their owners. The English rival is pushed back in a compartmental Guyenne, far, very far from Paris.

These territorial profits make of Philippe Auguste a king rassemblor, whose work is continued by Louis VIII. It is necessary to await the Guerre One hundred Year old to witness an important retreat of the French royal possessions. To stabilize these conquests passes however by another thing still that simple military or diplomatic victories.

And there the great success of Philippe is well: at the same time as it increases the territory, it manages to harden the royal capacity in these new grounds, essential condition of the perenniality of these new possessions. This objective is achieved, initially, by a new policy of Fortifications and Château X: Philippe makes draw up their inventory and launches to his expenses of constructions in the field and the strongholds. The old hillocks with palisade disappear, replaced by keeps out of stone that Philippe wants polygonal or cylindrical, for a better resistance to the Engins of seat, and to avoid the dead angles in defense. Many towers are thus built. Towards the end of the reign, the plan evolves to a quadrangular Donjon with round towers with each corner, whose Louvre is the best example (see will infra).

See also: Architecture philippienne

That is not all. The stabilization of the conquests also passes by novel modes of administration of the territory.

The administrative revolution: Baillifs, provosts and Seneshals

To escape the spiral from the parcelling out, consequence of the Feudal system, Philippe Auguste very early undertake to set up a new administrative structure enabling him to directly exert its power on the territory. Philippe organizes in fact this system at the time of his departure in crusade, by a ordinance-will of 1190, in order to settle the questions of organization of the capacity in his absence. The king consequently emphasizes the Baillifs, old creation of Anglo-Norman origin whose role, in the French territories, was not clearly defined up to now. Philippe is inspired in particular by the administrative reforms of Henri II of England, carried out in 1176. Besides the Flanders obtains a body similar to the same moment.

This reform is completed in the neighborhoods of 1200, when name baillivi becomes current, if not official, in the royal acts. Named by the king, they are a dozen which traverse the field with the liking of the needs, in order to return justice, but also to outline an accountancy of the kingdom, a field which knows decisive progress in second half of the reign. With the difference of the Feudal system, the Baillifs do not have precise geographical fastener (that evolves/moves after Philippe Auguste). Their activity is thus not related to the ground possession, they does not exert power into clean, but represents the king. In addition, they are remunerated directly by the sovereign, and subjected to a very important control, with obligation to return accounts three times the year. John Baldwin notes that the level of wages of the Baillifs is between 10 pennies and a delivers, that is to say more, for example, that the knights mercenaries (10 pennies). An index at the same time of the importance of their statute, and price of their fidelity…

The Baillifs are assisted by the provosts, another old institution with the vague role up to now. Those are on the other hand attached to a precise zone, where they judge the go concern (the Baillifs judging especially in call) and draw up local accounts.

In some of the areas conquered during the reign (Anjou, Maine, Touraine, Poitou, Saintonge), Philippe Auguste entrusts the administrative offices to the Sénéchaux. This title before hereditary becomes nontransmissible besides as from 1191. With the difference of the Baillif, the Sénéchal is a local baron: the risk to see this last taking a considerable local importance, even dangerous for the king, thus exists as well as in the Feudal system. This is why this mode is often removed (in particular in Normandy, as of the annexation), to be replaced by that of the Baillifs.

Birth of a royal ideology

Thanks to his great victory of Bouvines, Philippe Auguste completes his reign in an important popular enthusiasm. In this context, the royal ideology progresses, the most manifest sign perhaps of the emergence of a State under the reign of Philippe.

One commented on much the increasing use of the term Francia in the contemporary texts, and especially of the formula rex Francia in a diplomatic act of 1204. It is however necessary to await holy Louis to see the official title of rex Francorum (king of the Francs) becoming rex Franciæ (king of France): under Philippe, the king continues to be entitled rex Francorum , on the acts as on the Sceau. Other ideological progress is more obvious. Certain symbols, like the solemn funeral (v. supra), or the use of the flower of lily as royal symbol (initiate under Louis VII), for example on the royal Seal, are to be noted.

Especially, the end of the reign sees developing a true attempt at royal propaganda, through the official chronicles. Already, starting from 1186, Rigord, monk of Saint-Denis writes a Latin chronicle, in the tradition of Suger, which it offers to Philippe in 1196. These Gesta Philippi Augusti is then supplemented until in 1208. This work is not an official ordering of the king, but it does not remain about it less one quasi-official chronicle, with the glory of Philippe (except some critics touching with the business of the marriage). It is besides Rigord which, the first, gives to Philippe the nickname Augustus , in reference to the month of its birth and with its first conquests which raise it, for the author, with the row of the Roman Emperors

Philippe Auguste entrusts thereafter to a new chronicler the task of expurger the chronicle of Rigord of his critical passages, and to continue it. Guillaume Breton the, clerk and close to Philippe Auguste, discharges this task. He then sees himself entrusting the drafting of a true monument to the glory of the king, starting from 1214: a chronicle in worms, the Philippide , in the style of the poem epic, then sails very about it (in particular since the Alexandreis of Gautier de Châtillon, epopee with the glory of Alexandre). Several versions of the Philippide are followed, the last being completed in 1224, one year after the death of the king. In this single work, Philippe from now on is represented as hero, the winner of Bouvines is celebrated there in all his majesty. The evolution with the wire of the reign is important, although the two official chronicles remain the testimonys very isolated as a whole from the literary production from the reign from Philippe Auguste.

The chronicle of Rigord and its continuation by Guillaume Breton the is then translated by Primat for the Grandes Chronicles of France . It is in this form, rather than in that of the Philippide , than the image of Philippe passes to the posterity.

Lastly, one can also note the contribution of Gilles of Paris which, in its Karolinus , poem with the glory of Charlemagne writes for Louis, reduces Philippe and Louis from Charlemagne, thus linking in them the Carolingian dynasty and the dynasty capétienne, and making of him the first true representative of a royal genus , at the base of the idea of transmission of the royalty by the blood which makes after Philippe Auguste important great strides.

The benefactor of Paris

The reign of Philippe Auguste is one period of sharp improvements for Paris. If the court is still itinerant, Paris however acquires a particular status from which various completed works testify. A great step is carried out under Philippe in the invention of the capital. Some facts to retain:

• 1180 : Philippe transfers the market from Champeaux (located in the suburbs of the north of the city, close to the Saint-Lazare leper-house) to the center of Paris, with the site even of future the Halles. Two covered buildings are high to cleanse the new market in 1183. Very interested by the development of this central market, Philippe regulates itself on the trade of the essential food products (meat, bread and wine).
• 1186 : Philippe makes pave the main streets of Paris.
• 1187 : the cemetery of Saint-Innocent is cleansed, drained, levelled and provided with an enclosing wall.
• 1190 : before leaving to the crusade, Philippe makes begin construction from a wall enclosing on Right Bank.
• 1194 : after the loss of the royal archives at the time of the battle of Fréteval and the recovery of those by Richard Lion-hearted, Philippe makes them reconstitute. Starting from this date, a specimen of these files will remain permanently in Paris.
• 1200 : royal charter creating the University of Paris, a statute which allows the Parisian Masters and schoolboys to have of an important freedom and a safety; from now on, those concern the ecclesiastical jurisdiction in particular. These privileges allow a fast rise of the Parisian schools.
• 1202 : completion of the construction of the new tower , with the western entry of the city, the future Louvre.
• 1209 - 1210: work on the Small Châtelet, the left bank (news chimneys, doors, posterns, addition of a prison of three stages).
• 1209 - 1212: construction of the left bank part of the pregnant of Paris.

The expansion of Paris is not summarized with the work undertaken by Philippe Auguste. It is also under its reign that are created the old people's home Holy-Catherine (1185) and the hospital of the Trinity (1202). Work of Notre-Dame de Paris, started in 1163, also progresses at good rate/rhythm. In 1182, the chorus is completed and the high altar is devoted on May 19th. Then, the western frontage is decorated, the gallery of the kings is completed in the years 1220, the large pink is started in the tread, while the square is increased at the same time.

Rise of Paris is confirmed by population estimates, which estimate that the Parisian population passes in a few years of 25.000 inhabitants to 50.000 worms 1200, which makes of it more the big city of Europe, out Italy.

Place in the dynasty capétienne

Physical posterity: descendants

1. With Isabelle de Hainaut, countess of Artois (1170 - 1190, marriage in 1180), girl of Baudouin V of Hainaut:

2. * Louis VIII.
3. With Ingeburge of Denmark (1176 - 1238, marriage in 1193), girl of Waldemar Ier, king of the Denmark (1157 - 1182), sister of Knut VI, king of the Denmark (1182 - 1202). Repudiated in 1193, restored officially in 1200 (in the facts, it never finds its marital place).
4. *Pas children
5. With Agnes de Méranie (v. 1172 - 1201, marriage in 1196), girl of Berthold IV of Méranie, gives rise to three natural children, whose two survivors nevertheless are recognized legitimate heirs to Philippe Auguste by the pope Innocent III:
6. * Marie (1198 - 1224), which marries in 1206 Philippe Ier, count de Namur (1175 - 1212). It remarie in 1213 with Henri Ier, duke of the Brabant (v. 1165 - 1235),
7. *Jean-Tristan (still-born child in 1200)
8. * Philippe Hurepel (1201 - 1234), count de Clermont and of Boulogne, which marries in 1216 Mathilde de Dammartin (v. 1202 - 1259).
9. With “a certain lady of Arras”:
10. * Pierre Charlot (1205-1249), bishop of Turns (or of Boundary-line?).

Ideological posterity: the image

Philippe Auguste was buried in the Basilique Saint-Denis close to Paris. In 1306, at the time of the reorganization of the necropolis by Philippe Beautiful the, his tomb was placed in the center, with that of his/her son Louis VIII, in order to symbolize the union of the lines mérovingienne (on the right) and capétienne (on the left), according to the idea put forward originally by Gilles of Paris (see supra). Like all the tombs of the necropolis, that of Philippe Auguste was violated by the revolutionists in 1793.

More generally, the figure of Philippe Auguste, as celebrated by the chroniclers of time, was mainly occulted by the competition of holy Louis, become - and for a long time - the royal model par excellence as of the end of the 13th century. It does not remain about it less than the victory of Bouvines remains among the most essential elements of French national mythology, thanks to the Grandes Chronicles of France or, well later, by the school handbooks of the IIIe République. The Saint-Pierre church of Bouvines, built in 1882, besides was provided between 1887 and 1906, of blackjack stained glasses recalling the course of the battle, of the parts now classified.

The other traces of the reign of Philippe Auguste as for them disappeared gradually. The Enceinte of Philippe Auguste remains with the state of vestiges which strew Paris, the medieval Louvre was released and integrated into the museum in the years 1990. Lastly, always with Paris, a which occurred and a subway station continue to commemorate the winner of Bouvines.

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