Complex sentence: The division of the Frankish kingdom among Clovis's four sons (511) was a precedent that would influence Frankish history for more than four centuries, and it appears like an exercise in interpretation, rather than simple implementation of a new model of succession.
Split into simpler sentences: The division of the Frankish kingdom among Clovis's four sons (511) was a precedent that would influence Frankish history for more than four centuries. However, this principle turned out to be an exercise in interpretation, rather than the simple implementation of a new model of succession.