Merovingian dynasty

Banner used by the Merovingian dynasty.

The **Merovingian dynasty** was a Frankish dynasty which established kingdoms on the former Roman province of Gaul following the Migration Period and the Fall of the Western Roman Empire. It rulled over the Franks until the rise of the Carolingians.

The dynasty is named for its legendary founder, Merovech, though many modern scholars doubt his existence and cite various different etymologies. The first attested member of the dynasty was Chlodio, who is mentioned as a Frankish leader around the 5th century. Clovis, king of Francia, was the first prominent ruler of the line, conquering much of modern day France and, more importantly, being crowned king by the pope, thus starting a ritual that would define European politics for the next millenium.

Clovis' realm would be inherited by his descendants, who frequently divided it among themselves. They would then wage war on each other for primacy, a process that would make the house unstable and insecure on the throne. The system would eventually come to be exploited by the noble Charles Martel, who *de facto* became the leader of the kingdom and united it against Saracen invaders. His son, Pepin the Short, would formally overthrow the last Merovingian in 751, i thus ending the dynasty.

## Origins

The Merovingians first appear in written history as rulers of the Salians, a sub-group of the Frankish nation that existed prior to and around the 5th century. The Franks themselves were a tribe belonging to the wider Germanic people group, which had in the centuries BC settled modern day Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, among others. The Franks settled in the area on the border between today's France, Germany, and the low countries, where they served as *foederati* (associated states-allies) to the Roman Empire.

As the rule of the Romans became unstable all across the empire's expanses, various foreign and domestic enemies decided to exploit the circumstances. Chlodio, the first known Merovingian, is reported to have attacked and held various Roman settlements in the area of modern day Belgium, known specifically by contemporaries as Silva Carbonaria (literally charcoal forest). He engaged in military operations as far south as the Somme and consolidated the territory that would come to be known as the "home country" of the Franks, Austrasia. These operations are said to have lasted around two decades until Chlodio's reposal sometime after 450, cementing Salian rule in the region.

Childeric succeeded Chlodio as ruler. His blood relations to Chlodio are at best ambiguous, but it is generally accepted they both belonged to the same family, and Merovech is sometimes cited as the son of Chlodio and ancestor of Childeric. It is during this time (458-481) that the Salians secured definitive primacy over other Frankish groups. Childeric cooperated with groups of the Romans against foreign enemies, but appears to have at a point been exiled to Thuringia by his subjects for various abuses of power. He would rule until his death in the 480s and be succeeded by his son, Clovis, who would become the definite king of Franks and true founder of the lineage.