Clotaire II
Clotaire II,
d. 629, Frankish king, son of Chilperic IChilperic I, d. 584, Frankish king of Neustria (561–84), son of Clotaire I. He feuded bitterly with his brother Sigebert I, who had inherited the E Frankish kingdom that came to be known as Austrasia.
..... Click the link for more information. and FredegundeFredegunde
, c.545–597, Frankish queen. The mistress of King Chilperic I of Neustria, she became his wife after inducing him to murder his wife Galswintha (567). Fredegunde and Brunhilda, Galswintha's sister and wife of King Sigebert I of Austrasia, were among the leading
..... Click the link for more information. . He succeeded (584) his father as king of Neustria, but his mother ruled for him until her death (597). In 613, after the death of his cousin Theodoric II, king of AustrasiaAustrasia
, northeastern portion of the Merovingian kingdom of the Franks in the 6th, 7th, and 8th cent., comprising, in general, parts of E France, W Germany, and the Netherlands, with its capital variously at Metz, Reims, and Soissons.
..... Click the link for more information. , he was called in by Austrasian nobles to assume rule. He thus became king of all the Franks. He put BrunhildaBrunhilda
or Brunehaut
, d. 613, Frankish queen, wife of Sigebert I of the East Frankish kingdom of Austrasia; daughter of Athanagild, the Visigothic king of Spain.
..... Click the link for more information. to death, restored peace with the help of the nobility, and was compelled to grant (614) a charter giving far-reaching privileges to nobles and clergy. He was also forced to agree that each of the component parts of the Frankish lands, Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy, was to have its own mayor of the palace; the mayors of the palace were the chief royal administrators. In 623 he sent his son Dagobert IDagobert I
, c.612–c.639, Frankish king, son and successor of King Clotaire II. His father was forced to appoint Dagobert king of the East Frankish kingdom of Austrasia at the request of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace, and Arnulf, bishop of Metz, who effectively
..... Click the link for more information. to be king of Austrasia. Dagobert later succeeded to all the Frankish lands.
Clotaire II
(also Lothar II). Born 584; died Oct. 18, 629. King of Neustria (584–613) and of the entire Frankish kingdom (from 613); member of the Merovingian dynasty.
After his victory over Brunhilda, Clotaire united the entire Frankish kingdom under his rule. He was forced to make concessions to the feudal aristocracy, whose strength had increased during his minority. In 614 he issued an edict confirming the land grants and judicial and administrative privileges that the largescale landowners had acquired from his predecessors. He also limited the title of count to members of the local landowning aristocracy. Clotaire appointed his son Dagobert king of Austrasia to satisfy the separatist demands of the Austrasian aristocracy.