Participation in wars:
Internecine war... Wars with the Thuringians, Burgundians, Visigoths and Ostrogoths.
Participation in battles:
Poitiers.
(Chlodovechus) Frankish king of the Merovingian dynasty (c 481)
Son of Childeric I. In 481, at the age of fifteen, he became king of most of the Salic Franks. In 486, Clovis moved against Syagrius. He acted with the support of his relative King Ragnahar, whose residence was the city of Cambrai. Broken Syagrius fled to the gothic king Alaric II, but at the request of Clovis was extradited and executed. The victory over Siagrius did not immediately put into the hands of the Franks all the regions over which he ruled, and Clovis had to take city after city, each of which offered him stubborn resistance. Conquest former region Syagria dragged on for several years.
When taking cities pagan francs robbed the temples, and in Soissons, when they plundered one of them, they captured a very valuable mug. The bishop began to intercede with Clovis to return her to the church. Clovis asked the soldiers to add this mug to his share of the spoil, and everyone agreed, except for one soldier, who said that Clovis would receive nothing but the share of the spoil that would get him by lot. He cut open the mug, and the bishop got only its fragments. On next year at the military inspection, Clovis approached this warrior and, noticing to him that his weapon was not in proper order, threw his ax to the ground. At the moment when the warrior bent down to raise his weapon, Clovis struck him with his ax a fatal blow to the head, saying: “ This is what you did in Soissons with a mug". By this act, Clovis brought mortal fear to his soldiers.
In the tenth year of his reign, Clovis defeated the Thuringians, who were harassing the Frankish lands with their raids. Thanks to the insistence of his Christian wife Clotilde Clovis converted to Christianity in 496. Together with the king, they were baptized about three thousand francs.
Church tradition connects this fact with the struggle of Clovis with the Allemans, who attacked the lands of the Franks. In a decisive battle, when Clovis's troops were threatened with defeat, he promised to be baptized in the event of his victory. In the battle of Clovis inflicted a terrible defeat on the allemans, their king fell in battle, and Clovis fulfilled this vow.
The conversion of Clovis and the Franks to Christianity opened up the possibility for them to merge with the Gallo-Romans and became one of the most important reasons for Clovis's further successes. He expanded the boundaries of his possessions from the Seine to the Loire, beyond which lay the provinces under the rule ready-arian... The indigenous population of these provinces called on Clovis to fight the Goths. The clergy especially zealously encouraged him to do this.
Around 500, Clovis allied with Gedegisel of Burgundy fought against his brother Gundobald... Clovis defeated Gundobald and forced him to pay tribute, but after Clovis left Gundobald defeated and killed Gedegisel, uniting all of Burgundy in his hands and refused to pay tribute to the Franks.
In 506, Clovis began a campaign to Visigothic kingdom... Wishing that Gallo-Roman population saw in him not an enemy, but a liberator from heretics, Clovis forbade his soldiers to rob the population and take anything from him for free, except water and grass.
At Vugla (near Poitiers), Clovis defeated the Goths, and their king Alaric II was killed. Clovis' son Theodoric subdued the city of Auvergne to the Burgundian border, and Clovis himself took possession of for the most part Aquitaine (excluding Gascony and Septimania). The Franks entered Provence, but then the Ostrogothic king intervened
Theodoric the Great... His troops recaptured the Franks from Arles, and the whole country between Durance and the sea fell into the hands Ostrogoths.
While after defeating the Goths in Tours, Clovis received from Emperor Anastasius a letter to the consulate, reminding of the sovereign rights of the empire to land.
After the Gothic War, Clovis established his capital in Paris, which occupied a central position in the state, and continued to unite the Frankish lands.
In Cologne, the Franks had a king Siegibert... Clovis pointed out to his son Chloderic about Siegibert's old age and weakness and promised him when Siegibert died, his kingdom and his friendship. Then Chloderic killed his father, but in turn was killed by the assassins sent to him. After that, Clovis took over his domain and got the veche to recognize him as his king.
Clovis stripped of power King Hararich and forced him and his son to take holy orders, after which he killed them, taking over the entire kingdom. Cambrai ruled king of Ragnach p, whom his subjects disliked for his passion for luxury. Clovis moved against him and bribed his Levdians, who tied Ragnahar and his brother and gave them to Clovis, who personally killed the king and his brother. Then, by order of Clovis, another was killed brother Rigner, and after that the whole kingdom passed to Clovis.
Gradually, Clovis extended his rule to all the lands of the Franks, which willingly came under the rule of the rich king, who generously rewarded them for their service.
In 511, under Chlodwig, the first in
Clovis I (Clovis, Clodovech; about 466 - November 27, 511) - King of the Franks, ruled in 481 / 482-511, from the Merovingian dynasty. Son of King Childeric I and Queen Bazina of Thuringia. Clovis was undoubtedly one of the greatest politicians of his time.
The main biographer of Clovis is Gregory of Tours, bishop of the city of Tours. Both the chronicler Fredegar, who wrote down his Chronicle in the 7th century, and the anonymous author of the Book of the History of the Franks, who lived in the 8th century, basically repeat Gregory of Tours, without making significant deviations from his text. In addition, some fragments of the correspondence of that time and later records made on the basis of sources that have not survived today have survived to this day.
Gregory of Tours was born less than three decades after the death of Clovis and could personally meet with people who still remembered the late king. And he certainly knew the people who knew the wife of Clovis, Queen Clotilde, who survived the king for 33 years and after the death of her husband retired to Tours, where she spent the rest of her life in the Basilica of St. Martin. Becoming the bishop of Tours and deciding to write his work dedicated to the Frankish kings, later called "History of the Franks", Gregory probably met with people who remembered the stories of the late queen. Apparently, these stories formed the basis of his story about Clovis.
In the story of Clovis, told by Gregory of Tours, fabulous motives that go back to the oral folk tradition, and information ecclesiastical origin... His "History" is rich in instructions, since this text was originally intended to teach, and then turned into a laudatory biography. That's why given source does not meet the requirement of accurate presentation historical facts... The chronology of Clovis' reign is often unclear. Gregory considers the events listed below to be five years: for example, the war with Siagrius took place, according to his information, five years after Clovis's accession to the throne, the war against the Alemanni - fifteen years after the beginning of his reign, the war with the Visigoths - five years before his death. Such presentation of information can be a simplification on the part of the author. But it is also quite possible that these dates are close to the truth. The only one more or less exact date, which scientists have to date, is the date of the death of Clovis in 511. Based on the fact that Gregory notes that Clovis ruled for 30 years and died at 45 years old, we can conclude that he was born about 466, and ascended the throne in about 481 or 482.
The name "Clovis" (Frank. Hlodowig) consists of two parts - the roots "hlod" (that is, "glorified", "outstanding", "eminent") and "wig" (which translates as "fight"). Thus, "Clovis" means "Famous in battle".
Franks and their king Clovis
Barbarians who knew how to shave
In the terrible battle on the Catalaunian fields, a tribe of Franks also fought against the hordes of Attila. The Franks were famous for their martial prowess. Enemies were especially afraid of the battle axes (or battle axes) of the Franks, which they threw at the target with incredible force and accuracy. The Franks lived at first along the lower course of the Rhine on the border with Roman Gaul. Perhaps because of such a close proximity to the Gallo-Romans, the Franks even outwardly differed noticeably from many other Germans. All Franks wore clothing made of cloth, and not of animal skins, as was customary, for example, among the Goths or Lombards. In addition, quite unusual, the Franks cut their hair and shaved their beards. Only members of the royal family were allowed to wear long hair.
Signet-seal of King Childeric's father Clovis
The birth of the Frankish kingdom
At the end of the 5th century. all Frankish tribes were united under his rule by Clovis of the Merovei clan. Acting where by cunning, where by cruelty, he eliminated all the other Frankish leaders and began to rule alone. Clovis gained special respect from his fellow tribesmen for his luck in battles - he managed to defeat the Roman governor who ruled Gaul in 486 and create his own kingdom on the site of this province of the Roman Empire.
Royal dynasty, founded by Clovis, is called the Meroving dynasty after the legendary ancestor of the first king. The Merovingians ruled in the Frankish kingdom until the middle of the 8th century.
The path from the leader of the barbarian tribe to the king big country not simple, not easy. Clovis had to overcome the resistance of his own fellow tribesmen, many of whom saw in his rise a violation of the age-old customs and rights of free Franks. "Has not our leader taken too much power for himself?" they grumbled.
The leader of the relatively few conquerors, the Franks, also had to improve relations with the local population - the Gallo-Romans. And Clovis found the perfect solution.
Baptism of Clovis
Realizing that the Roman Church could become an irreplaceable ally for him, Clovis in 498 was the first of all barbarian leaders to adopt Christianity not in the Arian version, but according to the Roman model. He left paganism and was baptized together with his retinue, and then gradually the rest of the Franks followed them.
"Bow down your proud neck," said to Clovis the baptized Archbishop Remigius of Reims, "burn what you worshiped, and bow down to what you burned!" Many Franks did not approve of Clovis's decision to change the faith, but were afraid of their king. But the Romans were very pleased. "Your faith," wrote one of them to Clovis, "is our victory!"
It is unlikely that Clovis was versed in Christian teaching, and even more so he was not an exemplary Christian. But his act turned out to be very wise. From that time on, the Franks and Romans began to gradually merge into one people - they were not divided by faith, and in addition, acquaintance with Christianity meant for the Franks an introduction to many aspects of Roman culture.
Baptism scene. Miniature (IX century)
For Clovis himself, the adoption of Christianity brought the support of the influential Gallic episcopate. But Clovis may have guessed about another advantage new religion... Christianity teaches that “all power is from God,” which means that this applies to both Clovis himself and his heirs. This was not the case in the beliefs of the ancient Germans. Adoption Christian religion thereby strengthened the king, as if raising him even more above all other tribesmen.
Merovingian state
Customary law
Either Clovis or one of his closest descendants ordered to write down the ancient laws of the Franks. More precisely, these were not laws, but customs. Laws are written by expert jurists for the monarch or parliament, and they then proclaim them in their own name. V early middle ages it was different. No one was allowed to "invent" new laws. One can only follow an old custom. Back then, people believed that only very old norms were correct. Any innovation can only harm. On court session in the trial of any case, special, trustworthy people had to "remember", which is required by the custom in in this case... They passed on their knowledge to their children, and those to their grandchildren. Times have changed, the old norms did not always correspond to the new conditions. Then people, as if against their will, without noticing it themselves, slightly corrected ancient custom... But at the same time, they themselves were completely convinced that they followed the same rules as great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers.
When relationships between people are based on oral custom rather than written law, customary law is said to apply. Customary law used to be very common, especially in the early Middle Ages. The kings of that time, wanting to publish new law, but fearing general dissatisfaction with the "innovation", they often announced that they allegedly managed to find or remember a very ancient custom, which is now almost forgotten by almost everyone ...
"Salic truth"
The record of the old customs of the Franks, made by order of Clovis, has become one of the most famous customary monuments in Europe. It is called "Salic law" or "Salic truth". The name comes from the fact that the collection includes the laws of only one of the Frankish tribes - the Salic Franks.
The king ordered the writing of the customs not at all out of idle curiosity. First of all, he himself wanted to be the chief judge. Now let all the Franks go to court among themselves only on the basis of "Salicheskaya Pravda" - according to the norms approved by the king. If something in these rules is unclear, then the Franks should now turn to the king for clarification. And he could explain the law in such a way that it was beneficial to him. In addition, the king selected which customs should be recorded in the "Salicheskaya Pravda" and which should not. Everything that did not suit him in the ancient customs was, as it were, forgotten by him, and everything that was profitable was described in detail in the collection.
"Salic truth" shows how the power of the German king was growing. He is no longer just a military leader. He strives to be a real sovereign.
In "Salicheskaya Pravda" there is a lot of information about the life of the Franks, about their rituals, economy, beliefs. Some of these customs may seem very strange to us. So, the Franks did not draw up documents about any transaction - say, that the land was transferred from one owner to another. In these cases, the Franks performed a certain ritual or ceremony in front of witnesses. For example, a green stem was passed from the "seller" floor to the "buyer" floor. And it never entered anyone's head that the deal so formalized could be violated. Both the children and grandchildren knew that this plot was passed to another owner on a "legal basis."
The Frankish state arose in 481, on the territory of modern Belgium. The first ruler of the new state was King Clovis, who belonged to the Merovei family. He gained power when he was only fifteen years old.
A few years later, Clovis began conquering the Frankish tribes that lived on the territory of modern France. This territory was then part of a separate Roman province under the rule of Syagrius. Over the course of several years, the king of the Franks managed to seize vast territories, and in the end defeated the governor in battle. But he still managed to escape to the Visigoths. Then the Franks demanded his extradition, to which the Visigoths agreed. Having executed Syagria, Clovis created his kingdom on the conquered territories, this happened in 486. This state became one of the most influential barbarian states in Europe.
After some time, Clovis made an alliance with the Burgundian king. This union was confirmed by the king's marriage to Clotilde. The girl, unlike her husband, was a Christian. And after the wedding, she began to persuade her husband to be baptized. But the king was adamant, although he allowed his wife to profess this faith, and even agreed to baptize his first-born. But he died right at the time of baptism. This made Clovis forget about the idea of adopting Christianity.
In subsequent years, Clovis took up the issue of expanding the borders of his state. As his victim, he chose the tribes of the wild Alemans who lived to the east of the Frankish state. The decisive battle with the Alemans happened in 496 under Tolbiak. The battle itself took place with varying degrees of success. According to legend, Clovis promised that if he won the victory, he would accept Christianity along with his army. The Alemans were defeated, and the king and the Frankish nobility were baptized by the Archbishop of Rheims.
There are several versions of this act of Clovis and his associates. According to one of them, in this way, the king wanted to get closer to the indigenous population of conquered Gaul, which was mostly Christian. According to another version, having adopted Christianity, the Franks wanted to get used to a more developed Roman civilization associated with this particular religion.
By adopting Christianity, Clovis significantly strengthened his power. And the local baptized population began to fully support him. The king also gave the advantage of the fact that he did not accept the Arian version of Christianity, like most of the barbarian tribes, but the orthodox one. This allowed the Frankish tribes to quickly merge with the local Gallo-Roman population. Thus, creating a new Romano-Germanic ethnos, the predecessor of modern European civilization.
Having defeated the Alemans, Clovis decided to expand his state at the expense of the Burgundian lands. The king made a secret alliance with the ruler of Geneva, Godegisil. He has long sought to take Lyon and neighboring lands from his brother Gundobald. With the help of the army of the Franks, Godegisil defeated his brother's army, and he took refuge in Avignon. Gundobald accepted the terms of the winners and pledged to pay tribute to the Franks, and give part of his land to his brother. The next year, thanks to the support of the same Franks, Godegisil killed his brother and became the sole ruler of Burgundy.
The next campaigns of the King of the Franks very often took the form of peculiar religious wars... One of them was the campaign against the Visigoths. They, unlike the Franks, did not accept Christianity. Orthodox rite but Arian. Franks supported local population professed Christianity of the Orthodox rite. Thanks to this, Clovis's campaign was very successful, the entire south-west of France became part of the Frankish kingdom.
Now it had common borders with the Ostrogothic state of Theodoric. A war for Provence almost broke out between them. But the Byzantine emperor Anastasius intervened in time. An enemy of the Ostrogoths, he formed an alliance with the Franks, giving Clovis the title of consul. The emperor's authority was very great at that time, and Theodoric did not dare to oppose his ally.
Clovis's kingdom was strengthened even more. It occupied a huge territory. If earlier only the Salic Franks obeyed the king, now he began to conquer other related tribes with intrigue and bribery. First, according to the slander of Clovis, King Sigiberg was killed by his own son. And then the confidants of King Clovis similarly eliminated other minor Frankish rulers. Thus, all Frankish tribes entered the state of Clovis.
The adoption of Christianity did little to change the king, he still adhered to barbaric traditions. But still, thanks to Christianity, he went down in history not only as an outstanding conqueror, but also as a wise state ruler. He carried out a series of reforms, and they had far-reaching consequences. It is Clodwig who is credited with creating the Salic Truth, a written collection of Frankish laws. The collection includes both new and old judicial customs. During his reign, the first cathedral in the kingdom was built. He also strengthened royalty, which until that time was very weak. Previously, the king was practically no different from the rest of the warriors, receiving even an equal share of the loot with them. But Clovis changed everything. Famous case with a Soissons bowl. He allegedly wanted to take it for himself on top of a share of the booty. But one of the warriors opposed this, cutting it in half. The king did not answer this act, since the warrior did not violate the existing law. But a year later, he killed this warrior, allegedly because his weapon was in poor condition. With this, he frightened other soldiers, and thus strengthened his power.
The first king of the Franks died in 511. The kingdom he created was divided between four sons. Clovis became the founder of a new strong dynasty Merovingian. Its representatives continued to rule the Frankish state for several centuries.
