Who is the Clovis and what did he do. Clovis - King of the Franks: biography, years of rule
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It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this people for the history and development of European civilization. In fact, they became the successors of the culture of the ancient Romans, namely culture and not their form of government, this was continued by Byzantium. After all, it was Paris at the Franks, and not Constantinople, that in the end became the place where all European minds reached out.
Initially, the Franks called a group of Germanic tribes who lived in northern Gaul, on the territory of modern Belgium.
Merovei. Painting by Evarista Vital Lumine. Museum of Fine Arts in Rennes
The lands of some tribes, for example, Sicambri and Salic Francs, were included in and these tribes supplied soldiers with the border troops of the Romans.
One of the reasons that encouraged the Frankish tribes to persistently strive for the Rhine from the 3rd century onwards, in addition to increasing the population, was the pressure of the Saxons, who crossed the Elbe and began to push the small tribes that met on their way to the West and South.
Since the 40s of the III century. Franks begin the invasion of Gaul. Now they are striving for a solid settlement in new places, without, however, leaving purely robber raids, which sometimes went very far: for example, in 260 they crossed all of Gaul and reached Tarracon in Spain.
Around 428, the leader of the Salic Francs, Chlodion, made numerous attacks on the territory of the Romans and was able to include the Roman colony of Cambrai and the lands of the modern Somme department in their possessions. The Kingdom of Chlodion has received new borders. Relatives of Chlodion, the Merovingian dynasty, expanded the borders of the state of the Franks even further south.
Clovis adopted Christianity, and in this his wife Clotilde assigned a large role. Clotilde was the daughter of the King of Burgundy and professed the Christianity of the Nicene Creed. After death, she was canonized.
During his 30-year reign (481 to 511), Clovis defeated the Roman commander Siagrius, subjugating the Roman enclave of Soissons, defeating the Alemans (Battle of Tolbiac, 504), defeating the Franks, defeating the Visigoths at the Battle of Vouillet in 507, having conquered all their kingdom (with the exception of Septimania) with its capital in, and also conquered breton people (according to the statements of the Frankish historian Gregory of Tours), making them vassals of Francia. Towards the end of his 46-year life, Clovis ruled all of Gaul, except for the province Septimania and Burgundy Kingdom in the southeast.
Governing body Merovingian was a hereditary monarchy. The kings of the Franks followed the practice of divisible inheritance: sharing their possessions among their sons. Even when several kings ruled Merovingian, the kingdom - almost like in the later one - was perceived as a single state, collectively led by several kings, and only a series of different kinds of events led to the unification of the whole state under the authority of one king.
The kings of the Merovingians ruled by the right of the anointed of God and their royal greatness was symbolized by long hair and the clamation, which was carried out by raising them on the shield according to the traditions of Germanic tribes at the choice of the leader. After death Clovis in 511, the territories of his kingdom were divided between his four adult sons in such a way that everyone would receive approximately an equal part of the fiscus.
The sons of Clovis chose their cities as capitals around the north-eastern region of Gaul - the heart of the Frankish state. Eldest son
Clovis, king of the Franks, had a rich, colorful tribal history. He was the most striking historical character of the Merovingian dynasty - the first royal dynasty to rule the state, now covering France and Belgium. The name Clovis, meaning "loud battle", and later modified - Louis, fell in love with his descendants and became the most popular name in German and Romanesque Europe.
The historical roots of the Merovingian dynasty
The Merovingian dynasty has Frankish roots: until the 5th century, their ancestors were on German lands, but by the end of the century they went straight to Gaul, and settling there, they just founded a new state. Some historians claim that this state was called "Australia", with a center in the area of \u200b\u200bmodern Lorraine.
The time frame of Merovingian rule: 5-13 centuries. The golden age of the dynasty's reign falls on the period of history, and because of this, the real history of the Merovingians is closely intertwined with German-Scandinavian mythology, which makes historical analysis extremely difficult.
The direct founder of the dynasty is Merovei, the grandfather of Clovis, who brought Roman rule to the lands of Gaul, a fashion for secular education and literacy. All his descendants were not crowned kings. Nevertheless, they were revered by the people, which was built into a kind of ritual cult. Under Merowey, the post of "mayordom" was established - a post similar to the post of chancellor. Since then, all Merovingian monarchs have fulfilled their royal role, and administrative affairs have been transferred to the shoulders of the mayordom.
Sacred regalia and symbols of power
A distinctive imperious symbol of the Merovingians is long hair, the cutting of which was comparable to the renunciation of power. For example, Clotilde, the wife of Clovis, finding herself in a situation of choice: parting with the hair or death of captive grandchildren, agreed to the second option, without sacrificing her power. Long hair was also associated with the paranormal abilities of the Merovingians, including a healing gift. Like the biblical tale of Samson and the treacherous Delilah, cutting hair meant losing strength.
The sacred emblem of the dynasty is golden bees inlaid with garnets.
Bees are a sacred pagan symbol of immortality, eternal life. It was this emblem that Napoleon subsequently borrowed, believing that it would indicate the fact of the historical continuity of his power.
Mythological legend about the founder of the Merovingian dynasty
The meaning of the name Merovey is “glorious battle”. Gregory of Tours describes the legend according to which Merovei was born as a result of the union of his mother with a sea monster. The myth says that at the birth of a son, the mother saw the stubble of a boar on Merovei’s back. Historians associate this myth with the cult of the boar, the patron saint of military affairs and the god of fertility of the ancient Franks.
According to legend, this boar once a year comes ashore from Lake Retra and grants its fans fertility and success in the military field. Subsequently, in Germanic-Scandinavian mythology, one could observe an increase in the cult of the Boar Leader.
What is of interest to chroniclers Clovis, king of the Franks. Meroving's biography and the historical significance of his reign
Clovis I is the name of three Frankish kings from the Merovingian dynasty. What do historians know about him?
Clovis, king of the Franks, grandson of Merovey, son of Hilderich I and Bazina, according to chronicles, was born in about 466. At the age of 15, Clovis became the king for a small part of salic (i.e. sea) francs and closely engaged in expanding the borders of his territory.
Having conquered the territory of Siarpia, Clovis I and the Allied Kings entered the war with the Goths. Not disdaining any intrigues, or meanness, or murders, Clovis cleared all southwestern lands from the Goths. Already in 507, he sat on the throne of the ruler of all French lands. Historians believe that such a success was ensured by his decision to be baptized, dated December 25, 498. His wife Clotilde encouraged the baptism of the king.
During his reign, Clovis, king of the Franks, made Paris the capital of the conquered lands. And by initiating the creation of a set of Frankish laws, he also opened a new chapter in all of North European history.
Clovis died in Paris in 511, leaving all his lands as an inheritance to his sons.
Campaign against Siarpia. Tradition of the Soissons Cup
Having assumed the post of king, Clovis began to act according to the plan for the gradual seizure of all Gallic lands. The strategy was this: in order to get to the Gothic and Burgundy lands, which constituted a tidbit, it was necessary to subordinate the lands of Siarpia, adjacent to the coveted territory.
It was not difficult for Clovis to seize the land of Siarpia, and soon he was gradually getting city by city towards the land of the Burgundians. The troops of Clovis did not shun any means of quick gain. In military campaigns, churches and temples were often robbed.
The following legend is widely known. As a result of the next raid on the church, the Franks and their king Clovis came across an extremely valuable mug. This item was so important that the bishop literally begged the king to return it to the temple. Clovis was adamant and demanded that the circle be identified in his share of the trophies. All the companions of the king were not against such a division, however, one of the Franks opposed and, hitting the mug with the sword, angrily told the king that he should not use his position and receive trophies beyond the established measure.
The king pretended to forgive him this trick, and even returned the mug to the bishop, however, a year later, at a review of the troops, he accused the warrior of breaking his arms from the hands of the ax and throwing him to the ground, and when the warrior bent over her, cut his skull in half.
Baptism of Clovis: Prerequisites and Consequences
The prerequisites for the adoption of Christianity by Clovis were his marriage to the zealous Catholic Clotilde, Princess of Burgundy. Having ascended the royal throne, Clotilde desperately tried to force her husband to accept her faith.
These attempts have been unsuccessful for a very long time. No matter how Clotilde Hlodwig proved the inconsistency of his gods, pointing to their similarity with ordinary, petty, vicious people, he stood his ground and answered her that he believes in his gods, and the god of Christianity is implausible, because he does not manifest himself and cannot create miracles.
Strongly pushed Clovis from the Christian faith and the fact that Clotilde’s firstborn died directly during baptism, in the font. Clovis at that time was sure that if the child was given under the protection of pagan gods, he would be alive.
Nevertheless, the water wears away the stone, and Clotilde achieved her goal. Around 498, the Gallic king was baptized.
According to the tradition of the church, this happened at the battle with the Almandians. When Clovis began to lose the battle, he cried out in vain to his gods for help, and when there was almost no hope of salvation, the king remembered the words of prayer to Jesus the Savior, uttered them, and the Franks, after a successful maneuver, defeated the Almandians.
The king was baptized in the city of Reims in 496. The conversion of Clovis and his closest subjects to the Christian faith opened up wide opportunities for friendship with the Gallo-Romans, which allowed him to significantly expand his possessions.
Religious Policy of the Merovingian Dynasty
An interesting fact is that the newly-formed state of Australia did not become Christian in the literal sense of the word even after the baptism of Clovis and his closest retinue. Despite all the efforts of the sincere Christian Clotilde, her husband did not come to true faith. As before, the people were loyal to pagan customs, rituals and the Scandinavian pantheon.
The Clovis from the Merovingian dynasty was not particularly worried about the fate of Christianity in its lands. After baptism, nothing changed in his state policy, so the task of spreading the Christian faith fell on the shoulders of missionaries arriving from other parts of Europe. In the vicinity of Paris and Orleans, as well as other broad Merovingian possessions, the process of active "catholicization" of the local population began. Interestingly, the head of the Catholic Church did not gain authority in the Austrian lands, and a little later it was he who contributed to the overthrow of the Merovingian dynasty from the throne.
This is proved once again by the fact that the adoption of Christianity for Clovis, as well as for the Russian prince Vladimir, was a purely political cunning multi-way. The characterization of Clovis, king of the Franks, is generally very similar to that of Vladimir, Prince of Kievan Rus: they both baptized themselves and baptized their retinue based on political motives, namely, for friendship with Byzantium. Also noteworthy is the similarity of the scenario after the baptism: as Gaul after the baptism of Clovis remained predominantly pagan, so Kievan Rus after Vladimir’s baptism did not initially accept the Christian faith, but remained with its pagan pantheon.
Gothic war
When Clovis, king of the Franks, was converted to Christianity, an era of success began in relations with the Gallo-Romans. Closely getting close to the Gothic lands, Clovis, already receiving the support of the higher clergy, began the war in 500 year against Gundobald, the uncle of his wife Clotilde, who killed her parents and brothers for the throne. In the year 506, victory was won, and the conqueror finally entered the Visigoth kingdom. Clovis, according to Gregory of Tours, was extremely worried by the fact that the Goths oppressed some part of Gaul, so that the war undertaken by him was called sacred, which was extremely pleased by the higher clergy.
Finally, Clovis struck the Goths near Poitiers, on Vuglo. Having killed Alarich, the king is ready, the conqueror finally became convinced of his power and was so proud that soon the Byzantine emperor Anastasius was excited and sent a letter to the consulate in order to indicate to Hlodwig his subordinate place and to confirm the primacy of the empire over all the lands that he had freed from the ready.
Brutal strategy to kill all potential adversaries
How can one describe the management of Clovis? After a successful Gallic war, he began to systematically destroy all his opponents, Gallic leaders. Capturing their lands and destroying everyone in a row, the king soon possessed almost all of Gaul.
The closest relatives, the brothers Rignomer and Richard, were personally killed by Clovis. The King of the Franks, whose biography is replete with many other "accidental" violent deaths of competitors, was not quick-tempered: not a single murder happened affectingly, opponents were destroyed gradually, cunningly and imperceptibly.
In the end, Clovis killed all those who during his reign didn’t please him: Hararich, the king who refused to help in the battle against Siagrius, and his son, in order to stop the encroachment on the father’s throne. So did Clovis with the leaders of the Rhine Franks: Siegibert, his ally, he killed his son with his hands, promising the latter his support for patricide, and When Chloderic killed his father Zygibert, and Clovis entered the kingdom, he declared Chloderich a traitor, killed him and he himself took the throne.
A case is known when Clovis convened all his people and poured out their soul, complaining that he had no more relatives left who could support him. The whole cunning plan was to find out if the king still had any random relatives whom he would kill with great joy too.
Kingdom of Clovis as a new stage in French history
After the end of the Gothic war, Clovis made Paris the capital of all his lands and settled there. Then the king ordered the construction of the Cathedral of the Apostles Peter and Paul (now the church of St. Genevieve). After the death of Clovis in 511, he was buried there.
In 511, just before his death, Clovis initiated the first Frankish Church Council in Orleans with the goal of transforming the Gallic church. He also contributed to the establishment of Salicheskaya Pravda, the code of laws of the Franks.
After the death of the king, his possessions were divided by his four sons. Clotilde, numbered among the saints, moved to Tours and spent the rest of her days in the Basilica of St. Martin.
So, the story of Clovis remains heroic. Even despite some negative, unpleasant moments of his biography. The successful reign of Clovis launched the process of forming a kind of renewed Roman Empire - a state, the symbol of which was a mutually beneficial union between the state and the church, between the secular power of the Merovingians and the spiritual power of the Christian diocese.
The founder of the Kingdom of the Franks, Clovis, ascended the throne when he was fifteen. He owned only a small territory. But after continuous wars, his state turned into a powerful kingdom. It has reached truly colossal proportions. From now on, no one could ignore the interests of Clovis - the king of the Franks. Interesting facts from the life of this ruler are in the article. So, everything in order ...
The death of the empire
At the end of the fifth century, the power of the governors of the Roman Empire in Gaul, in principle, remained. But Rome, which had already weakened from within, was not able to withstand the pressure of the barbarians, who were attacking the imperial frontiers from all sides. First of all, this applied to the Germans.
In 476, the last emperor of the Roman Empire was finally overthrown. This event did not make much impression on the Gauls, for by this time the empire was already almost entirely divided between the leaders of the Germans. However, many of them have not recognized the Roman government for a long time. In fact, only the middle strip of Gaul still belonged to Rome and was governed by the governor. But we will return to this a bit later.
In total, 4 Germanic peoples dominated in Gaul. These were the Alemans, Visigoths, Burgundians and, in fact, the Franks, who were considered the most powerful. At one appearance, they terrified strangers.
Initially, Franks squads invaded the territory with the goal of a banal robbery. But over time, they began to create their own settlements.
Among them were Salic francs, whose tribe was one of the first. They got the name from the Sala River. The Merovingian clan ruled over them.
Descendants of Merovei
The king of the Franks, Clovis, belonged to the Merovingian dynasty. All of them had to wear very long hair. The fact is that for these leaders a short hairstyle was a terrible shame. Hair cutting for them meant not only their incapacity, but also the inability to perform royal functions.
The founder of the clan Merovey managed to subjugate a large territory, including modern Belgium. By this time, Tournai was the capital of the state of Salic Francs.
After the death of Merovey, his son named Childeric ascended the throne. The unshakable glory of his father was compromised by his actions. At least he was known as a terrible libertine. Actually, because of this, Childeric was driven out by his own subjects. He hid at the Touring. There he started another novel. His chosen one was Queen Bazina. After some time, the Franks again called for the rule of the loving king.
From the connection of the crowned persons, the future king was born, the founder of the state of the Franks Clovis.
Fifteen year old king
The biography of the king of the Franks of Clovis began around 466. This Frankish name means "glorified in battle."
How did Clovis become king of the francs? He ascended the throne at the age of fifteen when his father, Childeric, passed away. He inherited a small territory of Salic francs with the city of Tournai.
And most of Gaul, recall, belonged to the Roman governor. In this case, Siagria. He was destined to become the last representative of this great state. The capital was the city of Soissons. He bordered on the Frankish possessions.
By and large, for five centuries this people faithfully served Rome. But a series of subsequent events showed that they were able to adopt military experience from the Romans themselves. Subsequently, they were able to use it with enviable success in a war with their once powerful rival.
The young Franks king Clovis (a brief biography confirms this) clearly understood that the state of the Roman governor was doomed. To this end, he formed an army and went to the land of Siagria.
Soissons and his bowl
In the war against Siagria, the twenty-year-old Clovis was supported by his relative - King Ragnahar. As a result, in a decisive battle at Soissons, their troops defeated the army of the governor. He had to flee to Toulouse, where the ruler of the Visigoths Alaric II ruled.
After some time, at the request of the young king of the Franks, Siagrius was nevertheless extradited, and a little later the unfortunate governor was executed.
However, this execution did not mean at all that the possessions of Siagria immediately passed to the king of the Franks. For several years he was forced to take one city after another.
In addition, the Franks were pagans. Therefore, Clovis had to build good relations with the Catholic clergy. Of course, this did not happen right away. Especially since the Franks were robbing in churches.
There is a legend in this regard. After the victory at Soissons, the Franks began the division of the loot. One of the Roman bishops found out that among the trophies is a valuable church cup for him and believers. He asked Clovis to give the vessel to the temple. The king was not opposed, and all the soldiers agreed with this decision. But one of the Franks demanded that Clovis receive only what he would get by lot. Moreover, the warrior broke his ax with a bowl in half. The franc ruler was silent and ordered the trophy to be sent to the clergyman.
In just one year, another military review took place. Clovis recognized that franc. He threw his ax on the ground and rebuked that in his hands this weapon is very poorly contained. When the unfortunate man began to bend down to raise the ax, Clovis killed him, saying that he had done the same with the bowl in Soissons.
Honestly, it affected everyone. "Famous in the battles" began to be afraid. But here the clergy appreciated the good will of the autocrat. Representatives of Catholicism in this Roman province recognized the power of Clovis.
Another hike
Over time, Clovis became a good diplomat. He managed not only to enter into numerous alliances, but also to continue to pursue an active conquest policy that went on almost continuously.
At the same time, the army was rather small. The number of soldiers in the army of Clovis ranged from three to five thousand people. But, recall, she was perfectly organized.
So, the king of the Franks Clovis (a brief biography of which is set forth in the article) with the army successfully attacked the king of Burgundy Gundobald. After that he went into the possession of the Alemans. The battle against them took place in the Tolbiac area. Clovis won a landslide victory. The lands of the Alemans passed to the Franks. In addition, this battle is very important in its consequences. The fact is that the wife of the king of the Franks, Clotilde - the princess of Burgundy and an ardent Christian - has long convinced him to abandon paganism. However, Clovis himself hesitated until the aforementioned battle with the Alemans happened ...
The baptism of the king of francs
When the battle against the Alemans began, the enemy began to win. At this moment, Clovis, according to legend, vowed that if the Franks won the battle, he would be baptized. The king’s army already had enough Gallo-Roman Christians. Hearing the words of the ruler, they were inspired by his speech, and as a result became the winners in this fierce duel. It was after this event that Clovis in a solemn atmosphere adopted the rite of baptism. He was not baptized alone. Almost three thousand of his soldiers were immediately converted. Subsequently, all other francs also became Catholics.
Although many fellow tribesmen could not come to terms with the decision of the monarch. But they remained silent, knowing his wayward character. But the Romans accepted the fact of the baptism of the king as their victory. He was hardly well versed in the new religion and, most likely, was not an exemplary and benevolent Christian. But his act in fact has become more than wise. Indeed, since then, the Romans and Franks began to merge into a single people. No faith could separate them. Also, thanks to acquaintance with the Christian doctrine, the Franks began to join in many aspects of the culture of Rome.
In addition, the influential Gallo-Roman episcopate began to provide all kinds of support to Clovis. Perhaps the king himself guessed about the obvious advantage of the new faith. And religion taught that any power is from God. The pagans have never had such a postulate. Accordingly, the adoption of Christianity a priori strengthened the influence of Clovis. And the international prestige of the state has increased significantly. In the end, the young ruler was noticed even in Constantinople. So, Emperor Anastasius decided to send ambassadors to him. In a word, for the Frankish state, these steps once again confirmed the legitimacy of the power of Clovis.
Thus, the merits of the ruler of the Franks before the church were quite great as the baptizer of his kingdom. The wife of the monarch Clotilde was generally canonized. But then they did not give Hlodvig a halo of holiness. Apparently, the reason was one - the severe nature and cynical acts of the king. The characterization of Clovis, king of the Franks, contains many negative points. He first of all always looked for practical benefit in Christianity. And becoming a Catholic, he easily continued to deal with rivals.
Crusade of Clovis
In general, baptism was beneficial to Clovis and politically. The king was now considered the protector of all the Catholics of Southern Gaul, who were under the rule of the rulers of the Visigoth state ... For him, this was a great occasion to start conducting military operations against this kingdom. In fact, the war took on the character of a real “crusade”.
So, in the 507th, the 41-year-old king of the Franks, Clovis from the Merovingian dynasty entered the territory of the Visigoths, who, like the Arians, did not like the Gentiles. Therefore, in these lands, the clergy with enviable zeal helped the Catholic conqueror.
At the end of the summer of that year, a decisive battle with the Visigoths took place on the plain of Vouillet. As a result, Clovis once again won. The Visigothic army fled, and King Alaric II was defeated on the battlefield. After this, the Franks without further complications continued to move deeper into the once-largest kingdom. Soon the Visigoth state with the capital of Toulouse ceased to exist at all.
The following year, Clovis, king of the Franks (photo, or rather a portrait of him, you can see in the article) moved to Paris. This city became the new residence of the king. The choice of the monarch was completely random. At one time, the Roman garrison was located in Paris. Accordingly, a fortress was erected there. In addition, the city was also the residence of the rulers of Rome before the fall of the empire. So the decision to choose Paris as a residence was quite symbolic. Indeed, now Clovis began to live in apartments in the palace of the former Roman governors.
Treacherous king
In a word, over time, Clovis turned into a real king and politician. He tried in every possible way to maintain his power and expand the Frankish state. And for this, he never stopped at nothing.
By and large, the insidiousness of the king of the Franks of Clovis (years of reign - 481-511) knew no limits at all. As a cold-blooded killer, he ordered to destroy not only friends and associates, but often even distant relatives. If, of course, he felt real rivals in them. As a result, he managed to exterminate them in various ways. Thus, he annexed these territories to his state. And all the wealth of the dead, unashamedly, he appropriated to himself.
So, he decided to kill the siblings of Rignomer and Richard. And on the ruler of the Ripuar francs, Sigebert, who ruled in Cologne, set his offspring, who eliminated his native parent. True, Sigebert's son was subsequently also killed by the envoys of the Frankish monarch. As a result, all these possessions passed to Clovis, who declared that he was completely not involved in these tragic events.
In other cases, the Frankish king was forced to resort to military force. For example, after a short military operation, the monarch Ragnahar, who ruled in Cambrai, was betrayed and extradited to the consul of the Franks, after which Ragnahar was executed.
King Hararik and his son were also captured. Clovis forcibly cut his hair and declared Hararik a priest, and his son a deacon. After some time, the founder of the Frankish state considered this all insufficient, after which both were killed.
By and large, such strife in the crowned families has long occurred among the Germans. But here the king of the Franks Clovis (years of life - 466-511) managed to give them a truly colossal scale. Contemporaries of the king drew attention to this. Indeed, in those days, among relatives, mutual assistance and solidarity were not yet an empty phrase.
True, perhaps later Clovis suffered from remorse. In any case, according to legend, he once said that now he is a stranger among foreigners and relatives who could help him, no longer exists ...
King sunset
In the last years of his life, Clovis managed to capture a number of small kingdoms and regions. As a result, on the left coast of the Rhine there were no more independent possessions besides the Frankish state.
The first collection of laws was also created. It was called "Salic truth." In addition, a few months before the death of the emperor, the first church council was convened. It took place in Orleans. The event was attended by more than three dozen bishops, half of whom were francs.
The glorified King Clovis was gone at the very end of the fall of the 511th. He died in Paris. He was only forty-five. He was buried according to Christian custom in the Cathedral of St. Genevieve. By the way, this temple was built by his order. He was on the very spot where the patroness of Paris was buried.
Inheritance
When Clovis was gone, his four sons divided the state among themselves. It was a tribute to the Frankish tradition. Then the division of the inheritance continued on the part of the grandchildren of the deceased emperor of the Franks. The inevitable consequence of this section was another feud in the Merovingian family. In these feuds, treacherous murders and other cruelties were always present.
Clotilde, the widow of the king, after the death of Clovis moved to Tours. It was there that she began to serve in the monastery of St. Martin. She rarely visited Paris and spent all days more than modestly.
She outlived her husband for thirty-three years. She was buried with him ...
The beginning of the history of the French kingdom. Merovingian Dynasty. Clovis
Franks are German barbarian tribes that initially lived beyond the Rhine. The name franc (“courageous”, “free”, “free”) appears only in the middle of the 3rd century. The relations of the Franks with the Romans were quite friendly. In the Battle of the Catalun Fields (451), the Franks fought on the side of the Romans as federates. The tribes of the Franks were divided into two large groups: salic francs living along the coast of the Baltic Sea, and coastal francs living on both banks of the Rhine. The most powerful were salic francs. At first they subdued the coastal francs, and this was their first step in the conquest of new lands. Salic francs are especially strengthened under King Clovis (481-511).
The history of the Franks is reflected in two sources: in the code of customary law - “Salic truth”, which owes its name to this tribe, and in “History of the Franks” by Bishop Gregory of Tours. Gregory of Tours was either a Gaul or a Roman by birth. King Clovis continued the tradition of Theodorich, who invited the noble and learned Romans to his place. Gregory of Tours wrote The History of the Francs in the second half of the 6th century, after the death of Clovis, but from living memories of his children, grandchildren, entourage, etc. His descriptions of the royal family, with which he was closely associated, are interesting. Frankish king V-VI centuries. was still very much like a barbarian. Gregory of Tours writes that Clovis himself and all members of the royal family wore long hair, and this is no accident. There was a pagan belief that survived after the Christianization of the Frankish state. According to this belief, in the long hair of the members of the royal family there is a certain mystical power that gives health, strength, good luck, victory in battles, etc. And when the Franks wanted to depose the king, the first thing they did was shave him naked, thereby depriving him of all mystical properties.
Clovis was an outstanding figure, whose name is associated with all the major events of this period in the life of the Frankish state, which under him developed rapidly. In the 5th century, when the Germanic tribes of the Franks came from the Rhine to the West, Clovis conquered primarily Romanized Gaul. Only the central part of Gaul, with its center in Paris, ruled by the Roman tycoon Siagrius, remained independent. Having conquered northern Gaul, Clovis descends south, i.e. goes to Paris. Siagrius could not resist the Franks and fled to the Visigoth king (at that time the Visigoth kingdom was in the south of Gaul). The Visigoth king betrays Siagrius to Clovis, and he kills him.
Having conquered a large and important territory in the center of Gaul (the basin of the Seine and the Loire), Clovis settles Franks on it and generously gives them land. Thus, the center of the future France becomes the territory of the continuous settlement of the Franks. By the end of his reign, Clovis had already advanced significantly south of Gaul, reaching the Garonne River. Here he had to meet with the Visigoths. Clovis conquers large areas of the Visigoth of Toulouse kingdom. After the death of Clovis, moving further south, the Visigoths cross the Pyrenees and form a new state in the territory of future Spain with the center in the city of Toledo.
Clovis tried to conquer Burgundy, but he did not succeed. Burgundy was conquered by his descendants. Nevertheless, Clovis had a strong influence on the Kingdom of Burgundy. In the mid 90's. V century Clovis accepts Christianity. According to legend, Clovis did not dare to accept Christianity for a long time, until in one of the battles he suffered a major defeat and a threat loomed over his life. Then he swore that if he wins the battle and remains alive, he will accept Christianity. He won the battle, survived and accepted Christianity. However, there was another reason that made Clovis adopt Christianity. He had a wife, a Visigothic princess, and she was a Christian, so it’s probably not just a battle that is dangerous to the king’s life. Together with Clovis, Christianity and its squad are accepted. Gradually converted to Christianity and the lower layers of Frankish society.
The adoption of Christianity had extremely important consequences for the Franks, not only spiritual, but also political. As a result of the conquest of the romanized Gaul, the Franks themselves gradually become romanized, becoming less and less like barbarians. Supported by the clergy, Clovis and his successors were able to more successfully conduct conquests both in Gaul and in the east, where the barbarian Germanic tribes still lived - beyond the Rhine, along the banks of the Rhine, etc. Clovis himself conquers three quarters of Gaul, the rest of the territory will be conquered by his sons and grandchildren. As happens after the death of a major statesman, after the death of Clovis, feuds broke out between his sons and grandchildren. They were in constant hostility among themselves, nevertheless, Western rationalism was already affecting, and the sons of Clovis continued the expansion of the Frankish state. In the first half of the VI century. they managed to do what Clovis could not do: they conquer Burgundy, and also seize the last possessions of the Visigoths in Gaul. Over the Rhine, they subjugate more and more barbarian German territories: Allemania, Thuringia, Bavaria. The Franks manage to subjugate even the rebellious Saxons. In the second half of the VI century. The Frankish kingdom is the largest of all the barbarian kingdoms: it united the entire territory of modern France and most of the territory of modern Germany. This huge state becomes the overlord state for the rest of the barbarian states, for the entire barbarian world.
The social system of Franks V - beg. VI centuries reflected in Salicheskaya Pravda, a compilation of the judicial customs of the Franks, recorded, apparently, under Clovis (or a little later). “Salic truth” reflected the peculiarity of the transition of salic francs from patrimonial relations to feudal ones.
The Franks, who settled in northern Gaul, in the Loire Basin, spoke the Frankish dialect. But since the large indigenous population, consisting of Romanized Gauls, Visigoths and Burgundians, spoke Latin, the Franks gradually learn this language. The combination of the Latin language and the Frankish dialect served as the basis for the folding of the Old French language.
Franks had primitive writing. They knew the runic letter, which was used by almost all the barbarians.
According to Salicheskaya Pravda, the main figure of the Frankish society of this time was a free franc - a full member of the rural community, a free landowner. After the death of Clovis, the Franks began the process of feudalization, which was expressed primarily in the gradual disappearance of a free franc, a free peasant. The peasant begins to lose his independence and more and more turns into a serf. The growth of large land ownership, accompanied by a reduction in the royal land fund, the disappearance of a significant part of the free peasantry, which previously depended only on the king and supplied him with the main military forces - all these processes led to tragic consequences for the royal power.
The dynasty to which Clovis belonged was the first royal dynasty of the Franks. She is known by the name of the Merovingian dynasty (on behalf of the legendary predecessor of Clovis, Merovey). After the death of Clovis, the Merovingian dynasty became very weak due to inevitable strife: the grandchildren and children of Clovis fought among themselves for 40 years.
