How Clovis and the comparison tribe ruled. Clovis I - short biography. Sacred regalia and symbols of power
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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 family of Merovei. He gained power when he was only fifteen years old.
A few years later, Clovis began the conquest of the Frankish tribes living in the territory of modern France. This territory was then part of a separate Roman province under the control of Syagrius. The king of the Franks managed to capture vast territories over the course of several years, and eventually 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 Syagrius, Clovis created his kingdom in the conquered territories, this happened in 486. This state became one of the most influential barbarian states in Europe.
After some time, Clovis entered into 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 convince 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 during the 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. He chose as his victim the tribes of wild Alemanni living to the east of the Frankish state. The decisive battle with the Alemanni took place in 496 at Tolbiak. The battle itself took place with varying degrees of success. According to legend, Clovis promised that if he won, he would convert to Christianity along with his army. The Alemanni were defeated, and the king and the Frankish nobility were baptized by the Archbishop of Reims.
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 join the more developed Roman civilization, which was 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 had an advantage from the fact that he did not accept the Arian version of Christianity, like most barbarian tribes, but the orthodox one. This allowed the Frankish tribes to quickly merge with the local Gallo-Roman population. Thus creating a new Romance-Germanic ethnos, the predecessor of modern European civilization.
Having won the victory over the Alemanni, Clovis decided to expand his state at the expense of the Burgundian lands. The king entered into a secret alliance with the ruler of Geneva, Godegisil. He had long sought to take Lyon and neighboring lands from his brother Gundobald. With the help of the Frankish army, Godegisil defeated his brother's army, and he took refuge in Avignon. Gundobald accepted the conditions of the victors and undertook to pay tribute to the Franks and give part of his lands 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 following 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, adopted Christianity not of the Orthodox rite but of the Arian one. The Franks were supported by the local population who professed Orthodox Christianity. Thanks to this, Clovis' campaign turned out to be very successful; the entire southwest of France became part of the Frankish kingdom.
Now it had common borders with the Ostrogothic state of Theodoric. A war for Provence even almost broke out between them. But the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius intervened in time. Being an enemy of the Ostrogoths, he entered into an alliance with the Franks, giving Clovis the title of consul. The authority of the emperor was very great at that time, and Theodoric did not dare to oppose his ally.
Clovis's kingdom grew even stronger. It occupied a huge territory. If previously only the Salic Franks were subordinate to the king, now he began to conquer other related tribes through intrigue and bribery. First, by the slander of Clovis, King Sigiberg was killed by his own son. And then the trusted people of King Clovis eliminated other minor Frankish rulers in a similar way. Thus, all Frankish tribes entered the state of Clovis.
The adoption of Christianity changed the king little; he still adhered to barbarian traditions. But thanks to Christianity, he went down in history not only as an outstanding conqueror, but also as a wise state ruler. He introduced a series of reforms, and they had far-reaching consequences. It is Clovis 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 kingdom's first cathedral was built. He also strengthened royal power, which until that time had been very weak. Previously, the king was practically no different from other warriors, even receiving an equal share of the spoils. But Clovis changed everything. The famous case of the Soissons Bowl. He allegedly wanted to take it for himself on top of his share of the spoils. But one of the warriors opposed this, cutting her in half. The king did not respond to 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. By this he intimidated other warriors, and thus strengthened his power.
The first king of the Franks died in 511. The kingdom he created was divided among his four sons. Clovis became the founder of a new strong Merovingian dynasty. Its representatives continued to govern the Frankish state for several centuries.
Around 481, only 15 years old. The Franks then owned only a relatively small area, which included modern Belgium and the neighboring territories of Germany and the Netherlands.
The center of present-day France with Paris (Roman Lutetia) was an independent possession of the Roman governor Syagrius. In 486 Clovis invaded this state and defeated Syagrius in battle. The conquest of the lands subject to him lasted, however, more than one year. Many cities withstood the Frankish siege for a long time, but Clovis still conquered them all one by one. Syagrius fled to the Visigothic king Alaric II, but the Franks achieved his extradition. By order of Clovis, Syagrius was executed.
Already after this first success of Clovis, the Frankish region turned into one of the most powerful German kingdoms that then arose from the ruins of the Western Roman Empire. Clovis soon married the daughter of the Burgundian king, Clotilde. Clotilde was a zealous Christian and began to persuade her pagan husband to accept the faith of Jesus.
Saint Clotilde, wife of Clovis I. 12th century statue, Corbeil Abbey
To the east of the Frankish possessions there was a region of wild and predatory Alemannov. Clovis started a war against them too. In the decisive battle with the Alamanni at Tolbiak (496), victory wavered for a long time. According to legend, at the height of the battle, Clovis made a vow that he would convert to Christianity if he defeated his enemies. He managed to win the battle, and he, along with three thousand other Franks, was baptized by the Archbishop of Reims. It is unknown how much one can believe this legend. A select part of the Frankish nobility and Clovis could rather be persuaded to change religion by the need for closer rapprochement with the inhabitants of the parts of Gaul they conquered, who were mostly Christians. Another reason was the charm of a higher Roman civilization, which in the last century and a half before that began to be associated specifically with the Christian faith.
The baptism of Clovis. 13th century miniature
It is important to note that Clovis was baptized Orthodox rite. Orthodoxy was then called in the West the dominant doctrine among the “Roman” inhabitants, different from Arian heresy. Arianism was professed by the majority of the Germans and their kings, who divided the remains of the Western Empire. Religious strife between Arianism and Orthodoxy intensified the hatred of the conquered inhabitants of Italy, Spain and Southern Gaul towards the German conquerors. The Franks, who converted to Orthodoxy, eliminated the religious difference between themselves and the subject “Roman” population. Religious unity with their subjects not only strengthened their power over the already occupied areas, but also should have helped their expansion - primarily through the war with the Visigoths.
Data and processing of material sources are not always accurate.
1.1. Written sources
It was thanks to a comparative analysis of all these documents and chronicles that most researchers came to the conclusion that Clovis died on November 27 of the year.
1.2. Material sources
Approximate chronology of the reign of Clovis I:
- - The Ripuarian Franks captured Trier.
- - Clovis's victorious raid against the Visigoths at Saintonge.
- - Church Council in Agdi, in which 25 bishops, 8 priests and 2 deacons took part (they were representatives of the bishops of their diocese).
2.1. Gaul late 5th century
2.2. Expansion of the Frankish kingdom to the east
All his life, Clovis sought to preserve and increase his kingdom, and then, according to German tradition, pass it on to his sons. For this purpose, he overcame all obstacles without hesitation - he ordered the killing of all the Frankish and Trans-Rhine leaders (and many of them were his long-time allies), often the same fate reached the close and distant relatives of his rivals. Clovis even went so far as to kill his own brothers, Richard and Rignomer. This guaranteed the stability of the legacy and the absence of other claimants to it except his own sons.
At the same time, Clovis entered into numerous alliances and pursued an active policy of conquest. Before baptism, he had only 3-5 thousand people at his disposal, but the actions of the Frankish warriors were very successful due to the experience that they gained in the service of the Roman Empire in battles against other barbarians.
Despite the difficult fighting, Clovis continually prospered. This is due to the fact that he was not as harsh a ruler as other German leaders. At least for the Gallo-Roman population, it was important that the Franks adopted Catholicism and were partially Romanized, while the same Visigoths, also Christians, but of the Arian type, held Aquitaine with an iron fist and were not very tolerant of the Gallo-Roman population.
Finally, Clovis conquered almost the entire north of modern France. In the year he united with the Ripuarian francs. Then, within a year, he began an offensive to the south. First of all, Clovis overthrew Syagrius, the last Roman governor, and annexed his kingdom, located between the Seine and Loire. There he conquered and sacked the cities of Senlis, Beauvais, Soissons and Paris.
2.3. Baptism of the Franks
After the wedding, as Gregory of Tours says, Clotilde did everything to convince her husband to convert to the Catholic faith. But Clovis did not dare to take this step for a long time.
The chronicle of Gregory of Tours tells that after the birth of her first son Ingomer, Clotilde asked her husband for permission to baptize the child. Clovis agreed, but the child died soon after baptism. The king became very angry and, as Fredegar reports, exclaimed: “If the boy had been sanctified in the name of my gods, he would have lived.” Therefore, when Clotilde gave birth to her second son, Chlodomir, the king forbade baptism to be performed on him. Soon the child fell ill and Clotilde began to pray fervently. Finally, Clodomir recovered, but despite the healing and constant admonitions of his wife, Clovis refused to reject paganism.
In addition, if Clovis converted to Christianity, he could lose the support of his people. Like all Germans, the Franks believed that the military king could achieve victories only with the support of the pagan gods. If the king’s soldiers decided to convert to Christianity, they would most likely become Arians. In this case, the king was believed to be chosen by God and to be the chairman of the Church.
However, Clovis needed the support of the Catholic clergy, since they were representatives of the Gallo-Roman controlled population. Bishops had full power in rich cities since Roman civil authority was abolished there. However, even the Church found it difficult to maintain contact between its representatives - bishops were expelled from the Visigothic lands and there was no one to replace them; in Rome, representatives of the clergy fought for the papal throne, not to mention the quarrels that broke out among clergy determined to support the Visigoths or the Franks.
According to the History of the Franks, Clovis decided to be baptized in the year at the height of the battle with the Alamanni. When the enemy began to gain the upper hand over his soldiers, the king vowed to convert to the Christian faith if Christ granted victory to the Franks (there is an analogy with the baptism of the Byzantine emperor Constantine). During the slaughter, Clovis was surrounded and he was about to die, but at that moment the leader of the Alamans was mowed down with an arrow and the hostile warriors began to flee. The Franks won.
According to other sources, the Battle of Tolbiacu was just one of the reasons for the adoption of Christianity. Clovis's final enlightenment took place when he visited the grave of St. Martin of Tours.
Be that as it may, Clovis, his sister Albofleda, three thousand Frankish soldiers received the sacrament of baptism from Saint Remigius in the Cathedral of Reims on December 25 of the year. Later, the king’s second sister, Lantehilda, who also professed Arianism, converted to Catholicism.
This baptism left a special imprint on the further history of France - almost all French kings were subsequently crowned at Reims Cathedral (until Charles X in 2006).
In addition, the baptism of Clovis became the starting point of a close relationship between the clergy and the Frankish (and later French) monarchy, a connection that would be broken only in the 19th century. Now the king had to be crowned in the name of God. The conversion to Catholicism allowed Clovis to gain influence and power over the Gallo-Roman population. Moreover, he now had powerful support - the Catholic clergy. From that moment on, Latin became the official language of office work in the Frankish state.
The scene of the baptism of Clovis has repeatedly inspired artists and sculptors both in the Middle Ages and in later times.
2.4. Expansion of the kingdom to the south
6. Royal Tomb
Clovis I and his family. Miniature from the "Grand Chronicles of France"
In fact, the monument over the relics of the saint was not completed. Therefore, most likely, Clovis was buried, as Gregory of Tours writes, in sacrarium Cathedral of the Apostles, that is, in a mausoleum built like a tomb, which can be compared with the tomb of the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.
About 33 years later, Clotilde, who lived in the monastery of St. Martin in Tours, was buried next to her husband. Gregory of Tours, who settled in Tours in the city, heard stories of people who knew Clotilde at one time. It is likely that these stories could serve as sources for writing his “History”.
7. Distribution of the kingdom in 511
After the death of Clovis, his sons Theodoric, Clodomir, Childebert and Clothar, following Frankish traditions, divided the kingdom among themselves. At that time, most of the lands of Gaul were conquered, with the exception of Provence, Septimania and the kingdom of the Burgundians.
The Frankish kingdom was divided into three more or less equal parts. The fourth part between the Rhine and the Loire went to Theodoric, the eldest son of Clovis, who was born from the king’s marriage to a pagan. This was a large part, since it included about a third of the lands of all of Gaul.
The distribution of the kingdom took place, as Gregory of Tours relates, in the presence of the nobles of the kingdom, Theodoric and Queen Clotilde. It was carried out in accordance with the rules of private law, which were recorded by Clovis in the “Salic Truth” and according to which the king was considered the owner of all the lands of the kingdom.
Clovis's eldest son Theodoric received northeastern lands: two Roman provinces of Germany - (Upper and Lower Germany), First Belgium and the southeastern part of Second Belgium, as well as lands along the middle Rhine. Chlodomir received the territory of the Loire basin, Childebert - lands that later became known as Normandy. And finally, the youngest son of Clovis Chlothar inherited the northern lands of the Salic Franks - from the Rhine lowlands to Soissons (in particular the city of Tournai).
8. Legends
Clovis, like many kings of the Middle Ages, is dedicated to many legends. According to one of them, Clovis is a descendant of Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan War. This story is repeated and varied several times in medieval sources. According to another legend, especially popular after the publication of “The Da Vinci Code” by D. Brown, the line of Clovis comes from Jesus Christ himself, who did not die on the cross, but fled to Gaul along with Mary Magdalene.
There are many legends relating to the Battle of Tolbiac. For example, there is a legend that on the eve of the battle Clovis had a dream in which a cross appeared to him. In a dream, someone's voice said: " In hoc signo vinces"(Ginkmar (fr. Hincmar, U - gg.)
In the History of the Franks the baptism of Clovis is mentioned as follows:
“When he approached, ready to be baptized, the saint of God turned to him with such eloquent words: “Submissively the slopes of the howl, Sigambr, honor what you burned, slept what you honored.”Remembering the ancient name of one of the Germanic tribes - Sigambriv - the bishop called on the king and his wife to burn their pagan amulets.
There is a legend about the appearance of the heraldic lily of the French kings - after baptism, Clovis chose this flower as a symbol of purity. According to another version, an angel with a lily appeared to Clovis during the Battle of Tolbiac and told him to make this flower his symbol from now on and bequeath it to his descendants.
However, there was another popular legend in the Middle Ages about the appearance of royal lilies. Its appearance dates back to the middle of the 14th century, and the final edition dates back to the 15th century. According to this legend, there were two powerful kings in France - Clovis from the castle of Montjoie and Conflat from the castle of Conflent. They were constantly at odds with each other. Once Konflatus challenged Clovis to a dvubion. Clotilde, the wife of the first, who was a Christian, turned to a hermit who lived nearby. While they were praying, an angel appeared to them and gave the hermit a blue shield with golden lilies, saying that this coat of arms would bring victory to Clovis. Then Clotilde painted lilies on all her husband’s armor instead of his previous coat of arms - a crescent moon (in a later version - a frog). Thanks to this, Clovis defeated his rival and converted to Christianity.
9. Wives and children
Notes
- For more details, see: Lebek S. “The Origin of the Franks.” - M., 1993. - T.1. - pp. 45-47
- Right there. P. 6.
- The name did not immediately take on its modern form: in the Carolingian period it sounded like Hlodoveus, then - Lodoveus, and finally - Loeps or Loops.
- Zülpich, 35 km northwest of Cologne
- This is the most controversial date in the entire chronology of Clovis's reign. The baptism could have occurred between and years, but researchers are unable to determine the exact year. This article gives the year, the date named by S. Lebek.
- 20 km northwest of Poitiers
- Gregory of Tours, Historia francorum (History of the Franks), Book II, Section 30
- This date is provisional. It is believed that the baptism occurred in the period between and, and some historians expand the scope to the year.
- According to S. Lebec, the cathedral in Orleans was the first Gallic cathedral. But researcher V. Solodnikov claims that there are irrefutable sources confirming that during the reign of Clovis, church councils had already met 23 times on the territory of Gaul, and the Orleans Church Council was preceded by Agdsky
- For more details, see: Solodnikov V. Conciliar decisions of the Gallic Church during the reign of Clovis - the founder of the Merovingian dynasty / / "The Path of Knowledge of God" - M., 1998. - Vol. 3. - pp. 30-39.
- Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum (History of the Franks), book II, chapter 31
- Markova N. “On the symbolism of flowers in classical art” // Art. No. 2 (338). 16-28.01. 2006. - art.1september.ru /
- See Mark Block, "Miracle-Working Kings. An Essay Presented in the Supernatural Character of Royal Power," Book II, Section 3, ? 3 ISBN 5-211-04818-0 (unfortunately, in this electronic version the chapter on Clovis is cut out...) Chronicle (Fredegarii Chronica) La France. D's origins? la guerre de cent ans.- classiques.uqac.ca / classiques / lot_ferdinand / la_france_origines / la_france.html - Paris: Librairie Gallimard, 1941. - P. 278.
- Lot F. Naissance De La France- classiques.uqac.ca / classiques / lot_ferdinand / Naissance_de_la_france / Naissance_france.html. - Paris: Librairie Art?me Fayard, 1948. - P. 864.
Clovis, king of the Franks, had a rich, colorful family history. He was the most prominent historical figure of the Merovingian dynasty - the first royal dynasty to rule the state that now encompasses 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 Germanic and Romanesque Europe.
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 having settled there, they founded a new state. Some historians claim that this state was called "Austrasia", with its center in the region of modern Lorraine.
Time frame of Merovingian rule: 5th-13th centuries. The golden age of the dynasty falls on a 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 Merovey, the grandfather of Clovis, who brought Roman rules of government and the fashion for secular education and literacy to the lands of Gaul. All of his descendants were not crowned kings. Nevertheless, they were revered by the people, which was elevated to a kind of ritual cult. Under Merovey, the post of “majordomo” was established - a position similar to the post of chancellor. Since then, all Merovingian monarchs fulfilled their royal role, and administrative affairs were transferred to the shoulders of the mayordomo.
Sacred regalia and symbols of power
The distinctive power symbol of the Merovingians was long hair, the cutting of which was comparable to renunciation of power. For example, Clotilde, the wife of Clovis, finding herself in a situation of choice: parting with her hair or the death of her captive grandchildren, agreed to the second option without sacrificing her power. Long hair was also associated with the paranormal abilities of the Merovingians, including the healing gift. Like the biblical story of Samson and the treacherous Delilah, cutting one's hair meant losing one's 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 Merovee is “glorious battle.” Gregory of Tours describes a legend according to which Merovey was born as a result of his mother’s intercourse with a sea monster. The myth says that at the birth of her son, the mother saw the bristles of a boar on Merovey’s back. Historians associate this myth with the cult of the boar, the patron of military affairs and the god of fertility of the ancient Franks.
According to legend, this boar comes ashore from Lake Retra once a year and bestows fertility and success in the military field on its worshipers. Subsequently, in German-Scandinavian mythology one could observe the strengthening of the cult of the boar leader.
What is interesting to the chroniclers about Clovis, the king of the Franks. Biography of the Merovingian 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 Childeric I and Basina, according to chronicles, was born around 466. At the age of 15, Clovis became king of a small part of the Salic (i.e., sea) Franks and began to seriously expand the borders of his territory.
Having conquered the territories of Siarpia, Clovis I and his allied kings entered into war with the Goths. Not disdaining either intrigue, meanness, or murder, Clovis cleared all the southwestern lands of the Goths. Already in 507, he sat on the throne of the ruler of all French lands. Historians believe that such success was ensured by his decision to be baptized, dated December 25, 498. His wife Clotilde encouraged the king to be baptized.
During his reign, Clovis, the king of the Franks, made Paris the capital of the conquered lands. And by initiating the creation of a code of Frankish laws, he also opened a new chapter in the entire Northern European history.
Clovis died in Paris in 511, leaving all his lands as an inheritance to his sons.
Campaign against Siarpius. The Legend of the Soissons Bowl
Having assumed the post of king, Clovis began to act according to a plan for the gradual seizure of all Gallic lands. The strategy was as follows: in order to get to the Gothic and Burgundian lands, which constituted a tasty morsel, it was necessary to subjugate the lands of Siarpia, adjacent to the coveted territory.
It was not difficult for Clovis to seize the lands of Siarpius, and soon, city after city, he gradually approached the land of the Burgundians. Clovis's troops did not disdain any means of making quick money. During military campaigns, churches and temples were often robbed.
The following legend is widely known. As a result of another raid on the church, the Franks and their king Clovis stumbled upon 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 mug be included in his share of the spoils. All the king’s associates were not against such a division, but one of the Franks objected and, hitting the mug with a sword, angrily told the king that he should not take advantage of his position and receive trophies in excess of the established measure.
The king pretended to forgive him for this trick, and even returned the mug to the bishop, but a year later, at a review of the troops, he accused the warrior of having his weapon in poor condition, tore the ax out of his hands and threw it to the ground, and when the warrior bent over her, split his skull in half.
Clovis's baptism: background and consequences
The prerequisites for Clovis's adoption of Christianity was 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 were unsuccessful for a very long time. No matter how Clotilde proved to Clovis the inconsistency of his gods, pointing out 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 in anything and cannot create miracles.
Clovis was also strongly pushed away from the Christian faith by the fact that Clotilde’s first-born died directly during baptism, in the font. Clovis at that time was sure that if the child had been given under the protection of the pagan gods, he would have lived.
However, water wears away stones, and Clotilde achieved her goal. Around 498, the Gallic king was baptized.
As church tradition says, this happened during the battle with the Almandians. When Clovis began to lose the battle, he vainly appealed to his gods for help, and when there was almost no hope of salvation left, the king remembered the words of the prayer to Jesus the Savior, said them, and the Franks, having completed 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 for him wide opportunities for friendship with the Gallo-Romans, which allowed him to significantly expand his possessions.
Religious politics of the Merovingian dynasty
An interesting fact is that the newly formed state of Austrasia 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 the true faith. As before, the people were devoted to pagan customs, rituals and the Scandinavian pantheon.
Clovis of the Merovingian dynasty was not particularly worried about the fate of Christianity in his lands. After his baptism, nothing changed in his public 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 wide 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 Austrasian lands, and a little later it was he who contributed to the overthrow of the Merovingian dynasty from the throne.
This once again proves the fact that the adoption of Christianity for Clovis, as for the Russian prince Vladimir, was a purely political, cunning multi-move. The characteristics of Clovis, the king of the Franks, are generally very similar to the characteristics of Vladimir, the prince of Kievan Rus: both of them were baptized themselves and baptized their retinue, based on political motives, namely, for the sake of friendship with Byzantium. Also noteworthy is the similarity of the scenario for the development of events after the baptism: just as Gaul remained predominantly pagan after the baptism of Clovis, so Kievan Rus after the baptism of Vladimirov 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 with the Gallo-Romans. Coming close to the Gothic lands, Clovis, who had already received the support of the higher clergy, began a war in the year 500 against Gundobald, the uncle of his wife Clotilde, who killed her parents and brothers for the sake of the throne. In 506, the victory was won, and the conqueror finally entered the Visigothic kingdom. Clovis, according to Gregory of Tours, was extremely worried by the fact that the Goths were oppressing some part of Gaul, so the war he undertook was called sacred, which the high clergy was extremely happy about.
Clovis finally defeated the Goths near Poitiers, on Vouglo. Having killed Alaric, the king of the Goths, the conqueror finally became confident in his power and became so proud that soon the Byzantine emperor Anastasius became agitated and sent him a letter of consulate in order to show Clovis his subordinate place and establish the supremacy of the empire over all the lands that he had liberated from the Goths.
Brutal strategy of killing all potential opponents
How would one describe the administration under Clovis? After the successful Gallic war, he began to systematically destroy all his opponents, the Gallic leaders. Seizing their lands and destroying everyone, the king soon possessed almost all of Gaul.
His closest relatives, the brothers Rignomer and Richard, were killed by Clovis himself. The King of the Franks, whose biography is replete with many “accidental” violent deaths of competitors, however, was not quick-tempered: not a single murder occurred affectively, opponents were destroyed gradually, cunningly and imperceptibly.
In the end, Clovis killed everyone who during his reign did not please him in any way: Hararic, the king who refused to help in the battle against Syagrius, and his son, in order to stop encroachments on his father’s throne. Clovis did the same with the leaders of the Rhine Franks: he killed Sigibert, his ally, with the hands of his own son, promising the latter his support for parricide, and when Chloderic killed his father Sigibert, and Clovis entered the kingdom, he declared Chloderic a traitor, killed him and took the throne himself.
There is a known case when Clovis called all his people and poured out his soul to them, complaining that he no longer had relatives left who could support him. The whole cunning plan was to find out whether the king still had any random relatives whom he would also kill with great joy.
The 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. The king immediately ordered the construction of the Cathedral of the Apostles Peter and Paul (now the Church of St. Genevieve). After Clovis's death in 511, he was buried there.
In 511, just before his own death, Clovis initiated the first Frankish Church Council in Orleans with the goal of reforming the Gallic church. He also contributed to the establishment of the Salic Pravda, a code of laws of the Franks.
After the death of the king, his domains were divided by his four sons. Clotilde, canonized, 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 in his biography. The successful reign of Clovis launched the formation of a kind of renewed Roman Empire - a state symbolized by a mutually beneficial alliance between state and church, between the secular power of the Merovingians and the spiritual power of the Christian diocese.
