The first king of the Carolingians crossword puzzle 5 letters. Pepin the Short: the first king of the Carolingians
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The second dynasty in French history was Carolingians. They ruled the Frankish state from 751 of the year. The first king of this dynasty was Pepin Short. He bequeathed a huge state to his sons - Charles and Carloman. After the death of the latter, the entire Frankish state was in the hands of King Charles. His main goal was the creation of a solid Christian state, which, in addition to the Franks, would also include pagans.
was a prominent figure in French history. Almost every year he organized military campaigns. The scope of the conquests was so great that the territory of the Frankish state doubled.
At this time, the Roman region was under the rule of Constantinople, and the popes were the governors of the Byzantine emperor. They turned to the ruler of the Franks for help, and Charles gave them support. He defeated the king of the Lombards who threatened the Roman region. Taking the title of the Lombard king, Charles began to introduce the Frankish system in Italy and united Gaul and Italy into one state. AT 800 He was crowned imperial in Rome by Pope Leo III.
Charlemagne saw the support royalty in the Catholic Church - he awarded its representatives with the highest positions, various privileges, encouraged the forced Christianization of the population of the conquered lands.
The most extensive activity of Charles in the field of education was devoted to the task of Christian education. He issued a decree on the establishment of schools at the monasteries and tried to introduce compulsory education for the children of free people. He invited the most enlightened people of Europe to the highest state and church positions. Interest in theology and Latin literature, which flourished at the court of Charlemagne, gives historians the right to name his era Carolingian revival.
Restoration and construction of roads and bridges, settlement of abandoned lands and development of new ones, construction of palaces and churches, introduction rational methods agriculture - all these are the merits of Charlemagne. It was after him that the dynasty was called the Carolingians. The capital of the Carolingians was Aachen. Although the Carolingians moved the capital of their state from Paris, a monument to Charlemagne can now be seen on the Ile de la Cité in Paris. It is located on the square in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in the square named after him. Holidays in Paris will allow you to see the monument to this man, who left a bright mark on the history of France.
Charlemagne died in Aachen on January 28 814 of the year. His body was transferred to the Aachen Cathedral he built, and placed in a gilded copper sarcophagus.
The empire created by Charlemagne fell apart within the next century. By Verdun Treaty of 843 it was divided into three states, two of which - West Frankish and East Frankish - became the predecessors of the current France and Germany. But the union of the state and the church that he carried out largely predetermined the character of European society for centuries to come. The educational and ecclesiastical reforms of Charlemagne retained their significance for a long time.
The image of Karl after his death became legendary. Numerous stories and legends about him resulted in a cycle of novels about Charlemagne. According to the Latin form of the name Charles - Carolus - the rulers of individual states began to be called "kings".
Under the successors of Charlemagne, a tendency to the disintegration of the state immediately appeared. son and successor Charles Louis I the Pious (814–840) did not have the qualities of a father and could not cope with the heavy burden of managing the empire.
After the death of Louis, his three sons began a struggle for power. Eldest son - Lothar- was recognized by the emperor and received Italy. Second brother- Louis the German- ruled the Eastern Franks, and the third, Karl the Bald, - Western francs. The younger brothers disputed the imperial crown with Lothair, in the end, the three brothers signed the Treaty of Verdun in 843.
Lothair retained his imperial title and received lands extending from Rome through Alsace and Lorraine to the mouth of the Rhine. Louis came into possession of the East Frankish kingdom, and Charles - into the possession of the West Frankish kingdom. Since then, these three territories have developed independently, becoming the forerunners of France, Germany and Italy. In the history of France, a new stage has begun: it has never again united with Germany in the Middle Ages. Both of these countries were ruled by different royal dynasties and turned into political and military opponents.
E.V. Sakharov
PHANTOM HISTORY OF THE FRANK KINGDOM
MEROVINGIAN AND ROMAN EMPIRE CAROLINGIANS
The article is devoted to the statistical and eventual parallels discovered by the author between the histories of these states and the Roman Empire. The article also addressed the question of when and who made the inclusion of Roman history in the medieval history of France.
E.V. Sakharov
PHANTOM HISTORY OF THE MEROVING'S FRANCE
KINGDOM AND THE CAROLING'S ROMAN EMPIRE
This article is devoted to the statistical and eventual parallels which were founded by the author between the histories of these states and the Antique Roman Empire. In this article it was also raised the question about when and who has made the inclusion of the Roman history in the structure of medieval history of France.
1. The Roman Empire and the Frankish Kingdom of the Merovingians
The medieval history of France knew the change of three royal dynasties: the Merovingians, Carolingians and Capetians, as well as the branches of the latter - the Valois and the Bourbons. Childeric I Merovingian, who reigned in 457, is considered the first Frankish king. The most famous representative of the Merovingian dynasty is King Clovis I. Even a cursory glance at the biography of Clovis is enough to remind him of the biography of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Both Clovis and Constantine were the first of the rulers of their powers to adopt Christianity and declare it the official religion. Both of them ruled for about thirty years. Both of them share the power among several sons. It is noteworthy that even the Frankish historian Gregory of Tours (supposedly in the 6th century) drew attention to this parallel and called Clovis "the new Constantine". The study of the history of the Merovingians led the author to identify parallels between the Frankish kingdom and the third Roman Empire.
It is believed that Diocletian recreates the empire after the period of the reign of "soldier emperors" and creates new form imperial power - dominance.
Childeric I is the founder of the state - the Frankish kingdom.
By religion, both Diocletian and Childeric I are pagans.
The close duration of the reigns of Diocletian and Childeric I.
When Constantine I received power, he was young - in 306 he was 20 years old. Clovis I also received power at a young age - in 481 he was about 15 years old.
In 313, Constantine, by the Edict of Milan, declared Christianity an equal, and in fact the official, religion of the Roman Empire. “The legend says that Constantine patronized the Christians, of whom he had many in the army, allowed them to depict the cross and the initial letter of the name of Christ on military badges. Therefore, Constantine defeated the pagan and enemy of Christians Maxentius.
In the history of the Frankish kingdom, we see almost the same story: the legend says that in the decisive battle, when the Alamanians strongly pressed the troops of Clovis, he remembered how his wife Clotilde told him about Christianity, and supposedly Clovis exclaimed: “Oh, merciful Jesus! ... I believe you!". After this, Clovis' troops won a complete victory in the battle.
Both Constantine and Clovis were supporters of orthodox Christianity and fought against Arianism.
Constantine the Great bore the title of Augustus. Clovis was also recognized by the New Rome as a patrician and as an Augustus.
After the death of Constantine I, power was divided between his three sons and his nephew Delmatius, to whom Constantine left the Balkan Peninsula (Thrace, Macedonia and Achaia). At the same time, the empire remained united. After the death of Clovis I, power was divided between his four sons, and the kingdom remained unified.
The close duration of the reigns of Constantine I and Clovis I. A difference of one year could arise within the framework of different calendars (different beginnings of the year), which could lead to a difference of one year.
Constantius II, son of Constantine I. Ruler of the eastern part of the empire. Enmity, and then military clashes between the sons of Constantine I.
Theodoric I, son of Clovis I, identified above with Constantine I. Ruler of the eastern part of the kingdom - Austrasia ("Austr" - east). Enmity and then military clashes between the sons of Clovis I.
The close duration of the reigns of Constantius II and Theodoric I.
Constant son of Constantine I, younger brother and co-ruler of Constantius II. Chlodomir is the son of Clovis I, identified above with Constantine I, and the younger brother and co-ruler of Theodoric, identified with Constantius II. The reigns of Constant and Chlodomir coincide.
Valens is the ruler of the eastern part of the empire. Theodebert is also the ruler of the eastern part of the kingdom - Austrasia. The reigns of Valens and Theudebert coincide.
The close duration of the reigns of Gratian and Theodobald.
By 392, after the death of the co-rulers, Theodosius remains the sole emperor of the Roman Empire. By 558, after the death of the co-rulers, Chlortar remains the only king of the Frankish kingdom.
After the death of both Theodosius and Chlothar, their states are divided among their sons.
Arcadius, son of Theodosius I. After the death of his father, he became emperor of the eastern part of the Roman Empire.
Sigebert I, son of Chlothar I, identified above with Theodosius I. After the death of his father, he ruled the eastern part of the kingdom.
The close duration of the reigns of Arcadius and Sigebert.
Honorius, son of Theodosius I and brother of Arcadius. After the death of his father, he became emperor of the Western Roman Empire, with his capital in Rome, Italy. However, around 410, Honorius moved the capital to Ravenna. He was childless. He suffered from some kind of mental illness (in the Middle Ages, people with mental disorders were sometimes considered saints).
Gontran, son of Chlothar I, identified above with Theodosius I and brother of Sigibert I, identified with Arcadius. After the death of his father, he ruled in Burgundy ( central part kingdom), with its capital at Orleans. Then the capital was moved to Chalon-on-Sone. Gontran was childless. He was declared a saint by the Frankish Church.
The names of both rulers are clearly consonant. The name Honorius without vowels is written as GNR, and the name Gontran as GNTrn.
In 402 Theodosius II was proclaimed emperor - co-ruler of his father. At that moment he was a few months old. In 584, Chlotat II was also proclaimed king when he was a few months old from birth.
Theodosius II is the king of the Eastern Roman Empire, but he interferes in the internal affairs of the Western Roman Empire. So in 425 he helped his nephew Valentinian III establish himself on the throne of Western Rome. Chlothar II was the king of the western part of the kingdom - Neustria (and from 613 - the monarch of the entire kingdom).
It is noteworthy that if Chlothar II is identified with Theodosius II, then the king Chlothar I of the same name is also identified with the emperor named Theodosius (I). Obviously, this identification of the two Chlotaries with the two Theodosius is not accidental and suggests that the inclusion of Roman history in the history of France is deliberate. It is possible that during the transfer of Roman history, the identical names of the Roman emperors were consciously replaced by others, also the same names among themselves.
Marcian ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire. He is characterized as a firm ruler. In 456, the commander Recimer came to power in Western Rome, who himself did not occupy the throne, but erected and deposed puppet emperors. During the period from 456 to 476, seven emperors were replaced in Western Rome.
Dagobert I in 623, during the life of his father, was proclaimed the ruler of the eastern part of the kingdom - Austrasia (in 629 he annexed Neustria, Burgundy, and in 632 - Aquitaine). He is characterized as a firm ruler. After his death in 639, the actual power of the Frankish kingdom was seized by the mayordoms (literally - the measures of the palace), who deposed and enthroned the kings of the Merovingians. The kings of this period in historiography are called "lazy kings".
Leo I Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Sigibert III is also the ruler of the eastern part of the kingdom - Austrasia.
Leo II, grandson of Emperor Leo I, was proclaimed Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. However, he soon stepped aside from power in favor of his father Zeno and died the same year. Childebert, the adopted son of Sigibert III, was also proclaimed ruler of the eastern part of the kingdom - Austrasia. However, in the same year he was removed from power and executed.
Zeno Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Chilperic III is also the ruler of the eastern part of the kingdom - Austrasia.
Odoacer ruled in Western Rome. At the same time, he tried to restore the unity of the Roman Empire by sending "an embassy to the Eastern Emperor Zeno with a request not to appoint a special emperor for Italy, but to make him Odoacer, governor." Zeno (474-491) agreed.
Theodoric III is the ruler of the western and central part of the kingdom - Neustria and Burgundy, and from 687 also the eastern part - Austrasia. Thus, Theodoric III managed to gather under his crown most Frankish kingdom (compare with the desire of Odoacer to unite the empire).
The close duration of the reigns of Odoacer and Theodoric III.
In relation to Theodoric in historiography, there is no consensus: to consider him as a Roman emperor or as a king of the Gothic kingdom that arose in Italy. The fact is that the eastern emperor Anastasius I (491-518) recognized him as emperor and even returned to him the regalia sent earlier by Odoacer to Constantinople. On the other hand, it is generally accepted that the Western Roman Empire ended in 476 with the deposition of the emperor Romulus Augustulus (475-476). It is possible that this uncertainty led to the fact that in the history of the Frankish kingdom we see the majordomo Pepin of Heristral, who, although he was not a king, nevertheless possessed all the fullness of state power.
Amalaric is the king of the Gothic kingdom, created on the territory of Italy. He was under the "guardianship" of his mother Amalasuntra, and Chilperic II was the king of the western part of the Frankish kingdom - Neustria. He was under the "tutelage" of Major Charles Martel (715-741).
The close duration of the reigns of Amalaric and Chilperic II.
Totila actually ends the dynastic stream of the Western Roman Empire: the year after his death, the lands of Italy were subordinated to the Eastern Roman Empire.
Theodoric IV ends the continuous dynastic flow of Merovingian kings, and the next, and last, king of the Merovingian dynasty, Childeric III, became king only in 741.
Third Roman Empire and Frankish Kingdom
The average shift, at the ends of the reigns, is about 178 years. The above parallel speaks of the phantom nature of the most ancient part of the history of France. However, the period of phantom rulers in the history of France does not end there. Here we almost came close to the accession of a new royal dynasty - the Carolingians (Pipings).
2. II-nd Roman Empire and the Roman Empire of the Carolingians
In 751, the commander Pepin the Short became king of the Frankish kingdom, and after his death in 768, his son Charles inherited the crown, who received the nickname the Great and gave his name to the Carolingian dynasty. In 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome, and from that moment the Holy Roman Empire of the Carolingians began to lead its history. There is a parallel between the Carolingian Holy Roman Empire and the Second Roman Empire, as outlined below. It is noteworthy that the period of the Second Roman Empire falls at the time of the heyday of Roman antiquity, and during the time of the Carolingian Empire there is a "temporary revival" of antiquity.
Pompey, Crassus and Caesar are members of the 1st triumvirate in Rome, and Griffin, Carloman and Pepin the Short are three brothers who divided power among themselves in the Frankish kingdom in 741. Pompey and Crassus, before 60 BC were enemies. Carloman and Pepin were Griffon's enemies.
In the seventh year of his reign, Crassus died in the war, and Carloman, in the sixth year of his reign, abdicated and went into a monastery.
In 49 BC. e. Pompey was defeated by Caesar in the Battle of Pharsalus, and having fled to Egypt, he was killed there to please Caesar by King Ptolemy XIII. Griffon, also, being an enemy of Pepin, was killed in 753 while trying to get into Italy.
Caesar proved to be the greatest general of his time. Pepin also proved to be a major military leader. Both of them were distinguished by physical strength and courage. Caesar is the first emperor of the Roman Empire from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, and Pepin is the first king of the Frankish kingdom of the Carolingian dynasty. From 58 to 49 BC e. Caesar was the ruler of Gaul, and Pepin's Frankish kingdom was also located in the lands of Gaul. The reigns of Caesar and Pepin are close.
Octavian son (adopted) of Caesar. First emperor and first Augustus in this dynastic stream. Lived 76 years. Kai August wages many wars, of an aggressive nature. During his reign, Augustus lost his only nephew, Marcellus.
Charlemagne, son of Pepin the Short. First emperor and first Augustus in this dynastic stream. He lived for 72 years (the numbers 72 and 76 are close). Karl August wages many wars of an aggressive nature. During the reign, Charles lost his nephew Count Roland.
According to the identification of the Second and Third Roman Empires, Octavian Augustus, aka Saint Constantine I Augustus the Great (see). Constantine gives the Pope Italian Rome - "the gift of Constantine I the Great." This gift of Constantine (= Augustus) correlates with the “gift of Charles I the Great”, who presented the lands of Italy to the Pope. In 1165 Charlemagne, like Constantine the Great, was declared a saint.
It is important to note that the book of the Roman historian Suetonius “The Life of the Twelve Caesars”, in which he, among other things, writes about Augustus, “was at the disposal of the court “academy” of Charlemagne. From this manuscript, Einhard met Suetonius when, around 818, he wrote his Life of Charlemagne, diligently reproducing Suetonius' biographical schemes. Thus, it is believed that the scheme of presentation of the biography of Augustus by Suetonius was used to describe the life of Charlemagne (since it is similar to the biography of Charles Augustus). Obviously, Einhard was simply recounting the story of the emperor Augustus, whom he called Charlemagne.
Let's illustrate this comparative analysis behavioral traits of August and Karl. Suetonius reports about Augustus that “By nature, he drank very little wine ... he drank no more than three cups at dinner ... However, he rarely drank on an empty stomach, and instead chewed either bread ... or fresh or dried apples.” Suetonius also reports that “after the afternoon breakfast, he (August - ed.), as he was, dressed and shod, went to rest for a while” . And at night, August "sleep, at most, seven hours, and even then not full, because during this time he woke up three or four times." From the biographer of Charlemagne, Eingard, it is known that the king “was very simple and moderate in his habits. AT common days his attire differed little from that of a commoner.
He drank little wine (at dinner he drank no more than three cups) ... After dinner in the summer he ate a few apples and drank another cup; then, having stripped naked, he rested for two or three hours. At night, he slept restlessly: he woke up four or five times and even got out of bed. After reading the testimonies of Suetonius and Eingard, it is difficult to get rid of the impression that they describe one person, or that the description of one person was transferred to another person.
Tiberius I is the (adoptive) son of Octavian Augustus, and Louis I is the son of Charles I Augustus the Great.
Both Augustus and Charles I the Great a year before his death, the first in 13, and the second in 813, declared their sons emperors and co-rulers.
In 31, a conspiracy was organized against Tiberius, in the 17th year of his reign, led by Sejanus. Tiberius was about to flee, and in the event of his flight, he ordered to appoint his disgraced relative, Drusus Julius Caesar, as a commander (i.e. emperor). However, Tiberius soon managed to take control of the situation and regain full power. Related events we also observe in the history of Louis I. In 833, in the 19th year of his reign, his son Lothair opposed him. Louis was deposed and his rebellious and disgraced son Lothair took the title of emperor. However, he did not rule for long, and in 834 Louis returned power.
After the death of Caligula, a short-term turmoil begins in view of the ambiguity of the question of who should inherit the supreme power in the empire. The Praetorian Guard supported the candidacy of Claudius, and the next day he was proclaimed emperor.
After the death of Louis the Pious, turmoil began, caused by the struggle between the sons of the late emperor, which led to the division of the empire in 843.
Here we do not find a clear correspondence between the histories of the ancient Roman Empire and the medieval Roman Carolingian Empire: if Louis II ruled for 25 years in the Carolingian Empire, then in the ancient Roman Empire we see two emperors with a long reign - Nero and Vespasian, who just and are located in the time interval of 25 years. Therefore, one has to admit either "gluing" the historiographic images of Nero and Vespasian.
Or suppose that the prototype of Louis II is only Nero with a reign of 14 years, and the remaining 11-year time interval is “closed” by false Nerons, who were announced until about 79, which gives us a time interval of 25 years. It is worth noting that today we cannot reliably know to what extent these false Neroes were really impostors and whether they were the same person - the real Nero, who appeared in one part of the Roman Empire, then in another, trying to find allies for the fight for power.
Nero is the (adopted) son of Claudius. Louis II is the son of Lothair I, identified above with Claudius.
There is evidence that in 70 Titus made an attempt to divide the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. “During the last siege of Jerusalem (Titus - author), he himself struck twelve enemies with twelve arrows, took the city on his daughter’s birthday and earned such love and jubilation from the soldiers that they proclaimed him emperor with salutatory cries, and upon departure they did not want to let him go from provinces ... This inspired suspicion that he planned to leave his father and become king in the east. Charles the Bald in 843, together with his brother Louis the German, forced the elder brother of Emperor Lothair I to divide the Carolingian Roman Empire among themselves.
We also see similar circumstances in the deaths of Titus and Charles II. Suetonius writes that Titus, on the way to his estate, felt a fever and soon died. The Roman historian Dion reports rumors that Titus was poisoned by his brother Domitian. Charles II fell ill with a fever, and the doctor gave him poison instead of medicine, from which Charles died.
After the death of Titus, his brother Domitian, despite the fact that Titus allegedly previously wanted to divide the Roman Empire, inherited it unified. Charles III, as a result of the death in 882 of his brother Louis III, and in 884 of his cousin Carloman, became the ruler of the united Roman Empire of the Carolingians. The reign of Domitian was interrupted by a conspiracy that developed against him, as a result of which he was killed. The reign of Charles III was also interrupted by a conspiracy formed against him, as a result of which he was removed from power. In addition, historiography has brought to us salient feature Domitian and Charles: Suetonius reports that Domitian had a protruding belly, and the nickname of Charles III - Fat, indicates his tendency to be overweight.
Note that the Roman historian Suetonius ends the book "The Life of the Twelve Caesars" with a description of the reign of the emperor Domitian, which tells about the Roman emperors. At the same time, we see that simultaneously with the end of the story of Suetonius, who ended his narrative on Domitian, the collapse of the Roman Empire of the Capetians occurs after the deposition of Emperor Charles III, who, as shown above, is the historiographical "shadow" of Domitian. Thus, the whole history of the Carolingian Roman Empire is only a transcription of the book of Suetonius "The Life of the Twelve Caesars".
Correlation of dynastic flows
the ancient Roman Empire and the Carolingian Roman Empire
The average chronological shift, calculated at the ends of reigns, is approximately 800 years. This parallel did not include three emperors of the ancient Roman Empire, with a short reign: Galba (68–69), Otho (69) and Vitellius (69). They ruled a short time, so their "falling out" does not affect the general isomorphism of the parallel.
The parallels revealed by the author raise the question: who and when included the Roman chronicles in the history of France? And as a working hypothesis, we can consider the following version: the author of the “Correction of Chronology” (1583) - Joseph Scaliger (1540–1609) has an attitude to the transfer of Roman history to the French historiographical “soil”. I. Scaliger worked at court french king Henry IV of Bourbon (1589–1610), and wrote for Henry "an unbroken chronology of the French royal dynasties". Thus, the inclusion of Roman history in the history of France is obviously simply the fulfillment of the political order of the late medieval French kings.
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Charles Martel divided his possessions between the sons of Pepin the Short and Carloman, who became mayors of the Franks. Immediately after the death of Charles, wars and unrest began. The brothers needed to save the decaying kingdom: the Aquitanians, Bavarians and Alemans had already fallen away from them. In 742, they went to Alemannia, demanding tribute from the conquered lands along the way and handing over hostages. But the enemies accused the Pipinids of taking power from the legitimate Merovingian dynasty. Then the brothers made a concession - they enthroned one of the Merovingians - Childeric III. However, the new king did not receive any real power, and in public life did not participate, all power was still in the hands of the majordoms of the Franks.
Long hair was a symbol of power for the king of the Franks.
When in 747 Pepin decided to take possession of the crown himself, he sent a letter to Pope Zacharias, where he asked who the royal title should belong to - the one in whose hands the real power is, or the one who is a descendant of the royal family? Zacharias replied that the king should be the one who has real power. In November 751, Childeric was deposed and tonsured as a monk, since he was now useless. The monarch was cut off his long hair - a symbol of royal power of the Merovingians, and thereby deprived him of all prerogatives. The unfortunate man was sent to the monastery of Sitya, four years later he died. Under the Carolingians, he was called the "false king", although it was Pepin who elevated him to the throne.
Charles Martell divides the kingdom between Pepin and Carloman. (wikimedia.org)
Two coronations
Pepin's brother Carloman took the monastic vows and entered a monastery. Carloman always paid special attention to Christianity, it was thanks to him that the reform of the Frankish church was carried out to a greater extent. Immediately after the refusal of a relative from power, Pepin also removed the current king of the Merovingians. In November 751, Pepin held an assembly of the Franks in Soissons, which elected him king. In May of the following year, Pepin was solemnly crowned by Archbishop Boniface of Mainz.
Pepin the Short had not one, but two coronations at once
Soon the Lombards came out against Rome, and Pope Stephen III asked for help from the ruler of the Franks. He personally came to the Frankish kingdom for negotiations with Pepin. The pope begged Pepin to start a war with the Lombards, and he promised to return to the pontiff all the lands that the Lombard king Aistulf had taken from him. In gratitude for the help, the head of the church rendered an invaluable service to Pepin and the entire new dynasty, named after Pepin's father Charles the Carolingians. On July 28, 754, in Saint-Denis, the Pope held a second coronation ceremony and anointed Pepin, his wife and sons Charles and Caroman. Stephen III, under pain of excommunication, forbade the nobles and the people to elect kings not from this dynasty. Pepin in return promised that he and his descendants would take care of the church and its interests.
Pope Stephen III anoints Pepin to the kingdom. (wikimedia.org)
Magnanimous Pippin
Pepin was a formidable and illustrious conqueror, but sometimes he showed truly royal magnanimity. Immediately after the death of Martell, the brother of Pepin and Carloman Griffon, born of the second wife of Karl Svanhilda, decided, not without pressure from his mother, to declare his equal share with his brothers. He captured Lan, in response, the brothers went to war with him and took away even the little that his father had left to the Griffin. They imprisoned the disobedient in the Ardennes castle, where he remained until Pepin, who became the sole ruler, restored his freedom and granted him several counties.
In 748, Griffin, who could not forget the offense and did not want to obey his brother, gathered an army and fled to Saxony. Pepin followed his brother, but everything ended peacefully. After the death of the Bavarian duke, Griffin rushed to this duchy and captured him, and at the same time his widow Gertrude, Pepin's sister, and the heir. When in 749 a rumor about this reached the king, he advanced his troops to Bavaria and captured the Griffin. But the generous Pepin again forgave his brother and even gave him vast lands, which were the outpost of the kingdom against Brittany. The griffin did not appreciate the confidence shown in him and fled to Aquitaine, where he began to weave intrigues against Pepin. While trying to get into Italy in 753, the Griffin was killed. The Frankish kingdom again rallied under the rule of one ruler.
Pepin presents the Pope with the possession of the Papal States. (wikimedia.org)
Papal States and military campaigns
Together with Carloman, Pepin made several successful military campaigns. After the second coronation, Pepin began to fulfill his promise and sent the Frankish army along with the Pope to Italy. However, Pepin did not want bloodshed, and invited his opponent Aistulf to voluntarily give up the occupied lands, but, as before, Aistulf refused the similar demand of the Pope. In 754, the army of Aistulf was defeated by the Franks, and he was forced to conclude an agreement with Pepin. According to him, in addition to returning the lands of the church, the Lombards recognized dependence on the Franks, pledged to extradite the hostages and pay Pepin and his nobles a significant amount.
The defeated Lombards, however, did not seek to fulfill their promises. In 756 they laid siege to Rome. Then Pepin again invaded Italy. Aistulf was forced to retreat to Pavia, and then, unable to withstand the siege, and ask for peace negotiations. He undertook to fulfill the previous agreement and give Pepin and his army a third of the treasures of Pavia, and the Lombard kingdom had to pay an annual tribute. After the submission of the Lombards, Pepin continued to expand his lands. So he conquered Septimania and the borders of the Frankish state now extended to mediterranean sea and the Eastern Pyrenees. He made a treaty with the Saxons, increasing their tribute. In addition, Pepin began a long war for Aquitaine against Waifar. In it he won a victory at Issodune, took Bourges and Toulouse. Having conquered almost all of Aquitaine and devastated it, Pepin ordered to find Vaifar, but the Duke of Aquitaine was killed by his own close associates. After this, Pepin established his authority over all his dominion.
Sarcophagus of Pepin the Short and Bertha de Laon. (wikimedia.org)
Pippin Short and Big Leg
According to legend, Pepin got his nickname "Short" for his very small stature. He was married to Bertrada of Laon, who was nicknamed "Big Foot" because of her congenital clubfoot and the fact that one of her legs was larger than the other. Bertrada is considered the only wife of Pepin, although some sources claim that the first wife of the king of the Franks was a certain Leutburga, who bore him five children. However, there is no reliable evidence to support this theory.
Pepin the Short's wife was nicknamed "Short Leg"
It is also noteworthy that in medieval historical legends such a character as Berta Big-footed appeared. She was directly identified with the wife of Pepin the Short. Her entire biography was fictional, and she got the nickname for the big socks by which she was recognized. In general, the plot of all the legends associated with Big-footed Berta boiled down to the fact that an impostor replaces Pepin's bride, but in the end the deception is revealed and Berta takes her rightful place. There are several dozen variations of this plot, differing in details.