Chararich
Chararich († around 509?) Was a Sal-Franconian minor king in the 5th century AD.
Life
Chararich was a cousin of the Merovingian Clovis I , who, like Chararich, was one of the numerous Frankish petty kings who had created their own areas of power after the collapse of the late Roman administrative order in Gaul .
Perhaps Chararich was king of Arras or Boulogne , in any case this is not specified in the sources.
In the fight of Clovis against Syagrius (486/87), Chararich, unlike Ragnachar , behaved neutrally despite Clovis's request for help. Clovis later caught Chararic with cunning and had his and his son's hair shaved; Since the long hair was considered a sign of rulership by the Franks, it should make this unsuitable for royal dignity. Chararich was ordained a priest and his son a deacon; so both must have already been Christians. Later, however, father and son planned to grow their hair long again; they are said to have planned revenge on Clovis, whereupon he had them both killed and took over their kingdom.
However, the chronology of the events is problematic, as it is not discussed in detail in the sources. The period between shortly after the victory over Syagrius and the end of Clovis' rule comes into question.
literature
- Wolfgang Jungandreas , Reinhard Wenskus : Chararich. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 4, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1981, ISBN 3-11-006513-4 , pp. 370–371. (on-line)
Remarks
- ↑ Gregory of Tours , Historiae 2,41 ( Latin text online at Wikisource ).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chararich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Salfränkischer small king |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 5th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | at 509 |