Clovis (III.)

Clovis (III) was 675/676 a Merovingian king appointed and ruled by a noble group in the Franconian part of Austrasia . He is not to be confused with one of his successors, Clovis III.

Life

After the murder of Childerich II in 675, a power struggle for succession began between various aristocratic groups. In Neustria was Theuderich III. made king by one of these groups. He was the youngest son of Clovis II and Queen Balthild . Bishop Leodegar von Autun and the former caretaker Ebroin played an important role .

Ebroin had fallen out with Leodgar because Leodgar refused to allow him the office of housekeeper. So he turned to Clovis. The essential source for the existence of Clodwig (III.) Is the Passio Leudegarii , i.e. the description of the martyrdom of Bishop Leodgar. After that, after the death of Childerich II, a nobility group was formed in Austrasia and Burgundy, which the former houseman Ebroin also joined. The group made Clovis king, claiming that he was a son of Clovis III. be. The latter was a son of Clovis II.

The noble group around Ebroin ruled in the name of Clovis and demanded his recognition. They also demanded the oath of allegiance from Bishop Leodegar von Autun and claimed that his king Theuderic III. be dead. Clovis was not only king in Austrasia, but should also become the ruler of the entire empire. The "reign" of Clovis lasted approximately from September 675 to June 676. A coin from Marseille is ascribed to his reign. Goods were also given to Archbishop Nivardus of Reims in the name of Clovis.

It is usually assumed that Clovis was a boy picked up somewhere. Possibly he was, according to Margarete Weidemann, but an illegitimate son of Chlothar III.

Ebroin, who had won the support of Austrasia by joining the party of Clovis, was able to take over the court of Theuderic III. and conquered the royal treasure. This king was now the legitimation for the power of Ebroins. In Austrasia another group had brought back 676 Dagobert II from exile shortly before . Ebroin withdrew his support from Clovis, so that Dagobert II could prevail. Nothing is known about the further fate of Clovis.

literature

• Margarete Weidemann: On the chronology of the Merovingians in the 7th and 8th centuries. In: Francia Vol. 25/1 (1998), pp. 177–230 ( digitized version )
• Martina Hartmann : The Merovingians. Beck, Munich 2012, ISBN 978-3-406-63307-2 , p. 52.

predecessor	Office	successor
Childeric II.	King of Austrasia 675/676	Dagobert II.