The Emergence of Europe (286-843) Part X: The Franks become the New Big Bad

A series of civil wars and repeated invasions by Germanic tribes caused the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Following the end of imperial authority, several Germanic tribes struggled against each other for control of territory. The Franks became the dominant power in Gaul, but Greater Frankia repeatedly broke apart during wars between rival claimants for the throne. Finally, Charlemagne united the Franks, and greatly expanded the size of the kingdom. However, his grandsons proved unwilling to share the empire, and divided it in 843, laying the foundations for France and Germany. Episode Ten explains that the Franks allied with the Burgundians to defeat Alaric at Vioulle. When Alaric's illegitimate son Gesalec failed to defeat an invasion by the Franks and the Burgundians, Theodoric sent an army that drove out the invaders, but he then forced Gesalec off the throne in favor of his grandson Amalaric. So, Theodoric had made himself king of the Goths in Italy and the Goths in Hispania. Meanwhile, Clovis had taken control of the other main Frankish kingdom, but he died in 511.

 

Cast of Characters:

Anastasius I-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (491-518)

Theodoric-king of Italy (493-526), king of the Osotrogths (475-526)

Alaric II-king of the Visigoths, son of Euric (484-507)

Gesalec-king of the Visigoths (507-511)

Amalaric-son of Alaric II, grandson of Theodoric

Gundobad-king of the Burgundians (473-516), generalissimo of the Western Roman Empire (472-473), nephew of Ricimer

Clovis-king of the Franks (481-511)

Thrasamund-king of the Vandals and Alans (496-523)

Sigibert-king of a rival group of Franks

Chloderic-son of Sigibert

 

Sources:

Christendom: The Triumph of a Religion-Peter Heather

Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West 376-568-Guy Halsall

The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians-Peter Heather

The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization-Bryan Ward-Perkins

The Inheritance of Rome-A History of Europe from 400 to 1000-Chris Wickham

Empires of Faith: The Fall of Rome to the Rise of Islam, 500-700-Peter Sarris

Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages-Dan Jones

The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders-Peter Heather

Theodoric the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans-Hans-Ulrich Wiemer, Translated by John Noel Dillon

The Franks-Edward James

Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Rescued Western Civilization-Lars Brownsworth

Byzantium: The Early Centuries-John Julius Norwich

Visigothic Spain 409-711-Roger Collins

History of the Goths-Herwig Wolfram, translated by Thomas J. Dunlap

 

Image Credit

By Unknown author - [1] 'Grandes Chroniques de France, Mandragore, BNF, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=723625