The Emergence of Europe (286-843) Part XI: The Frankish succession and the breakup of Theodoric's kingdom

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 Eleven explains that Clovis's four sons agreed to divide the Frankish kingdom between them, and expand outwards, rather than fight each other. This expansion should have been blocked by the combined Goth kingdom of Hispania and Italy but Theodoric's succession plan fell apart when his son-in-law Eutharic died. When Theodoric died several years later, the Visigoth kingdom in Hispania separated peacefully from the Ostrogoth kingdom in Italy. The Ostrogoths on their own were too weak to block the Franks' expansion.

 

Cast of Characters:

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

Athalaric-king of the Ostogoths, grandson of Theodoric (526-534)

Eutharic-Theodoric's son-in-law

Theodahad-Theodoric's nephew

Gesalec-king of the Visigoths (507-511)

Amalaric-king of the Visigoths, son of Alaric II, grandson of Theodoric (522-531)

Theudis-king of the Visigoths, Ostogoth adviser to Amalaric (531-548)

Clovis-king of the Franks (481-511)

Theuderic-Frankish king, Clovis' eldest son (511-534)

Chlodomer-Frankish king, Clovis' second-eldest son (511-524)

Childebert-Frankish king, Clovis' third-eldest son (511-558)

Chlothar-Frankish king, Clovis' fourth-eldest son (511-561)

Theudebert-Frankish king, son of Theuderic (533-548)

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

Sigismund-king of the Burgundians, eldest son of Gundobad (516-524)

Godomar-king of the Burgundians, younger son of Gundobad (524-532)

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

Hilderic-king of the Vandals and the Alans, son of Huneric and Eudocia, grandson of Valentian III, emperor of the western Roman Empire (523-530)

 

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