Chilperic II
Chilperic II | |
---|---|
King of the Franks | |
Merovingian | |
Father | Childeric II |
Mother | Bilichild |
Chilperic II (c. 672 – 13 February 721) was
He was a son of Childeric II and his half-cousin wife, Bilichild. As an infant, he was spirited to a monastery to protect his life from the internecine feuding of his family. There, he was raised as Daniel until the death of Dagobert III in 715, when he was taken from the monastery – at the age of forty-three – and raised on the shield of the Neustrian warriors as king.
First, it appears he was supposed to be but a tool in the hands of
At this juncture, events took a turn against Chilperic. As he and Ragenfrid were leading their triumphant soldiers back to Neustria, Charles fell on them near Malmedy and in the Battle of Amblève, Charles routed them and they fled. Thereafter, Charles Martel remained virtually undefeated and Chilperic's strong will was subdued in a series of campaigns waged in Neustrian territory.
In 717, Charles returned to Neustria with an army and confirmed his supremacy with a victory at Vincy, near Cambrai. He chased the fleeing king and mayor to Paris before turning back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne. On succeeding there, Charles Martel immediately proclaimed Chlothar IV king of Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic. In 718, Chilperic, in response, allied with Odo the Great, the duke of Aquitaine who had made himself independent during the contests in 715, but he was again defeated by Charles, at Soissons in 718. King Chilperic II fled with his ducal ally Odo to the land south of the Loire and his mayor Ragenfrid fled to Angers. Soon Chlothar IV died in 718, which might be a suspicious death. Duke Odo then handed over Chilperic II to Charles Martel and, in exchange for Charles recognising Chilperic's kingship over all the Franks, the king surrendered his political power to Charles, whom he recognized as Mayor over all the kingdoms (718).
In 719, Chilperic II was officially raised on the shield as King of all the Franks, but he survived but a year and his successors were mere rois fainéants. He died in Attigny and was buried in Noyon. Chilperic II may have been the father of Childeric III, but this remains uncertain.[1]
References
- ^ Rosenwein 2009, p. 84.
Sources
- Oman, Charles. The Dark Ages, 476–918. London: Rivingtons, 1914.
- Rosenwein, Barbara H. (2009). A Short History of the Middle Ages. University of Toronto.