The Emergence of Europe (286-843) Part XVI: Two weddings, a murder and an assassination.

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 Sixteen explains that when Charibert died, his three brothers divided his kingdom between them. Chilperic married Brunhild's older sister Galswintha, but the marriage did not go well because Chilperic failed to end his relationship with his concubine Fredegund. When Galswintha found out, she was murdered by someone...in the royal bedchamber. It is doubtful that Sigibert or Guntram were bothered that Chilperic's wife had been murdered but they wanted Galswintha's lands, so they invaded. The war lasted for years, but eventually most of Chiperic's nobles deserted him. Chilperic was on the verge of losing his entire kingdom when Sigibert was assassinated, leaving his kingdom vulnerable.

 

Cast of Characters:

Clothar-king of the Franks (558-561), king of Soissons (511-558), son of Clovis

Charibert-king of Normandy and Aquitaine (561-567), son of Clothar

Guntram-king of Burgundy (561-592), son of Clothar

Sigibert-king of Austrasia (561-575), son of Clothar

Chilperic- king of Neustria (561-584), son of Clothar

Brunhild-queen of Austrasia (567-575), wife of Sigibert, daughter of Athangild, king of Hispania

Galswintha-queen of Neustria (567-568), wife of Chipleric, daughter of Athangild, king of Hispania

Fredegund-queen of Neustria (568-584), wife of Chipleric

Gundovald-illegitimate son of Clothar

Radegund-abbess of the Abbey of the Holy Cross, former wife of Clothar, daughter of Bertachar, a Thuringian king

Justin II-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (565-578), nephew of Justinian

 

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

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

Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint-Peter Sarris

Visigothic Spain 409-711-Roger Collins

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

Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe-Judith Herrin

 

Image Credit

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