Charlemagne/Romans part2 (long!)
rcs
warning: this is a long post, unless you're really into this stuff, hit
the kill button now.
Comments on Chapter 1
The Flothar (Chlothar) mentioned is probably meant to be ChlotharI
(511-61) as opposed to Chlothar II (584-629). No source (eg Gregory,
Fredegar etc) says he had a daughter called Bilitilde (Bilichild). Two
Bilichild's are known: one was the wife ofTheudebert II of Austrasia and
d.c.610, the other was the daughter of Sigebert III, and wife of
Childeric II, and was killed (while pregnant) with him in 675. As
Chlothar I had no fewer than 6 or 7 partners, and only one daughter is
known (infanticide?), it is possible that there were other unrecorded
daughters. However the Merovingians rarely allowed their daughters to
marry, and if they did it was to foreign kings or other members of the
dynasty.
Incidentally, I think in Paul the Deacon's History of the Bishops of Metz
(c.784), Bilichilde is said to be a daughter of Clovis I (d.511), rather
than Chlothar: maybe someone can check this. I think that most modern
historians think this assumption of a Merovingian ancestry by the
Carolingians as somewhat dubious (damned convenient since they had
deposed the last Merovingian king), so Oexle 1968, in his study on Metz
and St.Arnulf, but Halsall 1995, Settlement and Social organisation, p15
says, surprisingly, that Agiulf and Arnoald _possibly_ were members of
the Merovingian royal family.
Arnoald appears as Bp of Metz in the History of the Bishops of Metz by
Paul the Deacon.
Ferreolus was Bp of Uzes, nephew of his predecessor St.Firmin (q.v.) and
died in 581. He was bishop 28 years (c553-81).
Modericus (q.v. below ch4)
Chlodulf was Bishop of Metz in 659/60. A number of books I have seen give
him dates 656-96. These are based on a later sources which allocate him
40 years as bishop. In fact he had a successor by 667.
Anchisus (q.v.) alternative spelling for Ansigis (ch 4).
Arnulf was Bishop of Metz 614-29 He withdrew to one of his properties in
the Vosges near his friend Romaric (a place later known as Remiremont).
He died c.640. The earliest mention of him as the grandfather of Pippin
II is in Paul the Deacons _History of the Bps of Metz_ (c.784). This is
repeated in Thegan's _life of Louis_ (c.836). However the writer of the
so-called _Annales Mettenses priores_ (c.806) only alludes to some sort
of relationship between Arnulf and Pippin II: at that time, the tradition
of such a descent seems less well established, or well known, unlike a
generation later, by which, under Drogo of Metz, the cult of St.Arnulf
was in full swing (Louis the Pious, Amalarius of Metz and Drogo himself
were all buried at the abbey 840-55).
St.Wandregisel was the founder of the monastery of Fontenelle
(St.Wandrille) in Normandy. He died in 667. I don't think this
relationship is accepted by scholars.
A Duke Martin appears in the first continuation of the chronicle of
Fredegar. Together with Pippin (II) he ruled over Austrasia 679-80. When
they declared war on Ebroin, they were defeated, and Martin barricaded
himself in Laon. He was lured to a parley at Ecry where Ebroin had him
killed. I remember once reading in some secondary work that he was the
uncle of Pippin II: however neither Fredegar nor the LHF mention any
relationship.
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Comments on chapter 2:
St.Firmin, who was a pupil of Caesarius of Arles, appears as Bp of
Uzes between 534 and 552. His _Acta_ say he was the son of Ferreol and
Industria of Narbonne.
Moderic is presumably the Mondericus who appears in Gregory ofTours.
Gregory says Alais was part of the diocese of Nimes and was raised to
a see by Sigebert I c.570 and given to Mondericus. After M's death
the see was absorbed by Rodez under Bp Dalmatius. However an Emmo
_episcopus Arisitum_ signs at the council of Clichy 627, so its fate is
unclear, though it dissapears thereafter (Duchesne, Fastes episcopaux, I,
305-06). Deotar is otherwise unknown.
Agiulf (or Aigulf) was Bp of Metz in 601 (Duchesne, III, 55)
Goverigo-Abbo: this may be a confusion with, or an attempt to link the
Pippinids with Goeric-Abbo who was Arnulf's successor as Bishop of Metz.
However the text does not here call him bishop, as it does for Firmin,
Ferreol et al.
Mummolus: I don't know of any 7th century Mummolus who was a
_patricius_. A Mummolus who was probably Ct of Paris appears c.700.
There is the famous Mummolus, son of Ct Peonius of Auxerre, who
appears in Gregory of Tours. He was appointed patrician of Provence,
and was killed in 585 after his involvement in the rebellion of
Gundovald.
The only Hector I recall was patrician of Provence during the 670's:
I havn't checked all the sources though, so they may be others.
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Comments on Chapter 4
Carloman father of Pippin (I) is otherwise unknown.
Grimoald (I) was mayor of Austrasia 642-56/7, when he was executed by
Clovis II. He had a daughter Wulfetrude (not mentioned here) who
succeeded her aunt, and a son, Childebert (ditto) who succeeded
Sigebert III of Austrasia and reigned 5 years.
St.Gertrude was abbess of Nivelles near Liege. She was born in 624? and
died in 659.
Ansigis is presumably the same as Ansegisel who is called father of Pippin
II in Fredegar. An _Ansegisilus domesticus_ signs a charter of Sigebert
III for Stavelot in 648. Pippin's father had died by 676. A Duke
Adalgisel appears in Austrasia during the 630's (Fred.) and later
alongside Grimoald (I) in the 640's. Some have thought, wrongly I think,
that this is the same man.
Grimoald (II) was mayor of Neustria 697-714, and duke of Champagne 708-14.