Theuderic II
Theuderic II (also
Theuderich,
Theoderic, or
Theodoric; in
French,
Thierry) (
587-
613), king of
Burgundy (
595-613) and
Austrasia (
612-613), was the second son of
Childebert II. At his father's death in 595, he received the
Guntram's kingdom of Burgundy, with its capital at
Orléans, while his elder brother,
Theudebert II, received their father's kingdom of Austrasia, with its capital at
Metz. During his minority, and later, he reigned under the guidance of his grandmother
Brunhilda, evicted from Austrasia by his brother
Theudebert II.
In
596,
Clotaire II, king of
Neustria, and
Fredegund, Clotaire's mother, took
Paris, which was supposed to be held in common. Fredegund, then her son's
regent, sent a force to
Laffaux and the armies of Theudebert and Theuderic were defeated.
In
599, Brunhilda was forced by Theudebert out of Austrasia and she was found wandering near
Arcis in
Champagne by a peasant, who brought her to her Theuderic. The peasant was rewarded with the
bishopric of
Auxerre. Theuderic welcomed her and readily fell under her influence, which was inclined to vengeful war with Theudebert at the time. Soon, he and his brother were at war. He defeated him at
Sens, but their cousin Clotaire's restless warmaking prompted them to ally against him. They resumed the fight against Neustria and, in
600, defeated Clotaire at
Dormelles (near
Montereau) on the
Orvanne. The land between the
Seine and the
Oise was divided between Theuderic and his brother, with Theuderic receiving the territory between the Seine and the
Loire including the
Breton frontier. They also campaigned together in
Gascony, where they subjugated the local population and instated Genialis as duke.
At this point, however, the two brothers took up arms against each other, Theuderic defeating Theudebert at
Étampes. His kingdom was invaded by Clotaire in
605 and his
mayor of the palace,
Berthoald, was confronted by Clotaire's son Merovech and his mayor
Landric. Theuderic met them at Étampes on the
Louet, but Theudebert refused him aid. Theuderic won the day, but Berthoald was killed. The next mayor,
Protadius, a partisan of Brunhilda, encouraged war with Austrasia, but the nobles assassinated him and battle was never met, a pact being enforced by Theuderic's men. In
610, he lost
Alsace, the
Saintois, the
Thurgau, and Champagne to his brother and his mean east of the
Jura were soundly defeated by the
Alemanni. However, he routed Theudebert at
Toul (c.
611) and later at
Tolbiac in 612. He captured the fleeing Theudebert in the latter battle and gave him over—after taking his royal paraphernalia—to his grandmother Brunhilda, who had him put up in a monastery. Brunhilda probably had Theudebert murdered (along with his son Merovech) to allow Theuderic to succeed to both thrones unhindered. This he did and died of
dysentery in his Austrasian capital of
Metz in late 613 while preparing a campaign against his longtime enemy, Clotaire, who had, based on a treaty with Theuderic during the last fraternal war, retaken the duchy of Dentelin.
He married, at
Chalon in
606, the daughter, Ermenberga, of the
Visigothic king of
Spain,
Witteric. However, the next year (
607), he sent her home in disgrace and a quadruple alliance of Clotaire, Theudebert, Witteric, and even the
Lombard king
Agilulf connived against him, but it all came to naught. Thus depriving himself of the opportunity of having legitimate offspring, he was succeeded by his bastard son
Sigbert II under the regency of Brunhilda.
Theuderic had four sons by four unnamed mistresses:
*
Sigebert II (601-613), who succeeded him in both his realms
*Childebert (b.602)
*Corbus (603-613)
*Merovech (b.604), godson of Clotaire II
*
Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)
*
List of Frankish Kings *
Merovingians
*
Wallace-Hadrill, J.M., translator.
The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with its Continuations Connecticut: Greenwood Press,
1960.
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