The Franks were originally lead by dukes (military leaders) and reguli (petty kings). The Salian Merovingians rose to dominance among the Franks and united the petty kingdoms as well as most of Roman Gaul around 500. The Merovingians were later replaced by a new dynasty called the Carolingians in the 8th century. The Carolingians themselves were succeeded by other dynasties in the 9th and 10th century, most notably the Saxon Ottonians in the East and the Frankish Capetians in the West.

A timeline of Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was, according to old Germanic practice, frequently divided among the sons of a leader upon his death and then eventually reunited.

Dukes and reguli

Early rulers
Ascaric
Merogais
Mallobaudes

Genobaud - see Genobaud

Sunno - see Sunno

Marcomer - see Marcomer

Pharamond - the first Duke of the Salian Franks. see Pharamond.

Theudemeres, son of Richomeres, King circa 422 - see Theudemeres

Rulers of the Salians

Clodio, King at Dispargum and later Tournai (426–447) - Clodio1 (c. 395 - 447 or 449) see Clodio

Merowig (Merovech), son of Chlodio, King at Tournai (447–458) - Merowig (born c.411?, died c. 458) see Merowig

Childeric I, son of Merovech, King at Tournai (458–481) - see King Childeric I

Aegidius (died 464), Gallo-Roman general who replaced Childeric I for a time - see Aegidius

Clovis I, son of Childeric I, King at Tournai (481–511), later united most of the Franks and Roman Gaul see King Clovis I

All of the following were related to Clovis in some degree and eventually removed by him in 508:

Chararic, probably king at Arras or Boulogne from before 486, dethroned and later killed by Clovis in 508
Ragnachar, probably king at Cambrai from before 486, killed by Clovis
Ricchar, brother of Ragnachar, killed by Clovis at Cambrai
Rignomer, brother of Ragnachar, killed by Clovis at Mans

Rulers of the Ripuarians
Clovis, Duke until 448
Childebert, Duke 448–461, King 461–483
Sigebert the Lame, King 483–507, killed by his son Chloderic the Parricide
Chloderic the Parricide, son of Sigebert, King 507, dethroned by Clovis
The Ripuarian Franks accepted Clovis as their king in 507.

Merovingian Kings of the Franks

Clovis I, 509–511 - see King Clovis I
Clovis I united all the Frankish petty kingdoms as well as most of Roman Gaul under his rule, conquering the Domain of Soissons of the Roman general Syagrius as well as the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse. He took his seat at Paris, which along with Soissons, Reims, Metz, and Orléans became the chief residences. Upon his death, the kingdom was split among his four sons:

Soissons -
Chlothar I, 511–561 - see Chlothar I (Clotaire)

Paris -
Childebert I, 511–558 - see King Childebert I
Chlothar I, 558–561 - see Chlothar I (Clotaire)

Orléans -
Chlodomer, 511–524 - Chlodomer, also spelled Clodomir or Clodomer (born c. 495) was the second of the four sons of Clovis I, King of the Franks. see Chlodomer

Childebert I, 524–558 - see King Childebert I
Chlothar I, 558–561 - see Chlothar I (Clotaire)

Reims -
Theuderic I, 511–534 - Theuderic I (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French, Thierry) (484 – 533 or 534) was the Merovingian king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia—as it is variously called—from 511 to 533 or 534. see Theuderic I

Theudebert I, 534–548 - Theudebert I (French: Thibert or Théodebert) (c. 500 – 547 or 548) was the Merovingian king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia—as it's variously called—from 533 to his death in 548. His chief residence was Rheims in northeast Gaul. see Theudebert I

Theudebald, 548–555 - Theudebald or Theodebald (in modern English, Theobald; in French, Thibaud or Théodebald; in German, Theudowald) (c. 535–555), son of Theudebert I and Deuteria, was the king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia—as it's variously called—from 547 or 548 to 555. see Theudebald

Chlothar I, 558–561 - see Chlothar I (Clotaire)

Chlothar I eventually inherited all of the Frankish kingdoms after the deaths of his brothers or their successors. After his own death, the kingdom was once again split among his four sons:

Soissons (eventually Neustria)
Chilperic I, 561–584 - see Franks King Chilperic I
Chlothar II, 584–629 - see King Chlothar II (Clotaire)

Paris
Charibert I, 561–567 - (c. 517–November or December 567) was the Frankish king of Paris, a Merovingian dynast, the second eldest son of Clotaire I and Ingund. see Charibert I

Chilperic I, 561–584 - see Franks King Chilperic I
Chlothar II, 584–629 - see King Chlothar II (Clotaire)

Orléans (eventually Burgundy)
Guntram, 561–592 - see King Guntram
Childebert II, 592–595 - Childebert II (570-595) was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 575 until his death in 595, the eldest and succeeding son of Sigebert I, and the king of Burgundy from 592 to his death, as the adopted and succeeding son of his uncle Guntram. see King Chilldebert II

Theuderic II, 595–613 see King Theuderic II
Sigebert II, 613 - Sigebert II (601-613) was king of Burgundy and Austrasia (613). see Sigebert II
Chlothar II, 584–629 - see King Chlothar II (Clotaire)

Reims and Metz (eventually Austrasia)
Sigebert I, 561–575 - see King Sigebert I
Childebert II, 575–595 - see King Chilldebert II
Theudebert II, 595–612 - Theudebert II (French: Thibert or Théodebert) (586-612), king of Austrasia (595-612), was the son and heir of Childebert II. hey also campaigned together in Gascony, where they subjugated the local population and instated Genialis as duke. see King Theudebert II

Sigebert II, 613 - Sigebert II (601-613) was king of Burgundy and Austrasia (613). see Sigebert II
Chlothar II, 584–629 - see King Chlothar II (Clotaire)

Chlothar II defeated Brunhilda and her grandson, reunifying the kingdom. However, in 623, in order to appease particularistic forces and also to secure the borders, he gave the Austrasians his young son as their own king. His son and successor, Dagobert I, emulated this move by appointing a sub-king for Aquitaine, with a seat at Toulouse, in 629 and Austrasia in 634.

Neustria and Burgundy
Dagobert I, 629–639 - see King Dagobert I
Clovis II, 639–658 - Clovis II (also Chlodowech or Chlodwig, modern French "Louis", modern German "Ludwig") (637-November 27, 655 or 658) - see King Clovis II

Chlothar III, 658–673 - Chlothar III (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; 652 – 673) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. When Clovis died in 658, Chlothar succeeded him under the regency of his mother. see King Chlothar III

Theuderic III 673 - Theuderic III (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French, Thierry) (654 – 691) was the king of Neustria (including Burgundy) on two occasions (673 and 675 – 691) and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691.
see King Theuderic III

Childeric II, 673–675 - Childeric II (c. 653 – 675) was the king of Austrasia from 662 and Neustria (including Burgundy) from 673 until his death in 675. He was the second eldest son of Clovis II. His brother Clotaire III was briefly sole king of the Franks from 661 and gave him Austrasia the next year. see King Childeric II

Theuderic III, 675–691 - see King Theuderic III

Aquitaine
Charibert II, 629–632 - Charibert II (c.608–8 April 632), a son of Clotaire II and his second wife Sichilde, was briefly king of Aquitaine from 629 to his death, with his capital at Toulouse. see King Charibert II

Chilperic, 632 - see King Chilperic I
Dagobert I, 632–639 - see King Dagobert I

Austrasia
Dagobert I, 623–634 - see King Dagobert I
Sigebert III, 634–656 - Sigebert III (c. 630-656/660) was the king of Austrasia from 634 to his death probably on 1 February in 656, or maybe as late as 660. He was the eldest son of Dagobert I. see King Sigebert III

Childebert the Adopted, 656–661 - see Childebert the Adopted

Chlothar III, 661–662 - see King Chlothar III
Childeric II, 662–675 - see King Childeric II

Clovis III, 675–676 - Clovis III was the king of Austrasia - see King Clovis III

Dagobert II, 676–679 - see King Dagobert II

Theuderic III was recognized as king of all the Franks in 679. From then on, the kingdom of the Franks can be treated as a unity again for all but a very brief period of civil war.

Clovis IV, 691–695 - see King Clovis IV

Childebert III, 695–711 - see King Childebert III, called the Just

Chlothar IV, 717–720 - Chlothar IV (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to Lothair; died ca 719), king of Austrasia (717-718) - see King Chlothar IV

Dagobert III, 711–715 - Dagobert III (c. 699-715) - see King Dagobert III

Chilperic II, 715–721 - Chilperic II (c. 672 – 13 February 721), born Daniel - see King Chilperic II

Chlothar IV, 717–720, rival king in Austrasia only - see King Chlothar IV

Theuderic IV, 721–737 - Theuderic IV (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French, Thierry) was the Merovingian King of the Franks from 721 until his death in 737. see King Theuderic IV

interregnum 737–743 (gap in the continuity of a government- Frankish throne remained vacant for seven years, until Pepin the Short arranged for Childeric III, the last Merovingian king, to succeed him.)

Childeric III, 743–751 - Childeric III (died about 754), king of the Franks, was the last king of the Merovingian dynasty from 743 to his deposition in 751. see King Childeric III

The Carolingians

Mayors of the palace
The Carolingians were initially mayors of the palace under the Merovingian kings, first in Austrasia and later in Neustria and Burgundy. In 687, Pippin of Heristal took the title Duke and Prince of the Franks (dux et princeps Francorum) after his conquest of Neustria in at the Battle of Tertry. This was cited by contemporary chroniclers as the beginnning of Pippin's "reign." Between 715 and 716, the descendants of Pippin disputed the succession.

Pippin I (Austrasia: 623–629 and 639–640) - see Pepin of Landen

Grimoald I (Austrasia: 643–656; died 662) - Grimoald I (616-656), called the Elder (in French, Grimaud) was the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia from 643 to 656. see King Grimoald I

Pippin II (Austrasia: 680–714, Neustria and Burgundy: 687–695) - see Pepin of Herstal

Drogo (Burgundy: 695–708) - Drogo (670-708) see King Drogo

Grimoald II (Neustria: 695–714, Burgundy: 708–714) - see King Grimoald II

Theudoald (Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy: 714–716) - see King Theudoald

Charles Martel (Austrasia: 715–741, Neustria and Burgundy: 718–741) - see Charles Martel

Carloman (Austrasia: 741–747; died 754 or 755) - see Carloman
Pippin III (Neustria and Burgundy: 741–751, Austrasia: 747–751) - see Pepin the Younger

In 751, Pippin III became the King of the Franks and the office of mayor disappeared. The Carolingians displaced the Merovingians as the ruling dynasty.

Kings of the Franks

Pippin the Short, 751–768 - see Pepin the Younger
Carloman, 768–771 (Burgundy, Alemannia, southern Austrasia) - see Carloman
Charlemagne, 768–814 (at first only Neustria, Aquitaine, northern Austrasia), King of the Lombards 774, Emperor 800 - see Charlemagne

1. Neustria: Charles the Younger, 790–811 - born circa 772, second son of Charlemagne - see King Charles the Younger

2. Italy: Pippin (Carloman), 781–810; Bernard, 810–817 - Pepin or Pippin (April 773 – 8 July 810) - the third son of Charlemagne - see King Pippin
Bernard (b. 799 Vermandois, Normandy, France; d. 17 April 818 in Milan, Italy) was the king of Italy from 810 to 817, when he was deposed by his uncle Emperor Louis the Pious, or 818, when he was killed by a traumatic blinding procedure.
Bernard was the illegitimate son of King Pepin, the third son of the Emperor Charlemagne. He married a Cunigunda of Laon in 813 who gave him one son, Pepin, Count of Vermandois. In 817, Louis the Pious partitioned the empire among his three sons. He gave his eldest Lothair Italy. Bernard rebelled against his uncle with the support of Bishop Theodulf of Orléans, but decided not to fight. He met with the emperor on a safe conduct guarantee, but was convicted before even realising he was on trial. Louis had Bernard blinded and imprisoned. The blinding procedure was so traumatic that he died. His death grieved Louis, and his display of penance to the court in 822 at Attigny reduced his prestige and respect amongst the Frankish nobility.

3. Aquitaine: Louis the Pious, 781–814 - see Louis the Pious

Louis the Pious, Emperor, King of the Franks 814–840 - see Louis the Pious

1. Italy: Lothair I, 817–839 - See Lothaire I
2. Bavaria: Lothair I, 815–817; Louis the German, 817–843
3. Aquitaine: Pepin I, 817–838; Charles the Bald, 838–855, in opposition to Pepin II, 838–851

Louis the Pious made many divisions of his empire during his lifetime. The final division, pronounced at Crémieux in 838, made Charles the Bald heir to the west, including Aquitaine, and Lothair heir to the east, including Italy and excluding Bavaria, which was left for Louis the German. However, following the emperor's death in 840, the empire was plunged into a civil war that lasted three years. The Frankish kingdom was then divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Lothair was allowed to keep his imperial title and his kingdom of Italy. Charles was confirmed in West Francia and in Aquitaine, where Pepin I's son Pepin II was opposing him, while Louis the German was granted the whole of East Francia save the Low Countries and the Rhineland, Burgundy, and Provence, which corridor from Pavia to Aachen was created into a kingdom of Middle Francia for Lothair.

The following table does not provide a complete listing for some of the various regna of the empire, especially those which were subregna of the Western, Middle, or Eastern kingdom such as Italy, Provence, Neustria, and Aquitaine.

Western Kingdom (future France)

Names marked with an asterisk (*) were not Carolingians, but Robertians, still distantly related to the dynasty.

Charles the Bald, 843–877, King of Italy and Emperor 875
Aquitaine: Charles the Child, 855–866, in opposition to Pepin II, 838–851; Louis the Stammerer, 866–877
Neustria: Louis the Stammerer, 856–877
Louis the Stammerer, 877–879
Louis III, 879–882, jointly with
Carloman, 879–884
Charles the Fat, 884–888, Emperor 881

Odo,* 888–898 - Odo (or Eudes) (c. 860 - January 1, 898) was a king of the Franks (888 - 898). He was a son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and is sometimes referred to as duke of France and also as count of Paris.
For his skill and bravery in resisting the attacks of the Normans at the Siege of Paris, Odo was chosen king by the western Franks when the emperor Charles the Fat was deposed in 887, and was crowned at Compiègne in February 888.
He continued to battle against the Normans, whom he defeated at Montfaucon and elsewhere, but was soon involved in a struggle with some powerful nobles, who supported the claim of Charles, afterwards King Charles III, to the Frankish kingdo
To gain prestige and support, Odo payed homage to the Eastern Frankish King Arnulf of Carinthia, but in 894 Arnulf declared for Charles. Eventually, after a struggle which lasted for three years, Odo was compelled to come to terms with his rival, and to surrender to him a district north of the Seine. He died at La Fère on January 1, 898.
Odo married Théodrate of Troyes and had two known sons, Arnulf (born probably about 885) and Guy (born probably about 888), neither of whom lived past the age of fifteen.

Aquitaine: Ranulf II, 888–889 (Ramnulfid, not Carolingian) - Ranulf II (also spelled Rannoux, Rannulf, Ramnulf, and Ranulph; 850 – 5 August 890) was Count of Poitou from 866 and Duke of Aquitaine from 887. On the death of Charles the Fat in 888, he styled himself King of Aquitaine and did so until 889 or his death, after which the title fell into abeyance.
Ranulf may have been selected as a temporary king by the Aquitainian nobles, for they accepted Odo of France after his death. Only the Annales Fuldenses definitively give him this title. He is recorded to have taken custody of Charles, the young son of Louis the Stammerer and he certainly did not recognise Odo as king. He appeared in the Annales Vedastes in 889 with the title dux maximae partis Aquitaniae: "duke of the major part of Aquitaine." He founded the viscountcy of Thouars at about that time, part of larger movement to creat viscounts with powers over regional fortresses to man them against the Vikings.
Ranulf was a son of Ranulf I and Bilichild of Maine. He married an Ermengard (died 935) and by her had a son, Ranulf III, who succeeded him in Poitiers. His illegitimate son Ebalus succeeded him in Aquitaine and, upon the death of Ranulf III, in Poitiers too.

Charles the Simple, 898–922
Robert I,* 922–923
Rudolph,* 923–936
Louis IV Transmarinus, 936–954
Lothair, 954–986
Aquitaine: Louis V the Indolent, 980–986
Louis V the Indolent, 986–987
After this, the House of Capet ruled France.

Middle Kingdom

Lothair I, 840–855, Emperor 840
Italy: Louis II, 839–875 - the Younger
After Lothair's death in 855, his realm was divided between his sons:

Louis II, 855–875, the eldest son, succeeded his father as Emperor and received Italy.
Lothair II, 855–869, the second son, received the Frankish parts of his father's realm, which after him were called Lotharingia (Lorraine).
Charles, 855–863, the youngest son, received Provence.

Eastern Kingdom (future Germany)

Louis the German, 843–876
Bavaria: Carloman, 864–880
Louis divided his lands between his three sons, but they all ended up in the hands of the youngest by 882:

Carloman, 876–880, received Bavaria. King of Italy 877 - Carloman (830-880) was the second eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia (Germany), and Emma, daughter of the count Welf. He was king of Bavaria from 876 and of Italy from 877 until he was incapacitated in 879 and died in 880.
He revolted in 861 and again two years later (863); an example that was followed by the second son, Louis the Younger, who in a further rising was joined by his brother Charles the Fat. In 864, Louis was forced to grant Carloman the kingdom of Bavaria, which Louis himself had once held under his father. The next year (865), he divided the remainder of his lands: Saxony he gave to Louis (with Franconia and Thuringia) and Swabia to Charles (with Rhaetia). A report that Emperor Louis II was dead led to peace between father and sons and attempts by Louis the German to gain the imperial crown for Carloman. These efforts were thwarted by Louis II, who was not in fact dead. In 876, Louis the German died and Carloman inherited his share. The brothers maintained concord amongst themselves, contrary the example set by their own father and uncles and their cousins.
Upon the death of Charles the Bald of West Francia in 877, Carloman also became king of Italy and aimed at gaining the Imperial crown, but in 879, he was crippled by a stroke and divided his dominions as his father had done. He granted Louis Bavaria and Charles Italy. He had no legitimate issue, but had a concubine named Litwinde. His illegitimate son by her, Arnulf, was granted the duchy of Carinthia. Arnulf later became king of Germany and Italy and emperor.

Louis the Younger, 876–882, received Saxony, Franconia, and Thuringia and inherited Bavaria from his brother Carloman in 879
Charles the Fat, 876–887, received Alemannia and Rhaetia, inherited Italy from his brother Carloman in 879, and inherited all East Francia from his brother Louis in 882. Emperor 881
On the deposition of Charles the Fat, East Francia went to his nephew:

Arnulf, 887–899, King of Italy and Emperor 896

Italy: Ratold, 896 - Ratold (889 – 929) was a King of Italy who ruled for a month or so in 896. He was younger illegitimate son of Arnulf of Carinthia by a concubine. His mother may have been the same mother as Zwentibold, but may on the other hand have been a Lombard, thus gaining the child standing among the people of Italy, or a Slav, based on his name. Arnulf had the nobility recognize the rights of Zwentibold and Ratold as his successors.
After his father was crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 896, he left Ratold behind as nominal sub-king in Milan and crossed the Alps for Germany. Immediately after returning to Germany, Lambert II of Spoleto, an opponent of Arnulf's for the crown of Italy, took control of the country. Ratold was forced to flee.

Lotharingia: Zwentibold, 895–900 - Zwentibold (870 – August 13, 900) was the illegimate son of the Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia. In 895 his father granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which he ruled until his death.
Zwentibold first intervened in the scramble for the throne in West Francia between Odo, Count of Paris and Charles the Simple, but they began to cooperate against Zwentibold, when it became apparent that Zwentibold wanted to become king of West Francia himself.
Zwentibold was accepted by the nobility in Lotharingia, but he helped the common population too much and began to be hated in a few years among the nobility. Zwentibold was fighting unruly nobles when his father died in 899. Arnulfs legitimate son Louis the Child became king of East Francia. Zwentibold attempted to take advantage of the succession of his young half-brother to establish complete independence for his kingdom. However, the entire nobility supported Louis and asked him to intervene. In 900, Count Reginar I of Hainault rose against Zwentibold and slew him near present-day Susteren.
After Zwentibold's death, his half-brother Louis the Child also became king of Lotharingia, but the realm was administered by a duke, since 904 by the Conradine Gebhard of Franconia.
Zwentibold was named after his godfather, king Svatopluk I of Great Moravia (Zwentibold being a Frankish transcription of Svatopluk).

Louis the Child, 899–911

Louis the Child was the last East Frankish Carolingian ruler. He was succeeded by Conrad of Franconia and then the Saxon Ottonian dynasty.

TOP