Franks

The Franks were one of several west Germanic tribes who entered the late Roman Empire as foederatii and established a lasting realm. The word frank meant "free" in their language. There were initially two main subdivisions within the Franks, the Salian ("salty") and the Ripuarian ("river") Franks. By the 9th century, if not earlier, this division was in fact virtually non-existent, but continued for some time to have implications for the legal system under which a person could be tried.

Their earliest history is not very clear. Our main source is Gregory of Tours, who quotes from otherwise lost sources like Sulpicius Alexander and Frigeridus and probably from oral sources of the Franks around him, the latter with healthy scepticism. Apart from this there are some earlier Roman sources like Ammianus and Sidonius Apollinaris

Gregory states that the Franks originally lived in Pannonia, but settled on the banks of the Rhine. This probably refers to the lower Rhine from the Lippe down to the Dutch coast. There is a region in the North East of Netherlands -i.e. north of the Roman border- called Salland that may have been named after the Salians.

Around 250 the Roman Empire almost collapsed and a group of Franks penetrated as far as Tarragona in Spain, plaguing this region for about a decade before being subdued and expelled from Roman territory.

Around 290 the Franks have the Scheldt region under control and interfere with the waterways to Britain, they are pacified but not expelled.

In 355-358 the later Emperor Julian once again find the shipping lanes on the Rhine under control of the Franks and pacifies them. A considerable part of Belgica is given to the Franks. From this time on they become allies of the Roman Empire (when it suits them). A region roughly corresponding to presentday Flanders and the Netherlands south of the rivers becomes a Germanic region down to this day. (Dutch is spoken there now). The Franks thus became the first Germanic people who permanently settled on Roman territory.

For a map see the external link http://www.roman-emperors.org/nouest4.htm

From their heartland they gradually conquered Gallia (Gaul), which took its name from the Franks to be called France in later times. They initially helped defend the border as allies. In 406 there was a major invasion of mostly East Germanic tribes. The Franks fought against these invaders. The major thrust of the invasion went south of the Loire. (In the region of Paris, Roman control would persist until 486, i.e. a decade after the fall of the emperors of Ravenna. This is part due to alliances with the Franks)

Gregory mentions Chlodio as the first king who started the conquest of Gaul by taking Camaracum (today Cambrai) and expanding the border down to the Somme. This probably took some time, Sidonius relates that the Franks were surprised by Aetius and driven back (probably around 431). This period marks the beginning of a situation that would endure for many centuries: the Germanic Franks became rulers over an increasing number of Gallo-Roman subjects.

In 451 Aetius called upon his Germanic allies on Roman soil to help fight off the invasion by the Huns. The Salian Franks answered the call, the Ripuarians fought on both sides as some of them lived outside the Empire. At this time Merovech was king of the Franks. Gregory's (oral) sources did not seem sure whether Chlodio was his father.

The demise of Romulus Augustulus in 476 left Merovech's son Clovis without a credible ally. He decides to tranform the alliance with the Romans from a military into a religious one. He puts an end to the Roman control in the Paris region and defeats Syagrius in 486. Although the Franks had lived on Roman territory longer than other tribes they had always remained faithful to their pagan gods. Clovis, however, becomes a catholic Christian.

This made the Franks the first Gemanic tribe to be converted to Catholicism. All the other branches were converted to Arianism, which was condemned as heretical by the Catholic Church. The Pope was in dire straits because almost all other West Roman territory was now in control of Arian rulers. Because they were able to worship with their Catholic neighbors, the Franks found much easier acceptance from the local (Roman) population than did the Visigoths, Vandals, Burgundians). Under the Merovingians built the most stable of the successor-kingdoms in the west. The Merovingians ruled two closely interrelated kingdoms, Neustria and Austrasia.

The Merovingians adhered to the Germanic practice of dividing their lands among their sons, and the frequent division, reunification and redivision of territories often resulted in murder and warfare within the leading families. The chief officer of each kingdom was the mayor of the palace. From about the turn of the eighth century, the Mayors tended to wield the real power in the kingdom.

In 751, Pepin the short, who had succeeded his father, Charles Martel, as Mayor of the Palace for a united Frankish kingdom, was elected King by his fellow leading-men. Although this happened infrequently, a general rule in Germanic law was that the king relied on the support of his leading-men. These men reserved the right to choose a new leader, if they felt that the old one was unable to lead them in profitable battle. Pepin solidified his position by entering into an alliance with the Pope against the Lombards; this papal support was crucial to silencing any objections to his new position.

Pepin's sons, Charlemagne and Carloman, succeeded him. Carloman withdrew to a monastery and died shortly thereafter, leaving sole rule to his brother. After forging yet another papal alliance, Charlemagne was crowned emperor in 800. He was succeeded by his son Louis (the Pious), who was fortunate enough to have survived his brothers and to inherit the entire kingdom.

Upon Louis' death, his three sons agreed upon the boundaries of their kingdoms at a meeting at Verdun. These kingdoms included the lands that they had ruled under their father as separate regna, and incorporated the lands their father had himself ruled. Charles the Bald, kept most of the western kingdom, which eventually became France. The central kingdom, including the Italy and the title of Roman Emperor, passed to Lothar, the eldest son. This kingdom, Lotharingia, comprised a corridor from the Low Countries through Burgundy into Italy. The name has suvived to the present as Lorraine. Louis' middle son, Louis the German, inherited all of Francia east of Lotharingia, including the Northern and Eastern Marches. The Scheldt became the border between the West and Middle (later: East) kingdom