Clotaire II
King of the Franks · 584-629 · born in 584, died on 18 October 629
Son of Chilperic I and Fredegund, Chlothar II was only a few months old at his father’s death (584). King of Neustria, he narrowly escaped the ambitions of Brunhild, who then wielded strong political influence in Austrasia. His minority was marked by the struggles of the mayors of the palace and by war between the Frankish kings.
In 613, after a long civil war, he triumphed over Brunhild: the ageing queen was captured and executed, and Chlothar II once again brought the whole Frankish kingdom under a single crown. He relied on the great men of the kingdom and entrusted Austrasia to his son Dagobert (623), under the tutelage of the mayor of the palace Pépin of Landen.
The edict of Paris (614) answered the demands of the elites, notably on the appointment of bishops and royal officers, and stabilized the regime. Father of Dagobert I, whose succession he secured, Chlothar II died in 629: his reign gave the kingdom, reunited for a time, a final period of power.
In the tree of power
- Era: Merovingians
- Predecessor: Chilpéric Ier (561-584)
- Successor: Dagobert Ier (629-639)