Carloman (between 706 and 716^[1] – 17 August^[2] 754) was the son of Charles Martel, major domo or mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his wife Chrotrud. On Charles' death (741), he and his brother Pippin the Short succeeded to their father's legal positions, Pippin in Neustria and Carloman in Austrasia. He was a member of the family later called the Carolingians and it can be argued that he was instrumental in consolidating their power at the expense of the ruling Merovingian kings of the Franks. He withdrew from public life in 747 to take up the monastic habit. The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ... The Pippinids or Arnulfings are the members of a family of Frankish nobles whose select scions served as Mayor of the Palace, de facto rulers, of the Frankish kingdoms of Neustria and Austrasia that were nominally ruled by the Merovingians. ... Pepin (or Pippin) of Landen (c. ... Grimoald the Elder or Grimaud (d. ... When King Sigebert III died in 656, Grimoald had Sigeberts son Dagobert II shorn of hair and packed off to an Irish monastery and then proclaimed his own son, Childebert the Adopted, king of Austrasia. ... The Pippinids or Arnulfings are the members of a family of Frankish nobles whose select scions served as major-domos, de facto rulers, of the Frankish kingdoms of Neustria and Austrasia that were nominally ruled by the Merovingians. ... Arnulf of Metz (August 13, 582 – August 16, 640) was a Frankish noble who had great influence in the Merovingian kingdoms as a bishop and was later canonized as a saint. ... Chlodulf was bishop of Metz approximately from 657 to 697. ... Ansegisel, or Duke Angiese, was the son of Arnulf of Metz and his wife Doda. ... Pippin of Herstal ( Pépin), also known as Pippin the Younger, (b. ... Grimoald II (d. ... Drogo (670-708), son of Pepin the Middle and Plectrude, was the duke of Champagne by appointment of his father in 690 and duke of Burgundy from the death of Nordebert in 697. ... Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria and Charles Martel in Austrasia by the nobles, after the death of his grandfather, Pepin of Heristal. ... The Carolingians were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdom from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ... Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 – 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother... Pepin III (714 - September 24, 768) more often known as Pepin the Short (French, Pépin le Bref; German, Pippin der Kleine), was a King of the Franks (751 - 768). ... Carloman (751 - December 4, 771) was a King of the Franks (768 - 771). ... Charlemagne and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Louis the Pious, contemporary depiction from 826 as a miles Christi (soldier of Christ), with a poem of Rabanus Maurus overlaid. ... Geopolitical divisions according to the Treaty of Verdun. ... Lothair I Lothair I (German: Lothar, French: Lothaire, Italian: Lotario) (795 – 2 March 855), king of Italy (818 – 855) and Holy Roman Emperor (840 – 855), was the eldest son of the emperor Louis the Pious and his wife Ermengarde of Hesbaye, daughter of Ingerman, duke of Hesbaye. ... Middle Francia describes the realm created for Emperor Lothair I, wedged between East Francia and West Francia. ... Charles the Bald - Detail from a painting in the First Bible of Charles the Bald, painted ca. ... The Frankish Empire after the treaties of Verdun and Meerssen. ... Louis the German (also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian or German Ludwig der Deutsche) (804 – August 28, 876), the third son of the emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye, was the king of Bavaria from 817, when his father partitioned the empire... East Francia was the land of Louis the German after the Treaty of Verdun of 843, which divided the Carolingian Empire of the Franks. ... Events Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I begins the Great Mosque of Damascus Births Deaths Categories: 706 ... Events April 19 - The monastery on the Island of Iona celebrates Easter on the Roman date. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Pope Stephen III crowns Pepin the short King of the Franks at St. ... Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 – 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother... A majordomo is the head (major) person of a domestic staff (domo), one who acts on behalf of a usually absent owner of a typically large residence. ... Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also known by the Latin name, maior domus or majordomo, used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries. ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... Events June 18 - Constantine V succeeds Leo III as emperor of the Byzantine Empire. ... Pepin III (714 - September 24, 768) more often known as Pepin the Short (French, Pépin le Bref; German, Pippin der Kleine), was a King of the Franks (751 - 768). ... Neustria & Austrasia The territory of Neustria originated in A.D. 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities. ... The Carolingians were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdom from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ... For other uses of the term Merovingian, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ...

Assumption of power

After the death of his father, power was not initially divided to include Grifo, another of Charles' sons. This was per Charles' wishes, though Grifo demanded a portion of the realm from his brothers, who refused him. By 742, Carloman and Pippin had ousted Grifo and forced him into a monastery, and each turned his attention towards his own area of influence as major domo, Pippin in the West (in what was called Neustria, roughly what is now France) and Carloman in the East (in what was called Austrasia, roughly what is now Germany). Grifo was the illegitimate son of Charles Martel, an important leader of the Franks. ... Events Chinese poet Li Po is presented before the emperor and given a position in the Imperial court. ... Neustria & Austrasia The territory of Neustria originated in A.D. 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities. ...

With Grifo contained, the two mayors, who had not yet proved themselves in battle in defence of the realm as their father had, on the initiative of Carloman, installed the Merovingian Childeric III as king (743), even though Martel had left the throne vacant since the death of Theuderic IV in 737. Childeric III (died about 754), called either the Idiot or the Phantom King, king of the Franks, was the fourteenth and last king of the Merovingian dynasty. ... Events Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (724-743) succeeded by al-Walid II ibn Abd al-Malik (743-744). ... Theuderic IV (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French, Thierry) was the Merovingian King of the Franks from 721 until his death in 737. ... Events Favila becomes king of Asturias after Pelayos death Births Emperor Kammu of Japan (d. ...

Unlike most medieval instances of fraternal power sharing, Carloman and Pippin for seven years seemed at least willing to work together; certainly, they undertook many military actions together. Carloman joined Pippin against Hunald of Aquitaine's rising in 742 and again in 745. Pippin assisted Carloman against the Saxons 742-743 and against Odilo of Bavaria in 742 and again in 744, when peace was established between the brothers and their brother-in-law, for Odilo had married their sister Hiltrude. Hunald (a. ... Events Births November 10 - Musa al-Kazim, Shia Imam (d. ... Duke Odilo (d. ... Events February - Hildeprand succeeds Liutprand as king of the Lombards. ... Duke Odilo (d. ... Hiltrud is a daughter of Charles Martel and Rotrude of Treves. ...

Strengthening of the dynasty

In his own realm, Carloman strengthened his authority in part via his support of the Anglo-Saxon missionary Winfrid (later Saint Boniface), the so-called "Apostle of the Germans," whom he charged with restructuring the chuch in Austrasia. This was in part the continuation of a policy begun under his grandfather, Pippin of Herstal, and continued to under his father, Charles Martel, who erected four dioceses in Bavaria (Salzburg, Regensburg, Freising, and Passau) and gave them Boniface as archbishop and metropolitan over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at Mainz. Boniface had been under Charles Martel's protection from 723 on; indeed the saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester, that without it he could neither administer his church, defend his clergy, nor prevent idolatry. Carloman was instrumental in convening the Concilium Germanicum in 742, the first major Church synod to be held in the eastern regions of the Frankish kingdom. Chaired jointly by him and Boniface, the synod ruled that priests were not allowed to bear arms or to host females in their houses and that it was one of their primary tasks to eradicate pagan beliefs. While his father had frequently confiscated church property to reward his followers and to pay for the standing army that had brought him victory at Tours, (a policy supported by Boniface as necessary to defend Christianity) by 742 the Carolingians were wealthy enough to pay their military retainers and still support the Church. For Carloman, a deeply religious man, it was a duty of love, for Pippin a practical duty. Both saw the necessity of strengthening the ties between their house and the Church. Therefore, Carloman sought to increase the assets of the church. He donated, for instance, the land for one of Boniface's most important foundations, the monastery of Fulda. For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ... For the Roman general of this name, see Bonifacius. ... Pippin of Herstal (or Pepin; Pépin), also known as Pippin the Middle, Pippin the Younger (as with his grandson), or Pippin II, (635 or 640–December 16, 714, Jupille) was the grandson of Pippin (I) the Elder through the marriage of Ansegisel and Begga, the daughter of the Elder. ... The Concilium Germanicum was the first major Church synod to be held in the eastern parts of the Frankish kingdoms. ... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. ... Combatants Carolingian Franks Umayyad Caliphate Commanders Charles Martel ‘Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi† Strength Unknown, possibly 20,000 to 30,000 [1] Unknown, but the earliest Muslim sources, still after the era of the battle[2] mention a figure of 80,000. ... , Fulda (IPA: ) is a city in Hessen, Germany; it is located on the Fulda River and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (Kreis). ...

Political ruthlessness

Despite his piety, Carloman could be ruthless towards real or perceived opponents. After repeated armed revolts and rebellions, Carloman in 746 convened an assembly of the Alamanni magnates at Cannstatt and then had most of the magnates, numbering in the thousands, arrested and executed for high treason in the Blood Court at Cannstatt. This eradicated virtually the entire tribal leadership of the Alamanni and ended the independence of the tribal duchy of Alamannia, which was thereafter governed by counts appointed by their Frankish overlords. Events Swithred succeeds Saelred as king of Essex. ... Area settled by the Alamanni, and sites of Roman-Alamannic battles, 3rd to 6th century The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of west Germanic tribes located around the upper Main, a river that is one of the largest tributaries of the Rhine, on land that is today... ... {{main|Treason}} High treason, broadly defined, is an action which is grossly disloyal to ones country or sovereign. ... The blood court at Cannstatt (Blutgericht zu Cannstatt) took place as Carloman in 746 invited all nobles of the Alamanni, to a council at Cannstatt. ... Alamannia was the territory inhabited by the Alamanni after their break through the Roman Limes in 213. ...

These actions strengthened Carloman's position, and that of the family as a whole, especially in terms of their rivalries with other leading barbarian families such as the Bavarian Agilolfings. For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... The Agilolfings were a family of Frankish or Bavarian nobility that ruled the historical teritory of Bavaria on behalf of their Frankish overlords from about 550 until 788. ...

Withdrawal from public life

On 15 August 747, Carloman renounced his position as major domo and withdrew to a monastic life, being tonsured in Rome by Pope Zachary. He founded a monastery on Monte Soratte and then went to Monte Cassino. All sources from the period indicate that he believed his calling was the Church. He withdrew to a monastery and spent most of the remainder of his life there, presumably in meditation and prayer. is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ... Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... Pope Zachary (in Greek : Zacharias), pope (741-752), from a Greek family of Calabria, appears to have been on intimate terms with Gregory III, whom he succeeded (November 741). ... Mount Soratte seen from Via Flaminia. ... The restored Abbey. ...

At the time of Carloman's retirement, Grifo escaped his imprisonment and fled to Bavaria, where Duke Odilo provided support and assistance. But when Odilo died a year later and Grifo attempted to seize the duchy of Bavaria for himself, Pippin, who had become sole major domo and dux et princeps Francorum, took decisive action by invading Bavaria and installing Odilo's infant son, Tassilo III, as duke under Frankish suzerainty. Grifo continued his rebellion, but was eventually killed in the battle of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in 753. Duke Odilo (d. ... The following is a list of rulers of Bavaria: Dukes of Bavaria, 889-1623 Liutpolding Dynasty Liutpold 889-907 Arnulf the Bad 907-937 Eberhard 937 Berthold 938-947 Liudolfing ( Ottonian) Dynasty Henry I 947-955 Henry II the Quarrelsome 955-976 Otto I 976-982 Liutpolding Dynasty Henry III... Tassilo III was duke of Bavaria from 748 to 787, the last of the house of the Agilolfings. ... Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is a commune in the upper valley of the River Arc, and the capital and name of a canton and an arrondissement (formerly in the in the Départment of Haute Savoie) of the present Savoie département, in the southeastern Rhône-Alpes region of... Events Synod of Constantinople called by Emperor Constantine V. Samarkand conquered by Arabs. ...

Seven years after Carloman's retirement and on the eve of his death, he once more stepped briefly on the public stage. In 754, Pope Stephen II had begged Pippin, now king, to come to his aid against the king of the Lombards, Aistulf. Carloman left Monte Cassino to visit his brother to ask him not to march on Italy. Pippin was unmoved, and imprisoned Carloman in Vienne, where he died on 17 August. He was buried in Monte Cassino. Events Pope Stephen III crowns Pepin the short King of the Franks at St. ... Stephen, elected pope in March of 752 to succeed Pope Zacharias, died of apoplexy three days later, before being consecrated. ... The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, whence comes the alternative name Longobards found in older English texts), were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire. ... Aistulf, also called Aistulf of Friuli, (d. ... This article is about the French département. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ... Charles Martel (or, in modern English, Charles the Hammer) (23 August 686 – 22 October 741) was proclaimed Mayor of the Palace, ruling the Franks in the name of a titular King, and proclaimed himself Duke of the Franks (the last four years of his reign he did not even bother... The mayors of the palaces of Austrasia and Neustria were the chief officials of the Merovingian kings. ... Events June 18 - Constantine V succeeds Leo III as emperor of the Byzantine Empire. ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ...

Notes

1. ^ There is some discrepancy between the sources on his year of birth. It is given variously as 706, 708, 714, or 716.
2. ^ There is some discrepancy between the sources on his date of death. It is the 17 of either August or July.