Pepin the Short
King of the Franks, Mayor of the Palaces of Neustria and Austrasia
Reign	751 – 768
Born	714
	Jupille, Austrasia (modern day Liège, Belgium)
Died	24 September 768
Predecessor	Childeric III
Successor	Charlemagne Carloman, son of Pippin III
Dynasty	Carolingian

Pépin le Bref ^[1] (714 – September 24, 768), often known as Pepin the Younger or Pepin III, was the King of the Franks from 751 to 768 and is best known for being the father of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great. Image File history File links Pippin_the_younger. ... Events Pippin the Short is elected as king of the Franks by the Frankish nobility, marking the end of the Merovingian and beginning of the Carolingian dynasty. ... // Death of Pepin the Short (714 - 768), king of the Franks since 751. ... // Events February 28 - An earthquake strikes Syria. ... Jupille (Jupille-sur-Meuse) is a former Belgian municipality. ... Austrasia & Neustria Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ... Geography Country Belgium Community French Community Region Walloon Region Province Liège Arrondissement Liège Coordinates , , Area 69. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Death of Pepin the Short (714 - 768), king of the Franks since 751. ... 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. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Carloman (751 - December 4, 771) was a King of the Franks (768 - 771). ... Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ... 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... 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. ... Carloman (751 - December 4, 771) was a King of the Franks (768 - 771). ... Charlemagne (left) 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[1] (numbered Charles II of France and the Holy Roman Emperor) (French: , German: ) (13 June 823 – 6 October 877), Holy Roman Emperor (875–877) and king of West Francia (840–877), was the youngest son of Emperor Louis the Pious, by his second wife Judith. ... 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 February 28 - An earthquake strikes Syria. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Death of Pepin the Short (714 - 768), king of the Franks since 751. ... The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ... Events Pippin the Short is elected as king of the Franks by the Frankish nobility, marking the end of the Merovingian and beginning of the Carolingian dynasty. ... // Death of Pepin the Short (714 - 768), king of the Franks since 751. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ...

He was born in 714 in Jupille, close to the city of Liège, in what is today Belgium, where the Carolingian dynasty originated. That territory was then a part of the kingdom of Austrasia. His father was Charles Martel, mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, and his mother was Chrotrud (a.k.a. Rotrude of Treves) (690-724). // Events February 28 - An earthquake strikes Syria. ... Jupille (Jupille-sur-Meuse) is a former Belgian municipality. ... Geography Country Belgium Community French Community Region Walloon Region Province Liège Arrondissement Liège Coordinates , , Area 69. ... Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ... Austrasia & Neustria Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ... 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... 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. ... Rotrude of Treves (variously spelled Chrotrude, Chrotrud Rotrude, Chotrude, Chrotude, Chrotrudis). ... Beginning of Wu Zetians Zhou Dynasty in China. ... Events End of the reign of Empress Gensho of Japan Emperor Shomu succeeds to the throne of Japan. ...

Assumption of power

On the death of Pepin's father, Charles Martel, in 741, power was passed down to Charles' legitimate sons, Carloman and Pepin as mayors of the palaces of Neustria and Austrasia respectively. Power may also have been intended for Charles' illegitimate son, Grifo, but he was imprisoned in a monastery by his two half-brothers. Carloman, who by all evidence was a deeply pious man, retired to a monastery in 747. This left Francia in the hands of Pepin as sole mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum, a title originated by his grandfather and namesake Pepin of Heristal. Events June 18 - Constantine V succeeds Leo III as emperor of the Byzantine Empire. ... 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. ... The mayors of the palaces were the chief officials of the Merovingian kings. ... Grifo was the illegitimate son of Charles Martel, an important leader of the Franks. ... Monastery of St. ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ... 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. ... Pippin of Herstal ( Pépin), also known as Pippin the Middle, (b. ...

Under the reorganization of Francia by Charles Martel the dux et princeps Francorum were the commanders of the armies of the Kingdom, in addition to their administrative duties as mayor of the palace, and specifically commander of the standing guard which Martel had begun maintaining year-around since Toulouse in 721.

Upon their assumption, Pepin and Carloman, who had not proved themselves in battle in defense of the realm as their father had, installed the Merovingian Childeric III as king, even though Martel had left the throne vacant since the death of Theuderic IV. Childeric had the title of king, but he was a puppet. As time passed, and his brother bowed out of the picture, Pepin became discontent with the presence of any royal power but himself. For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... 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. ... Theuderic IV (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; in French, Thierry) was the Merovingian King of the Franks from 721 until his death in 737. ...

At the time of Carloman's retirement, Grifo escaped his imprisonment and fled to Duke Odilo of Bavaria, who was married to Hiltrude, Pepin's sister. Odilo was forced by Pepin to acknowledge Frankish overlordship, but died soon after (January 18, 748). Pepin invaded Bavaria and installed Tassilo III as duke under Frankish overlordship. Duke Odilo (d. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January - An earthquake strikes the Middle East from northern Egypt to northwestern Mesopotamia, destroying many remnants of Byzantine culture. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

First Carolingian King

Since Pepin had control over the magnates and actually had the power of the king, he decided it was time to do what his father had never bothered to do, make the Carolingian name royal in law as well as fact. Pepin asked Pope Zachary who should be the royal ruler: the person with the title of King, or the person who makes the decisions as King. Since the Pope depended on the Frankish armies for his independence, and had depended on them for protection from the Lombards since the days of Charles Martel, and Pepin, as his father had, controlled those armies, the Pope's answer was determined well in advance. The Pope agreed that the de facto power was more important than the de jure power. Thus, Pepin, having obtained the support of the papacy, discouraged opposition to his house. He was elected King of the Franks by an assembly of Frankish leading-men (it must be noted he had a large portion of his army on hand, in the event that the nobility inclined not to honor the Papal Bull) and anointed at Soissons, perhaps by Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, who, along with his niece, Saint Leoba, was a court advisor. Meanwhile, Grifo continued his rebellion, but was eventually killed in the battle of Saint-Jean de Maurienne in 753. Pope Saint Zachary (Greek Zacharias), pope (741-752). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... 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. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... Soissons is a town and commune in the Aisne département, Picardie, France, located on the Aisne River, about 60 miles northeast of Paris. ... For the Roman general of this name, see Bonifacius. ... Leoba (also Lioba and Leofgyth) (c. ... 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 Haute Savoie) of the present Savoie département, in the southeastern Rhône-Alpes region of France. ... Events Synod of Constantinople called by Emperor Constantine V. Samarkand conquered by Arabs. ...

Childeric III was deposed, his hair was shaved off and he was confined to a monastery. He was the last of the Merovingians. For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ...

Expansion of the Frankish realm

Pepin added to his power after Pope Stephen II traveled all the way to Paris to anoint him in a lavish ceremony at Saint Denis Basilica, bestowing upon him the additional title of patricius Romanorum (Patrician of the Romans). As life expectancies were short in those days, and Pepin wanted family continuity, the Pope also anointed Pepin's sons, Charles (eventually known as Charlemagne) and Carloman. Stephen, elected pope in March of 752 to succeed Pope Zacharias, died of apoplexy three days later, before being consecrated. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... West façade of Saint Denis Depiction of the Trinity over the main entrance The Basilica of Saint Denis (French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the famous burial site of the French monarchs, comparable to Westminster Abbey in England. ... This article is about the social and political class in ancient Rome. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Carloman (751 - December 4, 771) was a King of the Franks (768 - 771). ...

Pepin's first major act was to go to war against the Lombard king Aistulf, who had a policy of expansion into the ducatus Romanum, as a partial repayment for papal support in his quest for the crown. Victorious, he forced the Lombard king to return property seized from the Church and confirmed the papacy in possession of Ravenna and the Pentapolis, the so-called Donation of Pepin whereby the Papal States was founded.^[2] In 759, he drove the Saracens out of Gaul with the capture of Narbonne and then consolidated his power further by integrating Aquitaine into the kingdom. In taking Narbonne, and formally annexing Aquitaine (whose status was always dependent on the strength of her suzerains), he completed the work of his father save for one last task: fully subduing the Saxons. He was preparing for war against them when his health began to fail, and thus, this final task was left for his son, the great Charlemagne. Aistulf, also called Aistulf of Friuli, (d. ... Map of the Papal States. ... Province of Ravenna Ravenna is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... A Pentapolis, from the Greek words penta five and polis city(-state) is geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities. ... The Donation of Pepin in 756 provided a legal basis for the erection of the Papal States, which extended papal temporal rule beyond the traditional diocese and duchy of Rome. ... Coat of arms Map of the Papal States; the reddish area was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, the rest (grey) in 1870. ... Events The Franks capture Narbonne; the Saracens are completely driven out of Japanese poet Otomo no Yakamochi compiled the first Japanese poetry anthology Manyoshu. ... For the rugby club Saracens see Saracens (rugby club) The term Saracen comes from Greek sarakenoi. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given,in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Narbonne (Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, commonly Narbo especially when referring to the Ancient Rome era) is a town and commune of southwestern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon région. ... (Region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Statistics Land area1 41,308 km² Population (Ranked 6th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... For other uses, see Saxon (disambiguation). ...

Legacy

Pepin died at Saint Denis in 768 and is interred there in the basilica with his wife Bertrada. Pepin was buried "outside that entrance (of St. Denis basilica), face down, for the sins of his father Charles Martel".[1] Historical opinion often seems to regard him as the lesser son and lesser father of two greater men, though a great man in his own right. He continued to build up the heavy cavalry which his father had begun. He maintained the standing army that his father had found necessary to protect the realm and form the core of its full army in wartime. He not only maintained his father's policy of containing the Moors, he drove them over and across the Pyrenees with the capture of Narbonne. He continued his father's expansion of the Frankish church (missionary work in Germany and Scandinavia) and the infrastructure (feudalism) that would prove the backbone of medieval Europe. His rule, while not as great as either his father's or son's, was historically important and of great benefit to the Franks as a people. It can certainly be argued that Pepin's assumption of the crown, and the title of Patrician of Rome, were harbingers of his son's imperial coronation which is usually seen as the founding of the Holy Roman Empire. He certainly made the Carolingians de jure what his father had made them de facto—the ruling dynasty of the Franks and the foremost power of Europe. While not known as a great general, he was undefeated during his lifetime. // Death of Pepin the Short (714 - 768), king of the Franks since 751. ... Bertrada of Laon, also called Bertha of the Big Foot, (720 - July 12, 783) was a Frankish queen. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... For other uses, see moor. ... Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees For the mountains in Victoria, Australia, see Pyrenees (Victoria). ... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... This article is about the medieval empire. ...

Family

In 740, Pepin married Bertrada of Laon, his second cousin. Her father, Charibert, was the son of Pepin II's brother, Martin of Laon. Of their children, two sons and a daughter survived to adulthood. Events October 26 - An earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death. ... Bertrada of Laon, also called Bertha of the Big Foot, (720 - July 12, 783) was a Frankish queen. ... Caribert (also spelled Charibert), Count of Laon, is the obscure ancestor of Charlemagne. ... Pippin of Herstal ( Pépin), also known as Pippin the Younger, (b. ... Martin was the count of Laon in the late seventh century. ...

• Charlemagne (April 2, 742 – January 28, 814), (Charles the Great)
• Carloman (751 – December 4, 771)
• Gisela (757 – 810)

Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Chinese poet Li Po is presented before the emperor and given a position in the Imperial court. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Louis the Pious succeeds Charlemagne as king of the Franks and Emperor. ... Carloman (751 - December 4, 771) was a King of the Franks (768 - 771). ... Events Pippin the Short is elected as king of the Franks by the Frankish nobility, marking the end of the Merovingian and beginning of the Carolingian dynasty. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events December 4 - Austrasian King Carloman dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne king of the now complete Frank kingdom (Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Emperor of the Franks at Rome on Christmas Day, 800). ... Gisela (757 – 810) was the only daughter of Pippin the Younger and his wife Bertrada of Laon. ... Events March 9 - A major earthquake strikes Palestine and Syria Offa becomes king of Mercia. ... 8-10 is also going to be the Toronto Raptors record as of Dec. ...

Ancestors

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. ... 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. ... Pepin (or Pippin) of Landen (c. ... St. ... Saint Itta (also Ida, Itte, or Idulberga) (died May 8, 652) was the wife of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of Austrasia. ... 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... Alpaida was also known as Chalpaida. ... Leudwinus (St. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 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. ... 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. ... The mayors of the palaces of Austrasia and Neustria were the chief officials of the Merovingian kings. ... 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. ... The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... Carloman (751 - December 4, 771) was a King of the Franks (768 - 771). ...

See also

• Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)
• List of Frankish Kings
• Carolingians
• Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
• The Carolingians from FMG.ac

This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... The Franks were originally lead by dukes (military leaders) and reguli (petty kings). ... Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ...

References

1. ^ Also spelled Peppin or Pipin, Pepin's name can be very confusing. Historically, historians have vacillated between preference for Pepin, derived from the French Pépin, and the German Pippin. His nickname is often misunderstood. His nickname the Younger refers to the fact that he was the younger of the two Arnulfing Pepins who ruled as mayors of the palace.
2. ^ "Pepin the Short". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.