Pepin of herstal biography

Duke and Prince of the Franks (–)

Pepin II (c. – 16 December ), commonly known as Pepin of Herstal, was a Frankish statesman and military leader who was the de facto ruler of Francia as the Mayor of the Palace from until his death. He took the title Duke and Prince of the Franks upon his conquest of all the Frankish realms.

The son of the powerful Frankish statesman Ansegisel, Pepin worked to establish his family, the Pippinids, as the strongest in Francia. He became Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia in Pepin subsequently embarked on several wars to expand his power. He united all the Frankish realms by the conquests of Neustria and Burgundy in In foreign conflicts, Pepin increased the power of the Franks by his subjugation of the Alemanni, the Frisians, and the Franconians. He also began the process of evangelisation in Germany.

Pepin's statesmanship was notable for the further decrease of Merovingian royal authority, and for the acceptance of his family's undisputed right to rule. Therefore, Pepin was able to name as heir his grandson Theudoald. But this was not accepted by his powerful son Charles Martel, leading to a civil war after his death in which the latter emerged victorious.

Background

Pepin, sometimes called Pepin II and Pepin the Middle, was the grandson and namesake of Pepin I the Elder through the marriage of Pepin I's daughter Begga to Ansegisel. He was also the grandfather of Pepin the Short and great-grandfather of Charlemagne. That marriage united the two houses of the Pippinids and the Arnulfings which created what would be called the Carolingian dynasty. Pepin II was probably born in Herstal (Héristal), modern Belgium (where his centre of power lay), whence his byname (sometimes "of Heristal").

Rise to power

As mayor of Austrasia, Pepin and Martin, the duke of Laon, fought the Neustrian mayor Ebroin, who had designs on all Francia. Ebroin defeated the Austrasians in the Battle of Lucofa

Bede. Miracles from Heaven were not lacking at their martyrdom. For their dead bodies, having been cast into the river by the pagans, as has been said, were carried against the stream for the space of almost forty miles, to the place where their companions were. Moreover, a long ray of light, reaching up to heaven, shone every night above them wheresoever they chanced to be, and that too in the sight of the very pagans that had slain them. Moreover, one of them appeared in a vision by night to one of his companions, whose name was Tilmon, a man of renown and of noble birth in this world, who having been a thegn had become a monk, telling him that he might find their bodies in that place, where he should see rays of light reaching from heaven to the earth. And so it befell; and their bodies being found, were buried with the honour due to martyrs; and the day of their passion or of the finding of their bodies, is celebrated in those parts with fitting veneration. Finally, Pippin, the most glorious duke of the Franks, learning these things, caused the bodies to be brought to him, and buried them with much honour in the church of the city of Cologne, on the Rhine. And it is said that a spring burst forth in the place where they were killed, which to this day affords a plentiful stream in that same place.

At the death Clovis I in , his realm was divided among his four sons, Theuderic I, Chlodomir, Childebert I, and Chlotar I. Despite the frequently bloody competition between the brothers, they managed among them to extend Frankish rule over Thuringia in approximately and Burgundy in and to gain sway over, if not possession of, Septimania on the Mediterranean coast, Bavaria, and the lands of the Saxons to the north. By Chlotar I was the last surviving son of Clovis I, and until his death in the Frankish realm was once again united.

In the realm was again divided between brothers—Charibert I, Guntram, Sigebert, and Chilperic I—and again family strife and intrigue ensued, particularly between Chilperic and his wife, Fredegund, in the northwest of Gaul and Sigebert and his wife, Brunhild, in the northeast. Dynastic struggles and increasing pressures exerted on the realm by neighbouring peoples Bretons and Gascons in the west, Lombards in the southeast, Avars in the east prompted a reorganization of the Frankish kingdoms.

Several eastern regions were merged into the kingdom of Austrasia, with its capital at Metz; in the west Neustria emerged, with its capital first at Soissons and later at Paris; to the south was the enlarged kingdom of Burgundy, with its capital at Chalon-sur-Saône. Overall Frankish unity was again achieved in , when Chlotar II, son of Chilperic I and king of Neustria, inherited the other two kingdoms as well. On the death of Chlotar’s son Dagobert I in , the realm was divided yet again, but by that time the kings of the two regions, Neustria and Burgundy on the one hand and Austrasia on the other, had been forced to yield much of their power to household officials known as Mayors of the Palace.

Under the Merovingian dynasty, the Mayor of the Palace was the manager of the household of the Frankish king. The office existed from the sixth century, and during the seventh it evolved into the &#;power behind the throne&#

Pippin II was also known as:

Pippin of Herstal (in French, Pépin d’Héristal); also known as Pippin the Younger; also spelled Pepin.

Pippin II was known for:

Being the first "Mayor of the Palace" to take effective control of the kingdom of the Franks, while the Merovingian kings ruled in name only.

Occupations:

King
Military Leader

Places of Residence and Influence:

Europe
France

Important Dates:

Born: c.
Becomes Mayor of the Palace: 
Died: Dec. 16,

About Pippin II :

Pippin's father was Ansegisel, the son of Bishop Arnulf of Metz; his mother was Begga, the daughter of Pippin I, who had also been a mayor of the palace.

After King Dagobert II died in , Pippin established himself as mayor in Austrasia, defending the autonomy of the region against Neustria, its king Theuderic III, and Theuderic's mayor Ebroïn. In , Ebroïn defeated Pippin at Lucofao; seven years later Pippin won the day at Tertry. Although this victory gave him power over all the Franks, Pippin kept Theuderic on the throne; and when the king died, Pippin replaced him with another king who was, essentially, under his control. When that king died, two more puppet kings followed in succession.

In , after several years of military conflict on the northeastern border of the kingdom, Pippin conquered the Frisians and their leader Radbod. To solidify the peace, he married his son, Grimoald, to Radbod's daughter, Theodelind. He secured Frankish authority among the Alemanni, and he encouraged Christian missionaries to evangelize Alemannia and Bavaria.

Pippin was succeeded as mayor of the palace by his illegitimate son, Charles Martel.

More Pippin II Resources:

Pippin II in Print

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by Pierre Riché; translated