Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: The Short
• FSID: 9MWY-PTR
• Residence: Basilica of St Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, France
• Appointments / Titles: Between 741 and 751, Kingdom of Neustria (Historical); On the death of Charles Martel in 741, Pepin succeeding his father as the Mayor of the Palace of Neustria while his older brother Carloman became Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia.
• Appointments / Titles: Between 751 and 24 Sep 768, Soissons, Aisne, Picardie, France; Elected King of the Franks by an assembly of Frankish nobles in 751, Pepin was anointed King of the Franks by Boniface, Archbishop of Mainzin, in Soissons.
• Religion: 752, Metz, Moselle, Lorraine, France; Appointed Archbishop of Metz
• Appointments / Titles: 754, Basilica of St Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, France; In 754 Pepin was anointed King a second time by Pope Stephen II in Paris at the Basilica of St Denis. In the lavish ceremony the Pope also bestowed upon him the additional title of Patrician of the Romans. This is the first recorded crowning of a civil ruler by a Pope.

Notes:

Pepin the Short
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pepin the Short
King of the Franks
Reign 751 – 24 September 768
Predecessor Childeric III
Successor Charlemagne and Carloman I
Mayor of the Palace of Neustria
Reign 741–751
Predecessor Charles Martel
Successor Merged into crown
Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia
Reign 747–751
Predecessor Carloman
Successor Merged into crown
Born 714
Died 24 September 768 (aged 54)
Saint-Denis
Burial Basilica of St Denis
Spouse Bertrada of Laon
Issue Charlemagne
Carloman I
Gisela
Dynasty Carolingian
Father Charles Martel
Mother Rotrude of Hesbaye
Religion Roman Catholicism
Signature Pepin the Short's signature
Pepin the Short[a] (German: Pippin der Jüngere, French: Pépin le Bref, c. 714 – 24 September 768) was the King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first of the Carolingians to become king.[b][2]

The younger son of the Frankish prince Charles Martel and his wife Rotrude, Pepin's upbringing was distinguished by the ecclesiastical education he had received from the monks of St. Denis. Succeeding his father as the Mayor of the Palace in 741, Pepin reigned over Francia jointly with his elder brother Carloman. Pepin ruled in Neustria, Burgundy and Provence, while his older brother Carloman established himself in Austrasia, Alemannia and Thuringia. The brothers were active in suppressing revolts led by the Bavarians, Aquitanians, Saxons and the Alemanni in the early years of their reign. In 743, they ended the Frankish interregnum by choosing Childeric III, who was to be the last Merovingian monarch, as figurehead king of the Franks.

Being well disposed towards the church and papacy on account of their ecclesiastical upbringing, Pepin and Carloman continued their father's work in supporting Saint Boniface in reforming the Frankish church, and evangelising the Saxons. After Carloman, who was an intensely pious man, retired to religious life in 747, Pepin became the sole ruler of the Franks. He suppressed a revolt led by his half-brother Grifo, and succeeded in becoming the undisputed master of all Francia. Giving up pretense, Pepin then forced Childeric into a monastery and had himself proclaimed king of the Franks with support of Pope Zachary in 751. The decision was not supported by all members of the Carolingian family and Pepin had to put down a revolt led by Carloman's son, Drogo, and again by Grifo.

As king, Pepin embarked on an ambitious program to expand his power. He reformed the legislation of the Franks and continued the ecclesiastical reforms of Boniface. Pepin also intervened in favour of the papacy of Stephen II against the Lombards in Italy. He was able to secure several cities, which he then gave to the Pope as part of the Donation of Pepin. This formed the legal basis for the Papal States in the Middle Ages. The Byzantines, keen to make good relations with the growing power of the Frankish empire, gave Pepin the title of Patricius. In wars of expansion, Pepin conquered Septimania from the Islamic Umayyads, and subjugated the southern realms by repeatedly defeating Waiofar and his Gascon troops, after which the Gascon and Aquitanian lords saw no option but to pledge loyalty to the Franks. Pepin was, however, troubled by the relentless revolts of the Saxons and the Bavarians. He campaigned tirelessly in Germany, but the final subjugation of these tribes was left to his successors.

Pepin died in 768 and was succeeded by his sons Charlemagne and Carloman. Although unquestionably one of the most powerful and successful rulers of his time, Pepin's reign is largely overshadowed by that of his more famous son, Charlemagne.

Contents
1 Assumption of power
2 First Carolingian King
3 Expansion of the Frankish realm
4 Legacy
5 Family
6 Notes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Assumption of power
Pepin's father Charles Martel died in 741. He divided the rule of the Frankish kingdom between Pepin and his elder brother, Carloman, his surviving sons by his first wife: Carloman became Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Pepin became Mayor of the Palace of Neustria. Grifo, Charles's son by his second wife, Swanahild (also known as Swanhilde), demanded a share in the inheritance, but he was besieged in Laon, forced to surrender and imprisoned in a monastery by his two half-brothers.

In the Frankish realm the unity of the kingdom was essentially connected with the person of the king. So Carloman, to secure this unity, raised the Merovingian Childeric to the throne (743). Then in 747 Carloman either resolved to or was pressured into entering a monastery. This left Francia in the hands of Pepin as sole mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum.

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. Pepin put down the renewed revolt led by his half-brother and succeeded in completely restoring the boundaries of the kingdom.

Under the reorganization of Francia by Charles Martel, the dux et princeps Francorum was the commander of the armies of the kingdom, in addition to his administrative duties as mayor of the palace.[3]

Coronation in 751 of Pepin the Short by Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz
First Carolingian King
As mayor of the palace, Pepin was formally subject to the decisions of Childeric III who had only the title of King but no power. Since Pepin had control over the magnates and actually had the power of a king, he now addressed to Pope Zachary a suggestive question:

In regard to the kings of the Franks who no longer possess the royal power: is this state of things proper?
Hard pressed by the Lombards, Pope Zachary welcomed this move by the Franks to end an intolerable condition and lay the constitutional foundations for the exercise of the royal power. The Pope replied that such a state of things is not proper. In these circumstances, the de facto power was considered more important than the de jure authority.

After this decision the throne was declared vacant. Childeric III was deposed and confined to a monastery. He was the last of the Merovingians.

Pepin was then elected King of the Franks by an assembly of Frankish nobles, with a large portion of his army on hand. The earliest account of his election and anointing is the Clausula de Pippino written around 767. Meanwhile, Grifo continued his rebellion, but was eventually killed in the battle of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in 753.

Pepin was assisted by his friend Vergilius of Salzburg, an Irish monk who probably used a copy of the "Collectio canonum Hibernensis" (an Irish collection of canon law) to advise him to receive royal unction to assist his recognition as king.[4] Anointed a first time in 751 in Soissons, Pepin added to his power after Pope Stephen II traveled all the way to Paris to anoint him a second time in a lavish ceremony at the Basilica of St Denis in 754, bestowing upon him the additional title of patricius Romanorum (Patrician of the Romans) and is the first recorded crowning of a civil ruler by a Pope.[5] 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), who was 12, and Carloman, who was 3.

Expansion of the Frankish realm

Muslim troops leaving Narbonne in 759, after 40 years of occupation

Pepin's expedition to Septimania and Aquitaine (760)
Pepin's first major act as king was to go to war against the Lombard king Aistulf, who had expanded into the ducatus Romanus. After a meeting with Pope Stephen II at Ponthion, Pepin forced the Lombard king to return property seized from the Church.[6] He confirmed the papacy in possession of Ravenna and the Pentapolis, the so-called Donation of Pepin, whereby the Papal States were established and the temporal reign of the papacy officially began.[6] At about 752, he turned his attention to Septimania. The new king headed south in a military expedition down the Rhone valley and received the submission of eastern Septimania (i.e. Nîmes, Maguelone, Beziers and Agde) after securing count Ansemund's allegiance. The Frankish king went on to invest Narbonne, the main Umayyad stronghold in Septimania, but could not capture it from the Iberian Muslims until seven years later in 759,[7] when they were driven out to Hispania.

Aquitaine still remained under Waiofar's Gascon-Aquitanian rule, however, and beyond Frankish reach. Duke Waiofar appears to have confiscated Church lands, maybe distributing them among his troops. In 760, after conquering the Roussillon from the Muslims and denouncing Waiofar's actions, Pepin moved his troops over to Toulouse and Albi, ravaged with fire and sword most of Aquitaine, and, in retaliation, counts loyal to Waiofar ravaged Burgundy.[8] Pepin, in turn, besieged the Aquitanian-held towns and strongholds of Bourbon, Clermont, Chantelle, Bourges and Thouars, defended by Waiofar's Gascon troops, who were overcome, captured and deported into northern France with their children and wives.[9]

In 763, Pepin advanced further into the heart of Waiofar's domains and captured major strongholds (Poitiers, Limoges, Angoulême, etc.), after which Waiofar counterattacked and war became bitter. Pepin opted to spread terror, burning villas, destroying vineyards and depopulating monasteries. By 765, the brutal tactics seemed to pay off for the Franks, who destroyed resistance in central Aquitaine and devastated the whole region. The city of Toulouse was conquered by Pepin in 767 as was Waiofar's capital of Bordeaux.[10]

As a result, Aquitanian nobles and Gascons from beyond the Garonne too saw no option but to accept a pro-Frankish peace treaty (Fronsac, c. 768). Waiofar escaped but was assassinated by his own frustrated followers in 768.

Legacy

Allegoric depiction of Pepin
Pepin died during a campaign, in 768 at the age of 54. He was interred in the Basilica of Saint Denis in modern-day Metropolitan Paris. His wife Bertrada was also interred there in 783. Charlemagne rebuilt the Basilica in honor of his parents and placed markers at the entrance.

The Frankish realm was divided according to the Salic law between his two sons: Charlemagne and Carloman I.

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 contained the Iberian Muslims as his father had, but drove them out of what is now France and, as important, he managed to subdue the Aquitanians and the Gascons after three generations of on-off clashes, so opening the gate to central and southern Gaul and Muslim Iberia. He continued his father's expansion of the Frankish church (missionary work in Germany and Scandinavia) and the institutional 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. 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 Kingdom of France. He 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. Known as a great conqueror, he was undefeated during his lifetime.

Family
Pepin married Leutberga from the Danube region. They had five children. She was repudiated some time after the birth of Charlemagne and her children were sent to convents.

In 741, Pepin married Bertrada, daughter of Caribert of Laon. They are known to have had eight children, at least three of whom survived to adulthood:

Charles (2 April 742 – 28 January 814), (Charlemagne)
Carloman (751 – 4 December 771)
Gisela (757–810)
Pepin, died in infancy.
Chrothais, died young, buried in Metz.
Adelais, died young, buried in Metz.

Family/Spouse: de Laon, Queen Bertrada II. Bertrada was born on 1 Apr 720 in Laon, Aisne, Picardie, France; was christened on 2 Apr 720 in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France; died on 12 Jul 783 in Choisy, Oise, Picardie, France; was buried on 16 Jul 783 in Basilica of St Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. of the Holy Roman Empire, King Charlemagne was born on 2 Apr 742 in Ingelheim am Rhein, Mainz-Bingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; was christened on 5 Apr 752 in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France; died on 28 Jan 814 in Aachen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; was buried on 9 Feb 814 in Aachen Cathedral, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Other Events and Attributes:

• House: House of Pippinid
• FSID: 99KR-KTJ
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Life Event: Between 714 and 741, Kingdom of Austrasia; Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia & Neustria; mayor; Hausmeier; Austrasien; 714; 715, 717
• Life Event: 717; Duke and Prince of the Franks, fränkischer Hausmeier, Herzog der Franken, Kuningas, Duc des Austrasiens, Frankish King, Mayor of the Palace
• Appointments / Titles: Between 718 and 741, Kingdom of Neustria (Historical); mayor of the Palace of Neustria
• Military: 10 Oct 732, Tours, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France; Led the Franks, Saxons, to victory over 500,000 Moors from Hispania (Spain) on 10-10-732

Notes:

Charles, more commonly known as Charles Martel, was a formidable warrior and statesmen who thoroughly deserved his nickname of “the hammer.”
Charles was the son of Frankish statesman Pepin of Herstal and his 2nd wife noblewoman Alpaida, he was born about 688. He had a brother named Childebrand, who later became the Frankish dux (Duke) of Burgundy.
In older historiography, it was common to describe Charles as "illegitimate". But the dividing line between wives and concubines was not clear-cut in eighth-century Francia, and it is likely that the accusation of "illegitimacy" derives from the desire of Pepin's first wife Plectrude to see her progeny as heirs to Pepin's power.

Charles Martel, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death, 22 October 741 in Quierzy, France.

Charles Martel married twice, his first wife being Rotrude of Treves. They had the following children:
-Hiltrud,
-Carloman,
-Landrade, also rendered Landres
-Auda, also called Aldana or Alane
-Pepin the Short, also called Pippin

Charles married a second time, to Swanhild, and they had one child:
-Grifo

Charles Martel also had a known mistress, Ruodhaid, with whom he had children:
-Bernard
-Hieronymus
-Remigius. Archbishop of Rouen.

Through his son Pepin the Short, Charles Martel was the grandfather of Charles the Great, otherwise known as Charlemagne. Charlemagne was originally named Charles after his grandfather.

Charles married de Trèves, Princess Chrotrude in 721 in Quierzy, Aisne, Picardie, France. Chrotrude was born on 23 Aug 688 in Trier, Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; was christened in 695 in Kingdom of Austrasia; died on 22 Oct 724 in Quierzy, Aisne, Picardie, France; was buried after 22 Oct 724 in Abbey of Saint-Arnould, Metz, Moselle, Lorraine, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Trier, Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; Duchess
• Appointments / Titles: Princess of the Franks
• FSID: LCX5-2HB

Notes:

Chrotrude's parentage has never been positively confirmed. She was either the daughter of Lambert of Hesbaye, or the daughter of Leudwin of Treves - see Wikipedia article.

Rotrude (Chrodtrudis) (or Crotude, Chrotrude, or Ruadtrud; died 724) was the first wife of Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace and de facto ruler of Francia from 718 to 741. She was the mother of Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, and therefore the grandmother of Charlemagne. Rotrude is believed to be the daughter of Lambert, Count of Hesbaye

Rotrude and Charles had five children:
Carloman, Mayor of the Palace
Pepin the Short, King of the Franks and father of Charlemagne
Hiltrude, Duchess Consort of Bavaria, married to Odilo, Duke of Bavaria
Landrade
Auda of France, married to Thierry IV, Count of Autun.

After Rotrude’s death in 724, Charles married Swanachild and had one child Grifo. Charles also had a mistress Ruodhaid with whom he had numerous children.

The only indication of Chrotrud's family membership arises from the information that Wido, lay abbot of Saint-Wandrille († executed 739), a close relative, propinquus, was Karl Martell's. Wido is mentioned as early as 715 as the brother of Bishop Milo of Trier and Reims and as the son of St. Liutwin. If one translates propinquus as brother-in-law and relates the connection to Chrotrud, she becomes a daughter of Liutwin and a member of the Widonen. This line of thought was published by Anton Halbedel in 1915 and has since been taken up several times, but it is only a h y p o t h e s i s .

Rotrude (Chrodtrudis) (or Crotude, Chrotrude, or Ruadtrud; died 724) was the first wife of Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace and de facto ruler of Francia from 718 to 741. She was the mother of Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, and therefore the grandmother of Charlemagne. Rotrude is believed to be the daughter of Lambert, Count of Hesbaye, although this designation is not without controversy, as discussed below. She is also referred to as Rotrude of Treves.

Traditionally, the information available about the family background of Rotrude was the indication that Wido (Guy), Count of Hornbach and Lay Abbot of Fontenelle, was a propinquus of Martel. This kinship term, vague enough, means a close relationship with women: a brother, a cousin by women or a cousin by marriage. Wido is the brother of Milo, Bishop of Trier, and son of Saint Leudwinus, Bishop of Trier.

Christian Settipani, in his work on the ancestors of Charlemagne, details an analysis by Anton Halbedel, first issued in 1915, and echoed by historians Joseph Depoin, Maurice Chaume and Szabolcs de Vajay. According to this analysis, the word propinquus implies "brother", so that Wido was Rotrude’s brother. Rotrude has therefore often been identified as the daughter of Saint Leudwinus.

However, in Settipani’s Addendum to the Ancestors of Charlemagne,[1] he returns to this problem, reflecting thoughts of the medieval history professor Richard Gerberding, who believed that Rotrude’s background was related directly to the Robertians. He noted that Charles Martel had three wives and that Wido may be a relative of the other two.

Settipani concludes that Rotrude was the daughter of Lambert, Count of Hesbaye, and so sister of Robert I, Duke of Neustria. In addition, Rotrude’s sister was named Landrada and was married to Sigramnus, Count of Hesbaye. Landrada and Sigramnus were parents of Saint Chrodegang, Bishop of Metz. Note that Rotrude and Charles had daughter also named Landrade, who is often erroneously identified as the wife of Sigramnus.[2]

Rotrude and Charles had five children:

Carloman, Mayor of the Palace
Pepin the Short, King of the Franks and father of Charlemagne
Hiltrude, Duchess Consort of Bavaria, married to Odilo, Duke of Bavaria
(perhaps) Landrade
(perhaps) Auda of France, married to Thierry IV, Count of Autun.
After Rotrude’s death in 724, Charles married Swanachild and had one child Grifo. Charles also had a mistress Ruodhaid with whom he had numerous children.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotrude_of_Hesbaye

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Mayor of Austrasia
• House: House of Pippinids
• FSID: LDSS-4ZY

Notes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepin_of_Herstal also https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/131325529/pepin_ii-of_herstal
https://gw.geneanet.org/zanel?lang=fr&p=pepin+ii&n=de+herstal

Pippin married von Herstal, Chalpaida in 677 in Kingdom of the Franks. Chalpaida was born in 650 in Prüm, Bitburg-Prum, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; died on 16 Dec 714 in Kingdom of the Franks; was buried after 16 Dec 714 in Orp-le-Grand Monastery, Orp-Jauche, Arrondissement de Nivelles, Wlloon Brabant, Belgium. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LDSS-4FN

Notes:

Chalpaida, also Alpais (lat. Chalpaidis; âÇá probably before 714) was the mother of Karl Martell and a peacock wife of Pippin the Middle. There is hardly any reliable information about chalpaida. The place of their origin and their noble family are unknown. It is believed that she was the sister of the house keeper Dodo or a second cousin of Bertrada the Elder. Her birthplace is believed to be near Prüm. Chalpaida's son Karl Martell was named after the Carolingian family, he is the father of Pippin the Younger and grandfather of Charlemagne. According to recent findings, she and her husband Pippin the Middle had a full marriage that is said to have lasted for over a decade. However, Pippin turned back to his first wife in 702. She is no longer mentioned in the arguments between her son Karl Martell and Plektrud. Hence, it is believed that she died before her husband. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LDSS-4FN/chalpaida-0650-0714#:~:text=Chalpaida%20was%20born%20in%200650%2C%20in%20Austrasia.%20She,was%20buried%20in%20Jauche%2C%20Orp-Jauche%2C%20Walloon%20Brabant%2C%20Belgium.Source:http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalpaida
also: https://www.geni.com/people/Alpais/6000000006098393265 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144780531/alpa%C3%AFdis-d'austrasia

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LDSS-SY2
• Life Event: Between 634 and 656, Kingdom of Austrasia; Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia

Notes:

Two more children were attributed to Ansegisel and Begga, but these proposals have been abandoned:

Martin († 690), count who fought in 690 against Ebroïn alongside Pépin the younger. This hypothesis is based on the Hagiolum Viennense, dating from 1040, which mentions Pipinus, Ansegelli filius, and Martinus frater eius (= "Pepin, son of Ansegisel, and Martin, his brother"). But this mention is now considered to be a misinterpretation of a passage from the Liber Historiae Francorum, which does not make it possible to specify the kinship between Pépin and Martin, or even if there is a kinship link.

Saint Landrada, founder of the Abbey of Munsterbilzen, whose late biography indicates that she was descended from Pépin and Arnulf († 690). Chronologically, she could only be the daughter of Ansegisel and Begga, but the biography insists on her being an only daughter.

Ansegisel married von Herstal, Begga in 634 in Metz, Moselle, Lorraine, France. Begga (daughter of von Herstal, Pippin I and de Nivelles, Saint Iduberga) was born on 2 Jun 613 in Landen, Brabant Wallon, Belgium; died on 17 Dec 693 in Andenne, Namur, Belgium; was buried in 693 in Andenne, Namur, Belgium. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LDSS-HQZ
• Religion: Roman Catholic

Notes:

After the demise of Grimoald in 662, the property passed to Ansegisel and Begga, the parents of Pippin II.

Begga founded seven churches in Andenne after Ansegisel's death