A Short History of the Frankish King Clovis I

This is an autogenerated script from my video. I apologize for any oddities in wording or formatting.

Welcome to Medieval Germanica. I am your host, Brandon Foster, and today we are going to peek into the life of the first Frankish king, Clovis.

Before we get into it, we’re going to talk about some of the little things about his life—what he accomplished, the campaigns he waged, the religious conversions he went through, and all the different things that made Clovis I tick and why he is considered the first French king—and why he is important to history in general.

If you enjoy Germanic history, which is what I talk about here at Medieval Germanica, then get your cup of coffee (or really whatever drink you like to partake in), and let’s dive into some history.

Clovis I was born around 466. We don’t know the exact year he was born, because at that time there weren’t really any annals or political timelines being created. Later, around the time of Charlemagne, we get the Frankish annals that go from about the 740s to the 820s, and they tell us a lot. But during the 460s, we didn’t really have that, so we rely mostly on clues and comments from Gregory of Tours, our main primary source.

When Clovis was about ten, it would be around 476 AD—considered the fall of the Western Roman Empire. That term is heavily debated nowadays. The old Italio-centric view was that when the Germanic tribes (called "barbarians" by the Romans) came into Southern and Central Europe, it marked a collapse of civilization. For a long time, the period from roughly 500 to 1500 was seen as the "Dark Ages"—a time when learning disappeared. But we now know that’s not true. It was a shift of power more than a collapse. In 476, power shifted from Rome to Gaul.

One character, Syagrius, tried to create a "rump" Roman Empire in Gaul—a weaker continuation of Rome—but Clovis would later end that. So in 466, Clovis was born. A decade later, Western Roman power ceased. Constantinople (Byzantium) would continue for another thousand years until the rise of the Turks.

We do know that Clovis died in 511 AD, meaning he lived into his late 40s or early 50s—young by our standards, but fairly normal back then. He lived a full life.

His parents were Childeric I and Basina, a Thuringian princess—another Germanic tribe. The Franks, to which Clovis belonged, were a confederation of tribes. Clovis was a Salian Frank, based on the western side of the Rhine. There were also the Ripuarians, who became more aligned with what we now consider German culture, while the Salians became more aligned with the French identity. Kings like Clovis and Charlemagne are claimed by both nations.

Clovis’ grandfather—or possibly great-uncle—was Merovich. The name of the Merovingian dynasty comes from him, though we don’t know much about him. Childeric and Merovich were more like regional lords than kings. That’s why Clovis is considered the first king of a unified Francia.

Let’s have some linguistic fun. The Latin form of his name was Chlodovechus or Clodovicus. The Frankish form was Hlodowig, a compound of Hludaz (loud, famous) and Wigana (to battle, to fight)—so “famous warrior” or “renowned in battle.” Gregory of Tours, who was not a great Latin writer, may have mistranscribed the name. An alternative root might have been Hluta, meaning “lot,” “share,” or “portion.” So his name might have meant “bringer of portions” or “famous warrior,” depending on the interpretation.

Now, what is Clovis known for? First, he united all the Franks. Second, he converted to Catholicism instead of Arian Christianity, which was common among other Germanic tribes. And third, he began the Merovingian dynasty—though it was named after Merovich, Clovis was the one who actually started it.

He took the throne in 481, around age 15. One of his first major battles was the Battle of Soissons in 486 against Syagrius. Clovis allied with Ragnachar and Chararic, two other Frankish kings. Chararic betrayed them, but Clovis still won. Syagrius fled and the last vestige of the Western Roman Empire faded.

Clovis also besieged Verdun and Paris. The Paris siege may have lasted up to five years. Paris had strong defenses and became his capital—still France’s capital today. He also built the Abbey of St. Peter and Paul on the south side of the Seine.

He defeated the Alemanni in the east at the Battle of Tolbiac. He claimed it was a war of liberation to free Catholic Germans from Arian rule. Then he defeated the Visigoths under King Alaric at the Battle of Vouillé. He continued to conquer remaining Frankish tribes and solidified his rule over what is now France, Switzerland, and parts of western Germany.

Clovis wasn’t done yet. He dealt with dissenters through assassination. Chararic, the betrayer at Soissons, was sent to a monastery, but when he tried to return, Clovis had him killed. Clodoric was convinced by Clovis to kill his father Sigobert; then Clovis had Clodoric killed too. Ragnachar refused Clovis entry into his land, so Clovis had him executed and took his territory.

In his later years, around 508, Clovis did two big things. First, he was baptized as a Catholic Christian. Second, he codified the Salian Law—the first written legal code for the Franks. Before this, laws were oral, remembered by elders and war chiefs. Clovis started the tradition of Germanic lawgiving. These laws recognized the concept of legal personality—Franks were judged by Frankish law, Romans by Roman law, and so on.

He also held the First Council of Orléans, gathering 33 bishops who issued 31 decrees. One key principle was that conquered and conqueror were equal under Christ—a major religious and cultural milestone.

A major influence in his conversion was his wife, Clotilda, a Burgundian princess and devout Catholic. Clovis was pagan at the time of their marriage. She baptized their children without his approval. One died (which didn’t help her case), but the second survived. Eventually, Clovis converted and was baptized, helping to cement Catholicism in France and Germany—a faith that remained dominant until the Reformation.

So, that’s Clovis: unifier of the Franks, lawgiver, Catholic convert, and foundational figure in European history. He’s why France and Germany became Catholic rather than staying pagan or becoming Arian.

If you’re Catholic, you might thank him for that. If not, well—you know who to blame.

Thank you for watching Medieval Germanica. Again, I’m your host, Brandon Foster. If you liked this episode, I’d really appreciate it if you liked, commented, shared—all the good stuff. And no matter what you do, thank you for watching, and have an amazing day.