Childebert at The Louvre, Paris

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Childebert I (c. 496 – December 13, 558) was a Frankish King of the Merovingian dynasty, third son of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511. Born at Reims, he was one of Saint Clotilda's sons. He reigned as King of Paris from 511 to 558 and Orléans from 524 to 558. In the partition of the realm, he received as his share the town of Paris, country to the north up to the river Somme, west up to the English Channel, and the Armorican peninsula (modern Brittany). His brothers ruled in different lands: Theuderic I in Metz, Chlodomer in Orléans, and Clothar I in Soissons. In 523, Childebert participated with his brothers in a war against Godomar of Burgundy. Chlodomer died in the Battle of Vézeronce (524). Afterward, concerned that the three sons of Chlodomer would inherit the kingdom of Orléans, Clothar conspired with Childebert to oust them. They sent a representative to their mother Clotilda, who as queen mother had authority as head of the family line. The representative presented a pair of scissors and a sword, offering her the choice to shear the three young boys, thereby depriving them of long hair considered a symbol of royal power, or to have them killed. She famously replied, "It is better for me to see them dead rather than shorn, if they are not raised to kingship". After the murder of Chlodomer's two elder children - the third, Clodoald escaping to monastic life - Childebert annexed the cities of Chartres and Orléans. He took part in later various expeditions against the kingdom of Burgundy. He besieged Autun in 532 and, in 534, having conquered the kingdom along with his brother Clothar and Theuderic's son Theudebert I, received as his share of the spoils of that kingdom the towns of Mâcon, Geneva, and Lyons. When Witiges, king of Ostrogoths, ceded Provence to Franks in 535, possession of Arles and Marseilles was guaranteed to Childebert by his brothers. The annexation of that province was completed, with Clotaire's help, in the winter of 536-537. In 531, he received pleas from sister Chrotilda, wife of King Amalaric of Visigoths. Arian king of Hispania, Chrotilda claimed, was grossly mistreating her, a Catholic. Childebert went down with an army and defeated the Gothic king. Amalaric retreated to Barcelona, where he was assassinated. Chrotilda died on return journey to Paris of unknown causes. Childebert made other expeditions against Visigoths. In 542, he took possession of Pamplona with help of his brother Clotaire and besieged Zaragoza, but was forced to retreat. From this expedition he brought back to Paris a precious relic, the tunic of Saint Vincent, in honor of which he built at gates of Paris the famous monastery of Sainte-Croix-et-Saint-Vincent, known later as St-Germain-des-Prés. He died on December 13, 558, and was buried in abbey he had founded, where it became royal necropolis for Neustrian kings until 675. He left no sons, only two daughters, Chrodoberge and Chrodesinde, by his wife Ultragotha. Childebert was an acquisitive monarch. He expanded his domains in more foreign wars than any of his brothers, fighting in Burgundy (more than once), Spain (more than once), Provence, and elsewhere in Gaul. Gregory of Tours, a contemporary Neustrian, cites Childebert as saying: "I would never want to see Arvernum Lemanae which is said to shine with such great joy, with my own eyes". Childbert was also one of the more religious sons of Clovis, cooperating with his brothers, rescuing his sister, and constructing famous monastery of Saint Vincent to house his relics.