Chlothar III

Chlothar III from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

Chlothar III (or Chlotar, Clothar, Clotaire, Chlotochar, or Hlothar, giving rise to the name Lothair; 652–73) was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild. When Clovis died in 658, Chlothar succeeded him under the regency of his mother.

The Historia Langobardorum reports that in the early 660s a Frankish army invaded Provence and then Italy (bk 5, ch V). This force came upon the camp of the Lombard king Grimoald I of Benevento, at Rivoli near Asta. Grimuald pretended to flee. The Franks looted the camp and celebrated. Then, after midnight, Grimuald attacked and drove them back to Neustria.

After the death of Saint Eligius in 661, the Life of Eligius — written soon after Chlothar's death — records that a plague reduced the population of France's cities. A plague in the British Isles, according to Bede, did the same there in 664.

During the regency, Austrasians begged for a king of their own and in 662, the Clothar's government gave Austrasia to another son of Clovis II, Childeric II.

Also during his reign, the mayor of the palace Erchinoald died and a council of Franks elected Ebroin to replace him. As of 668, Bede tells that Ebroin was running the nation's foreign policy and internal security. Given that the Liber historiae Francorum admits four years for Chlothar's reign, it remains possible that Chlothar began to exert some real authority when his mentors deemed him an adult, 669.

Chlothar died in Spring 673. He was buried in Saint Denis Basilica and a tomb, probably his, was discovered there recently. Then, his brother Theuderic III succeeded him.

It is notable that he is often described as the first roi fainéant—do-nothing king—of the Merovingian dynasty; and at least until the last four years of his life this description is fitting.

External links

• Media related to Chlothar III at Wikimedia Commons

Merovingian monarchs
	Childeric I (457–481) Clovis I (481–511) Childebert I (511–558) Chlodomer (511–524) Theuderic I (511–533) Theudebert I (533–548) Theudebald (548–555) Chlothar I the Old (511–561) Charibert I (561–567) Guntram (561–592) Sigebert I (561–575) Childebert II (575–595) Theudebert II (595–612) Theuderic II (612–613) Sigebert II (613) Chilperic I (561–584) Chlothar II the Great (584–623) Dagobert I (623–634) Charibert II (629–632) Chilperic (632) Sigebert III (634–656) Childebert the Adopted (656–661) Clovis II (639–657) Chlothar III (657–673) Childeric II (662–675) Theuderic III (675–691) Dagobert II (675–679) Clovis IV (691–695) Childebert III the Just (695–711) Dagobert III (711–715) Chilperic II (715–721) Chlothar IV (717–720) Theuderic IV (721–737) Childeric III (743–751)

French monarchs
Detailed family tree Simplified family tree
Merovingians	Clovis I Childebert I Chlothar I Charibert I Guntram Chilperic I Sigebert I Childebert II Chlothar II Dagobert I Sigebert II Clovis II Chlothar III Childeric II Theuderic III Clovis IV Childebert III Dagobert III Chilperic II Chlothar IV Theuderic IV Childeric III
Carolingians, Robertians and Bosonids	Pepin the Short Carloman I Charlemagne (Charles I) Louis I Charles II Louis II Louis III Carloman II Charles the Fat OdoR Charles III Robert IR RudolphB Louis IV Lothair Louis V
Capet	Hugh Capet Robert II Henry I Philip I Louis VI Louis VII Philip II Louis VIII Louis IX Philip III Philip IV Louis X John I Philip V Charles IV
Valois	Philip VI John II Charles V Charles VI Charles VII Louis XI Charles VIII Louis XII Francis I Henry II Francis II Charles IX Henry III
Bourbon	Henry IV Louis XIII Louis XIV Louis XV Louis XVI Louis XVII
Bonaparte (1st Empire)	Napoleon I Napoleon II
Bourbon (Restoration)	Louis XVIII Charles X Louis XIX Henry V
Orléans (July Monarchy)	Louis Philippe I
Bonaparte (2nd Empire)	Napoleon III
Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics