Editing Childeric I (section)

==Biography==
Most of early Merovingian history is based on the account of the 6th-century [[Gregory of Tours]]. The date of Childeric's accession is not given in the text, but it was after emperor [[Avitus]]' death in December 456 ([https://encyclopedie.arbre-celtique.com/histoire-des-francs-livre-ii-7140.htm II. 11]). The only certain date is the [[Battle of Vouillé]] in 507; most of Gregory's other statements are contradictory.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wood |first=Ian N. |date=1985 |title=Gregory of Tours and Clovis |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_1985_num_63_2_3503 |journal=Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=249–272 |doi=10.3406/rbph.1985.3503}}</ref>

Childeric's father is recorded by several sources to have been [[Merovech]], after whom the dynasty is named.<ref>[[Gregory of Tours]], ''[[Historia Francorum|History of the Franks]]'', II.9. Later medieval sources do not always agree, and it has been suggested for example that Childeric descended from Merovech on his mother's side. See Étienne Renard (2014). "[http://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_2014_num_92_4_8602 Le sang de Mérovée. 'Préhistoire' de la dynastie et du royaume mérovingiens]". ''Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire'' 92–94  pp. 999–1039.</ref> Gregory (II.9) says that Merovech was reputed by some to be a descendant of [[Chlodio]], an earlier Frankish king who had conquered Gaulish areas first in the [[Silva Carbonaria]], then in [[Tournai]], [[Cambrai]] and as far south as the [[River Somme|Somme]]. This is roughly the definition of the Roman province of ''[[Belgica Secunda]]'' (approximately the "Belgium" defined by [[Julius Caesar]] centuries earlier, the region stretching from north of Paris to the Flemish coast); later, a letter of [[Saint Remigius]] to Childeric's son Clovis I implies that Childeric had been its administrative chief.

Childeric himself is mainly associated with Roman military actions around the [[Loire]] River involving the Gallo-Roman general [[Aegidius]]. According to Gregory (II.12), Childeric was exiled to "[[Thuringia]]" for eight years due to Frankish distaste for his debauchery and his seduction of his subjects' daughters.<ref>"Thuringia" is a term which surviving manuscripts of Gregory used in this section to describe the region on the Roman side of the Rhine where Chlodio's original fort was. It may refer to the [[Civitas Tungrorum|region]] of [[Tongeren]]. On the other hand many modern authors are encouraged by the find of a spoon in [[Weimar]] with the name Basina, showing that the name was used for the region we now call Thuringia.</ref> In the meantime, according to Gregory, Aegidius himself took up the title of king of the Franks. Upon his return from exile, Childeric joined his host's wife, Queen Basina, who bore their son Clovis.<ref>Gregory of Tours, ''History of the Franks'', II.12.</ref>

[[Guy Halsall]] connects the story to Roman politics, Aegidius being an appointee of Majorian:

{{blockquote|Although this is only one interpretation of the fragmentary sources, an eight-year period ending with Aegidius' death would allow us to associate Childeric's expulsion with [[Majorian]]'s accession and appointment of Aegidius.<ref>Halsall, "Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West 376–568" p. 263</ref> ...

Majorian's commander on the Loire, Aegidius, refused to accept [[Libius Severus|Severus]] as emperor. It is possible that, to legitimise his position, he took the title king of the Franks.<ref>Halsall, "Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West 376–568" pp. 266–267.</ref>}}

Halsall (p.&nbsp;269) speculates that Childeric probably began a Roman military career in the service of [[Flavius Aetius]] who defeated [[Attila]] in Gaul, and he points out that much of his military career appears to have played out far from the Frankish homelands. Ulrich Nonn (map p.&nbsp;37, and pp.&nbsp;99–100), following his teacher Eugen Ewig, believes that the exile story reflects a real sequence of events whereby Childeric was a leader of "Salian" or "Belgian" Franks based in the Romanized areas conquered by Chlodio, who were allies under the lordship of Aegidius, but eventually able to take over his power when he and his imperial patron died. (Childeric's son Clovis I later fought Aegidius' son [[Syagrius]] who was remembered as a King of Romans, and who had control of [[Soissons]] in the south of ''Belgica Secunda''.)

In a passage normally considered to have come from a lost collection of annals, Gregory (II.18) gives a sequence of events which are very difficult to interpret. In 463 Childeric and Aegidius successfully repelled the [[Visigoths]] of [[Theodoric II]] from [[Orléans]] on the [[Loire]].{{sfn|Previté-Orton|1952|p=98}} After the death of Aegidius soon after, Childeric and a ''comes'' ("count") Paul are recorded defending the Loire region from Saxon raiders, who were possibly coordinating with the Goths now under [[Euric]]. Childeric and Paul fought [[Saxons]] under the command of a leader named "[[Adovacrius]]" (sometimes given by modern authors in either an Anglo-Saxon spelling form, Eadwacer, or in a spelling the same as used for his contemporary the future King of Italy [[Odoacer]], with whom he is sometimes equated). The origin of these "Saxons" is however unclear, and they are described as being based upon islands somewhere in the Loire region.
[[File:Abeilles de Childéric Ier.jpg|thumb|Detail of golden bees with garnet insets]][[File:Childeric's bees.jpg|right|thumb|Golden bee or fly jewelry from the tomb of Childeric I in Tournai. Drawn by [[Jacob van Werden]] and engraved by [[Cornelis Galle the Younger]]]]

Soon after this passage, Gregory of Tours (II.19) reports that Childeric coordinated with "Odovacrius", this time normally assumed to be the King of Italy, against [[Allemanni]] who had entered Italy. While some authors interpret these Allemani to be Alans, a people established in the Loire region in this period. There is no consensus on this however, because the reference in this case is not apparently to events near the Loire.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}