Clotaire II (redirected from Chlothar II)

Clotaire II, d. 629, Frankish king, son of Chilperic I and Fredegunde. He succeeded (584) his father as king of Neustria, but his mother ruled for him until her death (597). In 613, after the death of his cousin Theodoric II, king of Austrasia, he was called in by Austrasian nobles to assume rule. He thus became king of all the Franks. He put Brunhilda to death, restored peace with the help of the nobility, and was compelled to grant (614) a charter giving far-reaching privileges to nobles and clergy. He was also forced to agree that each of the component parts of the Frankish lands, Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy, was to have its own mayor of the palace; the mayors of the palace were the chief royal administrators. In 623 he sent his son Dagobert I to be king of Austrasia. Dagobert later succeeded to all the Frankish lands.

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Clotaire II 

(also Lothar II). Born 584; died Oct. 18, 629. King of Neustria (584–613) and of the entire Frankish kingdom (from 613); member of the Merovingian dynasty.

After his victory over Brunhilda, Clotaire united the entire Frankish kingdom under his rule. He was forced to make concessions to the feudal aristocracy, whose strength had increased during his minority. In 614 he issued an edict confirming the land grants and judicial and administrative privileges that the largescale landowners had acquired from his predecessors. He also limited the title of count to members of the local landowning aristocracy. Clotaire appointed his son Dagobert king of Austrasia to satisfy the separatist demands of the Austrasian aristocracy.