Born about 605; died Jan. 19, 639, in the abbey of Saint Denis, near Paris. Frankish king beginning in 629; son of Clotaire II (Lothair); last ruler of the Merovingian house who possessed real power. Initially (from 623) ruling only Austrasia, he eventually extended his authority over nearly the entire Frankish kingdom. He waged a successful struggle against the encroachments of the church and secular magnates on lands of the royal domain. In 629 he established a fair near Paris. He interfered in the affairs of the Lombard kingdom and the state of the Visigoths. He invaded the Sano state but suffered defeat (631).