Theoderic III

Theoderic III (also Theodoric; French: Thierry III; 654-691) was a Frankish king of Neustria and Burgundy (673-691) and Austrasia (679-691), son of Clovis II. After defeating his rivals, he definitively unified the lands of the Franks under the authority of a single king; The United Kingdom bequeathed it to his successors until the fall of the Merovingian dynasty in 752.

Biography

He succeeded his brother Clotario III on the throne of Neustria and Burgundy, and although he was supported by the mayor of the palace Ebroín, he was expelled from the throne by supporters of his brother Childeric II in 673, and locked up in a convent. A conspiracy organized by the Frankish lords, who judged Childeric too authoritarian, ended with the assassination of the sovereign in the Forest of Lognes, near Paris, in 675. With Childeric's death, Theoderic left the monastery and seized the throne of Neustria.

However, in Austrasia Clovis III, supposed son of Clotario III, was elected, who nevertheless died after a year. Then, Dagobert II, son of Sigebert III, had been proclaimed king by the Austrasian lords in 676 and returned, after Childeric's assassination, to enforce his rights. But, unable to contain the insubordination of the great ones, he was himself assassinated in 679, at the age of twenty-seven, leaving the throne of Austrasia to Theoderic.

Pippin of Heristal, mayordomo of the Austrasia palace, took up arms against him and ended up expelling him, concentrating in his hands the three kingdoms of Austrasia, Neustria and Burgundy. Fearing a confrontation with the great Frankish lords, susceptible and envious of his power, he allowed, under his control, Theoderic to occupy the throne of the King of the Franks, but retaining Austrasia for himself.

Theoderic III married Clotilde Doda, daughter of Bega of Cumberland with whom he had the following children:

• Clodoveus IV (680-695), which replaced his father with his death;
• Childeberto III (683-711) that succeeded his brother to his death in 695.