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Gondebald

Gondebald (Gundobad), king Burgonde , grand-son of Gondicaire , founder of the monarchy, the eldest son of Gondioc or Gundioc, born before 455. Gondebald succeeded his father and his uncle Chilperic I. and access to power to 480 (date not sure), in union with his three brothers Godgisile (or Godegisle) Gondomar (or Gondemar) and Chilperic II. He did not enter the fullness of royal power in the year 500 , when he took possession of all the Burgundian monarchy following the murder of his three brothers he had successively died. He reigned until 516 , when he died, the Burgundian kingdom which had its capital in Lyon, where he established his seat of government. He mainly worked to unite the Burgundians and the Gallo-Romans, and succeeded in creating an entity and a common identity for these two peoples forging particularism and Burgundy. The Burgundian kingdom will be called Burgundia of Burgundiae regnum, or Burgundy, the name survives in that of Burgundy modern. Gondebald gave his name to the law Gombette , valuable element of cohesion for the people of Burgundia fruit of its legislative action.

Summary

Biography

Gondebald Italy

Gondebald appears for the first time in Italy in 472 , at the extreme end of the Western Empire, where it debuted and where this "barbaric "Burgundian it receives a refined education. At the imperial court of Ravenna , he stands by his uncle , the Suve and patrician Ricimer . Ricimer ruled alone, making and unmaking emperors, students, flipping and removing their lives, as they were useful in that they interfered with his ambition or his power. Gondebald received the title of magister militum , "master of the militia" of Gaul , that is to say, generalissimo of the Western Empire, then was elevated to the dignity of patrician Ricimer by his uncle before he does died in 472. The Roman Emperor Olybrius having died in 472 , Gondebald as patrician, contributed to the election of his successor, Emperor Glycerius but failed to hold the opposition to the emperor Orient Leo I who imposed Julius Nepos.

Back in Gaul

Gondebald returned to Gaul in 474.

Gondebald becomes king of Burgundy alongside his three brothers, about 480 according to the custom Germanic sharing kingdom. The Burgundian kingdom had reached its peak. Two of his brothers, Chilperic II and Gondomar are quickly removed from power, most likely murdered on the orders of Gondebald Gondebald or by itself. According to Gregory of Tours : "Gondebald Chilperic slew his brother's wife and drowned it . Gregory of Tours recounts the murder of Burgundian Chilperic son of Gondioc by his brother Gondebald:

" Gondioc was king of Burgundy: it belonged to the family of Athanaric King persecutor of which we spoke above. He had four son: Gondebald, Godgisle, Chilperic and Gondomar. Gondebald Chilperic slew his brother's wife and drowned it by attaching a stone around his neck. He condemned to exile his two daughters the elder, who took the habit, called Croma, the youngest Clotilde. However, as Clovis often sends embassies in Burgundy, the young Clotilde is seen by his ambassadors. As they had found elegant and wise and they knew she was royal family, they announced to King Clovis. Without delay, it sends an embassy Gondebald to propose marriage. The latter did not dare say no handed it to the ambassadors, and the latter, causing the young girl, presenting her as soon as possible to the king. When he had seen the king was filled with great joy and is the association by marriage, when he had a son by a concubine named Thierry. "

- Gregory of Tours , Historia Francorum, Book II, paragraph XXVIII, translation Robert Latouche, The classics in the history of France during the Middle Ages, volume 27, p. 116-117, in Burgundy in the Middle Ages, Dijon Academy, Regional Centre for Educational Research and Documentation, Dijon, 1972.

Avitus of Vienne, in a letter, we show grieved the death of his brothers: "Once you were crying with emotion inexpressible loss of your brothers and all the affliction of your people associate with your royal mourning. And yet it was the good fortune of your kingdom, by decreasing the number of royal personages, not kept to the life which was enough for the command. "

with King Godgsile

After the death of Chilperic II and Gondomar , a new division of the kingdom took place between Gondebald and Godgisile. Gondebald established his capital at Lyon and his brother moved to Geneva. In 491 , Gondebald consented to extend the hand of Clotilde , niece, daughter of the second Chilperic II - the brother he had murdered or been murdered - the Frankish king Clovis I that he married in 493 . It began in 492 , an expedition in Italy, Liguria and Lombardy, which he returned victorious. It was after this expedition an embassy sent by Theodoric the Great to the redemption of the Italian prisoners, the daughter of Theodoric, Ostrogoths, was betrothed to the son of Gondebald, Sigismund. The Burgundian king brought aid to Clovis I at the battle that King fought victoriously against the franc Alemanni at Tolbiac in 496 , allowing the Burgundians to extend their borders to the Reuss , the borders of Switzerland.

Gondebald was Arian and despite the efforts of Bishop Avitus , his friend, confidant and adviser, who remained unsuccessful, the Burgundian king preferred to remain Arian as the majority of his people, wishing, no doubt, to maintain harmony between the Arians and Burgundians Gallo-Roman Catholics. The marriage of Clotilde , a devout Catholic, very devout, fed, according to Gregory of Tours , an implacable resentment towards his uncle Gondebald murderer of his father, was of great importance for the destiny of the Burgundian kingdom. Proselytism which showed Clotilde for the conversion of Clovis I to the Christian religion had been successful after the victory of the Franks at the Battle of Tolbiac. This conversion to the Catholic faith of Clovis I pushed the bishops, their leader, Bishop Avitus 's friend Gondebald, leading to lend their support to the Frankish king, Clovis I hailing a "new Constantine. The Church made the fortune of the Franks converted and the ruin of the Arian Burgundians deaf to the exhortations of conversion of Catholic Bishops. The Gondebald refusal to convert was the signal to go ahead for Clovis. But Clotilde had grown, according to tradition, her husband to attack the head of his father's murder.

War between Godebaud, Godgisile and Clovis

Gregory of Tours recounts in these terms that this war was fought in 500 :

"The two brothers, and Gondebald Godegisil held the kingdom that surrounds the Rhone and Saone rivers, with the province of Marseilles, and both, as their people were subjected to the Arian heresy. They fought each other. Godegisil heard of the victories of King Clovis and secretly sent him an embassy with this message: If you lend me your assistance to continue my brother so I can kill in war or expel him from the area, I'll pay each an annual tribute that you want secure yourself. Clovis willingly accepted the proposal and promised his help wherever it is needed. And at the appointed time, he raised an army against Gondebald who, ignorant of the deceit of his brother, wrote him: "Come to my aid, as the Franks conspire against us and invade our country to take it.

So let us unite together against these enemies, fearing that if we remain separate, we felt that other people have suffered. Godegisil replied: I'll lend you some help with my army.

All three groups raised their armies, Clovis and cons Gondebald Godegisil war with all its power. And so they came near the castrum of Dijon. Converging towards the river Ouche Godegisil joined Clovis and their two armies crushed the people of conjugated Gondebald. When the latter, who had not suspected the cunning of his brother, advised them, he turned his back, fled, and through the swamps along the Rhone, arrived in Avignon. "

- Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, II, 32

Gondebald locked himself in Avignon under the protection of city walls. The siege dragged on too long the taste of Clovis, who agreed to negotiate. The loser of the winner and approached it acknowledged the tribute. Clovis away. Gondebald again mobilized an army and went to Vienna where his brother had settled, he laid siege. The city of Vienna was not ready to take a seat. Godgisle decided to deport all useless mouths for the famine was at hand. He drove the employee including the aqueduct, which vexed Gondebald proposed to enter the city waterworks and tells Gregory of Tours:

" Gondebald, master of all Burgundy

After the war the year 500 (or 501 ) and the treaty the following year he spent with the sovereign franc River Quoranda (the river The Cure ), Gondebald was now free to focus on care according to internal government inclinations rather peaceful and even refined. Steeped in Roman culture, he surrounded himself with scholars Gallo-Romans, Placidus, Lucanus, Heraclius, Laconius were among his advisers. In Syagrius was also part of Lyon, who could speak the language and Burgundian Sidonius had called novus Burgundionum Solon, (a modern Solon). Avitus of Vienna provides that "knows the Latin and Greek Scriptures" and Marius' s Avenches said that the kingdom unfolds congratulate: fortunately. The kingdom was then Gondebald arrived at its greatest extension, and he ran from the Loire and the Rhone to the Alps and the Rhine , embracing a part of Switzerland. And while the north side, he passed the town and the plateau of Langres , and was rubbing on the edge of the Vosges Mountains to the south, it included the Provence and even Marseille , one point was among them.

Gallo-Romans and Burgundians

Gondebald, as Burgundionum rex had dual position patricius rex and that gave legitimacy to the Burgundians and the Gallo-Romans. He tried to ease religious tensions and maintain the delicate balance between her subjects almost all Germanic Arian and his subjects Gallo-Roman Catholic. Coexistence between the two faiths, manifested even within the royal family. He himself remained deaf to calls to conversion that gave him insistently Bishop Avitus of Vienna, but his wife Cartne, who died in 506 , Catholic , it facilitated the accession of Catholics. "Gondebald played a complex game to support the Church of Arian and hidden favors granted by the intermediary of his wife Cartne to Catholics," wrote Kaiser Rheinhold . He pushed his confidence towards Catholics and their clergy to give the bishop Avitus of Vienne the education of his son Sigismund, who converted to Catholicism around 506. He retained the structures set up by the Empire where each city was ruled by a Count. The balance between the Gallo-Romans and Burgundians was carefully maintained by the rule that two counts are based in each city, a Roman and Burgundian, considering each in its own right and applying the " law Gombette ". This law, which was formed at once by putting in writing the rules of law to be applied to the Burgundians, and those that should be applied "between Burgundian and Roman .

Law Gombette

Gondebald name remained attached to the legislative work of his reign. The Burgundian king ordered the codification of practice to respect among his subjects and was the promulgation of the law called Gombette , Lex Gumbat or Gundobada, or lex Burgundionum, in memory of his name. It was enacted, according to the opinion most generally, 501 / 502 . Gondebald was the first ruler in Gaul to have his subjects with a body of laws. At that time the laws were attached to the person, nationality and not to the territory, according to the principle of "personality of laws". The Gallo-Roman inhabitant Gondebald States should have its own law, separate from the Burgundians, which explains that the word law Gombette cache actually two laws: the lex Gundobata applicable to subjects Burgundian and lex Romana Burgundionum applicable to subjects Gallo-Roman kingdom, the latter also received the name of Papian. The two rights that were simultaneously in force required the judge, before any decision to ascertain the nationality of the complainant or the accused. The law also Gombette enact the principle of "hospitality". This principle laid down the conditions of land sharing and reciprocal obligations of each party, among the "barbarians", newcomers, and former owners of the land. This division should be done without violence, revealing the rather peaceful Burgundians. Gombette law legislated by the sentences to be imposed for crimes and misdemeanors. She was raised by his son Sigismund and Gondomar. This Act contains 88 titles at first, then in its final version, 105 titles . The Lex Romana Burgundionum includes 47 tracks giving 176 items .

Reversal of alliance

Perhaps we should see, by Rheinhold Kaiser Sigismund in converting - son of the King of Italy and Arian Theodoric the Great - Catholicism to 506, the cause of the reversal of alliances which took place for Franks and Goths to the detriment of . In 507 , the Battle of Vouill against the Visigoths of Alaric II , when the immense territory of the Visigoths fell under the domination of the Frankish king, made common cause with Gondebald Clovis I. By 508, Franks and Burgundians are still common cause, struggling with the Visigoths and their allies Ostrogoths before whom they try to annex Provence. Franks and Burgundians routed by the generals of Theodoric the Great , Ibba and Mammo which forced them to raise the particular seat of Arles , Gondebald could not recover possession of Arles and Marseille.

End of reign

Gondebald wanted to avoid the drawbacks of the Germanic system applied to the estate of the realm and applied for his son Sigismund the system of primogeniture. Some years before his death, he proclaimed his eldest son as his heir presumptive. Gondebald breathed his last in 516 , probably in Geneva.

Genealogy

Gondebald is the brother of:

  • Gondemar I. ( 486), Burgundian king, sitting in Vienna (not sure);
  • Chilperic II , Burgundian king, sitting in Lyon ( 473 ? his assassination in 480 ?). The latter children Clotilde , wife of the Frankish king Clovis, and Sdeleuba who became a nun, taking the name of Crona.
  • Godgisile ( 500), Burgundian king, married to Theodolinda, based in Geneva;

Gondebald has Cartne woman, a Catholic with whom he has two legitimate children:

Bibliographical Sources

  • (En) Justin Favrod , the Burgundians. A Lost Kingdom in the heart of Europe, polytechnic and university presses in Western Switzerland, 2002 ( ISBN 2880745969 ) References

    Notes

    1. Justin Favrod , in The Burgundians, p. 70 gives some to the murder of Emperor Anthemius in Rome in 472 by Gondebald committed when he was sent, said Favrod by Chilperic to help Ricimer who tried overthrow the emperor. Katalin Escher, in Genesis and evolution of the second Burgundian kingdom (443-534), Volume 2, p. 732 gives the same version. Finally, the external link: Anthemius, De Imperatoribus Romanis , gives this information (in English), indicating that its origin proviendait of Jean Malalas (Chronicle): Indeed, It Was Gundobad himself "Who Was Responsible for Anthemius death.
      Malalas Reported, "Immediately Ricimer Gundobad Summoned, The history of his sister, from Gaul, Where He Was Master of Soldiers, Who, HAVING killed the emperor very Anthemius In The Church of the St. Peter the Apostle, Where He Had taken refuge Then Returned to Gaul "(Chron. 375).
    2. The name meant barbarian "who is not Roman."
    3. The patrician Ricimer who held the empire was brother-Gondioc wife who had received one of her sisters.

    References

    1. Louis Girod, Evian and the Chablais region throughout history , Cabedita Publishing, 1993, p. 34
    2. Reinhold Kaiser, in Alain Marchand and Jean-Louis Kupper , p. 81.
    3. Genealogy of the site Olybrius Medieval Lands
    4. See Jacques Marseille , p. 60.
    5. Gregory of Tours , Historia Francorum, Book II, XXVIII, translation Robert Latouche, quoted in The Classics in the history of France during the Middle Ages, volume 27, pp. 116-117.
    6. See also chapter "Gondemar mysteriously disappeared", in Clovis, a king of legend, p. 148, Michelle Laforest, Albin Michel, ( ISBN 2-226-08714-1 ).
    7. "Do not say no" seems to indicate he would have liked to say no and that if he said yes it is against the heart. In Michele Laforest , p. 89.
    8. Michele Laforest , p. 232. However, it must take into account the uncertainties in the chronology of events concerning the Burgundian kingdom and the succession of events that marked the reign of Clovis. The date of the marriage of Clovis is the subject of controversy among historians and the year 493 is perhaps not the historical truth.
    9. Edward Secretan The first kingdom of Burgundy, p. 75.
    10. "She said her husband preached assiduously Gregory of Tours
    11. Jean Richard , other authors put the treaty to the year 506.
    12. She built a church in Lyon dedicated to the archangel Michael. In Favrod Justin P. 93.
    13. a and b Reinhold Kaiser , p. 90.
    14. Reinhold Kaiser , p. 81.
    15. Jean Richard , p. 94.
    16. J.-F.-A. Peyre , p. 10
    17. Source: Burgundy during the Middle Ages published by the Academy of Dijon, Regional Centre for Educational Research and Documentation (1972) gives its sources: The law Gombette - Latin Edition by JE VALENTINE - SMITH - Issue 2, Lyon and Paris 1889
    18. (la) The 176 items from the Lex Romana Burgundionum
    19. Genealogy Gondebald site Medieval Lands

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