Berthoald
Encyclopedia
Berthoald (died 604) was the mayor of the palace
of Burgundy
from some time before 603 (when he is first mentioned as mayor under King Theuderic II
) until his death in the next year. According to the Burgundian
chronicler Fredegar, he was moderate, sensible, brave, and honest.
In 604, Theuderic, at the suggestion of his grandmother Brunhilda, sent Berthoald to inspect the royal villa
e along the Seine
, in order to have him away from court so that he might be conveniently killed. Brunhilda intended to raise her paramour Protadius
to Berthoald's honours. Berthoald and three hundred men were at Arèle when King Clotaire II
of Neustria
—alerted by some means to his presence— sent an army under his son Merovech and his mayor Landric
to assault him. Berthoald fled to Orléans
, and Landric followed and besieged him, which violated a peace treaty with Theuderic. The king of Burgundy went out at Christmas
to Étampes
and met the forces of Merovech and Landric. Defeating them with the aid of Berthoald, he took Paris
. Berthoald was killed in battle, having charged the enemy too far, with no regard for his own life, which he knew was in danger at court because of the plottings on behalf of Protadius. Protadius was indeed made mayor of the palace after him.
Mayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
of Burgundy
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
from some time before 603 (when he is first mentioned as mayor under King Theuderic II
Theuderic II
Theuderic II , king of Burgundy and Austrasia , was the second son of Childebert II...
) until his death in the next year. According to the Burgundian
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
chronicler Fredegar, he was moderate, sensible, brave, and honest.
In 604, Theuderic, at the suggestion of his grandmother Brunhilda, sent Berthoald to inspect the royal villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
e along the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, in order to have him away from court so that he might be conveniently killed. Brunhilda intended to raise her paramour Protadius
Protadius
Protadius was the mayor of the palace of Burgundy from 604, when he displaced his rival Berthoald, until his death two years later. He was originally the noble lover of Brunhilda, the grandmother of and regent for King Theuderic II...
to Berthoald's honours. Berthoald and three hundred men were at Arèle when King Clotaire II
Clotaire II
Chlothar II , called the Great or the Young , King of Neustria, and, from 613 to 629, King of all the Franks, was not yet born when his father, King Chilperic I died in 584...
of Neustria
Neustria
The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
—alerted by some means to his presence— sent an army under his son Merovech and his mayor Landric
Landric
Landric was the mayor of the palace of Neustria. According to the Vita Aldegundis, he and his probable brother Gundoland were uncles of Saint Aldegunda. The chief sources for his reign are the Chronicle of Fredegar and the Liber Historiae Francorum.Landric was a supporter of Fredegund in her...
to assault him. Berthoald fled to Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, and Landric followed and besieged him, which violated a peace treaty with Theuderic. The king of Burgundy went out at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
to Étampes
Étampes
Étampes is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris . Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department....
and met the forces of Merovech and Landric. Defeating them with the aid of Berthoald, he took Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Berthoald was killed in battle, having charged the enemy too far, with no regard for his own life, which he knew was in danger at court because of the plottings on behalf of Protadius. Protadius was indeed made mayor of the palace after him.