Gundachar, Margrave of Carinthia
Encyclopedia
Gundachar was the Count (or margrave) of Carinthia
from around 858 and prefect
from 863. He was a Bavaria
n.
Around 858, the counts (or dukes, duces) Rihher of Pannonia and Pabo of Carinthia conspired against their overlord, the prefect Carloman
. Carloman replaced them with Udalrich and Gundachar respectively. This display of independence on Carloman's part startled his father, King Louis the German
, into purging a party of noblemen who were close to Carloman (861) and granting extensive holdings in Pannonia and Carinthia to the Archdiocese of Salzburg (860).
In 863, Louis marched an army towards Pannonia on the pretense of subduing Rastislav
, Duke of Great Moravia
, but intended to subdue Carloman, who had entrusted most of his forces to Gundachar to guard the river Schwarza
. Louis had secretly negotiated with Gundachar, however, and the latter went over with the army to the king's side in return for the appointment to Carinthia with the title of prefect.
In 866, Gundachar, again a vassal of Carloman, was involved in the insurrection of Louis the Younger
and rebelled against Louis the German, but was defeated and nearly killed. He is said to have taken part in other revolts and perjuries (oath breakings). In 869, he went over to Rastislav and was given a position of authority. While preparing to attack Carloman, he reportedly told his Moravian men that he Saint Emmeram, on whose relics he had sworn fealty to Louis, was holding his weapons down and preventing him from raising his arms and contributing to the fight. He was killed in battle and Louis ordered celebrations to be made for his death. The annalist of Fulda
compared him to Catiline
.
March of Carinthia
The March of Carinthia was a frontier district of the Carolingian Empire created in 889. Before it was a march, it had been a principality or duchy ruled by native-born Slavic princes at first independently and then under Bavarian and subsequently Frankish suzerainty...
from around 858 and prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
from 863. He was a Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n.
Around 858, the counts (or dukes, duces) Rihher of Pannonia and Pabo of Carinthia conspired against their overlord, the prefect Carloman
Carloman of Bavaria
Carloman was the eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia , and Hemma, daughter of the count Welf...
. Carloman replaced them with Udalrich and Gundachar respectively. This display of independence on Carloman's part startled his father, King Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
, into purging a party of noblemen who were close to Carloman (861) and granting extensive holdings in Pannonia and Carinthia to the Archdiocese of Salzburg (860).
In 863, Louis marched an army towards Pannonia on the pretense of subduing Rastislav
Rastislav
Rastislav or Rostislav was the second known ruler of Moravia . Although he started his reign as vassal to Louis the German, king of East Francia, he consolidated his rule to the extent that after 855 he was able to repel a series of Frankish attacks...
, Duke of Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
, but intended to subdue Carloman, who had entrusted most of his forces to Gundachar to guard the river Schwarza
Schwarza
Schwarza may refer to several places and rivers in Germany and Austria:*Schwarza , a river in Germany, tributary of the Saale*Schwarza , a river in Austria, tributary of the Leitha*Schwarza, part of Rudolstadt, Germany...
. Louis had secretly negotiated with Gundachar, however, and the latter went over with the army to the king's side in return for the appointment to Carinthia with the title of prefect.
In 866, Gundachar, again a vassal of Carloman, was involved in the insurrection of Louis the Younger
Louis the Younger
Louis the Younger , sometimes Louis III, was the second eldest of the three sons of Louis the German and Emma. He succeeded his father as the King of Saxony on 28 August 876 and his elder brother Carloman as King of Bavaria from 880...
and rebelled against Louis the German, but was defeated and nearly killed. He is said to have taken part in other revolts and perjuries (oath breakings). In 869, he went over to Rastislav and was given a position of authority. While preparing to attack Carloman, he reportedly told his Moravian men that he Saint Emmeram, on whose relics he had sworn fealty to Louis, was holding his weapons down and preventing him from raising his arms and contributing to the fight. He was killed in battle and Louis ordered celebrations to be made for his death. The annalist of Fulda
Annales Fuldenses
The Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Francia with the accession of the child-king, Louis III, in 900...
compared him to Catiline
Catiline
Lucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.-Family background:Catiline was born in 108 BC to...
.
Sources
- The Annals of Fulda. (Manchester Medieval series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II.) Reuter, Timothy (trans.) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992.