Theudebald
Encyclopedia
Theudebald or Theodebald (in modern English
, Theobald; in French
, Thibaud or Théodebald; in German
, Theudowald) (c. 535–555), son of Theudebert I
and Deuteria, was the king of Metz
, Rheims, or Austrasia
—as it's variously called—from 547 or 548 to 555.
He was only thirteen years of age when he succeeded and of ill health. However, the loyalty of the nobility to his father's memory preserved the peace during his minority. He married Waldrada
, daughter of the Lombard
king Wacho
and his stepsister (a sister of his father's second wife). This marriage fortified the alliance betweent Austrasia and Lombardy.
Nevertheless, Theudebald could not hold on to the conquests of his father in the north of Italia
. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I
sent an army under the command of Narses
in 552 and, like his father before him, Theudebald avoided direct confrontation with it.
After a prolonged sickness and prostration, he died in 555. His realm passed finally outside of the family of Theuderic I
and was united to the kingdoms of his great-uncle Clotaire I
, who would soon become king of all the Franks
.
Modern English
Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, completed in roughly 1550.Despite some differences in vocabulary, texts from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, are considered to be in Modern...
, Theobald; in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Thibaud or Théodebald; in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Theudowald) (c. 535–555), son of Theudebert I
Theudebert I
Theudebert I was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 533 to his death in 548. He was the son of Theuderic I and the father of Theudebald....
and Deuteria, was the king of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, Rheims, or Austrasia
Austrasia
Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
—as it's variously called—from 547 or 548 to 555.
He was only thirteen years of age when he succeeded and of ill health. However, the loyalty of the nobility to his father's memory preserved the peace during his minority. He married Waldrada
Waldrada
Waldrada , widow of Theudebald, King of Austrasia , repudiated mistress of Chlothar I, King of the Franks , was the daughter of Wacho, King of the Lombards and his second wife called Austrigusa or Ostrogotha, a Gepid...
, daughter of the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
king Wacho
Wacho
Wacho was king of the Lombards before they entered Italy from an unknown date until his death in 539. His father was Unichis. Wacho usurped the throne by assassinating his uncle, King Tato . Tato's son Ildchis fought with him and fled to the Gepids where he died...
and his stepsister (a sister of his father's second wife). This marriage fortified the alliance betweent Austrasia and Lombardy.
Nevertheless, Theudebald could not hold on to the conquests of his father in the north of Italia
Italia (Roman province)
Italia was the name of the Italian peninsula of the Roman Empire.-Under the Republic and Augustan organization:During the Republic and the first centuries of the empire, Italia was not a province, but rather the territory of the city of Rome, thus having a special status: for example, military...
. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
sent an army under the command of Narses
Narses
Narses was, with Belisarius, one of the great generals in the service of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I during the "Reconquest" that took place during Justinian's reign....
in 552 and, like his father before him, Theudebald avoided direct confrontation with it.
After a prolonged sickness and prostration, he died in 555. His realm passed finally outside of the family of Theuderic I
Theuderic I
Theuderic I was the Merovingian king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia—as it is variously called—from 511 to 533 or 534....
and was united to the kingdoms of his great-uncle Clotaire I
Clotaire I
Chlothar I , called the Old , King of the Franks, was one of the four sons of Clovis. He was born circa 497, in Soissons .-Life:...
, who would soon become king of all the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
.