Theudebald

Theudebald (also Theudowald; * 537, † November / December 555 ) was a King of the Franks from the Merovingian dynasty. He ruled in the kingdom part that was known as Austrasia later, from 548 to 555

He was the only son of King Theudebert I. His mother was the Gallo Romanin Deoteria, which had become in the year 532 Theudebert concubine and was 537 or 538 violated at the insistence of the Franks. 551 Theudebald was still referred to as a child, so the age of consent of 15 years had not yet been reached. It follows that he was not born long before the repudiation of his mother.

Theudebald was the beginning of his reign to sickly. The prestige of his father and the loyalty of the Great facilitated a smooth accession to power of the minor. Even as a child he had been betrothed to 540 with Walderada ( Waldrada, Vuldetrada ), a subsidiary of the Lombard king Wacho, which was also a sister of his stepmother Wisigarde who had married his father after the repudiation Deuterias. When he was of age, he married Walderada. This was an affront against the Lombards, as the daughter Wachos they belonged to the currently displaced by the Lombard throne lethingischen dynasty. The alliance of the Franks with the Lombards broke.

The new Lombard king Audoin allied with the Oströmern. Soon after Theudebalds throne occurred in Upper Italy to clashes between the Franks, who had established themselves under Theudebert I there, and the Oströmern. The Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I sent two embassies to Theudebald ( 548/549 and 551/ 552); he called for the evacuation of occupied territories in Italy and Frankish aid against the Ostrogoths. Theudebald responded evasively; he sent a counter- embassy to negotiate the territorial disputes. 552 attacked the Byzantine general Narses in Italy and destroyed in a short time the Ostrogothic kingdom. The Franks in northern Italy avoided a direct clash with the Eastern Roman troops, and Theudebald turned down an offer of an alliance of the last Ostrogoth Teja. Despite the military successes of the East Romans, the Franks Veneto could hold a few more years, but had to Northwest Italy in the year after Theudebalds death after a defeat to give up.

After a long illness and infirmity Theudebald died in the year 555 children. His part of the empire inherited by his great-uncle, Clotaire I, who Theudebalds widow Walderada married.