Clovis

Clovis (465-511), King of the Salian Franks belonging to the Merovingian line, and being the son of Chilperic I., whom he succeeded in 481. His first capital was Tournai, but after overthrowing the Gallo-Romans he transferred his court to Soissons. In 493 he married Clotilda (q.v.), and under her influence, and owing to the supposed aid of the God of the Christians in one of his battles, he became Christian, and, with many of his subjects, was baptised by St. Remigins. The Pope conferred on him the title of Most Christian King to mark approval of his orthodoxy in the midst of many Arians. In 507 he defeated Alaric the Visigoth, thus carrying out in a great measure his ambition of uniting the Franks under one ruler. but in the same year he received a check from Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths. Thereupon he settled in Paris, where he died, after dividing his kingdom among his four sons.