Gray, Piper Family: Timeline, earliest Dynasties in Europe (687-ca. 987) end of Carolingian Dynasty

(Jody Gray) This Blog Post covers the 1st Group of Piper Family Ancestors of the earliest Dynasties in Europe; culminating with the end of the Carolingian Dynasty. The ancestors of the Roberitan Dynasty continues through the Capetians (the House of Capet also known as the House of France -Philip II 'Augustus' -his predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, Philip II, crowned in 1180, became the first to style himself King of France).

Ancestors covered in this 1st Group:

Carolingian Dynasty.

39th GGF Charles ‘the Hammer’ Martel, King of the Franks -founded the Carolingian Dynasty in 714.

38th GGF Pepin ‘the Short’, King of the Franks.

37th GGF Charlemagne, Emperor of the Romans *774, King of the Lombards (Italy).

(3rd son) 37th GGF Louis ‘the Pious’, King of the Franks.

36th GGF Charles ‘the Bald’, King of West Francia.

35th GGM Judith, Princess of West Francia m3rd: Baldwin I ‘Iron Arm’.

1st cousin 37x removed, Charles ‘the Fat’, Carolingian Emperor.

1st cousin 36x removed, Charles ‘the Simple’, King of West Francia

2nd cousin 31x removed, Louis V, King of West Francia -died without a legitimate heir *subsequently, ending the rule of the Carolingian Dynasty.

House of Flanders.

35th GGF Baldwin I ‘Iron Arm’, Margrave of Flanders -founded the House of Flanders in 863.

34th GGF Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders m: Elfthryth of Wessex, daughter of Alfred ‘the Great’, King of Wessex

Robertian Dynasty.

33rd GGF Robert IV ‘the Strong’, Margrave in Neustria -founded the Robertian Dynasty in 853.

32nd GGF Robert I, King of the Franks. -he drove Charles ‘the Simple’, Carolingian King of West Francia into Lorraine and was crowned King of the Franks.

Rurik Dynasty.

33rd GGF Rurik, Prince of Ladoga -a legendary Varangian (Viking) chieftain , founded of the Rurik Dynasty -Reign (862-879).

32nd GGF Igor, Prince of Rus’ -Reign (914-945)

31st GGF Sviatoslav I ‘the Brave’, Grand Prince of Kiev -Reign (945-972)

30th GGF Vladimir ‘the Great’, Grand Prince of Kiev -Reign (980-1015)

House of Wessex.

35th GGF Alfred ‘the Great’, King of Wessex -Reign (871-899).

House of Normandy.

32nd GGF Rollo, 1st Count of Normandy *famous Viking leader -founded the House of Normandy *3rd great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, the 1st Norman King of England.

Capetian Dynasty.

30th GGF Hugh Capet, King of the Franks -founded the House of Capet in 987.

29th GGF Robert II ‘the Pious’, King of the Franks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea North Sea, Territorial Waters, is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. It connects to the ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north. Historically, the North Sea has featured prominently in geopolitical and military affairs, particularly in Northern Europe but also globally through the power northern Europeans projected worldwide during much of the Middles Ages and into the modern era. The North Sea was the centre of the Vikings’ rise.

The coast of the North Sea: in the north, deep fjords and sheer cliffs mark the Norwegian and Scottish coastlines, whereas in the south it consists primarily of sandy beaches and wide mudflats.

The Viking Age began in 793 with the attack on Lindisfarne and for the next quarter-millennium the Vikings ruled the North Sea. In the superior longships, they raided, traded, and established colonies and outposts on the sea’s coasts. From the Middle Ages through the 15th century, the northern European coastal ports exported domestic goods, dyes, linen, salt, metal goods and wine. The Scandinavian and Baltic areas shipped grain, fish naval necessities, and timber. In turn the North Sea countries imported high grade cloths, spices, and fruits from the Mediterranean region. Commerce during this era was mainly undertaken by maritime trade due to underdeveloped roadways.

Viking Events:

845 - Siege of Paris by the Danish Vikings, under the command of Reginherus (possibly Ragnar Lodbrok) -after plundering and occupying the city, the Vikings finally withdrew after receiving a ransom payment of 7,000 French livres of silver and gold from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia.

861 - Fortresses of the Breton March, created by Charles the Bald, Carolingian King of West Francia.

862 to 879 - Rurik, a legendary Varangian (the name given by the Greeks and East Slavs to the Vikings) chieftain who gained control of Ladoga in 862, built the Holmgard settlement near Novgorod, and founded the Rurik Dynasty, which ruled Kievan Rus.

865 - The Great Heathen Army (of Danes), landed in East Anglia with the intent of conquering the four kingdoms that constituted Anglo-Saxon England.

885 - Siege of Paris, on the Seine, West Francia (885-886). In late Nov 885, with hundreds of ships, and possibly tens of thousands of men, the (Norwegian and Danish) Vikings arrived outside Paris… as the seige went on, most of the Vikings (led by Sigred) left Paris to pillage further upriver; another Viking leader, Rollo stayed behind with his men… Charles III ‘the Fat’, Carolingian Emperor promised a payment of 700 livres of silver and allowed them to sail further up the Seine to raid Burgundy, which was in revolt -when they withdrew from France the next spring, Charles gave them 700 livres of silver as promised.

892 -when the Viking raids resumed in 892, Alfred had a standing, mobile field army, a network of garrisons, and a small fleet of ships navigating the rivers and rivers and estuaries. -Alfred’s main defense system was the Burghal Hidage consisting of 33 fortresses spaced approximately 19 miles apart, enabling the military to confront attacks anywhere in the kingdom within a single day.

911 - Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, in return for the Vikings’ loyalty Charles ‘the Simple’, King of West Francia granted them all the land between the river Epte and the sea, creating the Duchy of Normandy -so named for the Norsemen who ruled it. The Viking leader, Rollo, became the 1st Count of Normandy -his descendants referred to as 'Normans' *he is the 3rd great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, the 1st Norman King of England (1066).
945 to 972 - (Reign of) Sviatoslav I ‘the Brave’, Grand Prince of Kiev was famous for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. - Sviatoslav carved out for himself the largest state in Europe...

The building of the first European Dynasties (687-ca. 987).

687 - Pepin of Herstal, became Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Neustria, Burgundy and began calling himself Duke and Prince of the Franks. He further increased the power of the Franks by his subjugation of the Alemanni, the Frisians, and the Franconians. He ruled until his death in 714.
714 - Charles Martel, founded the Carolingian Dynasty after the death of his father Pepin of Herstal; he was crowned Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia in 715; Duke and Prince of the Franks, and, Mayor of the Palace of Neustria in 718; King of the Franks in 737.
732 - Background - Islamic advance into Western Europe: Arab and Berber Islamic forces had conquered Spain (711), crossed the Pyrenees (720), seized a major dependency of the Visigoths (721-725), and after intermittent challenges, under Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, the Arab Governor of al-Andalus, advanced toward Gaul and on Tours. In Oct 732, the army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Al Ghafiqi met Frankish and Burgundian forces under Charles Martel in an area between the cities of Tours and Poitiers, leading to the Battle of Tours and an important Frankish victory, ending the “last of the great Arab invasions of France”... He thereafter made significant external gains, establishing Frankish control over Bavaria, Alemannia, and Frisia… He died in 741; in 740 he had divided his territories among his adult sons: Carloman, Austrasia, Alemannia, and Thuringia; Pippin the Younger, Neustria, Burgundy, Provence, and Metz and Trier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tours
747 - Carloman retired to religious life, Pepin became the sole ruler of the Franks. In 751, he forced Childeric (the last Merovingian monarch) into a monastery and proclaimed himself King of the Franks with the support of Pope Zachary... In wars of expansion, Pepin conquered Septimania from the Islamic Umayyads, and subjugated the southern reams... He died in 768 during a campaign, he was succeeded by his sons Charlemagne and Carloman -they were co-rulers of the Frankish Kingdom until Carloman died in 771.
774 - (after a siege that began in 773) the Lombards surrendered to Charlemagne who had himself crowned King of the Lombards (master of Italy) -placing the Papal States under Frankish protection. The Duchy of Bavaria was absorbed and the Bavarian policy continued of establishing tributary marches (borders protected in return for tribute or taxes) among the Slavic Serbs and Czechs.
781 - Charlemagne made his two youngest sons kings, crowned by the Pope -Carloman was made King of Italy -Louis became King of Aquitaine; he ordered them to be raised in the customs of their kingdoms, gave their regents some control of their sub-kingdoms, but kept the real power to himself. Later, his sons fought many wars on behalf of their father who was preoccupied with the Bretons, whose border he shared and who insurrected on at least two occasions... he also fought the Saxons on multiple occasions...
782 - Charlemagne instituted a code of law in Saxony; the laws were draconian on religious issues, prescribing death to Saxon pagans who refused to convert to Christianity. In Oct 782, Charlemagne ordered the execution of 4,500 Saxon prisoners, known as the Massacre of Verden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Verden
794 - Tassilo was deposed (after Charlemagne made a claim against his ability to rule) and at the synod of Frankfurt was made to renounce any claim to Bavaria which was subdivided into Frankish counties.
800 - (Christmas Day) Charlemagne crowned “Emperor of the Romans” in Saint Peter's Basilica in Italy by Pope Leo III. For centuries to come, the Emperors of both West and East would make competing claims of sovereignty over the whole. By bestowing the crown upon Charlemagne, the Pope arrogated to himself “the right to appoint… the Emperor of the Romans,... establishing the imperial crown as his own personal gift but simultaneously granting himself implicit superiority over the Emperor whom he had created.” Charlemagne used these circumstances to claim that he was the renewer of the Roman Empire. “Charles, most serene Augustus crowned by God, the great, peaceful emperor ruling the Roman empire”. The empire would remain in continuous existence for nearly a millennium, as the Holy Roman Empire.

Conquests of Charlemagne -Frankish Kingdom, 814 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

801 - Louis 'the Pious' marched the entire army of his kingdom over the Pyrenees and besieged Barcelona for two years, in 801 it capitulated.
808 - Godfred, king of the Danes, built the vast Danevirke (a system of Danish fortifications) across the isthmus of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany… After the conquest of North Albingia, the Frankish frontier was brought into contact with Scandinavia. The pagan Danes, “a race almost unknown to (Charlemagne's) ancestors, but destined to be only too well known to the sons…
843 - Treaty of Verdun, divided territories of the Carolingian Empire between the sons of Louis ‘the Pious’, King of the Franks (whose death in 840 resulted in Civil War between his sons): Lothair, King of Middle Francia; Louis King of East Francia; Charles ‘the Bald’, King of West Francia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Verdun
845 - Siege of Paris by the Danish Vikings, under the command of Reginherus (possibly Ragnar Lodbrok); after plundering and occupying the city, the Vikings finally withdrew after receiving a ransom payment of 7,000 French livres of silver and gold from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Paris_(845)
853 - Robert IV ‘the Strong’ founded the Robertian Dynasty after being appointed Margrave in Neustria by Charles the Bald, King of West Francia; his primary duty was to defend Neustria from Viking and Breton raids… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Strong Map (below) of early Frankland, showing Austrasia, where Robert the Strong originated, and Neustria, between the Seine and Loire, where he held the most power.

860 - Ethelbald of Wessex died, making his wife Judith a widow for the second time. Her father Charles ‘the Bald’, King of West Francia arranged both marriages for purely political reasons: 1st to Ethelwulf, King of Wessex (she was about 13, he was 50) after his death (2 yrs later) her father arranged for Judith to marry Ethelwulf’s son Ethelbald (her step-son) -after his death (2 yrs later) Charles sent his widowed daughter to the Monastery at Senilis so that she could remain chaste until he could arrange another suitable marriage. Judith escaped and eloped with Baldwin; her father had his bishops excommunicate them; they responded by traveling to Rome to plead their case with Pope Nicholas I. Charles was forced to accept the marriage and proceeded to create a new title and powerful position for his son-in-law, ‘Margrave of Flanders’ (refer to the entry for 863)

Fortresses of the Breton March https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marches_of_Neustria#List_of_margraves

861 - Fortresses of the Breton March, created by Charles the Bald, Carolingian King of West Francia.
862 to 879 - Rurik, a legendary Varangian (the name given by the Greeks and East Slavs to the Vikings) chieftain who gained control of Ladoga in 862, built the Holmgard settlement near Novgorod, and founded the Rurik Dynasty, which ruled Kievan Rus (and later the Grand Duchy of Moscow and Tsardom of Russia) until the 17th century. Rurik’s reign (862-879)
863 - Baldwin I ‘Iron Arm’ founded the House of Flanders after being appointed Margrave of Flanders by his “father-in-law” Charles the Bald, King of West Francia (who first created the title) -A medieval title for the military commander of a kingdom whose primary responsibility was to protect the borders. Moreover, a margrave might expand his sovereign’s realm by conquering additional territory. During Baldwin’s life, he expanded his territory into one of the major principalities of Western Francia -refer to the Map, below. He died in 879 and was succeeded by his son Baldwin II.

County Flanders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margrave

Anglo-Saxon England

865 - The Great Heathen Army (of Danes), landed in East Anglia with the intent of conquering the four kingdoms that constituted Anglo-Saxon England.

Route taken by the Viking Great Heathen Army, 865 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great

868 - Alfred ‘the Great’ is recorded as fighting beside his brother Ethelred, King of Wessex, in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the Great Heathen Army, led by Ivar ‘the Boneless’, out of the adjoining Kingdom of Mercia. At the end of 870, the Danes arrived in his homeland...
871 - Battle of Reading, a severe defeat by Ivar’s brother Halfdan Ragnarsson; four days later, the Anglo-Saxons were victorious at the Battle of Ashdown (Alred is particularly credited with the success of this battle.) Ethelred died, Alfred succeeded him as King of Wessex. *Hoards dating to the Viking occupation of London in 871/2 have been excavated at Croydon, Gravesend, and Waterloo Bridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Reading_(871) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ashdown and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Alfred_and_Guthrum
878 - Battle of Edington (by 878, all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms had fallen to the Vikings, Wessex alone was still resisting) the army of Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army led by Guthrum; resulting in the Treaty of Wedmore: Guthrum accepted Alfred as his adoptive father and accepted the Christian faith (he was baptised, Athelstan); in 879, the Viking army left Chippenham and moved to Cirencester; during the winter of 878-879, they sailed for Ghent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Edington and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Alfred_and_Guthrum -this treaty is one of the few existing documents of Alfred’s reign.
883 - After Viking raids into Flanders, Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders was forced to move north to Pagus Flandrensis, which became the territory most closely associated with the Counts of Flanders; afterwards he seized lands that were abandoned by royal and ecclesiastical officials.
884 - Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders married Elfthryth, daughter of Alfred ‘the Great’ King of Wessex -the goal of the Anglo-Flemish alliance was to help Baldwin control the lower Canche River Valley.
885 - Siege of Paris, on the Seine, West Francia (885-886). In late Nov 885, with hundreds of ships, and possibly tens of thousands of men, the (Norwegian and Danish) Vikings arrived outside Paris, at first demanding tribute; which was denied by Odo, Count of Paris… as the siege went on, most of the Vikings (led by Sigred) left Paris to pillage further upriver; another Viking leader, Rollo stayed behind with his men. In Oct 886, Charles III 'the Fat', Carolingian Emperor arrived with his army but instead of attacking them he promised a payment of 700 livres of silver and allowed them to sail further up the Seine to raid Burgundy, which was in revolt. When the Vikings withdrew from France the next spring, he gave them 700 livres of silver as promised.
Aftermath: throughout the next century Robert the Strong fought the Carolingians for the French throne. Their duchy (Francia) gave its name to the Kingdom of France and the Carolingian Empire was never again reconstituted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Paris_(885%E2%80%9386) Robert (son of Robert ‘the Strong’, Margrave in Neustria) participated in the defense of Paris and was, afterwards, appointed by Odo as ruler of several counties, including the county of Paris, and abbot in commendam of many abbeys; Dux Francorum, military dignity of high importance.

892 -Capitalizing on the relative calm following the 878 victory over the Vikings, Alfred put together a system of taxation and defense for his kingdom; when the Viking raids resumed in 892, Alfred had a standing, mobile field army, a network of garrisons, and a small fleet of ships navigating the rivers and estuaries.

Burghal system -33 fortresses spaced approximately 19 miles apart,
enabling the military to confront attacks anywhere in the kingdom within a single day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burghal_Hidage

900 - (Machiavellian Baldwin) When the Abbey came under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Fulk of Reims, Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders had him assassinated. When his attempts to expand further into the upper Somme River valley were opposed by Herbert I, Count of Vermandois, Baldwin had the count assassinated as well.

911 - Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, in return for the Vikings’ loyalty Charles ‘the Simple’, King of West Francia granted them all the land between the river Epte and the sea, creating the Duchy of Normandy -so named for the Norsemen who ruled it. The Viking leader, Rollo, became the 1st Count of Normandy -his descendants referred to as 'Normans' *he is the 3rd great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, the 1st Norman King of England (1066). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Saint-Clair-sur-Epte Robert (son of Robert ‘the Strong’, Margrave in Neustria) became Margrave of both Marches, Breton and Norman.

921 - Robert, Margrave of the Breton and Norman Marches, defeated a band of Norse in the Loire Valley and they converted to Christianity. He also took up arms and drove Charles ‘the Simple’, King of West Francia into Lorraine. In 922, he was crowned Robert I, King of the Franks. 923, Charles ‘the Simple’ marched against Robert; Robert was killed, but his army won the battle and he was succeeded by his son-in-law, Rudolph of Burgundy as King...

941 to 945 - (Reign of) Igor, Prince of Rus’ -(941-945) Igor besieged Constantinople; concluded with the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII a favorable treaty (945), the text of which the chronicle has preserved.

945 to 972 - (Reign of) Sviatoslav I ‘the Brave’, Grand Prince of Kiev was famous for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. His decade-long reign over the Kievan Rus’ was marked by rapid expansion into the Volga River valley, the Pontic steppe, and the Balkans. By the end of his short life, Sviatoslav carved out for himself the largest state in Europe, eventually moving his capital in 969 from Kiev to Pereyaslavets on the Danube.

Sviatoslav’s expansion of Kievan Rus’ (972) at the beginning in red, his expansion in orange https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatoslav_I_of_Kiev

980 to 1015 - (Reign of) Vladimir ‘the Great’, Grand Prince of Kiev. After the death of his father Sviatoslav in 972, his brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg and conquered Rus’. Vladimir fled to Scandinavia and assembled a Varangian army and reconquered Novgorod; he consolidated the Kievan realm from modern-day Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. Ca 988, Vladimir converted from paganism to Christianity in order to marry the Byzantine Princess Anna Porphyrogenita -he also had to divorce all his previous wives and send his concubines away. He returned to Kiev, destroying pagan monuments and establishing Christian churches.

982 - Louis V, co-King of West Francia married the twice widowed Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou; daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou (Louis was 15, Adelaide was 40); his father Lothair, King of West Francia arranged the marriage to restore the royal Carolingian presence in the semi-independent south of West Francia -they were immediately crowned King and Queen of Aquitaine. They lived mostly separate from each other and obtained a divorce in 984; it was a childless union.

987 - Louis V, King of West Francia died without a legitimate heir; (Robertian) Hugh Capet was elected to the throne and crowned, King of the Franks; thus ending the rule of the Carolingian Dynasty and the beginning of the Capetian Dynasty. - Hugh Capet founded the House of Capet.

996 to 1031 - Hugh Capet died in 996; he was succeeded by his son Robert II ‘the Pious’ as King of the Franks. Robert supported riots against the Jews of Orleans who were accused of conspiring to destroy the Church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem; he reinstated the custom of burning heretics at the stake. He had many enemies; his sons turned against him in a civil war over power and property; he died in the middle of the war in 1031. His son Henry succeeded him as King of the Franks -his reign will be covered in the next group of monarchs...

After the death of Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders in 918 he was succeeded by his eldest son, Arnulf I, as Count of Flanders; his son Adelolf became the 1st (titled) Count of Boulogne. Each son produced heirs… Baldwin V, Count of Flanders was the father of Matilda of Flanders who married William the Conqueror who became the 1st Norman King of England. Eustace I, Count of Boulogne was also Count of Lens which he passed to his son Lambert -this Lambert II was the father of our 27th GGF Walter aka Seier ‘the Fleming’ de Seton the progenitor of the de Wahull’s in England after William the Conqueror became King of England in 1066. *all of these ancestors will be covered in the next group of monarchs...

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertians Robertians. CHART - Frankish dynastic relationships -Robertians -Carolingians - Capetians (Cadet Branch of the Robertians, founded by Hugh Capet in 987 -signifying the ending of the rule of the Carolingian Dynasty and the beginning of the Capetian Dynasty)

Gray, Piper Family

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Timeline, earliest Dynasties in Europe (687-ca. 987) end of Carolingian Dynasty

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