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Birth:           715 Austrasia
Death:          24 Sep  768 St. Denis, France

Notes
also Mayor of the Palace of Neustria, Bourgogne, and Austrasia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepin_the_Short
Pepin the Short (German: Pippin der Kleine, French: P้pin le Bref, c. 714 – 24 
September 768) was the King of the Franks from 751 until his death. He was the first 
of the Carolingians to become king.[1][2]

The younger son of the Frankish prince Charles Martel and his wife Rotrude, Pepin's 
upbringing was distinguished by the ecclesiastical education he had received from the 
monks of St. Denis. Succeeding his father as the Mayor of the Palace in 741, Pepin 
reigned over Francia jointly with his elder brother Carloman. Pepin ruled in Neustria, 
Burgundy, and Provence, while his brother Carloman established himself in Austrasia, 
Alemannia and Thuringia. The brothers were active in suppressing revolts led by the 
Bavarians, Aquitanians, Saxons, and the Alemanni in the early years of their reign. In 
743, they ended the Frankish interregnum by choosing Childeric III, who was to be the 
last Merovingian monarch, as figurehead king of the Franks.

Being well disposed towards the church and Papacy on account of their ecclesiastical 
upbringing, Pepin and Carloman continued their father's work in supporting Saint 
Boniface in reforming the Frankish church, and evangelising the Saxons. After 
Carloman, who was an intensely pious man, retired to religious life in 747, Pepin 
became the sole ruler of the Franks. He suppressed a revolt led by his half-brother 
Grifo, and succeeded in becoming the undisputed master of all Francia. Giving up 
pretense, Pepin then forced Childeric into a monastery and had himself proclaimed 
king of the Franks with support of Pope Zachary in 751. The decision was not 
supported by all members of the Carolingian family and Pepin had to put down a revolt 
led by Carloman's son, Drogo, and again by Grifo.

As King, Pepin embarked on an ambitious program to expand his power. He reformed 
the legislation of the Franks and continued the ecclesiastical reforms of Boniface. 
Pepin also intervened in favour of the Papacy of Stephen II against the Lombards in 
Italy. He was able to secure several cities, which he then gave to the Pope as part of 
the Donation of Pepin. This formed the legal basis for the Papal States in the Middle 
Ages. The Byzantines, keen to make good relations with the growing power of the 
Frankish empire, gave Pepin the title of Patricius. In wars of expansion, Pepin 
conquered Septimania from the Islamic Umayyads, and subjugated the southern realms 
by repeatedly defeating Waifer of Aquitaine and his Basque troops, after which the 
Basque and Aquitanian lords saw no option but to pledge loyalty to the Franks. Pepin 
was, however, troubled by the relentless revolts of the Saxons and the Bavarians. He 
campaigned tirelessly in Germany, but the final subjugation of these tribes was left to 
his successors.

Pepin died in 768 and was succeeded by his sons Charlemagne and Carloman. 
Although unquestionably one of the most powerful and successful rulers of his time, 
Pepin's reign is largely overshadowed by that of his more famous son.
Legacy[edit]

Pepin died during a campaign, in 768 at the age of 54. He was interred in the church 
of Saint Denis. His wife Bertrada was also interred there in 783. Charlemagne rebuilt 
the Basilica in honor of his parents and placed markers at the entrance.[6]

The Frankish realm was divided according to the Salic law between his two sons: 
Charlemagne and Carloman I.

Historical opinion often seems to regard him as the lesser son and lesser father of two 
greater men, though a great man in his own right. He continued to build up the heavy 
cavalry which his father had begun. He maintained the standing army that his father 
had found necessary to protect the realm and form the core of its full army in wartime. 
He not only contained the Iberian Muslims as his father had, but drove them out of 
what is now France and, as important, he managed to subdue the Aquitanians and the 
Basques after three generations of on-off clashes, so opening the gate to central and 
southern Gaul and Muslim Iberia. He continued his father's expansion of the Frankish 
church (missionary work in Germany and Scandinavia) and the institutional 
infrastructure (feudalism) that would prove the backbone of medieval Europe.

His rule, while not as great as either his father's or son's, was historically important 
and of great benefit to the Franks as a people. Pepin's assumption of the crown, and 
the title of Patrician of Rome, were harbingers of his son's imperial coronation which is 
usually seen as the founding of the Holy Roman Empire. He made the Carolingians de 
jure what his father had made them de facto — the ruling dynasty of the Franks and the 
foremost power of Europe. While not known as a great general, he was undefeated 
during his lifetime.

Family[edit]

Pepin married Leutberga from the Danube region. They had five children. She was 
repudiated some time after the birth of Charlemagne and her children were sent to 
convents.

In 741, Pepin married Bertrada of Laon. Her father, Charibert, was the son of Pepin 
II's brother, Martin of Laon. They are known to have had eight children, at least three 
of whom survived to adulthood:
Charles (2 April 742 – 28 January 814), (Charlemagne)
Carloman (751 – 4 December 771)
Gisela (757–810)
Pepin, died in infancy.
Chrothais, died young, buried in Metz.
Adelais, died young, buried in Metz.
Two unnamed daughters[7]

Parents
MARTEL Charles (Karl) "the Hammer" ( 689 - 22 Nov  741)
____ Chrotrude (Rotrude) (ABT  690 -  724)

Siblings
____ Pepin III "Le Bref" ("the Short") ( 715 - 24 Sep  768)
____ Carloman (ABT  715 -  754)
____ Bernard (ABT  720 - )
DE FRANCIA Aude (Aldane) (ABT  720 - BEF  805)

Marriage To ____ Leuthergis (ABT  730 - )
    m.  

Notes


Children by ____ Leuthergis ABT  730 - 
MARTEL Bertbelle (ABT  760 - )

Marriage To DE LAON Bertha (Bertrade) "Broadfoot" ( 720 - 12 Jul  783)
    m. ABT  740 

Notes

Parents
____ Caribert (Cambert) (Charibert) I (ABT  680 - AFT  747)
____ Bertrada (ABT  680 - )

Children by DE LAON Bertha (Bertrade) "Broadfoot"  720 - 12 Jul  783
____ Charlemagne (2 Apr  747 - 28 Jan  814)
OF THE CAROLINGIANS Raedburh (Raedberg) (BEF  768 - )

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