Western Europe

Pharamond (c.370-426)

Considered to be the first king of the Salian Franks from AD 409, Pharamond is possibly a legendary rather than historical figure. He was possibly a son or son-in-law of Marcomer.

Contemporary historian Prosper Tiro wrote about Pharamond. In 420, he reportedly led his people across the River Rhine to head into the Roman Empire. This movement effectively separated his tribe from the majority of the Ripuarian Franks who had settled near Cologne.

Pharamond was eventually succeeded by his son Clodio. His wife was Argotta. A Pharamond appears as the king of France in the prose Tristan and later Arthurian works; he was clearly inspired by the historical leader.

Clodio / Clodian VI (426-447/8)

Clodio was the king of the Salian Franks (Cambrai). According to legend his father was Pharamond, the first king of the Salian Franks after the departure of Roman administration from much of northern Gaul.

Clodio's semi-legendary son Merovech (the succeeding king of the Salian Franks), was the founder of the Merovingian kings, and was called "the Long Hair" or "the Hairy" because of the length of his hair. From then on the Merovingians were called the "Long Haired Kings" and the cutting of a king's hair represented his loss of royal power.

In history, Clodio was probably real. He lived in Thuringian territory, and ruled at the same time as the semi-legendary kings Theudemer and Richemer. All that is known of his reign is that he took the town of Cambrai from the Romans.

Although Merovech and Clodio are considered to be semi-legendary, Merovech's son, Childeric I, was very real and cannot be considered fictional.

Text copyright the original author(s). An original feature for The History Files.