From Ducatus to Regnum. Ruling Bavaria under the Merovingians and Early Carolingians

Description

Bavaria was a very important country during the early Middle Ages. Its territory included much of the modern German state but also reached across the Alps into what are now Austria and northern Italy. Bavaria thus occupied a strategic position between the rival kingdoms of the Franks and the Langobards. It was ruled by powerful dukes who had close political and personal relations with the Frankish rulers but who also vigorously resisted attempts to limit their own sovereignty. Bavaria’s independence was ended in 788 by Charlemagne who deposed his cousin, Duke Tassilo. Charlemagne’s son, the Emperor Louis the Pious, then established Bavaria as the first monarchy east of the river Rhine for his own son, Ludwig the German. This is the first full study of the entire evolution of Bavarian rule from the mid-sixth century into the early ninth century. It explores the changing strategies adopted by its dukes and then its first king to establish their authority and maintain their autonomy in face of evolving challenges to their rule. An Epilogue continues the story into the early tenth century. Carl I. Hammer graduated from Amherst College (B.A.) and the University of Toronto (Ph.D.) and also studied at the universities of Munich, Chicago and Oxford. After a career in international business with Westinghouse and Daimler-Benz, he is now retired. He has published two other scholarly books on early-medieval Bavaria and numerous articles in academic journals in N. America and Europe. He lives in Pittsburgh. Front Matter ("Contents", "Table of Contents", "Preface and Acknowledgments"), p. 1 Citation | PDF (181 KB) Free Access Introduction. “Those Wicked Men”, p. 17 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00127 Citation | PDF (149 KB) 1. “From the Noble Race of the Agilolfings”: Establishing Merovingian Rule in Bavaria, p. 25 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00128 Citation | PDF (358 KB) 2. “The Most Glorious Duke Odilo”: Peripheral Rule in Late-Merovingian Europe, p. 53 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00129 Citation | PDF (517 KB) 3. “Our Most Glorious Lord Duke Tassilo”: Reinventing Ducal Rule under Pippin, p. 99 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00130 Citation | PDF (1215 KB) 4. “Our Cousin Tassilo”: Virtual Rule and Damnatio Memoriae under Charlemagne, p. 137 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00131 Citation | PDF (671 KB) 5. “Ludwig Our King”: Constructing Royal Rule in Carolingian Bavaria, p. 201 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00132 Citation | PDF (2592 KB) Excursus 1: Swanahilt and Grifo, p. 283 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00133 Citation | PDF (190 KB) Excursus 2: Liutpirc’s Wedding(s)?, p. 297 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00134 Citation | PDF (139 KB) Excursus 3: In Search of “Awigozeshusir”, p. 305 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00135 Citation | PDF (662 KB) Excursus 4: Saving Judith Augusta, p. 327 https://doi.org/10.1484/M.HAMA-EB.4.00136 Citation | PDF (178 KB) Back Matter ("Bibliography of Works Cited with Short-Title Abbreviations", "A. Primary Sources", "B. Secondary Studies", "Index"), p. 339 Citation | PDF (511 KB)