The Evolution of Merovingian Royal Power: A Q&A Interview with an Expert

Summary

The Merovingian period marked a significant shift in French royal power as maiores, a powerful Austrasian family, took over the role of administering the courts and electing the kings. However, this shift came at a cost, with diminishing royal centrality and effective Frankish control in Aquitaine. The aristocracy became overwhelmingly powerful, concentrating wealth and power in the hands of the few and making politics increasingly violent. Nonetheless, the Merovingian royal courts remained significant political and patronage centers, with access to the ruler being a formal title with privileges.

Table of Contents

• The Rise of the Maiores and the Diminution of Royal Centrality
• The Concentration of Power in the Hands of the Aristocracy
• Merovingian Courts as Political and Patronage Centers
• The Complex Government of the Merovingians
• The Role of Local Politics and the Growing Influence of the Aristocracy on Religion

Q&A

Q: Can you describe the role of the maiores in the Merovingian period?

A: The maiores were mostly from the Arnulfings-Pippinids family and were given real authority in administering the courts during the Merovingian period. They became the major protagonists of aristocratic politics and were responsible for electing kings for the first time. Consequently, the power of the monarchy became less automatic, marking a significant diminution of royal centrality.

Q: What were the consequences of this shift in power?

A: The geographical scale of Frankish hegemony in Aquitaine slipped out of effective Frankish control, and war was needed to establish Carolingian control over traditional Frankish hegemony in the eighth century. Additionally, politics became more violent as the aristocracy concentrated wealth and made use of their armed entourages. Nonetheless, the Merovingian royal courts remained significant political and patronage centers.

Q: What made the courts so significant?

A: Courts under the kings, queens, and maiores were a center of political life and a place of patronage, with access to the ruler being a formal title with privileges. The Merovingian kings owned very large tracts of land and had access to commercial tolls and judicial fines. They were surrounded by wealthy aristocrats seeking advantage who were themselves strikingly wealthy. Despite abandoning their tax system in the seventh century, vast resources of the aristocracy meant that they did not suffer financially.

Q: Can you describe the government of the Merovingians?

A: The government of the Merovingians was complex, with written records being regularly made and archived. The kings had a dense set of relationships with their secular and ecclesiastical magnates. There were annual assemblies for the king and armed Frankish people, which marked kings’ accession, and legal disputes were resolved at gatherings in front of assemblies. The Merovingian kings did not have a strong ideological presence and were not interested in making new laws.

Q: Was local politics important during this period?

A: Local politics did matter to some extent, with cities having active factional politics focused on obtaining the offices of bishop or count. Counts were royal appointees responsible for running armies and law courts of city territories, while bishops were responsive to their dioceses and could face trouble if they got too involved in central government politics. Ultimately, all bishops and counts had to deal with court politics on a regular basis.

Q: What was the role of religion during this period?

A: Monasteries were closely associated with aristocratic founders and their families, marking a political and religious practice that cut across diocesan boundaries. Aristocrats were overwhelmingly committed to the Merovingian political system, with power coming from office or Königsnähe and preferably both. The period saw a steady aristocratic takeover of episcopal office and a growing sense that the aristocracy was somehow religiously special.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Merovingian period was marked by the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few aristocrats, leading to a diminution of royal centrality and increasingly violent politics. Nonetheless, the Merovingian royal courts remained significant political and patronage centers, with access to the ruler being a formal title with privileges. The government of the Merovingians was complex, with written records being regularly made and archived. Local politics were important, with cities having active factional politics focused on obtaining the offices of bishop or count. Monasteries were closely associated with aristocratic founders and their families, cutting across diocesan boundaries and fostering a growing sense that the aristocracy was religiously special. Ultimately, the Merovingian period represented a significant turning point in French royal power and the relationship between the monarchy and aristocracy.