Clovis

The First Christian King of France

Melanie Dickens, p.4

The Story of the Baptism of Clovis

Clovis was seen as a descendant of the pagan god, Wotan, and for this reason he gained leadership of a Frankish tribe in 481.

It took him only five years to unite the Franks under his own personal rule in 486.

In 493, Clovis married the Christian Burgundian princess, Clotilde.

Clovis’ wife strongly urged him to convert to Christianity. At first, Clovis rejected her encouragement, but when he won a battle against the Alemanni after praying for a victory to Jesus, he decided to convert.

In 496, at the royal chapel on the

Ile-de-la-Cité in Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, Clovis was Baptized.

While Clovis converted to Roman Catholicism, most Germanic people practiced Arianism.

• One of the major themes during the post classical period was the spread of major religions including Christianity.

• By converting to Roman Catholicism, Clovis became an ally of the church and a protector of the people.

As Clovis gained more land, more of the conquered peoples were converted to Catholicism, most of which was the old Roman province of Gaul.

Clovis was an important individual who represented one of the major themes of the post classical era.