Character Catalog

Written codification in Latin of the legal customs of the Salic Franks. This foundational text organizes justice through a system of fines and would influence medieval law for centuries.

Church founded by Clovis and Clotilde on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in Paris. It would become the burial site of Clovis and the nucleus of the future Abbey of Saint Genevieve.

First great council of the Frankish kingdom, convened by Clovis. It organized the relationship between the Church and royal power, establishing a model of collaboration that would endure.

Through military conquests and the elimination of other Frankish kings, Clovis united the Salic, Rhenish, and Ripuarian Franks under a single crown, creating a unified kingdom of northern Gaul.

Following the victory at Vouillé, Clovis seized the entire southwest of Gaul, pushing the Visigoths beyond the Pyrenees and doubling the size of his kingdom.

Clovis said to his men: 'I find it hard to bear that these Arians hold a part of Gaul. Let us march with God's help and, having defeated them, bring the land under our dominion.'

Queen Clotilde never ceased to urge the king to acknowledge the true God and abandon his idols, but nothing could bring him to this belief, until at last a war broke out against the Alemanni.

Your faith is our victory. Every battle you fight is a triumph for us. Divine Providence has given our age an arbiter: the choice you make for yourself is a judgment rendered for all.

The Salic Law codifies the fines and compositions for various offences among the Franks, establishing a system of wergeld (man-price) that replaces private vengeance with financial compensation.

Capital of the Salian Franks and birthplace of Clovis's political power. It was here that the tomb of his father Childeric I was discovered in 1653.

Site of Clovis's victory over Syagrius in 486 and of the episode of the vase. This conquest opened the gates of northern Gaul to him.

City where Clovis was baptized by Bishop Remigius around 498–499. This city would go on to become the coronation city of the kings of France.

Site of the decisive battle of 507 against the Visigoths of Alaric II. This victory allowed Clovis to conquer Aquitaine and push the Visigoths back into Spain.

Clovis made it his capital around 508, choosing the city for its central position. He had the Basilica of the Holy Apostles built there (the future Abbey of Saint Genevieve), where he would be buried.

Throwing axe characteristic of Frankish warriors. A formidable weapon hurled before hand-to-hand combat, it became a symbol of Frankish military power.

Large single-edged knife worn at the belt. An everyday weapon of the Franks, used both in battle and in daily life.

Barbed-tip javelin inspired by the Roman pilum. Once lodged in an enemy's shield, it was nearly impossible to remove and weighed down the opponent's defense.

Gold brooch decorated with garnets used to fasten the royal cloak. Merovingian fibulae, crafted with refined goldsmithing, attested to the rank and wealth of their owner.

Silver or bronze liturgical vase claimed by the Bishop of Reims after the Battle of Soissons. Its famous episode illustrates the tension between the warriors' right to plunder and the emerging royal authority.

Ring bearing the inscription CHILDIRICI REGIS, found in the tomb of Clovis's father at Tournai in 1653. It attests to the continuity of Frankish royal power.

Byzantine gold coin imitated by Frankish kings. Clovis minted coins modelled on the imperial standard, thereby asserting his sovereignty over Gaul.