Ega ( Latin: Aega ; died in 641 , Clichy-la-Garenne ) - Mayor of Neustria and Burgundy (639–641).
| Ego | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lat Aega | |||||||
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| Predecessor | Gundoland | ||||||
| Successor | Erhinoald | ||||||
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| Predecessor | Varnahar II (before 626/627 years) | ||||||
| Successor | Flohad | ||||||
| Birth | |||||||
| Death | 641 Clichy-la-Garenne | ||||||
| Children | daughter: NN | ||||||
Content
Biography
Early years
The main historical source about Aegi's life is Fredegar 's Chronicle [1] .
Ego came from a noble family. Perhaps his close relative was the bishop of Noyon, Aharius [2] .
The first testimony of Eig in his contemporary documents dates back to March 27, 616, when he was mentioned among the other noble persons of the Frankish state in the will of Bishop Le Mans of Bertram . King Dagobert I Eg was appointed chief adviser to the monarch for the affairs of Neustria , which the monarch personally ruled in 629-639. Due to the lack of documents, Egi's area of responsibility cannot be precisely established, however, it is known that in the last years of the reign of Dagobert I he was the closest person to the king [3] . Perhaps in the late 630s, the powers of the Mayordom of Neustria Gundoland were significantly curtailed in favor of Egi, although he retained his post [2] . Perhaps Ega was endowed by the king with the authority of the head of the state fiscal . According to Fredegar, “it was on his advice, and not on the orders of Dagobert, that injustices occurred in the management of the treasury of Burgundy and Neustria” [4] . About the special situation of Aigie at the court of Dagobert I was also reported by John of Bobbio . This author also wrote that at that time Ego was in a hostile relationship with the monastic community of Luxeus [1] [5] [6] .
Mayord of Neustria and Burgundy
At the very beginning of 639, Ega received the post of mayor of Neustria, becoming here the successor of the deceased Gundoland. Shortly afterwards, on January 19, King Dagobert I died. On his deathbed, this monarch entrusted Ege with taking care of his wife Nantilda and the still youngest younger son Clovis II , who received Neustria and Burgundy under the rule. Ego was present at the section of the royal treasury, made in Compiegne between Nantilda and Clovis II on the one hand and the eldest son of the deceased king, ruler of Australia Sigibert III , on the other. Although there were other notable people here, including the Archbishop of Cologne Kunibert and the Mayor of Austria Pipin Landensky , it was probably Ega who was the main steward of the ceremony. Under the control of the mayordom of Neustria and Burgundy, the treasures of Dagobert I were divided into three equal parts and transferred to the Frankish rulers and the Dowager Queen [1] [2] [4] [6] .
Fredegar praised Aegi's talents. The chronicler wrote about him as a man who excelled others in decisiveness, prudence, nobility and wealth, and also emphasized his attentiveness to justice. Although the chronicler accused the mayordom of stinginess, he also reported that he returned to many former owners their property confiscated under King Dagobert I [1] [4] .
As regent, Ega, in the position of mayordom, ruled Neustria and Burgundy [7] between the death of Dagobert I and the coronation of Clovis II, which took place on October 23 or 31, 640. According to Fredegar, Ego shared control of the two kingdoms with Nantilda [4] . However, it is likely that all real power, both before and after the coronation, was completely in the hands of the mayordom. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that in all the royal charters of this time only the signatures of Hlothar and Aega are present and the signatures of both Nantilda and any other noble persons are completely absent [1] [6] .
The concentration of all power in Aegi's hands caused the discontent of Nantilda and her supporters. This led to the conflict of the mayordom with the noble family of the Burgundofarons , as well as with the influential community of the Farmutier Convent, patronized by this family [8] . Probably, by returning the property confiscated under Dagobert I, Ega tried to strengthen his position among the Neustrian and Burgundian nobility [9] . In 641, Egie Ermenfred's son-in-law killed a relative of the Burgundofarons, Count Heinulf, during a quarrel. For this, with the consent of Queen Nantilda, he was sentenced to death. Saving his life, Ermenfred was forced to flee to the Australian Reims , where for many days he took refuge in the Basilica of St. Remigius [2] [6] [10]
Soon after, Ego suddenly died in Clichy of a fever. Erhinoald was elected the new mayor in Neustria, and in Burgundy, at the behest of Nantilda, this position was entrusted to Flaohad [1] [6] [10] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Martindale JR Aega // Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire . - Cambridge University Press , 1992. - Vol. III (a): AD 527–641. - P. 18. - ISBN 0-521-20160-8 [2001 reprint].
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Aega (German) . Genealogie Mittelalter. Date of treatment January 6, 2014.
- ↑ Fredegar . Chronicle (Book IV, Chapter 62).
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Fredegar . Chronicle (Book IV, chapters 79–80 and 85).
- ↑ John of Bobbio . The Life of Columban (Book II, Chapter 17).
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Ebling E. Prosopographie der Amtsträger des Merowingerreiches von Chlothar II (613) bis Karl Martell (741) . - München: Wilhelm Fink Verlag, 1974. - S. 38-40.
- ↑ The previous mayor of Burgundy was Varnahar II , who died in 626 or 627.
- ↑ Wood I. The Merovingian Kingdoms 450–751 . - London & New York: Longman , 1994 .-- P. 156 & 194. - ISBN 0-582-49372-2 .
- ↑ Bachrach BS Merovingian Military Organization 481-751 . - Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1972. - P. 94 & 126. - ISBN 0-8166-0621-8 .
- ↑ 1 2 Fredegar . Chronicle (Book IV, chapters 83–84).
Links
- Franks, Merovingian nobility . Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Date of treatment January 6, 2014.