| Notes |
- Son of King Pharamond and Argotta Rosamund.
Father of King Meroveus
Biography: He is the oldest king of the Merovingian dynasty whose existence is certain.
Towards the middle of the 5th century, Clodion entered with his army into Roman territory from East of the Rhine (Allemagne) and seized the Cambrésis and the Southern Artois. He founded a small Frankish kingdom, which Clovis I inherited, and which was the embryo of the future kingdom of France.
Before the advent of Clodion and since 342, the Salian Franks are installed as foederatie inside the Roman Empire, in the North of Gaul, in Toxandrie, between the Moesan marshes, North of the current Maastricht, and the Charbonnière forest.
On January 17, 395, the Roman Empire was divided into two parts: the Eastern Empire and the Western Empire. From 407, several Germanic peoples entered Gaul and settled there. The Visigoths founded a kingdom in Aquitaine, the Alans (non-Germanic people) took up their quarters near Orleans, the Burgundians and the Alamans settled along the Rhine. During the reign of Clodion, Valentinian III ruled the western part of the Roman Empire.
Clodion begins to reign around 428. He succeeds his father King Theodomir. He leads the people of the Salian Franks from its capital, the fortress of Dispargum, located east of the Rhine.
Towards 432, Clodion learns that the cities of the Roman province of Belgium secondus are defenseless: Aetius, Roman general charged with the defense of Gaul, took many soldiers from these territories to fight alternately the Burgundians, the Alans, the Rhenish Franks, the anti-tax revolts and the Visigoths. Clodion decides to mount an expedition and mobilizes his entire army. Crossing the Charbonnière forest, the Franks seized Tournai, carried Cambrai and Arras at the first assault and reduced the whole country from the surroundings to the Somme. More than easy pillaging, Clodion seeks to give his authority as a warrior king a territorial base. The occupation lasted a few years without Aetius trying to end it.
In 448, Clodion, who celebrated the wedding of an important member of his army in the village of Helena near Arras, was attacked by General Aetius and his lieutenant Majorien. The general wants to put back the Salian Franks who have annexed territories without his authorization. Clodion, not prepared for the confrontation, is forced to flee. But Aetius, who does not have the military means to occupy the territory again, prefers to renegotiate with Clodion and authorizes him to settle in the Empire, in this case on the territories they have already conquered in Arras , Cambrai and Tournai (its capital).
After more than twenty years of reign, Clodion died shortly before the year 451. According to Frankish custom, his kingdom was divided between his sons. The elder, undoubtedly Mérovée, obtains the city of Tournai and its region. A second heir obtains Cambrai and a third Tongeren.
Union and descendants: He married Hildegonde of Cologne who followed. The couple had several children, including:
- Mévovée Ier (411/457) king of the Franks, although few documents attest to his existence.
- Chlodebaud of Cologne (420/483), king of the Rhenish Franks,
- Lambert of Thérouanne (425/451) king of Thérouanne.
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392 - 448 (56 years)
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