Gerold (died 1 September 799) was a franconian nobleman who served the Frankish King, Charlemagne, as Margrave of the Avar March and Prefect of Bavaria in what is now South-Eastern Germany. Gerold played a significant role in the integration of Bavaria into the Frankish Kingdom during Carolingian expansion in the late 8th, and early 9th centuries. Gerold both aided the continuity of Agilofing rule of Bavaria, as well as took steps to integrate Bavarians into the wider scope of the Frankish Kingdom. Gerold was related both to the Agilofing family, the ruling class of Bavaria, as well as the Carolingian family. The Agilofings had ruled Bavaria since Duke Garibald I in 548. Gerold was born into the Agilofings, and his sister Hildegard was married to Charlemagne in 771. From these familial connections, he was appointed Prefect of Bavaria following the deposition of Duke Tassilo III in 788. Gerold was heralded as a superb military commander, giving rise to his promotion to Prefect as a defender of the eastern border of the Frankish Kingdom. In 799, Gerold is said to have fallen in battle against the Avars, shortly after the same Avars killed his ally, Eric, Duke of Friuli, through treachery.
Carolingian conquest of Bavaria and the deposition of Duke Tassilo III
The Agilofing family had dominated the position of Duke of Bavaria from 548 until 788, when Duke Tassilo III was deposed in the wake of his surrender of the Duchy of Bavaria. In 787, following the conquests of both Lombardy and Saxony by the Franks,[1] the Frankish King, Charlemagne, invaded Bavaria from Pannonia, determined to seize it as a buffer state against the Avars, much like he had done in Friuli.[2] In October of 787, having been unable to mount a suitable defense against the Franks, Tassilo III was forced to capitulate, surrendering to Charlemagne both himself and his Duchy, in the hope of continued rule as a vassal to the Frankish King. No such good will was to be found. In 788, following a brief continued rule by Tassio, Charlemagne had him retroactively accused and denounced as an oath-breaker, as he had betrayed the Franks, and namely Charlemagne's father Pippin, years earlier. Tassilo III was sentenced to death. This sentence was commuted, and Tassilo III was sentenced to monastic exile. Tassilo would eventually be called out of exile to surrender all claim to his Ducal title.
Gerold's rule as Prefect of Bavaria
Charlemagne appointed Gerold as Prefect of Bavaria in 788, after Tassilo III was exiled. Gerold was an ideal candidate as he was Charlemagne's brother-in-law; his sister Hildegard had married Charlemagne in 771, as it was common for Carolingian kings to take their wives from the aristocracy of neighboring states.[3] Gerold was also part of the Agilofing family, the traditional rulers of the region. This would aid Bavaria, and particularly the Bavarian aristocracy, in making a smooth transition from Duchy to Frankish Prefecture. Bavaria had long seen itself an independent state, yet throughout the reign of the Merovingian as well as the Carolingian Frankish dynasties, they saw it as a far-flung, unruly, yet still Frankish duchy.[4] With Gerold in power, with ties to both the Agilofing Bavarian aristocracy, as well as the Carolingians through Charlemagne, Bavaria would be brought more into the fold of the Frankish Kingdom. Gerold made his seat of power at Lorch. From here he was granted considerable power in comparison with other counts throughout the Frankish Kingdom, making final rulings on matters such as church inheritances, as well as being in charge of the Bavarian army in times of war.[5] Gerold would go on to battle the Avars to the south-west, as Charlemagne appointed Gerold to prefect of Bavaria well aware of his military prowess, with his main focus during his rule as prefect to be that of a military commander rather than a civil administrator.[6]
Avar War
The Avars, a nomadic, slavized central Asian people, were situated along what is referred to as the eastern Marches of Bavaria, and where Gerold's military command was to be focused for the entirety of his career as prefect of Bavaria. He was, for instance, described in the Royal Frankish Annals as "guard of the Avar border".[7] Historians have referred to the Avar War as one of Charlemagne's greatest wars he ever waged. This is due to the zeal and tenacity with which the Franks, and specifically the Bavarian contingent under Gerold, fought. The war with the Avars began after the deposition of Tassilo III, the last Duke of Bavaria, prior to the full takeover of the state by the Franks, in 787.[8] Tassilo was accused of inciting the Avars into a war with the Franks, promising to attack them with his Bavarian soldiers if the Avars would invade. This accusation led to a charge of treason and treachery against the Franks, which culminated in his exile. Despite Tassilo III's deposition, the Avars decided to wage this war all the same. The Avars led two campaigns against the Franks, invading Bavaria, and both times were beaten back by Gerold, who had newly taken command of the army in the eastern Marches of Bavaria, and his Bavarian contingent. As the war dragged on, the Franks successfully raided the Avars in 791, beating them continually in battle, but never decisively. Eventually the 'Rings of the Avars', a collection of grand fortresses that the Avars were famous for having constructed, were breached by collective efforts from Gerold and his Bavarians, Eric of Friuli, and King Pepin of Italy. The Franks razed the fortresses, plundered them, sending many great riches back to Aachen, Charlemagne's capital, and proceeded to drive the Avars off, considerably weakening their hold in the Avarian marches and western Pannonia, though not breaking the back of their military capabilities completely. This plunder taken from the Avars was to be sent by the Carolingians to many other states, such as that of Mercia, as a show of good faith. The Bavarian troops under Gerold, in combination with Pepin, King of Italy, Charlemagne's son, were later successful in pushing the Avars across the Theiss River, deeper into Pannonia, as the Avars were not inclined to fighting large scale, pitched battles with the Franks, who, with the support, manpower, and arms Charlemagne had collected at Regensburg, were now fully prepared to strike the death-blow at the Avars. In 797 and 799 Charlemagne came to Bavaria, mustering a large force of Franks, Allemans, Bavarians, and soldiers fighting under King Pepin of Italy, at Lorch, where Gerold held his court as prefect. These two campaigns were exceedingly successful in pushing the Avars continually eastwards towards the Danube River.[9]
Death
In 799, the Avars offered Charlemagne gifts as a sign of peace. The Avars would go on to break this peace by attacking the land of Friuli, where the Count of Friuli, Eric, was killed. As punishment for this, Gerold marched his Bavarian contingent into Pannonia to deal with the Avars. It is in this last campaign that Gerold died. There are many conflicting explanations, as the sources all disagree, as to whether he fell in battle fighting, was assassinated, or was the victim of friendly fire while marshaling his forces for battle against the Avars.[10] Upon his death, Gerold's body was taken to the Abbey of Reichenau, in southern Germany, where he was interred. On his tomb was written:
Mole sub hac magni servantur membra Geroldi, Huius iura loci cunctis qui viribus auxit, Pannoniis vera Ecclesiae pro pace peremptus, Oppetiit saevo Septembribus ense Kalendis, Sideribusque animam dedit. Artus Saxo fidelis Abstulit, huc retulit dignoque hic clausit honore.
'Beneath this monument are kept Gerold's bones, who did everything in his power to increase the rights of this place [Reichenau]; [he was] killed in Pannonia [fighting] for the true peace of the Church. He met the savage sword of the Kalends of September [Sept.1], and gave up his soul to the heavens. His limbs faithful Saxo carried off, and brought hither, and enclosed them here in worthy honour'.
—Epitaph of Gerold of Bavaria, MGH Poetae I, p.114, trans. Richard Matthew Pollard
Charlemagne and the Franks would go on to defeat the Avars, forcing them to re-settle due to increased hostility from the Slavs to the east. However, Bavaria, under Audulf, would have a much more minor role in the Avar war after Gerold's death.[11]
After Gerold's death in 799 in battle with the Avars, his name lived on. Bavaria, newly brought into the Frankish Kingdom under Charlemagne, would continue to serve as the eastern bulwark of the Franks. It would also see an increased importance within the Frankish Kingdom, being given over to Louis the Pious as his part of the kingdom, after Charlemagne divided it among his heirs. Gerold, while in power, was able to wield traditional Bavarian Law as well as new Frankish customs, allowing the land he presided over to change from an unruly and rebellious duchy into an integrated and functioning cog in the machine of the Frankish kingdom.[12] Gerold was also seen by medieval authors as a champion of the faith, being likened to a Christian martyr, fighting for the peace of the church, in Walafrid Strabo's Visio Wettini, where it says "Since he had such zeal for the Lord, he attacked the heathens to defend the Christian people, [and] suffered the loss of his life; as such he deserved to gleam with eternal trophies, seizing hold of the great gifts of everlasting life".[13] This can be seen as a start of the tradition of fighting to extend the bounds of Christendom by fighting heathen groups such as the Avars; conquering new lands to spread the Christian religion.[14] Gerold also gave much of his own lands to the Church. This was a considerable portion, given that Gerold was descended from some of the richest Allemanian aristocrats at the time. This is again referenced in the Visio Wettini, whereby Gerold is said to have stated that: "The Lord denies me an heir, [but] He will remain as my survivor. What he gave me, he will receive back; I commend [it] to blessed Mary."[15] This may be reference to an altar he dedicated to St. Mary at Reichenau, upon which is written: "Hanc quique devote convenitis ad aulam, Poplitibusque flexis propiatis ad aram, Cernite conspicuum sacris aedibus altar, Geroltus quod condidit lamina ninenti, Virgineo qoud condecent alvo pudoris, Subque voto Mariae intulit in aulam. Hic agni cruor caroque propinatur ex ara, Cuius tactu huius sacrantur lamina axis. Huc quicumque cum prece penetrates ad aram, Dicite, rogo: 'Alme miserer Gerolto', Titulo qui tali ornovit virginis templum, Aetherio fruatur sede felix in aevum!" This translates to: 'You, who have come devotedly to this hall, approach the altar on bent knees, and look at this wondrous altar in this sacred place, [an altar] which Gerold built, with gleaming giltwork that becomes the virginal womb of chastity. As an offering to Mary he brought it into the hall. Here the blood and flesh of the lamb [i.e. Christ] is set out, By whose touch the giltwork of the [table?] is sanctified. Whoever ventures with a prayer to this altar, Say, I beg, "Kindly [God], take pity on Gerold, Who decorated the temple of the Virgin with such a glorious thing, And may he happily enjoy a heavenly seat forever!'"[16]
This dedication by Gerold serves to reinforce the fact that Gerold was indeed a champion of the Christian religion. He made it his legacy to give to the Church, leaving behind him a tradition of rich Frankish Christians making donations to the Church.
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the Holy Roman Emperor from 800, all until his death in 814. Charlemagne succeeded in uniting the majority of Western and Central Europe, and he was the first recognized emperor to rule Western Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire approximately three centuries earlier. Charlemagne's rule saw a program of political and societal changes that had a lasting impact on Europe in the Middle Ages.
The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lombards in Italy from 774. In 800, the Frankish king Charlemagne was crowned emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III in an effort to transfer the Roman Empire from the Byzantine Empire to Western Europe. The Carolingian Empire is sometimes considered the first phase in the history of the Holy Roman Empire.
Carantania, also known as Carentania, was a Slavic principality that emerged in the second half of the 7th century, in the territory of present-day southern Austria and north-eastern Slovenia. It was the predecessor of the March of Carinthia, created within the Carolingian Empire in 889.
The Duchy of Bavaria was a frontier region in the southeastern part of the Merovingian kingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled by Bavarian tribes and ruled by dukes (duces) under Frankish overlordship. A new duchy was created from this area during the decline of the Carolingian Empire in the late ninth century. It became one of the stem duchies of the East Frankish realm which evolved as the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.
Tassilo III was the duke of Bavaria from 748 to 788, the last of the house of the Agilolfings. He was the son of Duke Odilo of Bavaria and Hitrud, daughter of Charles Martel.
Odilo, also Oatilo or Uatilo of the Agilolfing dynasty was Duke of Bavaria from 737 until his death in 748. He had the Lex Baiuvariorum compilation edited, the first ancient Germanic law collection of the Bavarians.
Arno, Arn or Aquila was bishop of Salzburg, and afterwards its first archbishop. He preserved his voluminous correspondence from the scholar Alcuin of York.
Theodo, also known as Theodo V and Theodo II, was the Duke of Bavaria from 670 or, more probably, 680 to his death. It is with Theodo that the well-sourced history of Bavaria begins. He strengthened his duchy internally and externally and, according to the medieval chronicler Arbeo of Freising, he was a prince of great power whose fame extended beyond his borders.
Eric was the Duke of Friuli from 789 to his death. He was the eldest son of Gerold of Anglachgau and by the marriage of his sister Hildegard the brother-in-law of Charlemagne.
The March of Friuli was a Carolingian frontier march, established in 776 as the continuation of the Lombard Duchy of Friuli, established against the Slavs and Avars. It was ceded to the Duchy of Bavaria as the March of Verona in 952. Its territory comprised parts of modern-day Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
The March of Istria was originally a Carolingian frontier march covering the Istrian peninsula and surrounding territory conquered by Charlemagne's son Pepin of Italy in 789. After 1364, it was the Istrian province of the Habsburg monarchy, the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary.
The March of Carinthia was a frontier district (march) of the Carolingian Empire created in 889. Before it was a march, it had been a principality or duchy ruled by native-born Slavic princes at first independently and then under Bavarian and subsequently Frankish suzerainty. The realm was divided into counties which, after the succession of the Carinthian duke to the East Frankish throne, were united in the hands of a single authority. When the march of Carinthia was raised into a Duchy in 976, a new Carinthian march was created. It became the later March of Styria.
The March of Pannonia or Eastern March was a frontier march of the Carolingian Empire, named after the former Roman province of Pannonia and carved out of the preceding and larger Avar March.
The Margraviate of Austria was a medieval frontier march, centered along the river Danube, between the river Enns and the Vienna Woods, within the territory of modern Austrian provinces of Upper Austria and Lower Austria. It existed from c. 970 to 1156.
The Avar March was a southeastern frontier province of the Frankish Empire, established after successful Frankish campaigns and conquests of Avarian territories along the river Danube, to the east from the river Enns, in what is today Lower Austria and northwestern Hungary. Since the Frankish conquest in the late 8th century, there were several administrative changes in those regions. Territory along the river Danube, from the river Enns to the Vienna Woods, was ruled directly, as a frontier extension (march) of the Frankish Bavaria, while regions further to the east, up to the river Rába, were initially designated to remaining Avarian princes, under the Frankish supreme rule. During the 820s and 830s, additional administrative changes were made in the wider region of Frankish Pannonia, inhabited mainly by Pannonian Slavs. Territories of the remaining Avarian princes were fully incorporated, and Avars eventually disappeared from the region.
Liutperga (Liutpirc) (fl 750 - fl. 793) was a Duchess of Bavaria by marriage to Tassilo III, the last Agilolfing Duke of Bavaria. She was the daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards, and Ansa.
The siege of Trsat was a battle fought over possession of the town of Trsat in Liburnia, near the Croatian–Frankish border. The battle was fought in the autumn of 799 between the defending forces of Dalmatian Croatia under the leadership of Croatian duke Višeslav, and the invading Frankish army of the Carolingian Empire led by Eric of Friuli. The battle was a Croatian victory, and the Frankish commander Eric was killed during the siege.
The Montpellier Psalter is one of the oldest Psalters from the Carolingian era and was made in the 8th century in the then-Bavarian Mondsee Abbey during the reign of the Agilolfings and was supposedly originally dedicated to the Bavarian ducal family of Tassilo III of Bavaria. The book saw a turbulent history and is now held at the Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire in the medicine faculty building at Montpellier, under the shelfmark H. 409.
Boruth, also Borut or Borouth, was the first documented Slavic prince (Knyaz) of Carantania, ruling from about 740 until his death. He was one of the few pagan leaders of the Carantanians to convert to Christianity.
The Avar Wars were fought between Francia and the Avar Khaganate in Central Europe from 788 to 803, and ended with the Frankish conquest of the khaganate's western regions. The first conflicts between the Avars and the Franks occurred in the 560s, shortly before the Avar conquest of the Pannonian Basin. Armed conflicts between the two powers were not unusual during the following centuries.
References
↑ Brown, Warren. Unjust Seizure: Conflict, Interest, and Authority in an Early Medieval Society. p.13-16.
↑ DeVries, K., and J.F.Verbruggen. The Journal of Medieval Military History, Volume 3: Chapter 4: The Role of the Cavalry in Medieval Warfare. p.46-71
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