Tassilo III of Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Tassilo III was duke of Bavaria from 748 to 788, the last of the house of the Agilolfings
.
Tassilo, then still an infant, began his rule as a Frankish
ward under the tutelage of the Merovingian Mayor of the Palace
Pepin the Short (later king) after Tassilo's father, Duke Odilo of Bavaria
, had died in 747 and Pepin’s half-brother Grifo
had tried to seize the duchy
for himself. Pepin removed Grifo and installed the young Tassilo as duke, but under Frankish overlordship.
Later, in 757, according to the Royal Frankish Annals
, Tassilo became Pepin’s vassal
for his lands at an assembly held at Compiègne
. There he is reported to have sworn numerous oaths to Pepin and promised fealty to him and his sons, Charles
and Carloman
. However, this highly legalistic account is quite out of character for the period; K. L. Pearson has suggested that it probably represents a reworking of the original document by the annalist to emphasise Charlemagne
’s overlordship over Tassilo during the period of hostilities between the two rulers.
From the Frankish point of view, in 763 Tassilo defaulted on his military obligations to Pepin, leaving the Frankish campaign in Aquitaine
on grounds of ill health. Pearson suggests that he left out of a feeling of obligation to the Aquitanians in light of an earlier alliance made between Tassilo’s father and the Aquitanian duke during his conflict with Pepin in 743. Whatever the motivations behind Tassilo's abandoning the campaign, the Royal Frankish Annals for that year are particularly scathing of him, saying that he "brushed aside his oaths and all his promises and sneaked away on a wicked pretext". Working on the premise, argued by Pearson, that these annals may have been revised to emphasise Tassilo as a vassal suggests that this was the beginning of a campaign to depict Tassilo as an oath-breaker and as one unprepared to carry out the main function of his office, namely, to fight, making him unfit for rule.
This incident was the linchpin in Charlemagne
and Pope
Hadrian I’s argument that Tassilo was not an independent prince, but a rebellious vassal deserving punishment. This punishment was carried out, after much political maneuvering, in 788, when Tassilo was finally deposed and entered a monastery. In 794, Tassilo was made once more, at the synod
of Frankfurt
, to renounce his and his family's claims to Bavaria
.
He married Liutperga
, the daughter of Desiderius
of Lombardy
.
Agilolfings
The Agilolfings were a family of either Frankish or Bavarian nobility that ruled the Duchy of Bavaria on behalf of their Merovingian suzerains from about 550 until 788...
.
Tassilo, then still an infant, began his rule as a Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
ward under the tutelage of the Merovingian Mayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace
Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
Pepin the Short (later king) after Tassilo's father, Duke Odilo of Bavaria
Odilo of Bavaria
Odilo was an Alamannic nobleman, a son of Gotfrid of the house of the Agilolfings.He ruled Thurgau until 736, when with the death of Hugbert of Bavaria the older line of the Agilofing became extinct and he inherited the rulership of Bavaria, which he held until his death in 748.Odilo presided...
, had died in 747 and Pepin’s half-brother Grifo
Grifo
Grifo was the son of the Frankish major domo Charles Martel and his second wife Swanahild.After the death of Charles Martel power may well have been intended to be divided among Grifo and his half-brothers Pepin the Younger and Carloman...
had tried to seize the duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
for himself. Pepin removed Grifo and installed the young Tassilo as duke, but under Frankish overlordship.
Later, in 757, according to the Royal Frankish Annals
Royal Frankish Annals
The Royal Frankish Annals or Annals of the Kingdom of the Franks ,are annals covering the history of early Carolingian monarchs from 741 to 829. Their composition seems to have soon been taken up at court, providing them with markedly official character...
, Tassilo became Pepin’s vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
for his lands at an assembly held at Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
. There he is reported to have sworn numerous oaths to Pepin and promised fealty to him and his sons, Charles
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
and Carloman
Carloman, son of Pippin III
Carloman I was the king of the Franks from 768 until his death in 771. He was the second surviving son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon...
. However, this highly legalistic account is quite out of character for the period; K. L. Pearson has suggested that it probably represents a reworking of the original document by the annalist to emphasise Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
’s overlordship over Tassilo during the period of hostilities between the two rulers.
From the Frankish point of view, in 763 Tassilo defaulted on his military obligations to Pepin, leaving the Frankish campaign in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
on grounds of ill health. Pearson suggests that he left out of a feeling of obligation to the Aquitanians in light of an earlier alliance made between Tassilo’s father and the Aquitanian duke during his conflict with Pepin in 743. Whatever the motivations behind Tassilo's abandoning the campaign, the Royal Frankish Annals for that year are particularly scathing of him, saying that he "brushed aside his oaths and all his promises and sneaked away on a wicked pretext". Working on the premise, argued by Pearson, that these annals may have been revised to emphasise Tassilo as a vassal suggests that this was the beginning of a campaign to depict Tassilo as an oath-breaker and as one unprepared to carry out the main function of his office, namely, to fight, making him unfit for rule.
This incident was the linchpin in Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
and Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Hadrian I’s argument that Tassilo was not an independent prince, but a rebellious vassal deserving punishment. This punishment was carried out, after much political maneuvering, in 788, when Tassilo was finally deposed and entered a monastery. In 794, Tassilo was made once more, at the synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, to renounce his and his family's claims to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
He married Liutperga
Liutperga
Liutperga was the daughter of Desiderius, King of the Lombards, and Ansa. She was the wife of Tassilo III, the last Agilolfing Duke of Bavaria....
, the daughter of Desiderius
Desiderius
Desiderius was the last king of the Lombard Kingdom of northern Italy...
of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
.