Zwentibold
Encyclopedia
Zwentibold was the illegitimate son of the Carolingian Emperor
Arnulf of Carinthia
. In 895 his father, then king of East Francia, granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia
, which he ruled until his death.After his death he was declared a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church.
, but they began to cooperate against Zwentibold, when it became apparent that he intended to become king of West Francia himself. The eldest son of Arnulf was at first marked out for his succession in East Francia. According to the 870 Treaty of Meerssen
and the 880 Treaty of Ribemont
, the Lotharingian kingdom of former Middle Francia
had fallen to the East Frankish realm. When in 893 King Arnulf's wife Ota gave birth to his legitimate son and successor Louis the Child
, Zwentibold in compensation received the Lotharingian royal title, which at last had been held by Lothair II
.
In Summer 893 Arnulf, receiving pleas of intervention against [emperor] Wido of Spoleto
from pope Formosus
and Berengar of Friuli, king of Italy, sent Zwentibold down the Brenner Pass
with an army. Joining forces with Berengar in Verona
, the two marched to Wido's capital, Pavia
, and besieged it unsuccessfully, finally renouncing to the siege: according to Liutprand of Cremona
, Zwentibold accepted money from Wido in order to leave, although it is not clear if it was in the form of a personal bribe or a tribute to his father. Zwentibold's retreat was nonetheless seen as a failure, and on hearing the news of the retreat, Arnulf summoned a new army and personally led it to Italy and took Pavia a few months later.
As a part of the plans to integrate Lotharingia into the East Frankish realm, the rule of King Zwentibold was enforced by his father, supported by the archbishops Herman I of Cologne and Ratbod of Trier, against the resistance of the local nobility. As he helped the common population too much, he began to be hated in a few years. He was fighting unruly nobles when his father Arnulf died in 899 and the legitimate son Louis the Child at the age of six became king of East Francia. Zwentibold attempted to take advantage of the succession of his minor half-brother to establish complete independence for his Lotharingian kingdom. However, after he had lost his father's backing, the entire nobility supported Louis and asked him to intervene. In 900, Count Reginar I of Hainault
rose against Zwentibold and slew him near present-day Susteren
.
After Zwentibold's death, his half-brother King Louis the Child of East Francia also ruled over Lotharingia. However, under his reign the East Frankish realm disintegrated and from 903 Zwentibold's kingdom was administered by the Lahngau
Count Gebhard
, a scion of the Conradine dynasty, who received the title of a Duke of Lorraine.
Zwentibold was named after his godfather
, King Svatopluk I
of Great Moravia
(Zwentibold being a Frankish transcription of Svatopluk). In 897 he married Oda, a daughter of Duke Otto I of Saxony
. His mortal remains are buried at Susteren Abbey
.
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
. In 895 his father, then king of East Francia, granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
, which he ruled until his death.After his death he was declared a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church.
Life
Zwentibold intervened in the scramble for the throne in West Francia (France) between Count Odo of Paris and Charles the SimpleCharles the Simple
Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
, but they began to cooperate against Zwentibold, when it became apparent that he intended to become king of West Francia himself. The eldest son of Arnulf was at first marked out for his succession in East Francia. According to the 870 Treaty of Meerssen
Treaty of Meerssen
The Treaty of Meerssen or Mersen was a partition treaty of the Carolingian Empire concluded on 8 August 870 by the two surviving sons of Emperor Louis the Pious, King Charles the Bald of West Francia and Louis the German of East Francia, at Meerssen north of Maastricht, in the present-day...
and the 880 Treaty of Ribemont
Treaty of Ribemont
There are two Treaties of Ribemont, the first is from 880 and the second is from 1179.-The treaty of 880:The Treaty of Ribemont in 880 was the last treaty on the partitions of the Frankish Empire...
, the Lotharingian kingdom of former Middle Francia
Middle Francia
Middle Francia was an ephemeral Frankish kingdom created by the Treaty of Verdun in 843, which divided the Carolingian Empire among the sons of Louis the Pious...
had fallen to the East Frankish realm. When in 893 King Arnulf's wife Ota gave birth to his legitimate son and successor Louis the Child
Louis the Child
Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingian ruler of East Francia....
, Zwentibold in compensation received the Lotharingian royal title, which at last had been held by Lothair II
Lothair II of Lotharingia
Lothair II was the second son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. He was married to Teutberga, daughter of Boso the Elder. He is the namesake of the Lothair Crystal, which he probably commissioned, and of the Cross of Lothair, which was made over a century after his death but...
.
In Summer 893 Arnulf, receiving pleas of intervention against [emperor] Wido of Spoleto
Guy IV of Spoleto
Guy IV was the Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 889 and Prince of Benevento from 895. He was the son of Guy II of Spoleto....
from pope Formosus
Pope Formosus
Pope Formosus was Pope of the Catholic Church from 891 to 896. His brief reign as Pope was troubled, and his remains were exhumed and put on trial in the notorious Cadaver Synod.-Biography:...
and Berengar of Friuli, king of Italy, sent Zwentibold down the Brenner Pass
Brenner Pass
- Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe...
with an army. Joining forces with Berengar in Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, the two marched to Wido's capital, Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, and besieged it unsuccessfully, finally renouncing to the siege: according to Liutprand of Cremona
Liutprand of Cremona
Liutprand, also Liudprand, Liuprand, Lioutio, Liucius, Liuzo, and Lioutsios was a Lombard historian and author, and Bishop of Cremona....
, Zwentibold accepted money from Wido in order to leave, although it is not clear if it was in the form of a personal bribe or a tribute to his father. Zwentibold's retreat was nonetheless seen as a failure, and on hearing the news of the retreat, Arnulf summoned a new army and personally led it to Italy and took Pavia a few months later.
As a part of the plans to integrate Lotharingia into the East Frankish realm, the rule of King Zwentibold was enforced by his father, supported by the archbishops Herman I of Cologne and Ratbod of Trier, against the resistance of the local nobility. As he helped the common population too much, he began to be hated in a few years. He was fighting unruly nobles when his father Arnulf died in 899 and the legitimate son Louis the Child at the age of six became king of East Francia. Zwentibold attempted to take advantage of the succession of his minor half-brother to establish complete independence for his Lotharingian kingdom. However, after he had lost his father's backing, the entire nobility supported Louis and asked him to intervene. In 900, Count Reginar I of Hainault
Reginar, Duke of Lorraine
Reginar I Longneck was the Duke of Lorraine from 910 until his death. He stands at the head of the clan of Reginarids, an important Lotharingian noble family....
rose against Zwentibold and slew him near present-day Susteren
Susteren
Susteren is a city in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Echt-Susteren, about 7 km northwest of Sittard. It was a separate municipality until 2003, when it was merged with Echt. Susteren received town privileges in 1276....
.
After Zwentibold's death, his half-brother King Louis the Child of East Francia also ruled over Lotharingia. However, under his reign the East Frankish realm disintegrated and from 903 Zwentibold's kingdom was administered by the Lahngau
Lahngau
The Lahngau was a medieval territory comprising the middle and lower Lahn River valley in the current German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. The traditional names of the Gau are Loganahe Pagus or Pagus Logenensis....
Count Gebhard
Gebhard, Duke of Lorraine
Gebhard of Lahngau , of the Conradine dynasty, son of Odo , count of Lahngau, and Judith, was himself count of Wetterau and Rheingau and then duke of Lotharingia ....
, a scion of the Conradine dynasty, who received the title of a Duke of Lorraine.
Zwentibold was named after his godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
, King Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I or Zwentibald I was the greatest ruler of Moravia that attained its maximum territorial expansion in his reign . His career had already started in the 860s, when he governed a principality, the location of which is still a matter of debate among historians, within Moravia under the...
of Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
(Zwentibold being a Frankish transcription of Svatopluk). In 897 he married Oda, a daughter of Duke Otto I of Saxony
Otto I, Duke of Saxony
Otto , called the Illustrious by later authors, was the Duke of Saxony from 880 to his death. He was the younger son of Duke Liudolf of Saxony and his wife Oda of Billung, and succeeded his brother Bruno as duke after the latter's death in battle in 880...
. His mortal remains are buried at Susteren Abbey
Susteren Abbey
Susteren Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey at Susteren near Roermond, Limburg, Netherlands founded in the 8th century. The former abbey church is now St. Amelberga's Basilica.-History:...
.