Editing Carolingian dynasty (section)

==== Pippin II (676–714) ====
Very little is known about Pippin's early life, but a controversial story from ''AMP'' suggests that Pippin reclaimed power in Austrasia by killing a legendary '[[Gundoin]]' as revenge for the assassination of his father Ansegisel. This story is regarded as slightly fantastical by [[Paul Fouracre]], who argues the ''AMP,'' a pro-Carolingian source potentially written by Giselle (Charlemagne's sister) in 805 at Chelles, is that Pippin's role primes him perfectly for his future and demonstrates his family to be 'natural leaders of Austrasia.'<ref name="Fouracre-2005" /> However, Fouracre does also acknowledge his existence in charter evidence and confirms that he was a political link to rival mayor [[Wulfoald]]. These rivalries would make Pippin natural enemies with Gundoin, making the murder plausible as part of Pippin's rise to power.<ref name="Fouracre-2000b" />

===== Rise to power =====
The Arnulfing clan reappear in the contemporary historical record in {{circa|676}}, when the ''LHF'' mentions '[[Pepin of Herstal|Pippin]] and Martin' rising up against a tyrannical [[Ebroin]], mayor of Austrasia.<ref name="Riché-1993c" /><ref name="Fouracre-2000b" /> Pippin II, now head of the faction, and Martin, who was either Pippin's brother or relative, rose up against Ebroin and gathered an army (potentially with the aid of Dagobert II who had been brought back to Austrasia by mayor Wulfoald).<ref name="Fouracre-2000b" /> According to the ''LHF'', the Arnulfing army met Ebroin, who had gained the support of [[Theuderic III|King Theuderic III]], at [[Bois-du-Fays]], and they were easily defeated. Martin fled to [[Laon]], from where he was lured and murdered by Ebroin at [[Asfeld]]. Pippin fled to Austrasia and soon received [[Ermenfred]], an officer of a royal fisc who had assassinated Ebroin.<ref name="Riché-1993c" /><ref name="Paul-1996">{{Cite book|last1=Paul|first1=Fouracre|title=Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography 640–720|last2=Gerberding|first2=Richard|publisher=Manchester University Press|year=1996|series=Manchester Medieval Sources Series|location=Manchester|pages=91–94, 358–359, 365}}</ref>

The Neustrians, with Ebroin dead, installed [[Waratto]] as mayor, and he looked for peace with the Austrasians. Despite an exchange of hostages, Warrato's son [[Gistemar]] attacked Pippin at [[Namur]] and displaced his father.<ref name="Fouracre-2000b" /> He died shortly thereafter and Warrato resumed his position, wherein peace was reached but tense relations remained until Warrato's death in 686. He left behind his wife [[Ansfled]] and his son [[Berchar]], whom the Neustrians installed as mayor. Against his father's policy, Berchar did not maintain peace and incited Pippin into violence.<ref name="Paul-1996" />

In 687, Pippin rallied an Austrasian army and led an assault on Neustria, facing Theuderic III and the Neustrian mayor, now Berchar, in combat. They met at the [[Battle of Tertry]], where the ''AMP'' records that Pippin, after offering peace which was rejected by Theuderic at Berchar's behest, crossed the river [[Omignon]] at the break of dawn and attacked the Neustrians, who believed the battle won when they saw Pippin's camp abandoned. This surprise attack was successful and the Neustrians fled.<ref name="Paul-1996" /> Following this victory, Berchar was either killed, as the ''AMP'' argues, by his own people, but the ''LHF'' suggests that it is more likely that he was murdered by his mother-in-law, Ansfled.<ref name="Paul-1996" /> This moment was decisive in Arnulfing history as it was the first time that any of the faction had national control. Paul Fouracre even argues it is for this that the ''AMP'' starts with Pippin II, as a false dawn upon which Charles Martel would rebuild.<ref name="Fouracre-2005" /> However, historians have discredited the importance of this victory. [[Marios Costambey]]s, [[Matthew Innes]] and [[Simon MacLean]] all show that the Tertry victory did not establish solid authority over Neustria immediately, evidenced by the fact that Pippin immediately installed 'Norbert, one of his followers' (as written in the ''LHF'') and then his son Grimoald in 696 to ensure continued influence.<ref name="Costambeys-2011">{{Cite book|last1=Costambeys|first1=Marios|title=The Carolingian World|last2=Innes|first2=Matthew|last3=MacLean|first3=Simon|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2011|series=Cambridge Medieval Textbooks|location=Cambridge|pages=40, 42, 50–51}}</ref><ref name="Paul-1996" />

===== Consolidation of power =====
Pippin II then became overall mayor of the royal palace under Theuderic II, becoming mayor of Austrasia, Neustria and Burgundy.<ref name="Riché-1993c" /> His son [[Drogo of Champagne|Drogo]], from his wife [[Plectrude]], was also imbued with power when he married Berchar's widow Adaltrude (potentially maneuvered by Ansfled) and was made Duke of Champagne.<ref name="Wood-1994b">{{Cite book|last=Wood|first=Ian|title=The Merovingian Kingdoms 450–751|url=https://archive.org/details/merovingiankingd751wood|url-access=limited|publisher=Longman Publishing|year=1994|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/merovingiankingd751wood/page/n265 256], 260, 267, 285}}</ref> Pippin was politically dominating and had the power to elect the next two Merovingian kings after Theuderic II died in 691; he installed [[Clovis IV|King Clovis IV]] (691-695), [[Childebert III]] (695-711) and [[Dagobert III]] (711-715).<ref name="Riché-1993c" /> Pippin moved to secure further power by consolidating his position in Neustria, installing several bishops like [[Gripho]], Bishop of Rouen and [[Bainus]] at the [[Abbey of Saint Wandrille]] in 701, which was later owned along with [[Fleury Abbey]] (founded by Pippin in 703).<ref name="Fouracre-2000b" /> Imbued with internal strength, Pippin also began to look outwards from the Frankish Empire to subdue the people, that the ''AMP'' records, who once were 'subjected to the Franks ... [such as] the Saxons, Frisians, Alemans, Bavarians, Aquitainians, Gascons and Britons.'<ref name="Paul-1996" /> Pippin defeated the pagan chieftain [[Redbad, King of the Frisians|Radbod]] in Frisia, an area that had been slowly encroached upon by Austrasian nobles and Anglo-Saxon missionaries like [[Willibrord]], whose links would later make him a connection between the Arnulfings and the papacy.<ref name="Riché-1993c" /> Following [[Gottfried|Gotfrid, Duke of Alemannia]] in 709, Pippin also moved against the Alemans and subjugated them again to royal control.

===== Later years =====
As Pippin approached his death in late 714, he was faced with a succession crisis. Drogo, Pippin's oldest son, died in 707 and his second son Grimoald, according to the ''LHF'', was killed whilst praying to [[Lambert of Maastricht|Saint Lambert]] in [[Liège]] in 714 by Rantgar, suspected by Paul Fouracre to be a pagan.<ref name="Wood-1994b" /><ref name="Paul-1996" /><ref name="Fouracre-2000b" /> Pippin, before his death, made his six-year-old grandson [[Theudoald]] (Grimoald's son) his successor in Neustria, a choice that is believed to have been promoted by his wife Plectrude,<ref name="Riché-1993c" />   which was a political choice from within the direct family line, as Pippin had two adult illegitimate children, [[Charles Martel]] and [[Childebrand I]], from a second wife or concubine named [[Alpaida]].<ref name="Gerberding-1987" /> They were ousted so Theudoald (with Plectrude's regency) could take the throne, a choice that would result in disaster.

===== Death =====
When Pippin II died in December 714, the Arnulfings' dominance over Francia disintegrated. The ''LHF'' tells us that 'Plectrude along with her grandchildren and the king directed all the affairs of state under a separate government', a system which created tensions with the Neustrians.<ref name="Paul-1996" /> Theudoald ruled uncontested for around six months, until June 715, when the Neustrians revolted. Theudoald and the Arnulfings' supporters met at the [[Battle of Compiègne]] on 26 September 715,<ref name="Fouracre-2000b" /> and after a decisive victory, the Neustrians installed a new mayor [[Ragenfrid]] and, following Dagobert's death, their own Merovingian king [[Chilperic II]].<ref name="Paul-1996" /> Charter evidence suggests that Chilperic was the son of the former King Childeric II, but this would make Daniel in his 40s, which is quite old to take the throne.<ref name="Fouracre-2000b" />