Clovis I of Francia (466-27 November 511) was the King of the Franks from 481 to 511, succeeding Childeric I of Francia and preceding Childebert I of Francia.
Biography[]
Clovis was the son of Childeric I of Francia, who was the King of the Salian Franks. Clovis succeeded his father at the age of fifteen, and in 486 he invaded the Kingdom of Soissons, a successor state to the Western Roman Empire. He defeated the Romans at Soissons, ending the rump state and creating a homeland for the Franks in present-day France. In 496, he converted to Christianity at the request of his wife Clotilde, and he unified the Frankish nobility under this new faith. In 507, he defeated the Visigoths at the Battle of Vouille, slaying King Alaric II and conquering southern France for the Franks. Clovis' conquests laid the foundation for the Frankish kingdom, and he died in 511.