THEODEBERT I

born c. 495, /500 died 547 or 548 Merovingian king of Reims who succeeded his father, Theodoric I, in 533 or 534 and greatly expanded the area under Frankish hegemony. A proven soldier before he came to the throne, Theodebert exploited the war in Italy between Byzantium and the Ostrogoths to gain extensive territory in the Alpine regions and the northeast of the peninsula, though most of this was lost after his death. With expansion also in the east as far as the later Brandenburg, Theodebert claimed control of peoples from the Baltic to beyond the Danube. By minting coins bearing his, rather than the Byzantine emperor's, effigy and name, Theodebert asserted his independence of Constantinople, against which he apparently even envisaged mounting an expedition. Just and generous, especially to the church, Theodebert is the most appealing of the Merovingians and, Clovis apart, perhaps the most remarkable personality among them. He was succeeded by his son, Theodebald.