Pepin the Short, << PEHP ihn >> (714?-768), also called Pepin III, was the first king of the Frankish Carolingian dynasty. The Franks were Germanic peoples who gradually gained control of much of present-day France and Germany and other parts of Western Europe during the early Middle Ages.
In 742, Pepin and his brother Carloman jointly inherited from their father, Charles Martel, the title of Mayor of the Palace. Since the late 600’s, mayors had held greater power than the Merovingian kings, who ruled the Franks in name only. As mayors, Pepin and Carloman extended Frankish rule to parts of Saxony and Bavaria. After Carloman became a monk in 747, Pepin ruled alone as mayor. In 751, with Pope Zachary’s help, Pepin deposed the last Merovingian king, Childeric III, and became king of the Franks.
As king, Pepin aided the pope against the Lombards, a Germanic people who had conquered much of Italy. Pepin seized some of the Lombard lands in Italy and gave them to Pope Stephen II in 756. This so-called Donation of Pepin is often seen as forming the core of the Papal States, a territory controlled by the pope until the 1800’s. Pepin also added Aquitaine to his kingdom. He died on Sept. 24, 768. His son Charlemagne became one of the most powerful rulers in European history.
See also Charlemagne.
