Drogo, Mayor of the Palace

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Drogo was the eldest son of Carloman, mayor of the palace of Austrasia. He was born before Carloman came to power in 741. In 747 Carloman went on a pilgrimage to Rome, leaving his sons under the guardianship of his uncle Pepin the Short and the king, Childeric III. Drogo, the eldest, had probably already reached his majority and may have been left behind as mayor of the palace by his father. Drogo's position was strong at this point and he held a church synod in 747 or 748 competing with a simultaneous synod held by Pepin. The great reformer and apostle to the Germans, Boniface, was unsure which one to attend.

After the birth of a son, Charles, to Pepin on 2 April 748, Drogo's position weakened. Carloman stayed behind in Italy to become a monk at Monte Soracte (either of his own volition or at Pope Stephen II's request) and Pepin began to manoeuvre against Drogo. By 751 Pepin's position was strong enough to garner papal support for a takeover of the kingdom, and Childeric was deposed and Pepin crowned in his place. Drogo was forced to flee. In 753 Pope Stephen and Carloman came to Francia, the former to lend support to Pepin, the latter possibly to Drogo. Pepin imprisoned Carloman in Vienne and Drogo was captured, tonsured, and put in a monastery.

[edit] Sources

• Fouracre, Paul. "The Long Shadow of the Merovingians" in: Charlemagne: Empire and Society, ed. Joanna Story. Manchester University Press, 2005. ISBN 0 719 07089 9.