Roi fainéant

Roi fainéant, literally "do-nothing king" and so presumptively "lazy king", is a French term primarily used to refer to the later kings of the Merovingian dynasty, after they seemed to have lost their initial energy. They were considered and portrayed "useless" by Carolingian kings and even early modern historians, though current historical opinion is more nuanced.

Sigebert III is sometimes accredited the first roi fainéant of the Merovingian dynasty. The last Carolingian ruler, Louis V of France, was also nicknamed le Fainéant ("the Do-Nothing"), because his effective rule was limited to the region around Laon.

The following kings are sometimes alleged to have been members of the rois fainéants:

• Clovis III
• Clovis IV
• Chlothar III
• Chlothar IV
• Theuderic III
• Theuderic IV

Bibliography

• M. Christian Pfirter, La Gallia sotto i franchi merovingi: vicende storiche, in «Storia del mondo medioevale», vol. I, 1999, pp. 688-711
• Marie-Nicolas Bouillet et Alexis Chassang (dir.), « Rois fainéants » in Dictionnaire universel d’histoire et de géographie, 1878