Chlodoric the Parricide

Chlodoric (or Chloderic) the Patricide (died c. 509) murdered his own father, Sigobert the Lame, in order to take his kingdom. Chlodoric acted upon the instigation of Clovis I a rival king of the Salian Franks. After Sigobert's death Clovis then accused Chlodoric of the murder and had him killed in his turn for the crime. In this way Clovis became king of Sigobert's and Chlodoric's people.

Gregory suggests that Chlodoric was murdered in the same campaign that also killed the Frankish King Chararic. Before, Clovis had killed King Ragnachar and his brothers. After all these murders Gregory tells us that Clovis lamented that he had no family left anymore, implying that amongst his own casualties were close relatives.

References

• Gregory of Tours. The History of the Franks. 2 vol. trans. O. M. Dalton. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1967.