Chlodoric the Parricide

Chlodoric (or Chloderic) the Parricide (died c. 509) was a son of Sigobert the Lame, a Frankish king.

According to Gregory of Tours, Chlodoric murdered his own father in order to take his kingdom, acting 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 for the crime, whereupon Clovis took over the kingdom from Chlodoric.

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, 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.