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After Empire of Rome perished, a Christian kingdom was established in Europe, which meant the beginning of the feudal era in Europe(Middle Ages). It is called The Franks(法兰克王国）, and many years later it would be splited into three countries: Germany, Italy and France. __________________________________________________________________________________ The Franks provide the dynasty which can be seen as the first royal house of France. From them, in origin one of the Germanic tribes, the word France derives. The dynasty itself is called Merovingian(墨洛温王朝，法兰克第一个朝代）, from Merovech - a leader of the tribe in the mid-5th century of whom nothing is known but his name. The fortunes of the Franks begin with his grandson, Clovis（克洛维，法兰克王国的建立者）. When Clovis inherits the crown, in about 481, he is only fifteen. The tribe's capital is then at Tournai, in what is now southern Belgium. The reign of Clovis is a turning point in European history on two counts: his establishment of the first great barbarian kingdom north of the Alps; and his adoption of Roman Catholic Christianity, when the other barbarian rulers in Gaul（高卢） are at this time all Arians（阿里乌斯派信徒）. Clovis extends his power from the Somme（索姆河） down to the Loire（卢瓦尔河） by using an unscrupulous blend of warfare, intrigue and murder to assert his authority over other Frankish tribes in the region. He then sucessfuly demands tribute from the Burgundians（勃艮第，法国地名） in the southeast and, more significantly, drives the Visigoths（西哥特人） from the southwest. By 507 the whole of France, except a narrow strip along the Mediterranean, is his acknowledged realm. In achieving this territorial success, Clovis has been much helped by his acceptance of the Roman version of Christianity. Many Christians in Gaul, loyal to Rome, accept him as a liberator from the Arian Visigoths. His conversion follows a classic Christian pattern, involving a victory in battle (as with Constantine) and an already pious wife (as with Ethelbert of Kent). Clovis marries a Burgundian princess, Clotilda（克劳蒂尔德）, who unlike the rest of her people is a Catholic. Her efforts to convert her powerful pagan husband bear fruit（见效，这是一个固定词组） once he believes that Jesus has helped him defeat a rival Germanic tribe, the Alamanni（阿勒曼尼人，日耳曼民族的一支，使用德语，所以在法语和西班牙语中的“德国”【Allemagne;Alemania】就是从这个词中衍化出来的）, who have recently moved west across the Rhine（莱茵河） into Alsace（阿尔萨斯，法国地名）. Clovis's victory over the Alamanni, taking place at some time between 495 and 506, is followed by a scene of mass baptism. A faith good enough for the king must be good for the army too. At Reims（兰斯，法国地名） the bishop baptizes Clovis and some 3000 of his soldiers. Clovis makes his capital in Paris, where he commissions the writing of the ancient pre-Christian code of law of the Salian Franks. His Frankish kingdom will lapse for a while into chaos; Paris will not immediately retain its central status; and only parts of the Salic Law will later be followed. But the kingdom of Clovis is unmistakably a new departure of great significance for northern Europe and for France.

Establishment of The Franks