Discover

'Carloman' (751 – December 4, 771) was the king of the Franks from 768 through 771. He was the second son of Pippin the Younger and Bertrada of Laon.
Along with his brother Charles (who would later be known as Charlemagne), Carloman was anointed as king by Pope Stephen II in 754. After Pippin's death in 768, Carloman and Charles divided the kingdom between them, with Carloman taking the eastern portion, Austrasia. There was considerable tension between the brothers, which may be the reason why, at Carloman's death, his wife Gerberge fled with her sons to the court of Desiderius, king of the Lombards. Because some sources state that Gerberge was Desiderius' daughter, it is difficult to judge the level of fraternal tension. Chronicles more sympathetic to Charles imply that he was bemused by Gerberge's action. Upon Carloman's death, his kingdom was absorbed into that of Charles, who then distributed portions to his own sons.