| Name | 'Pepin III' "the Short" de HERSTAL "King of the Franks" |
| Birth | 0714, Austrasia, FRANCE |
| Death | 24 Sep 0768, St. Denis Monastery, Paris Seine, FRANCE Age: 54 |
| Occupation | Mayor; Royalty |
| Father | Charles "the Hammer" "Victor of Tours" MARTEL "Mayor of the Palace" (0686-0741) |
| Mother | Clotrude Rotrou "of Treves" (0690-0732) |
| 1 | 'Bertrada III' "Broadfoot" LAON "Countess of Laon" |
| Birth | 0720, Laon, Aisne, FRANCE |
| Death | 12 Jul 0783, Choisey, FRANCE Age: 63 |
| Occupation | Royalty |
| Father | 'Charibert I' LAON "Count of Laon" (~0690-) |
| Mother | 'Bertrada II' "Countess of Laon" (~0700-) |
| Marriage | 0740 |
| Children | Adelaide |
| Charlemagne "Charles the Great" (0742-0814) | |
| Gertrude | |
| 'Pepin IV' | |
| Rothaid | |
| Bertha | |
| Carlomon |
Pâepin the Short (circa 714-68), mayor of the palace of Austrasia and king of the Franks (751-68), the son of the Frankish ruler Charles Martel, and the grandson of Pâepin of Herstal. He was mayor of the palace during the reign of Childeric III (reigned about 743-751), the last of the Merovingian dynasty. In 751, Pepin deposed Childeric and thus became the first king of the Carolingian dynasty. He was crowned by Pope Stephen II (III) in 754. When the pope was threatened by the Lombards of northern Italy,Pâepin led an army that defeated them (754-55). He ceded to the pope territory that included Ravenna and other cities. This grant, called the Donation of Pepin, laid the foundation for the Papal States. Pâepin enlarged his own kingdom by capturing Aquitaine, or Aquitania, in southwestern France. He was succeeded by his sons Carloman and Charlemagne as joint kings. - [1]
"Le Bref" means "The Short".
When Charles Martel, "The Hammer", died in 741, his lands were divided between his two sons, Pepin III and Carloman. When Carolman entered the monastery a few years later, Pepin gained sole possession of all the lands, however, he still wanted more. In 751, Pepin deposed Childeric III, the reigning Merovingian king, who was threatening Rome and crowned himself as king. His coronation was repeated three years later by Pope Stephen. This was the beginning of the Carolingian dynasty which lasted for 250 years and replaced the Merovingian reign. Pepin invaded Italy, defeated the Lombards and seized their lands which he presented to the Pope thus creating the Papal States. He later established his rule in Aquitaine and Saxony. Before he died in 768, Pepin divided his kingdom between his two sons, Charlemagne and Carloman. Charlemagne got the same lands that Pepin III had originally inherited from his father, Charles Martel and Carloman got what his Uncle Carloman had originally inherited before he went into the monastary. - [2]
[1] - "Pepin the Short," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1 993-1998 Microsoft Corporation.
[2] - http://www.whosyomama.com/gabroaddrick3/8/5799.htm