(795–855). King of Lotharingia and emperor. The eldest son of Emperor Louis the Pious (778–840) and Irmengarde, Lothair I is remembered chiefly for his role in dismembering the empire constructed by Charlemagne. In 817, Louis the Pious sought to ensure the empire’s unity after his death by promulgating the Ordinatio imperii. This divided the Carolingian territories into kingdoms for Lothair I and his brothers, Pepin of Aquitaine (800–838) and Louis the German (804–876), while leaving Italy under their father’s nephew, Bernard. Lothair, who was made co-emperor, was granted the largest, central realm, including Aix-la-Chapelle and Rome. After his father’s death, he was to exercise supremacy over his brothers and Bernard.
Difficulties emerged in 817 with the revolt of Bernard, who died after being blinded as punishment. Italy was transferred to Lothair. In 823, the birth of another son, Charles the Bald, to Louis the Pious (by his second wife, Judith) forced the emperor to modify his plans for the inheritance by allotting to Charles lands earlier assigned to his half-brothers. Lothair revolted in 830, and again in 833 with the help of his brothers Louis the German and Pepin. While their father emerged victorious and in 834 confined Lothair to Italy, the remaining years of Louis’s reign saw continued political unrest.
Upon Louis’s death in 840, Lothair I proclaimed again the Ordinatio imperii and turned against his surviving brothers, Louis the German and Charles. The power struggle among those rulers led to the Treaty of Verdun (843), dividing the Carolingian territories into separate kingdoms for Louis, Charles, and Lothair. This testified to the end of the ideal of a united empire, though Lothair retained the imperial title.
Lothair was in conflict with one or both brothers most of the rest of his life. Upon his death in 855, his lands were divided among his sons, Louis II (d. 875), Lothair II (d. 869), and Charles of Provence (d. 863). Louis II alone was left the imperial crown, which he had received in 850.
Ganshof, François L. The Carolingians and the Frankish Monarchy: Studies in Carolingian History, trans. Janet Sondheimer. London: Longman, 1971, pp. 289–302.
McKitterick, Rosamond. The Frankish Kingdoms Under the Carolingians, 751–987. London: Longman, 1983.
Nelson, Janet L. Charles the Bald. London: Longman, 1992.
Riché, Pierre. The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe, trans. Michael I.Allen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993.
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