Individual Details

Charles Carol "the Hammer" MARTEL

(23 Aug 676 - 15 Oct 741)

He was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum (737–43) at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the title of Consul by the Pope, but he refused. He is remembered for winning the Battle of Tours in 732, in which he defeated an invading Moorish army. This victory is traditionally credited with halting northward Islamic expansion in western Europe. A brilliant general, he is considered to be a founding figure of the Middle Ages, often credited with a seminal role in the development of feudalism and knighthood, and laying the groundwork for the Carolingian Empire.

Events

Birth23 Aug 676Heristal, Liège, Walloon, Belgium
Death15 Oct 741Quierzy-Sur-Oise, Aisne, France
BurialMonastaere de Saint Denis, Saint Denis, France

Families

Endnotes