Burgundy 133canonistic material before those composed by GRATIAN
and IVOof Chartres. He died on August 20, 1025.
Further reading: Benjamin Arnold, Medieval Ger-
many, 500–1300: A Political Interpretation(Toronto: Uni-
versity of Toronto Press, 1997).
Burgundians On the basis of linguistic evidence and
various written traditions from the early Middle Ages,
scholars have determined that the Burgundians, a Ger-
manic tribe, originated in Scandinavia and then migrated
eastward toward the Vistula River during the first century
of the Common Era. The reasons for the migration have
been the subject of substantial speculation. By 359 they
were established on the east bank of the Rhine and had
had much experience with the Romans.
DEFEAT AND RESETTLEMENTOn the last day of 406, the Rhine froze and provided the
opportunity for a large mass of barbarians to cross the
river, among whom were the Burgundians. They were set-
tled along the western bank of the Rhine in the region of
Coblenz. In 436, after the Burgundians had been engaged
in several plots, the Roman military commander in the
West, Aetius, punished them for attempting to expand
the area under their control. This led to their resettlement
in the region around Geneva and LYONin 443.
RESETTLEMENT AND ASSIMILATIONAfter this, the Burgundians cooperated with the Romans,
fought against the HUNSat Chalons in 451, and partici-
pated in imperial politics. Before the end of the fifth cen-
tury the Burgundians dominated most of eastern Gaul
from the southern limits of Champagne to the Alps.
Although the Burgundian rulers were ARIANChris-
tians, they maintained good relations with their Gallo-
Roman subjects. Burgundian laws were written in LATIN
and the Roman population continued to be well treated
and not disarmed. Mixed marriages of Burgundians and
Romans were not prohibited. The Burgundian king, who
made his capital at Lyon, had a Germanic title of king
and the Roman title of patricius.
This flourishing Burgundian kingdom of the later
fifth century was weakened by dynastic conflict and
by aggressive neighbors, such as the FRANKS and the
Ostrogoths. The Franks led by Clotaire (r. 511–558) took
advantage of this weakened kingdom to invade in 524.
They captured and killed King Sigismund (d. 524). By
534 the Franks had destroyed the remnants of the Bur-
gundian ruling family and integrated the kingdom of the
Burgundians into the Frankish kingdom.
See alsoODOACER;THEODORIC.
Further reading: Herwig Wolfram, The Roman
Empire and Its Germanic Peoples,trans. Thomas Dunlap
(1990; reprint, Berkeley: University of California Press,
1997 [1990]).
Burgundy The name Burgundy referred to a kingdom,
a duchy, and a county in western Europe. After the divi-
sion of the CAROLINGIANEmpire in 843, the ancient lands
of the BURGUNDIANS became the duchy of Burgundy.
When the line of dukes died out 1032, the principality of
Burgundy became part of the HOLYROMANEMPIRE. The
kingdom continued as a separate entity within the
empire. The emperor FREDERICKI BARBAROSSAin the 12th
century tried to consolidate the imperial control through
the creation of an administration dependent on the
emperor.PROSPERITY
A revival of commerce, and ducal favors to the abbeys
contributed a flourishing religious and intellectual life in
the duchy. In the 11th century the monastic school of
Dijon was among the most prominent in western Europe
with such masters as LANFRANC. The order of CLUNYwas
particularly centered in Burgundy at the beginning of the
12th century. The CISTERCIANSalso founded a monastery
in the duchy. The whole duchy was an important center
for ROMANESQUEand GOTHICstyles of art.
The duchy was taken over by the king of France, John
II (r. 1350–64), in the mid-14th century. In 1363 he
granted Burgundy to his younger son, PHILIP THEBOLD
(r. 1313–1404). At his death in 1404 through skillful mar-
riages and dynastic alliances, a major part of BELGIUMand
HOLLANDwas under Burgundian rule. Philip was a great
patron of the arts, and the 40 years of his reign, the
“Golden Age of Burgundy,” was marked by political peace.INTEGRATION AND DISINTEGRATION
The Duchy of Burgundy was outside the areas of combat,
and was spared the devastation of the HUNDREDYEARS’
WAR. Its nobility took an active part in the battles within
the French army. Philip’s son John the Fearless
(r. 1404–19) was active at the French court, where he
opposed the duke of Orléans and was accused of his mur-
der in 1407. That event sparked the battle between the
ARMAGNACand Burgundian factions. John, after the Bat-
tle of AGINCOURTin 1415, tried to reconcile King Charles
VI (r. 1380–1422) and King HENRYV. A dynastic union
between the two crowns was intended to exclude the
dauphin, the future Charles VII, from the royal succes-
sion. As a consequence of this John was murdered in- This caused his son and heir PHILIP THEGOOD
(1419–67) to switch his allegiance to the English, with
whom it remained until the Peace of Arras in 1435. At
the death in battle of Philip’s son, CHARLES THEBOLDor
Rash (r. 1467–77), King LOUISXI of France (r. 1461–83)
with some difficulty integrated part of the duchy into the
kingdom of France. However, Charles’s possessions in the
NETHERLANDSand BELGIUMpassed to the HABSBURGHoly
Roman Emperor Maximilian I (r. 1493–1519) of AUSTRIA,
splitting the old duchy in two.
See alsoVALOIS DYNASTY;VÉZELAY.