Clovis was a powerful king of the Franks, a people who eventually controlled most of what now France in the waning days of the Roman Empire.

He is thought to have been born in 466. His father, Childeric, had fought in the Roman Army, and his father was Merovech, the founder of the Merovingian dynasty. Clovis made a name for himself early in his reign, which began in 481, when his father died. In 486, the Franks defeated Syagrius and the Gauls at the Battle of Soissons and then took control of what was left of the Gallic kingdom.

The next target for Clovis was the Alemanni, who had invaded Frankish territory. The Franks were victorious in 496, at the Battle of Tolbiac. Four years later, Clovis scored another victory, over the Burgundian king Gundobar.

Clovis had married Clotilda, a Burgundian, in 493; they eventually had five children together. Clotilda was a Christian, in contrast to the Franks, who at this time were mainly pagan in religious preference. She eventually convinced her husband to become a Christian as well.

Following Clotilda's lead, Clovis professed to the Catholic faith. This put him in opposition to some of the other Germanic tribes, who were Christian but were known as Arians because they differed with Catholic Christians on fundamental doctrine. Clovis did, however, have the support of other Catholic kingdoms and of the papacy.

In 507, Clovis conquered the Visigoths, furthering extending his reign. He demanded tribute from the Burgundians, reducing them to subserviency. By this time, only a southern bit of land along the Mediterranean coast was still outside Frankish control.

Clovis established his capital at the relatively centrally located Paris. It was there that he commissioned what would become the Salic Law, a codification of statutes regarding inheritance, migration, and punishment for crimes.

Clovis at this time moved the capital from Tournai to Paris, which was more centrally located within the lands that the Franks now controlled. He then turned to eliminating the leaders of other Frankish tribes.

Clovis died in 511 and was succeeded by his four sons, who divided the kingdom between them. In order of birth were Theodoric, Clodomir, Childebert, and Chlotar. Just before his death, he had organized an ecclesiastical conference in Orleans; attending were 33 bishops.