Le massacre des petits-enfants de Clovis (524)

This illustration depicts the massacre of Clovis’s grandsons in 524, ordered by their uncles as part of succession struggles within the Merovingian dynasty. After Clovis’s death, the kingdom was divided among his sons, leading to rivalry and violence. The young princes, seen as potential threats, were killed, except for Clodoald, later known as Saint Cloud, who escaped. The scene illustrates the extreme brutality of dynastic struggles and the fragility of power in the early Middle Ages.