Pepin, or PIPPIN, surnamed 'the Short,' king of the Franks, was the son of Charles Martel and the father of Charlemagne, and founder of the Frankish dynasty of the Carlovingsians (q.v.). Charles Martel shortly before he died divided his kingdom between his two sons, Carloman and Pepin, Carloman taking the German part, and Pepin the Neustrian or territories in northern France; still they were only rulers (dukes) in the name of the Merovingian king. Carloman, after six years of office or rule, was persuaded by the English monk Boniface to enter (747) the monastery of Monte Cassino; his duchy passed over to Pepin. St Boniface in 751 crowned Pepin king of the Franks at Soissons, Childeric, the last of the fainéant Merovingians, having been deposed and his very able substitute chosen king in his stead. Pepin rested his power in great part upon the bishops and monks; accordingly, when Pope Stephen III. was hard pressed by the Longobards (Lombards) under Aistulf, he came (754) to France to solicit help from the new king of the Franks. Pepin led an army into Italy, compelled Aistulf to become his vassal, gave to the pope the title of exarch (of Ravenna), a title of the Roman empire, and so, by this 'Donation of Pepin,' laid the foundation of the temporal sovereignty of the popes; himself he made 'patrician of the city of Rome'—all this in 756. The church in his own dominions he placed under the supremacy of the pope. The rest of his life was spent in semi-crusading wars. Before going to Italy he had already attempted to convert the heathen Saxons at the sword's point; he went on with the 'holy' work in 757. Then he drove the Saracens back over the Pyrenees (758) and made (760–768) repeated incursions into Aquitania, though he never permanently conquered it. He died in 768, and his sons Carloman and Charlemagne divided his territories between them.—There were other rulers of this name amongst the Carlovingsians. PEPIN OF LANDEN (died 639), with the help of Bishop Arnulph of Metz, was appointed major domus or viceroy of Austrasia under Lothair II.—PEPIN OF HÉRISTAL (died 714), his grandson, succeeded as mayor of the palace in Austrasia, to this added after 687 the similar vice-royalties of Neustria and Burgundy, and called himself 'Duke and Prince of the Franks.' He was their real ruler during the reigns of the puppet kings Theodoric, Ludwig III., Childebert III., and Dagobert III., and fought successfully against the Frisians, the Alemanni, and the
Bavarians.—PEPIN, the son of Charlemagne, who was born in 778, was crowned king of Italy in 781, fought against the Avars, the Slavs, and the Saxons, drove the Saracens out of Corsica, and conquered Venice (810). He died in 810.—PEPIN, son of Louis the Pious, was made king of Aquitania, revolted twice against his father and deposed him, but finally restored him, and protected him until he himself died (838). See CARLOVINGIANS, FRANCE.