GUNDOALD

'Gundoald', 'Gundowald', 'Gundovald', or 'Gondovald' (in French, ''Gombaud'') was a usurper king of Aquitaine in either 584 or 585. He claimed to be an illegitimate son of Clotaire I and, with the financial support of the Emperor Maurice, took some major cities in southern Gaul, such as Poitiers and Toulouse, which belonged to Guntram, king of Burgundy, a legitimate son of Clotaire. Guntram marched against him, calling him nothing more than a miller's son and named him 'Ballomer', a Frankish (possibly offensive) word of which the meaning is not known. Gundowald fled to Comminges and Guntram's army set down to besiege the citadel (now known as Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges). They couldn't take it, but didn't need to: Gundowald's followers gave him over and he was executed.