A dynasty of kings of the Franks, named after Mérovée (died 458), the grandfather of Clovis. The Merovingians were warriors rather than administrators, few of them showing any interest in government. After the death of Dagobert I in 638, power passed from the kings to the ‘mayors of the palace’. The mayor of the palace was originally the head of the royal household and came to represent royal authority in the country, administer the royal domains, and command the army in the king’s absence. The most notable mayors of the palace were Pepin (ruled 687–714), Charles Martel (ruled 714–41), famous for his victories over Saracen invaders from Spain, and Pepin, the father of Charlemagne, who in 751 deposed the last of the Merovingian kings and usurped the throne.