Baptism of Clovis

The Germanic nation of the Franks remained pagan until the end of the fifth century. In 493 the Frankish king, Clovis, married a Christian but did not convert. In return for a victory granted to him after prayer to the God of the Christians, Clovis and three thousand of his warriors submitted to baptism on Christmas day in 496. This baptism was administered by a Catholic bishop and it symbolized an acceptance of the Catholic faith. This was a pivotal event in the history of the church in the West, because the rising power of the Franks in Europe assured a turn in favor of Catholicism against Arianism.