MMost barbarian kingdoms did not last very long, but one that did — and that came to have a decisive role in history — was that of the confederation of Germanic peoples known as the Franks. In the fourth and fifth centuries the Franks settled within the empire and allied with the Romans, some attaining high military and civil positions. Though at that time the Frankish kingdom was simply one barbarian kingdom among many, rulers after the influential Clovis used a variety of tactics to expand their holdings, enhance their authority, and create a stable system. Charles the Great (r. 768–814), generally known by the French version of his name, Charlemagne (SHAHR-luh-mayne), created the largest state in western Europe since the Roman Empire.