Clotaire III was a king of the Franks who reigned from 657 to 673 AD. He was a member of the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled over the Frankish kingdoms in what is now modern-day France and parts of Germany. His reign was marked by the influence of powerful nobles and the growing authority of the Mayor of the Palace, which diminished the king's power. During Clotaire III's rule, the Frankish kingdom faced internal divisions and external threats. His reign is often seen as a period of transition, as the Merovingian kings began to lose their political significance, paving the way for the rise of the Carolingian dynasty in the following century.