Theoderic or Theodric (low German Diederik or Didrik, high German Dietrich) was the leader of the Saxons in 743–744.

Onomastics Onomastics (or, in older texts, onomatology) is the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names. An '' orthonym'' is the proper name of the object in question, the object of onomastic study. Onomastics can be helpful in data mining, ...

suggests that he was related to the family of

Widukind Widukind, also known as Wittekind, was a leader of the Saxons and the chief opponent of the Frankish king Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 777 to 785. Charlemagne ultimately prevailed, organized Saxony as a Frankish province, massacred th ...

. In 743 the Frankish mayors of the palace, the brothers

Pepin the Short the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king. The younger was the son of ...

and Carloman, marched against

Odilo of Bavaria Odilo, also Oatilo or Uatilo (died 18th January 748) of the Agilolfing dynasty was Duke of Bavaria from 737 until his death in 748. He had the '' Lex Baiuvariorum'' compilation edited, the first ancient Germanic law collection of the Bavarians. ...

, who was nominally a Frankish subject. Carloman then turned north towards Saxony, which had ceased to pay the annual tribute of cows which the Franks had extorted first in the sixth century, and conquering the ''

castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

'' of Ho(o)hseoburg forced the Saxon duke Theoderic to surrender at a '' placitum'' held at that same place. The brothers invaded Saxony again the next year (744) and Theoderic was captured.

Sources

* Einhard
''Annales Regni Francorum''.
{{Authority control 8th-century rulers in Europe 8th-century Saxon people Dukes of the Saxons Saxon warriors