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{{Short description|Duke of Burgundy from 1315-1349}}
{{ infobox royalty
| name = Odo IV
| image = Eudes4.jpg
| caption = Depiction of Odo IV, drawing by Germain Demay (1880) after a contemporary [[Sigillography|seal]]
| succession = [[Duke of Burgundy]]
| reign = 1315 – 1349
| predecessor = [[Hugh V, Duke of Burgundy|Hugh V]]
| successor = [[Philip of Rouvres|Philip I]]
| house = [[House of Burgundy|Burgundy]]
| father = [[Robert II, Duke of Burgundy]]
| mother = [[Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy|Agnes of France]]
| spouse = [[Joan III, Countess of Burgundy]]
| issue = [[Philip I, Count of Auvergne]]<br>etc.
| birth_date = 1295
| birth_place =
| death_date = 3 April 1349 (Aged 53-54)
| death_place =
}}

[[Image:Armoiries Eudes Bourgogne-Nevers.png|thumb|150px|right|The arms of Eudes. He took the arms of his uncle and namesake, [[Eudes of Nevers]], before the death of Hugh V. Note the indentation.]]

'''Odo IV''' or '''Eudes IV''' (1295 – 3 April 1349) was [[Duke of Burgundy]] from 1315 until his death and [[Count of Burgundy]] and [[Count of Artois|Artois]] between 1330 and 1347, as well as titular [[King of Thessalonica]] from 1316 to 1320. He was the second son of [[Robert II, Duke of Burgundy|Duke Robert II]] and [[Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy|Agnes of France]].{{sfn|Bouchard|1995|p=156}}

==Life==

===Inheritances===
Odo succeeded his elder brother, [[Hugh V, Duke of Burgundy|Hugh V]], in 1315. Odo defended the rights of his niece [[Joan II of Navarre|Joan]] against [[Philip V of France|Philip the Tall]], another uncle, after Louis X's death in 1316. In 1318, Odo married Philip's eldest daughter, [[Joan III, Countess of Burgundy]] (1308 – 1347).{{sfn|Jackson-Laufer|1999|p=200}} Thus allying himself with Philip V, who had become king of France.

On the death of his brother, [[Louis of Burgundy|Louis]] in 1316, Odo became titular king of Thessalonica.{{sfn|Topping|1975|p=115}} By 1320, Odo was complaining to the pope of the Angevins' usurpation of Thessalonica, yet later sold his rights as [[King of Thessalonica]] and [[Prince of Achaea]] to [[Louis I, Duke of Bourbon|Louis, Count of Clermont]].{{sfn|Topping|1975|p=115}}

Odo's wife inherited the domains of her mother in 1330: the county of [[Artois]] and the county of Burgundy, the so-called [[Franche-Comté|Free County]].{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=170}} Her claim to the County of Artois was challenged by [[Robert III of Artois]], who at that time was a close friend and advisor of King Philip VI.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=170}} The dispute ended abruptly when in December 1330 the documents used by Robert of Artois to support his claim were found to be forged on his instructions.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=170}}

===War with England===
Odo was a loyal vassal of his brother-in-law, Philip of Valois, after he succeeded to the French throne as [[Philip VI of France|Philip VI]]. He belonged to Philip VI’s small circle of trusted advisors.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=414}} He fought in many theatres of French warfare: the [[Low Countries]], [[Brittany]], [[Aquitaine]]. He fought the Flemings and was wounded at the [[Battle of Cassel (1328)|Battle of Cassel]] in 1328.

In 1340, Odo first fought in [[County of Hainaut|Hainaut]],{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=313}} helped capture the town of [[Antoing]] and later defended [[Saint-Omer]] in [[battle of Saint-Omer|the battle there]] against Robert III of Artois.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=339-341}} During the summer the French government became aware of plans for an Anglo-Flemish army under Robert of Artois to attack on Saint-Omer. The Duke entered Saint-Omer 15 July with several thousands men-at-arms and begun preparing the defences of the city.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=339-341}} The slow progress of the English army also allowed further reinforcements led by [[John I of Armagnac|John I, Count of Armagnac]] to arrive.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=339-341}} On 26 July Robert of Artois offered battle to the garrison of Saint-Omer.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=339-341}} Contrary to orders some hotheads charged out, their attack was beaten off, but their flight caused the Flemings to abandon their defensive works in pursuit.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=339-341}} The Duke of Burgundy now decided to sally with the Count of Armagnac.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=339-341}} During the battle the Duke got into a fierce fight with the English and Brugeois contingents and barely escaped back behind the walls.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=343}} Meanwhile, however the Count of Armagnac had scattered the enemy left flank.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=343}} The loss of most of his Flemish troops forced Robert of Artois to flee back to Flanders.{{sfn|Sumption|1990|p=343}}

He took part in the [[War of the Breton Succession]] as a partisan of [[Charles, Duke of Brittany|Charles of Blois]] serving as advisor to his nephew [[John II of France|John, Duke of Normandy]], during the latter’s campaign in Brittany autumn 1341.

He served together with the Duke of Normandy and the Chancellor of France, Guillaume Flote, as French ambassadors to a peace conference at Avignon in the summer 1344. The conference was however actively sabotaged by the English. [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry, Earl of Derby]] who had been announced as the head of the English delegation, claimed once he arrived at Avignon to be there only in a private capacity for devotional reasons and the minor English officials who were officially there had no instructions.

In 1346, he was in [[Guyenne]] combatting the [[England|English]]. In spring that year, the French government decided to field so far the strongest army in the south-west. The Duke of Burgundy followed John of Normandy south together with a substantial number of northern nobles and such dignitaries as [[Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu]], the [[Constable of France]], both [[Marshal of France|Marshals]] and the [[Master of Crossbowmen]]. In April, Normandy laid siege to the town of [[Aiguillon, Lot-et-Garonne|Aiguillon]], which controlled the confluence between the [[Lot (river)|Lot]] and the [[Garonne]]. There they still remained in August, when John of Normandy was urgently recalled to the north to help stop Edward III, who had landed in Normandy. The French 1346 campaign in the south ended, having accomplished nothing.

In September, Edward III laid siege to [[Calais]]. As Artois became the main theatre of the war, relations between the Duke and King Philip VI plummeted. The Duke governed Artois on behalf of his wife, but the royal government increasingly disregarded local officials and even began making its own appointments. In December 1346, Philip suspended the Duke’s government altogether.

===Death and legacy===
Odo was present at the coronation of [[Pope Clement VI]] at [[Avignon]] 19 May 1342.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of Odo IV is seen in the subsequent Burgundian court of the Valois dukes, for Odo was a patron of the arts and the church and sponsored many young artists. He also endeavoured for good political connections and by marrying a French royal princess assured the good relations with the king. The premature death of his son Philip made his four-year-old grandson the [[heir presumptive]].{{sfn|Chattaway|2006|p=92}} He succeeded Odo IV as [[Philip I of Burgundy|Philip I]] after Odo died of the plague. Most sources place his death at [[Sens]], on Friday, 3 April 1349. Some sources give the year as 1350.

==Family==
{{See also|Dukes of Burgundy family tree}}

{{tree chart/start|align=center}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | Lou | | | | | | |Lou=[[Louis IX of France]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | |}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | Phi | | |!| | | | | |Phi=[[Philip III of France]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart| | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|t|-|-|-|.| |}}
{{tree chart| | | Php | | | | | | | | |!| | | Cha |Php=[[Philip IV of France]]|Cha=[[Charles of Valois]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart| | | |!| | | | | Rob |y| Agn | | |!| |Rob=[[Robert II of Burgundy]]|Agn=[[Agnes of France, Duchess of Burgundy|Agnes of France]]|Philip=[[Philip IV of France]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart| |,|-|^|-|.| | | |,|-|+|-|.| | | |!| |}}
{{tree chart| Phl | | Lui |y| Mar |!| Joa |y| Val |Lui=[[Louis X of France]]|Phl=[[Philip V of France]]|Val=[[Philip VI of France]]|Charles=[[Charles IV of France]]|Isabella=[[Isabella of France]]|Clemence=[[Clementia of Hungary]]|Mar=[[Margaret of Burgundy, Queen of France|Margaret of Burgundy]]|Odo=[[Odo IV of Burgundy]]|Joa=[[Joan the Lame of Burgundy|Joan of Burgundy]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart| |!| | | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | |}}
{{tree chart| |!| | | | | Jan | | |!| | | Joh | | |Jan=[[Joan II of Navarre]]|Joh=[[John II of France]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart| Joa |~|~|~|~|~|~|~| Odo | | | | | | |Odo=[[Odo IV of Burgundy]]|Joa=[[Joan III of Burgundy]]|border=0}}
{{tree chart/end}}

===Children===
By his wife [[Joan III, Countess of Burgundy|Joan III]], Odo had six sons, most of whom died young:
*a stillborn son (1322)
*[[Philip of Burgundy, Count of Auvergne|Philip]] (1323–1346), [[Count of Auvergne]]{{sfn|Bouchard|1995|p=156}}
*John (1325–1327 or 1328)
*three sons who died young, born in 1327, 1330, and 1335

==Portrayal in film==
Odo (as Eudes) is a supporting character in ''[[Les Rois maudits]]'' (''The Accursed Kings''), a series of French [[historical novel]]s by [[Maurice Druon]]. He was portrayed by {{Interlanguage link multi|Georges Riquier|fr}} in the 1972 [[Les Rois maudits (miniseries)|French miniseries adaptation]] of the series, and by C. Florescu in the 2005 adaptation.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Sources==
*{{cite encyclopedia |title=Burgundy |first=Constance B. |last=Bouchard |encyclopedia=Medieval France: An Encyclopedia |editor-first=William W. |editor-last1=Kibler |editor-first2=Grover A. |editor-last2=Zinn |publisher=Garland Publishing |year=1995 }}
*{{cite book |first=Guida Myrl |last=Jackson-Laufer |title=Women Rulers throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=1999 }}
*{{cite book |first=Jonathan |last=Sumption |title=Trial by Battle:The Hundred Years War |volume=I |publisher=Faber & Faber Ltd. |year=1990 }}
*{{cite book |chapter=The Morea:1311-1364 |first=Peter |last=Topping |title=A History of the Crusades: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries |volume=III |editor-first=Harry W. |editor-last=Hazard |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |year=1975 }}

==Further reading==
{{commons category|Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy}}
*Anne-Lise Courtel, [http://www.persee.fr/doc/bec_0373-6237_1977_num_135_1_450090 "La chancellerie et les actes d'Eudes IV, duc de Bourgogne (1315–1349)"], ''Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes'', '''135''', 1 (1977): 23–71.
*Anne-Lise Courtel, [http://www.persee.fr/doc/bec_0373-6237_1977_num_135_2_450101 "La chancellerie et les actes d'Eudes IV, duc de Bourgogne (1315-1349) (second article)"], ''Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes'', '''135''', 1 (1977): 255–311.
*{{Cite book|last=Chattaway|first=Carol Mary|title=The Order of the Golden Tree: the gift-giving objectives of Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy|publisher=Brepols|year=2006|isbn=2503522971}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{S-bef | before=[[Hugh V, Duke of Burgundy|Hugh V]]}}
{{s-title|title=[[Duke of Burgundy]] | years=1315–1349}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Philip of Rouvres]]}}
{{S-bef | before=[[Joan II, Countess of Burgundy|Joan II]]}}
{{s-title|title=[[Count of Burgundy]] and [[Count of Artois|Artois]] | years=1330–1347|regent1=[[Joan III, Countess of Burgundy|Joan III]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odo Iv, Duke Of Burgundy}}
[[Category:1295 births]]
[[Category:1349 deaths]]
[[Category:House of Burgundy]]
[[Category:Titular kings of Thessalonica]]
[[Category:Princes of Achaea]]
[[Category:Dukes of Burgundy]]
[[Category:Counts of Burgundy]]
[[Category:Counts of Artois]]
[[Category:14th-century deaths from plague (disease)]]
[[Category:14th-century peers of France]]
[[Category:Jure uxoris counts]]

Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy - Revision history

imported>SouthieFid: Added short description