The Franks or Frankish people (Latin: Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first ientified in the 3rd century as an ethnic group living north and east of the Lower Rhine. Under the Merovingian dynasty, they founded one of the Germanic monarchies which replaced the Western Roman Empire from the 5th century. The Frankish state consolidated its hold over large parts of western Europe by the end of the eighth century and the Carolingian Empire and its successor states were Frankish. The Salian political elite were one of the most active forces in spreading Christianity over western Europe. It is traditionally believed that the name Frank is derived from their usage of the javelin, which in Old Germanic is *frankon, the same case as the Saxons and their weapon of choice, the seax. The francisca is named after the Franks, because they used this weapon too.