Gregory of Tours: The Merovingians
Alexander Callander Murray (Edited and Translated)
Number of quotes: 7
Book ID: 102 Page: 10
Section: 3D2
Now the queen never ceased instructing the king to recognize the true God, and to abandon his idols. But in no way could she bring him to believe, until at last, when waging war upon the Alamanni, he was forced by necessity to confess what of his free will he had denied. It happened that, when the two hosts joined battle, the slaughter was fierce and the army of Clovis was in danger of annihilation.When he saw this, the king raised his eyes to heaven and, with a change of heart, began to weep.
“Jesus Christ,” he said, “You who Chlothild proclaims are the Son of the living God, who are said to give aid to those in distress and to grant victory to those that put their hopes in You, I humbly implore Your glory for help…”
Quote ID: 2561
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 102 Page: 11
Section: 3D2
To begin, the king asked to be baptized by the bishop. The new Constantine advanced to the front to wipe out the disease of the old leprosy, to wipe away in new waters the filthy stains borne from ancient times.As the king entered the water, the saint of God eloquently addressed him with the words, “Gently bow your head, Sicamber; worship that which you have burned; burn that which you have worshipped.”
….
Then the king, acknowledging almighty God in the Trinity, was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Spirit, and anointed with holy chrism under the sign of the cross of Christ.
Quote ID: 2562
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 102 Page: 12
Section: 3D2
At this time the two brothers Gundobad and Godigisel were in possession of a kingdom in the area of Rhône and Saône, including the province of Marseilles. Both they and their people were followers of the Arian sect.Since the brothers were at odds with each other, Godigisel, who had heard of the victories of King Clovis, secretly sent envoys to him to say, “If you give me help to go after my brother, so I can either kill him in battle or drive him from the kingdom, I will pay you each year such a tribute as you may wish to impose.”
Clovis gladly took the offer and promised him aid whenever it was required. At the appointed time, he brought his army against Gundobad.
Quote ID: 2563
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 102 Page: 16
Section: 3D2
Then King Clovis said to his men, “I take it very badly that these Arians hold part of Gaul. With God’s help, let’s go and conquer them and bring the land under our authority.”
Quote ID: 2564
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 102 Page: 19
Section: 3D2
He left Tours and came to Paris, where he established the seat of his government. There he was also joined by Theuderic.
Quote ID: 2565
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 102 Page: 21/22
Section: 3D2
Clovis arrived and deployed his forces against him. Ragnachar, on seeing his army defeated, was ready to run for it, but was caught by the army and brought before Clovis with his arms bound behind his back, as was his brother Richar.“Why,” asked Clovis, “have you disgraced our lineage by allowing yourself to be bound? It would have been better for you to die.”
Raising his ax, he drove it into Ragnachar’s head. Then he turned to Ragnachar’s brother.
“If you had given your brother help,” he said, “ surely he wouldn’t have been bound.”
With the blow of his ax, he killed him the same way.
After the death of the brothers, their betrayers recognized that the gold that they had received from Clovis was false.
When they told the king this, he is said to have answered, “Someone who willfully lures his lord to his death deserves to receive gold such as this. “He added that to be alive should be enough for them unless they wanted to pay for the wicked betrayal of their lords by being tortured to death.
On hearing this, they decided to earn his favor, claiming that it was enough if they could obtain their lives.
The above mentioned two kings were kinsmen of Clovis. Their brother, whose name was Rignomer, was killed at Le Mans by order of Clovis. With their deaths, Clovis acquired their entire kingdom and treasure. And he killed many other kings and his own near relatives whom he suspected might take away his kingship, and in this way, he extended his authority over all Gaul.
One day, however, when he had gathered together his followers, he is supposed to have said with respect to his kinsmen he had destroyed, “How sad it is for me to be left like a traveler among strangers and to have no kin to help me if trouble comes along.”
He said this, not because he felt grief for their deaths, but as a trick, to see if he could still find someone to kill.
After these events had taken place, Clovis died at Paris [a. 511] and was buried in the basilica of the Holy Apostles, which he himself had built along with Chlothild his queen. He passed away in the fifth year after the battle of Vouillé. His reign amounted to thirty years in all. His age was forty-five.
Quote ID: 2566
Time Periods: ?
Book ID: 102 Page: 245
Section: 3A4A
Domnolus, bishop of Le Mans, began to grow ill. In the time of King Chlothar I 561 he was the head of a monastic community at the basilica of Saint Laurence in Paris. The elder Childebert I 588 was still alive, but Domnolus always remained loyal to King Chlothar and repeatedly hid the agents that Chlothar sent as spies. For this reason, the king was waiting for a vacancy in a bishopric that Domnolus could fill.
Quote ID: 2567
Time Periods: 6
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