The History of the Franks

The new king of Spain, Recared, made peace with Childebert II, but talks with King Guntram quickly broke down. Another attempt to assassinate King Guntram was foiled. In Tours, a man named Desiderius appeared, claiming to be able to speak to the apostles Peter and Paul and to work miracles. Eventually, Desiderius was exiled. Another “great impostor” (484) claimed to have holy relics from Spain, but his relics were just “moles’ teeth, the bones of mice, bears’ claws and bears’ fat” (485). He was also exiled and eventually imprisoned.

Guntram Boso tried to win over Fredegund, who despised him. When Lothar II ordered Guntram Boso to be killed, he sought sanctuary under Bishop Ageric and was brought to Childebert, who had him detained until King Guntram could see him.

Duke Rauching conspired to overthrow Childebert and Brunhild and, along with his allies the dukes Berthefried and Ursio, become the power behind the throne for Childebert’s two young sons. Guntram somehow learned about the conspiracy and sent messengers to warn Childebert. Rauching was seized and brutally killed. Not knowing that the conspiracy was exposed and Rauching was executed, Ursio and Berthefried raised armies and revolted. Brunhild was the godmother to Berthefried’s daughter, so she tried to convince him to surrender, but the rebellion continued and was crushed by Childebert himself. Meanwhile, Childebert met with Guntram to decide on Guntram Boso’s fate. Both kings agreed he should die. Guntram Boso was forced out of the bishop’s residence, which was set on fire, and killed.

Guntram hosted a banquet with Brunhild, Fredegund, and Childebert. They made a treaty ensuring peace between them. In Spain, King Recared hosted a debate between Arian and Catholic Christians. Convinced by the fact that no Arian priest had ever been seen performing a miracle, Recared converted to Catholicism. An Arian bishop named Athaloc tried opposing the conversion of Recared’s subjects, but few heeded him, and he soon died. Guntram, who still wanted revenge for the poor treatment of his sister Ingund, refused to accept a peace treaty. Recared asked to marry Childebert’s sister Chlodosind, but Brunhild and Childebert declined until they had permission from Guntram. The Bretons pillaged the region of Nantes, but they quickly agreed to pay compensation to both Guntram and King Lothar II.

At Tours, Sichar and Chramnesind, who previously led a feud against each other, had become friends, even though Sichar was responsible for violence against Chramnesind’s relatives during the feuds. Realizing that his own family would see him as weak for not avenging his family’s deaths, Chramnesind killed Sichar. Since Sichar was a friend of Queen Brunhild, she had Chramnesind’s property confiscated and he had to go on the run. However, Chramnesind was pardoned and had his property restored by one of Brunhild’s officials, Count Flavinius.

Childebert II asked Gregory to see King Guntram. With Gregory, the Treaty of Andelot was signed, which guaranteed that Childebert would be Guntram’s successor and ceded Tours and other towns and territories in Guntram’s possession to Childebert (502-07). Guntram was also convinced to give Childebert permission to send Chlodosind to marry Recared. Gregory praises Guntram for his piety, even saying that threads from Guntram’s cloak mixed in water cured a seriously ill boy. Childebert II had planned to work with the Byzantine emperor Maurice to drive the Longobards out of Italy. However, the campaign was a disaster, and the “slaughter of the Frankish army was such that nothing like it could be remembered” (513).

Meanwhile, a plague struck Marseilles, during which Bishop Theodore refused to leave the city and prayed for relief. A Duke Amalo attempted to sexually assault a young woman, but she grabbed his sword and killed him. While dying, Duke Amalo ordered that she not be harmed since he had “sinned, for [he] tried to rape this girl!” (514). After she escaped and told her story, King Childebert gave her protection from Amalo’s relatives. At the same time, Gregory argued against tax collectors sent by Childebert, asserting that Tours was immune to taxation due to an earlier agreement with King Lothar I.

Guntram attacked the region of Septimania in modern-day southwest France. The war was a catastrophe for Guntram, and he blamed the fact that Childebert made a marriage alliance with the King of Spain. Guntram called a council of bishops to consider his allegations, but Brunhild was able to absolve herself and her son.

Next, Gregory tells the story of a convent at the Church of Saint Martin founded by Ingitrude, the widow of King Charibert. When she established the convent, she asked her daughter Berthegund to become the abbess. Afraid of violating religious law, Berthegund returned to her husband. Ingitrude would return, but brought her husband and one of her sons with her. Berthefeld’s brother, Bishop Bertram of Bordeaux, claimed their marriage was illegal since it was made without her parents’ consent and dissolved their marriage, even though they had been married for 30 years. Berthefeld’s husband complained to King Guntram, who ordered Bertram to return Berthegund to her husband. However, Berthegund refused, saying she had become a nun.

After Bertram’s death, Berthegund fought with her mother Ingitrude over her brother and father’s inheritance. Gregory was ordered to intervene, but he could not put an end to the fighting. Elsewhere, the princess Rigunth “was always attacking her mother (Fredegund), and saying that she herself was the real mistress, whereas her mother ought to revert to her original rank of serving-woman” (521). Fredegund offered her some items from a chest, but when Rigunth leaned in, Fredegund slammed the chest lid on her throat and began choking her. Only the intervention of the servants stopped Fredegund from killing Rigunth.

Septimima, the nurse of Childebert II’s children, attempted to convince King Childebert to banish his mother Brunhild and his wife. Gregory claims this was part of a wider conspiracy to kill Childebert through witchcraft and rule through his sons. A number of prominent courtiers, including Septimima’s lover Droctulf, were exiled. Septimima and Droctulf were disfigured and forced to work menial jobs.

At a convent in Poitiers founded by the Merovingian queen Radegund, Clotild “who used to pretend that she was Charibert’s daughter” (526) and Chilperic’s daughter Basina accused the abbess, Leubovera, of mistreating the nuns there. They had about 40 nuns supporting them (526). Gregory read a letter establishing the convent and its rules to Clothild, which he cites in full (527-29). Still, Clotild insisted on having an audience with kings Guntram and Childebert II. Gregory advised them against it, but they left regardless. After seeing King Guntram, Clotild and her supporters returned to Poitiers, where they holed up in Saint Hilary’s Church and, Gregory says, “they gathered around them a gang of burglars, murderers, adulterers and criminals of all sorts” (532) while they waited for Guntram to fulfill his promise of sending bishops to investigate their accusations.

When Clotild and her supporters refused to return to the convent, Bishop Gundegisel of Bordeaux excommunicated them. In response, Clotild and her supporters attacked the bishop. Leubovera distributed copies of the letter of foundation to the bishops, which Gregory includes in full (534-38). Meanwhile, Clotild and the rebelling nuns refused to meet to negotiate with the bishops unless their excommunication was lifted. However, because it was winter and there was no fuel for heating, most of the nuns returned to their families or left for other convents.