The History of the Franks

King Lothar issued a new tax claiming one-third of church revenues. The only bishop who defied the new tax was Saint Injuriosus. Afraid of offending Saint Martin, Lothar gave gifts to Injuriosus and repealed the tax. Gregory also tells the story of how, when Lothar’s wife Ingund asked Lothar to find a wealthy husband for her sister Aregund, Lothar married Aregund himself. Theudebald died, which Gregory claims was signaled by the fact that grapes instead of blackberries grew from an elder tree (203). After this, Lothar annexed Theudebald’s kingdom.

Meanwhile, a priest named Cato was to become the new bishop of Tours. Cato even bribed a woman “to behave in church as if she were possessed and to shout that he, Cato, was a great saint and very dear to God” (204). Cato’s rival was Cautinus, the corrupt and heavy-drinking bishop of Clermont-Ferrand. Cautinus tried to pressure a priest named Anastasius into giving up some property he owned and had Anastasius buried alive in a crypt. Anastasius miraculously escaped and went to King Lothar, who confirmed his ownership of the property by renewing his property documents.

Lothar’s son, Chramn, deposed and threatened the count of Clermont, Ferminus, who took refuge in a church with his sister-in-law, Caesaria.