The History of the Franks

The History of the Franks is one of the very few surviving narrative histories on politics and daily life in 6th-century Gaul (France). It was originally written in Latin by Gregory of Tours, a bishop from an upper-class family of Roman origin who actually lived through many of the times he describes. The book describes the conquests and civil wars of the kings from the Merovingian dynasty, who ruled Gaul at the time, as well as the famous vendetta between the queens Brunhild and Fredegund. However, it also details other events like plagues, miracles, moral members of the clergy being challenged by corrupt clergy, violent feuds between families, and even a revolt of nuns. This makes The History of the Franks a valuable resource for not only understanding political events in early medieval Europe, but daily life as well.

This study guide uses the 1974 English translation by Lewis Thorpe, published by Penguin Books.

Content Warning: The source text contains descriptions of violence, antisemitic prejudices, and sexual assault.

Summary

Although Gregory of Tours does cover a large variety of happenings and people in The History of the Franks, the narrative is, as the translator Lewis Thorpe puts it, “largely a parade of kings and queens” (16). After summarizing a Christian view of history starting with Adam and Eve being exiled from Paradise for their sins, Gregory begins with the Franks invading Gaul as the Roman Empire’s control of the province receded. The Frankish king Clovis brought most of Gaul under his rule, along with territories in what is now western Germany, after battling the Roman leader Syagrius (who was based in the city of Soissons), the Visigoths, the Burgundians, and other Franks. At the urging of his wife Clotild, Clovis converted from paganism to Catholic Christianity.

When Clovis died in 509, his domains were divided between his four sons: Theuderic, his son by a concubine whose name has been lost, and his three sons by Clotild, Lothar I, Childebert I, and Chlodomer. After Chlodomer’s death, Lothar and Childebert I killed Chlodomer’s heirs. History repeated when most of the Frankish domains were united under Lothar; after his death in 558 they were split up again among Lothar’s sons, Sigibert, Chilperic, and Guntram.

Sigibert wed a Visigothic princess from Spain, Brunhild. Prompted by the fact his brother and rival married a woman of royal blood, Chilperic married Brunhild’s sister, Galswinth. However, Chilperic had Galswinth murdered for the sake of his earlier wife, a former servant named Fredegund.

While on the brink of conquering the territories of Chilperic, Fredegund bribed some men to kill King Sigibert, beginning a feud between Fredegund and Brunhild in which Fredegund would send assassins against Brunhild and her son, King Childebert II, several times. King Chilperic himself would be assassinated for unknown motives, leaving Fredegund to have to scramble to secure the throne for her son, Lothar II.

Meanwhile, Gregory details his own experiences as a bishop and diplomat, as Brunhild and Childebert II, Fredegund and Lothar II, and Guntram try to maintain a fragile balance of power within Gaul.