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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 2, 27. How Clovis Received the Kingdom

After this, Childeric died,¹ and Clovis his son reigned in his stead. In the fifth year of his reign, Syagrius, king of the Romans, son of Aegidius, had his residence in the city of Soissons, which had before been the home of the above-mentioned Aegidius. Clovis marched against him, with his relation Ragnachar, himself also a king, and called upon him to fix a field of battle. Syagrius did not seek delay nor did he fear to stand his ground. And so when the battle was joined between them, Syagrius, seeing his army crushed, turned to flight and escaped as fast as he could to Alaric at Toulouse. But Clovis sent to Alaric calling upon him to surrender the fugitive, else he must look to be himself invaded for giving him refuge. Then Alaric, lest he should incur the wrath of the Franks for his sake, was afraid, after the craven habit of the Goths, and handed him over to the messengers in bonds. When Clovis received him prisoner, he ordered him to be imprisoned; had him put to the sword in secret, while he took possession of his kingdom.

At this time many churches were plundered by the troops of Clovis, because he was yet fast held in pagan errors. Thus it happened that a ewer of great size and beauty had been taken, with other ornaments used in the service of the church. But the bishop of that church sent messengers to the king, asking that if no other of the sacred vessels might be restored, his church might at least receive back this ewer. When the king heard this he said to the envoy: ‘Follow us to Soissons, for there all the booty is to be divided, and if the lot gives me the vessel, I will fulfil the desire of the bishop.’ When they were at Soissons and all the spoil was laid out in open view, the king said: ‘I ask you, most valiant warriors, not to refuse to cede me that vessel ’ (he meant the ewer of which I have spoken) ‘over and above my share.’ After this speech all the men of sense replied: ‘All that is before our eyes, most glorious king, is thine; we ourselves are submitted to thy power. Do now that which seemeth good to thee, for none is so strong as to say thee nay.’ At these words a soldier of a vain, jealous, and unstable temper raised his axe and smote the ewer, crying with a loud voice: ‘Naught shalt thou receive of this but that which thine own lot giveth thee.’ While all stood astounded at this act, the king suppressed his resentment at the wrong under a show of patient mildness; he then took the ewer and restored it to the bishop’s envoy. But the wound remained hidden in his heart. After the lapse of a year, he commanded the whole army to assemble with full equipment, and to exhibit their arms in their brightness on the field of March. The king went round inspecting them all; but when he came to the man who struck the ewer he said: ‘None hath appeared with his arms so ill-kept as thou; neither thy lance, nor thy sword, nor thy axe is fit for use.’ He then seized the axe, and threw it on the ground. As the man bent down a little to take it up, the king swung his own axe high and cleft his skull, saying as he did it, ‘Thus didst thou treat the ewer at Soissons.’ The man lying dead, he dismissed the rest, having put great fear of him into their hearts by his act. Clovis waged many wars and won many victories. For in the tenth year of his reign he invaded the Thuringians and subjected them to his rule.

Notes

In 481.