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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 3, 18. Of the Death of Chlodomer’s Sons

During the sojourn of Queen Clotild at Paris, Childebert observed that his mother lavished all her affection on the sons of Chlodomer, whom I have above mentioned.¹ This filled him with jealousy, for he feared that by her favour they might be admitted to a share in the kingdom. He therefore sent a secret message to his brother, King Lothar, to this effect: ‘Our mother keepeth our brother’s sons ever at her side, and is fain to give them their father’s kingdom; it were well, therefore, if thou camest with all speed to Paris, that we may take counsel together and consider what we should do in the matter; whether we should cut their long locks so that they may be held as the common sort, or whether we should put them to death and equally divide our brother’s kingdom between us.’ Lothar was rejoiced at the message and came to Paris. Childebert spread the rumour among the people that this meeting of two kings had for its object the raising to the throne of the young boys. When they met, they sent to the queen, who was residing at the time in Paris, a request that she should let the boys come to them, as they wished to exalt them in the kingdom. Thereupon she rejoiced, perceiving nothing of their guile, and after giving the boys to eat and drink, sent them forth with these words: ‘I shall not feel that I have lost my son, if I see you raised to his place in the kingdom.’ So the children went, but were straightway seized and kept in custody, apart from their attendants and governors; they were in one place, their attendants in another. Then Childebert and Lothar sent to the queen that Arcadius, of whom I have spoken above,² with a pair of scissors and a naked sword. Admitted to the queen’s presence, he showed her both, and said: ‘Most glorious queen, our lords thy sons seek to know thy desire with regard to the boys; is it thy will that they live with shorn locks, or that they both be slain?’ But she, terrified at these words and moved to violent wrath, especially when she looked upon the drawn sword and the scissors, distraught by bitterness of grief, and not knowing in her trouble what words came to her lips, said simply: ‘If they are not to be raised to the throne, I had liever see them dead than shorn.’ But Arcadius took small account of her grief, nor cared to see what she might afterwards resolve after fuller reflection, but hurried back with his tale and said: ‘The queen approveth; finish the task which ye have begun; she herself desireth the completion of your design.’ They did not wait for more, but Lothar seized the elder boy by the arm, dashed him to the ground, and driving his dagger deep under his armpit, did him cruelly to death. At the sound of his cries his brother flung himself at Childebert’s feet, clasped his knees, and cried amid his tears: ‘Help, dearest uncle, lest I, too, perish like my brother.’ Then Childebert, his face wet with tears, cried: ‘I entreat thee, beloved brother, of thy pity grant me his life; only let him be spared, and I will pay whatsoever thou mayst ask in return.’ But the other, giving way to violent abuse, cried to him: ‘Cast him from thee, or thyself shalt surely die in his place. It was thou didst prompt to this business, and art thou now so swift to recoil from thy pledge?’ At this rebuke Childebert pushed the boy from him and drove him to Lothar, who received him with a dagger-thrust in the side and slew him as he had done his brother. The attendants and governors of the young princes were then slain. After all were killed, Lothar took horse and rode away recking little of the murder of his nephews; Childebert withdrew to a suburb of the town. But the queen had the bodies of the two boys laid upon a bier, and to the sound of chanted psalms followed them in her measureless grief to the church of Saint Peter, where they were both interred, one having lived ten years, the other seven. The third child, Chlodovald, could not be taken; he was saved by the help of brave defenders. This prince grew up to despise an earthly kingdom, and passed into the service of the Lord. With his own hands he cut off his hair and became a cleric, continuing earnest in good works; he passed away from this world as a priest.³ The two kings divided the realm of Chlodomer between them in equal shares. But Queen Clotild revealed herself of such a noble and pious nature that she won the respect of all. She was never weary in almsgiving or in prayer through the night watches; in chastity and in all virtue she showed herself without stain. To the churches, the monasteries, and other sacred places she gave the lands needful for their welfare, which she distributed with such generosity and eagerness that she was held in her day not so much a queen as the peculiar handmaid of the Lord, devoted without ceasing to His service. Her neither the royal estate of her sons, nor riches, nor ambition carried away to destruction; but humility bore her to grace.

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