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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 3, 5. How Sigismund Slew His Own Son

On the death of Gundobad,¹ Sigismund his son succeeded to his kingdom; with understanding and watchful care he built the monastery of Agaune with its churches and habitations. Having lost his first wife, daughter of Theodoric, king of Italy, by whom he had a son named Sigeric, he had married another wife, who, as is the way of step-mothers, began to ill-treat and abuse her step-son. Whence it befell that on a day of solemn festival the boy, noticing that she wore robes once belonging to his own mother, was moved to wrath, and said to her: ‘Thou wert not worthy that these garments should cover thy back, for it is known to all that they belonged to thy mistress, my mother.’ But she was inflamed to fury, and with crafty speeches set on her lord against him, saying: ‘This wicked son of thine yearneth to usurp thy kingdom, and proposeth, first putting thee to death, to extend his power even to Italy, that he may possess the dominion which his grandfather Theodoric held in that country. He knoweth well that while thou livest he cannot fulfil his designs, and that he cannot rise unless thou fallest.’ Incited by these and like words, the king, following the counsels of his evil wife, became the foul murderer of his own son. One day, when his son was drowsy with wine, he bade him go sleep in the afternoon; and while he slept a kerchief was placed round his neck and tied in a knot; then two servants drew the ends together and throttled him.² When the deed was done, the father, repenting too late, began to weep most bitterly, throwing himself upon the lifeless body. To whom a certain old man is said thus to have spoken: ‘Weep for thyself, who, by following accursed counsels, hast become a most savage destroyer of thine own blood, for there is no need to bewail this boy, strangled in his innocence.’ But the king went to the monastery of Agaune, and continued many days weeping and fasting, and beseeching the divine pardon. He founded there perpetual chants and returned to Lyons, but the divine vengeance followed at his heels. His daughter was taken to wife by King Theuderic.

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