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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 4, 47. How Theudebert Overran the Cities
Chlodovech, son of Chilperic, expelled from Touraine, proceeded to Bordeaux.1 While he was residing in this city, molested by no man, a certain Sigulf, a partisan of Sigibert, suddenly fell upon him. And when the prince fled, he pursued him with horns and trumpets, like a hunted deer, so that he scarce found any path clear to return to his father, though he managed to rejoin him by way of Angers.
A dispute now arising between King Guntram and King Sigibert, King Guntram assembled all the bishops of his kingdom at Paris, that they might pronounce which of the two was in the right. But it was ordained that civil strife should grow apace, and in their sinfulness the kings forbore to hearken.
Chilperic was moved to wrath, and sent his elder son Theudebert, who once, as Sigibert’s prisoner,2 had taken an oath of fealty to that prince, to invade Sigibert’s cities, Tours, Poitiers, and the other places lying south of the Loire. Theudebert came to Poitiers and fought against Duke Gundobald, whose army flying from the field, there followed great slaughter of the people of the city. He also burned most of the district round Tours, and if the inhabitants had not made timely submission, he would have forthwith devastated the whole territory. Advancing with his army, he overran the Limousin, the territory of Cahors, and their other regions, ravaging and laying waste them all. He burned the churches, took away the sacred vessels, slew the clergy, destroyed the monasteries of monks, used the nunneries with contempt, and laid all things waste. In those days was greater lamenting in the churches than in the time of Diocletian’s persecution.
Notes
- A. D. 573.
- Cf. ch. 16 (23), above.