Library › St Gregory of Tours › History of the Franks

History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 5, 25. Of the Death of Dacolen and Duke Dragolen

In the third year of King Childebert, which was the seventeenth of Chilperic and Guntram,¹ Dacolen, son of the deceased Dagaric, deserted King Chilperic, and while wandering from place to place, was treacherously seized by Duke Dragolen, who was known as Industrius. Dragolen brought him in bonds to King Chilperic at Berny,² having sworn an oath that he would obtain him his life from the king. But regardless of the oath, he made impious charges against him, and wrought with the king to bring about his death. When Dacolen saw himself kept in prison with scarce a chance of escape, he asked absolution from a priest without the king’s knowledge. After receiving it, he was put to death. While Dragolen was hastening home, Guntram Boso was attempting to remove his daughters from Poitiers. As soon as Dragolen heard this, he went against him. But Guntram’s men, who were armed, resisted, and fought in their own defence. Then Guntram sent one of his friends to Dragolen, saying: ‘Go and tell him this: “Thou knowest that there is a pact between us; I pray thee therefore, abstain from unfair attack upon my men. Take what thou wilt of my possessions; I will make no resistance. Only let it be granted me to go whither I will with my daughters, though I be stripped of everything I have.”’ But Dragolen, foolish and thoughtless as ever, made answer: ‘Behold the rope in which I have led other culprits bound before the king. By this same cord shall your master this day be bound and taken in his bonds to the same goal.’ So saying, he struck spurs to his horse and charged Guntram at full speed. But his blow failed, for his lance broke, and his sword fell to the ground. Guntram, when he saw death impend over him, called upon the name of the Lord and the miraculous power of the blessed Martin; then, raising his lance, he struck Dragolen in the throat and unseated him. And as Dragolen was hanging from his horse, one of Guntram’s friends thrust a lance into his side and gave him the finishing blow. His party was put to flight, and his body despoiled, whereupon Guntram withdrew in freedom with his daughters. Some time afterwards, Severus, father-in-law of Guntram, had to answer a grave charge before the king, brought against him by his sons. On news of this, he set out to see the king, bearing great gifts, but was captured on the road and robbed; after being sent into banishment, he ended his days by a most miserable death. His two sons, Burgolen and Dodo, were condemned to death on a charge of lèse-majesté;³ one of them met a violent end at the hands of the people; the other was caught in attempted flight, and died after his hands and feet had been cut off. All their property, like that of their father, was confiscated; they had possessed great treasures.

Previous · Contents · Next