Library › St Gregory of Tours › History of the Franks

History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 6, 26. Of Guntram and Mummolus

Duke Guntram first went back to Auvergne with the aforesaid treasures, and then went to King Childebert. On his return with his wife and sons he was seized and detained by King Guntram, who said: ‘It was by thy invitation that Gundovald was brought to Gaul; that was the reason of thy visit to Constantinople a few years ago.’ The other replied: ‘It was thine own Duke Mummolus who received him, and kept him at his side at Avignon. Give me leave now, and I will bring him to thee; then shall I be cleared from the charges brought against me.’ The king answered: ‘I will not suffer thee to depart except thou pay the penalty of thy misdeeds.’ Then the other saw death near, and said: ‘Behold my son; take him, and let him be a hostage for that which I promise my lord the king. For if I bring not Mummolus to thee, I shall lose my young son.’ Then the king suffered him to go, but kept the boy with him. The duke took with him men of Auvergne and Velay, and set forth for Avignon. But the astute Mummolus had seen to it that no vessels but such as were in bad condition were ready for use on the Rhône, so that when, suspecting nothing, they embarked and pushed into the middle of the river, the vessels filled and sank. All on board were in great danger; some escaped by swimming; others reached the bank by seizing loose planks from the vessels; many, who had less presence of mind, were drowned in the stream. Duke Guntram, however, reached Avignon. When Mummolus first entered the town, he had perceived that a small part was undefended by the Rhône, and had taken measures to lead a channel from the river so as to protect the whole of the exposed part by water. Before it was done he had caused very deep pits to be dug there, which were now covered by water. When Guntram appeared, Mummolus called from the walls: ‘If he is come in good faith, let him advance from one bank, while I will come from the other: then let him say what he hath in his mind.’ When they had thus approached each other, Guntram spoke from the opposite bank, for the aforesaid channel from the river lay between them: ‘If it be permitted, I will come over, for there are certain matters on which we should confer privily together.’ ‘Come, and fear naught,’ said Mummolus. Guntram then entered the water with one of his comrades, who was weighed down by a heavy mail shirt and, coming to a pit in the channel, sank and was never seen again. Guntram was also sinking, being carried away by the swift current, when one of those standing on the bank held out a spear for him to grasp; in this way he reached the bank again. Thereupon, after bandying of high words, he and Mummolus departed each his own way. Guntram Boso now besieged the city with an army of King Guntram’s, and this was reported to King Childebert, who was wroth that the duke acted thus without his authority and sent the aforesaid Gundulf¹ to Avignon. Gundulf raised the siege and brought Mummolus to Clermont; but a few days later he returned to Avignon.

Previous · Contents · Next