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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 6, 42. How Childebert Went into Italy
King Childebert now1 marched into Italy. On news of this, the Lombards, fearing defeat at the hands of his army, submitted to his authority; they gave him many gifts and promised him loyalty and obedience. Having thus achieved all that he wished, the king returned to Gaul, and commanded the assembling of an army which was to march against Spain; nevertheless he remained inactive. Some years before he had received fifty thousand pieces of gold from the emperor Maurice to rid Italy of the Lombards. The emperor now hearing of the peace just concluded with that people demanded the return of the money. But Childebert felt so secure in his strength that he would not even answer.
Notes
- In 584.