Library › St Gregory of Tours › History of the Franks

History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 9, 22. Of the Pest at Marseilles

The city of Marseilles being afflicted, as I have just said, by a most grievous pestilence, I deem it well to unfold from the beginning how much it endured. At that time Bishop Theodore¹ had journeyed to the king to make some complaint against the patrician Nicetius.² King Childebert would scarce give ear to the matter, so he prepared to return home. In the meantime a ship had put into the port with the usual merchandise from Spain, unhappily bringing the tinder³ which kindled this disease. Many citizens purchased various objects from the cargo, and soon a house inhabited by eight people was left empty, every one of them being carried off by the contagion. The fire of this plague did not spread immediately through all the houses in the place; but there was a certain interval, and then the whole city blazed with the pest, like a cornfield set aflame. Nevertheless the bishop came back, and abode within the walls of the church of the holy Victor with the few who remained beside him; there throughout the whole calamity he gave himself up to prayers and vigils, imploring God’s mercy, that at last the destruction might have end, and peace and quiet be granted to the people. After two months the affliction ceased, and the people returned, thinking the danger overpast. But the plague began once more, and all who had returned perished. On several other occasions Marseilles was afflicted by this death.

Previous · Contents · Next