History of the Franks, Bk. IV

St. Gregory's fourth book starts with the death of St. Clotilda.

"Queen Clotild died, full of days and rich in good works, in the city of Tours, in the time of Bishop Injuriosus. With a great singing of psalms her body was carried to Paris and her two royal sons, Childebert and Lothar, buried her in Saint Peter's church at the side of her husband, King Clovis. She herself had the church built. Saint Geneviève is also buried there." (IV.1)

The saint was approximately 70 or 71 when she was laid to rest in A.D. 544.

After this, Lothar ordains all churches must pay one third of their revenue to the king. St. Gregory is irate about this policy. He praises Injuriosus for standing up to the king and reproves the bishops for doing so. A churchman, for St. Gregory, the churches are to be held sacred. This is perhaps the most critical that the Bishop of Tours becomes toward King Lothar though (IV.2). He introduces to us the sons of Lothar through the various wives of Lothar as Gunthar, Childeric, Charibert, Guntram, and a daughter Chlothsind, through Ingund. Chilperic through Aregund, who was the sister of Ingund. Chramn he had through Chunsina. (IV.3)

The Bretons, who had been under the domain of the Franks would begin to wrest themselves free through the treacheries of Chanao who killed three of his brothers and attempted to kill a fourth, Macliaw. Macliaw fled and was hidden. It was told Chanao that Macliaw had died. Chanao seized the whole kingdom as a result. St. Gregory also continues the succession of the bishops of Tours at this point. Bishop Baudinus dies and is replaced with Abbot Gunthar. (IV.4) St. Gall replaces St. Quintianus with the approval of the King. There is a great plague which ravages Europe during this time. St. Gall prayed that he would not see his flock ravaged and an angel tells him he will not witness this. It will instead be his successor. A prideful man named Cato will replace him after St. Gall reposes. Cato's story though would end in a good way (IV.5-7).

Justinian began a liberation campaign in Spain and would conquer it from the tyrant Agila. After Agila's assassination, Athanagild took over the kingship and freed from occupation many cities that were wrongfully captured. Unlike Theudebert, his father, Theudebald ruled poorly. His general Buccelin was eventually killed by Narses who was mentioned in the previous book and the Emperor Justinian regained control of Italy from the Franks afterward (IV.8-9). King Lothar wrested a rebellion among the Saxons and ravaged their allies, the Thuringians (IV.10). Bishop Cautinus advised that Cato would take over the diocese of Tours after the repose of Abbot Gunthar for his pridefulnees cost him the see held by St. Gall. Cato would continue to refuse the diocese of Tours but his pride would eventually cost him Clermont-Ferrand as well (IV.7, 11). This Bishop Cautinus was by no means perfect either and he would descend into quite the evils. A priest named Anastasius who had been allotted a certain portion of land by the saintly Queen Clotilda was demanded by this Cautinus to yield it up. He refused to surrender this land and in his envy, Cautinus threw him into a crypt in the church of St. Cassius where "it seems, lay the body of some person dead" for centuries. The priest wrested himself out of the crypt and reported the event to King Lothar who was astounded for "not even Nero or Herod...had committed such a crime as to bury a man alive" (IV.12).

King Chramn is described by St. Gregory as having ill-repute in character, slandering Firminus and his sister-in-law Caeseria (IV.13). Lothar would take control of the lands of the Ripuarian Franks after the demise of Thedebald and the Saxons became unruly again (IV.14). When Lothar came back to Tours, the people begged him to grant St. Eufronius the episcopal see which he granted for Cato refused the See of Tours (IV.15). Chramn continued in his evil and requested Childebert to assist him in overthrowing his father. He even deceived his brothers Charibert and Guntram into thinking their father was dead while Childebert continued to stir up the Saxons against Lothar (IV.16). Chramn apparently also convinced Childebert that Lothar was dead and he pillaged and burned his way through Rheims imagining the people would subject themmselves to his rule (IV.17). Lothar buried St. Medard at Soissons with great pomp. St. Gregory speaks that "[a]t Medard's holy tomb I myself have seen the chains and shackles of prisoners burst asunder and lie broken on the ground." (IV.19) Childebert fell ill and died, was buried in the church of St. Vincent, and his Queen Ultrogotha and her two daughters were sent into exile. Chramn escaped to Brittany with his wife and two daughters and was in hiding with Count Chanao. The priest Willichar and his wife sought refuge in the church of St. Martin which they also set on fire. It was restored to its former glory by Lothar. Chramn engaged in battle with his father alongside Chanao. Chanao was killed in the battle and Chramn was captured and burned alive with his wife and daghters (IV.20).

Lothar made pilgrimmage before his death to the tomb of St. Medard, repenting of many of his evil deeds. There, he succumbed to an illness and died. "'Well! Would you believe it?' he asked. 'What manner of King can be in charge of heaven, if he is prepared to finish off great monarchs like me in this fashion?'" (IV.21) Chilperic took over his father's kingdom and the Huns attacked Gaul. (IV.22-23). Sigibert held off the invaders and during this, Chilperic seized many of his lands which were his by inheritance (IV.23). King Guntram married Marcatrude after he a son by his mistress Veneranda. Marcatrude was envious of this son and poisoned him. She also lost her own son as a result. She died and Guntram married Austrechild who bore him two sons (IV.25). King Charibert married Ingoberg who bore him a daughter. He fell in love with two of her servants, Marcovefa and Merofled, daughters of poor men which Ingoberg attempted to show him. But this led Charibert to become furious with her. He also took another woman Theudechild, and drove off Ingomer. The Bishop Leontius, at this time, assembled the bishops and expelled Emerius whom their father had uncanonically appointed to the episcopal see. Charibert refused to acknowledge the bishops' decision. He and Marcovefa were excommunicated by St. Germanus and they were struck by the judgment of God and died. Guntram initially proposed to Theudechild but instead seized her possessions and threw her in a nunnery where she plotted her escape. The abbess on learning her plan, beat her mercilessly and she remained in the nunnery until her dying day (IV.26).

King Sigibert, in the meanwhile, sought for the daught of King Athanagild, a woman named Brunhilda. She was an Arian but would convert to the Catholic faith for the sake of marriage (IV.27). Chilperic then sought for Galswintha, the sister of Brunhilda. Galswintha was also converted to the Catholic faith with baptism and chrism. Chilperic had among him many concubines and one, Fredegund, sought the death of Galswintha. He had her garrotted. "After her death God performed a great miracle. A lamp suspended on a cord burned in front of her tomb. One day, without anyone touching it, the cord broke and fell to the stone floor. The hard stone withdrew at the point of impact and the lamp penetrated it just as it had been made of soft material, and there it stood embedded up to its middle without anything being broken." (IV.28) Sigibert once again had to repel the Huns but lost to their necromancy (IV.29). Sigibert also tried to take Arles but was beaten by Celsus who had been appointed by Guntram (IV.24, 30). When the plague reached Clermont, Cato died. But he spent his last days burying the dead and encouraging the people in faith. He had converted from his pride. Cautinus, who attempted to avoid the plague, went from city to city until the moment he came back to Clermont where he became infected with the plague and died (IV.31, 35). He also describes the priest Julian and the abbot Sunniulf who both die during this plague. Sacerdos dies in Paris, after which, he is succeeded by St. Nicetius, after which he is succeeded by Bishop Priscus and his wife Susanna. Bishop Priscus and his wife are cruel and put to death many who were the close associates and allies of Nicetius. They would be struck down by the miraculous power of Nicetius (IV.36).

Athanagild died and Leuvigild inherited the kingdom. Then Leuva died and Leuveigild added Leuva's portion to his kingdom. He married Goiswinth, the mother of Brunhilda. He had two sons by his first wife, one of whom married one of Sigibert's daughters, and he divided his kingdom between his two sons, killing off any one who plotted to assassinate either of them (IV.38). Palladius inherited the office of count in Javols with permission of Sigibert but began to heap insults upon the Bishop. Palladius lost his countship as a result (IV.39). The Emperor Justinian dies and his successor Justin II "was the most avaricious of men, giving nothing to the poor and bleeding his senators dry. His cupidity was so great that he ordered iron coffers to be made and in them he amassed his wealth in gold coin. He is said to have lapsed into the Pelagian heresy." (IV.40) For Gregory, the most important aspect of a man is that he is a sincere Christian. He lavishes praise on Tiberius, who becomes co-opted as Caesar with Justin II and who establishes peace with the Franks. The Longobards were on the move at this time too. Three of their leaders, Amo, Zaban, and Rodan invaded Gaul but were stopped and torn to pieces by the patrician Mummolus who was appointed by Guntram (IV.42, 44). Mumolus conducted many campaigns and was always victorious (IV.45).

Contentions began brewing after the death of Galswintha but when Clovis, the son of Chilperic, was driven out of Tours, Sigulf, one of Sigibert's men, launched an attack on him. The bishops tried to reconcile Chilperic and his brother together but they refused to listen "and as a result of their sinful behavior this civil war grew more and more bitter...There was even more weeping in the churches than there had been at the time of Diocletian's persecution." (IV.47). These men forsook the holiness and sacredness of the churches and St. Gregory recounts how twenty soldiers sacked a monastery and looted its holy relics, murdering some of the monks. But as they fled on the river, a wind blew their ship back and forth and the men were pierced by their javelins. All but one who rebuked the soldiers for this act were killed (IV.48). Sigibert launched an attack on Chilperic beginning the civil war. Chilperic fled to Tournai and Sigibert found him there. Sigibert met with two young men suborned by Queen Fredegund who stabbed him with scramasaxes smeared with poison. Sigibert was killed and would be translated to the church of St. Medard in the fourteenth year of his reign (IV.49-51).