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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 10, How the Emperor Maurice Sent the Murderers of the Envoys to Gaul
The emperor Maurice now sent to King Childebert the Carthaginians who had murdered his envoys in the previous year;1 there were twelve men, manacled and loaded with chains. It was understood that if Childebert wished to kill them he was free to do so; if, on the other hand, he preferred to release them for a ransom, he should receive three hundred pieces of gold for every man and say no more of the matter. Let him therefore choose the course best pleasing him, that the quarrel might be laid to rest, and no further cause of enmity arise between them. But King Childebert would not at once receive these chained men without inquiry, saying: ‘We hold it not proven that the men whom ye deliver to us are in truth the murderers; they may be innocent persons, perchance some one’s slaves, whereas our subjects slain in your country were free men of good birth.’ Moreover Grippo was present, who had been one of the envoys at the time of the murder, and now spoke as follows: ‘The prefect of that city gathered a mob of two or three thousand men, and fell upon us, slaying my colleagues; I myself could not have escaped destruction had I not been able to make a man’s defence. Were I on the spot, I could recognize the guilty persons, on whom justice should be done, if your emperor, as ye aver, is minded to keep peace with our lord and king.’ The king therefore dismissed them, having taken the decision to send after them another embassy to the emperor.
Notes
- Cf. above, ch. 2.