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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 3, 13. Of Lovolautrum and Chastel-Marlhac

The hostile army stormed the strong place of Vollore and cruelly slew at the altar of the church the priest Proculus, who formerly had done the holy Quintianus wrong.¹ And I believe it was through him that this strong place was delivered into the hands of wicked men, since down to that day it had always been successfully defended. For the besiegers were unable to take it by assault, and were already preparing to return home; and the besieged, at news thereof, were deceived into joy and security, according to the words of the apostle: ‘When they shall say, Peace and safety, then shall sudden destruction come upon them.’² It was through the foul deed of Proculus that the people, now off their guard, were delivered into the hands of their enemies. After the place had been laid waste, and they were led away captive, the rains, which for thirty days had been withheld, fell in deluge. Next Chastel-Marlhac was besieged, though here the defenders, by paying a ransom, saved themselves from captivity. But this was the result of cowardice, since the castle was a natural fortress, being surrounded not by constructed walls, but by cliffs a hundred feet or more high, strengthened by hewing. In the middle was a great pool of water excellent to drink, and in another part were springs so copious that they flowed away through the whole place³ in a stream of living water. The ramparts enclosed so great a space that the dwellers within the walls cultivated the soil and reaped abundant crops. Overconfident through the protection of such defences, the besieged had sallied out, to the number of fifty, in the hope of taking some booty and withdrawing safely within their citadel. They were taken by the enemy and led in full view of their kinsmen with their hands bound behind their backs. The drawn sword was already over them, when those in the fortress, to save their lives, consented to pay a ransom of one triens for each man’s head. On his departure from Clermont, Theuderic left behind his kinsman Sigivald to protect the town. There was in the place at that time a certain Litigius, an official, who was always plotting against the holy Quintianus; and even though the holy bishop prostrated himself at his feet, this man could not be moved to show him due deference. On one occasion he even made fun before his wife of what the holy man had done. But she, having a better sense of things, said to him: ‘If he is to-day so deeply fallen, thou shalt never be raised to honour.’ Three days afterwards messengers came from the king and took him off in chains, his wife and children with him. So he departed and never came again to Clermont.

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