Library › St Gregory of Tours › History of the Franks

History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 4, 13. Of the Frivolity and Wickedness of Chramn; and of Firminus

At this time Chramn held his residence in Clermont; he was senseless in many of his acts, and these were the cause of his premature death. The people heaped curses on him. None capable of good or sound advice was favourite of his; he gathered round him persons of the baser sort in the unstable time of their youth. For these only he cared, to their advice only he listened. Even the daughters of senatorial families were forcibly abducted by his orders. He drove Firminus from his office as count of the city with outrage, and appointed Salustius, son of Evodius, in his place. Firminus and his sister-in-law took sanctuary in the church. It was Lent, and Bishop Cautinus had made preparation to go in procession to the parish of Brioude according to the institution of the holy Gall described above.¹ He issued from the city with many a sigh, through fear of some mischance upon the way, for he, too, was menaced by King Chramn. While he was on the road, the king sent Imnachar and Scapthar, the chief of those about his person, with these instructions: ‘Go and drag Firminus with Caesaria his mother-in-law out of the church.’ When therefore the bishop had set out with singing of chants, as I have said above, these envoys of Chramn went into the church and did their best to soothe the fears of Firminus and Caesaria by various cajoleries. After they walked up and down the church for a very long time, talking of one thing after another, and while the fugitives were intent on what they said, they approached the doors of the sacred building, which at the moment were open. Then Imnachar seized Firminus in his arms, and Scapthar Caesaria, and forced them out of the church, where their men were placed ready to seize them. They were at once sent into banishment. But on the second day their guards were heavy with sleep, and, finding themselves free, they fled to the church of the blessed Julian, thus saving themselves from exile, though their property was confiscated. But Bishop Cautinus, suspecting that he, too, might suffer outrage as he followed this very road to Brioude, kept a saddled horse beside him; suddenly, looking round, he saw men riding behind to come up with him. ‘Woe is me!’ he cried; ‘these are men sent by Chramn to take me.’ Thereupon he mounted the horse, left the procession, and plying both spurs managed alone and half dead to reach the porch of the church of the holy Julian. In relating this story I recall the saying of Sallust against the detractors of historians: ‘It seems a hard task to write history: firstly, because you must make your words correspond to your facts; secondly, because most readers put down to malevolence and envy any strictures you may make upon offences.’ But let me now pursue my task.

Notes

Above, ch. 5.