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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 6, Likewise of the Treachery Against Bishop Theodore, and of Gundovald

Fresh attacks were now made against Bishop Theodore.¹ Gundovald, who pretended to be the son of King Lothar, returned from Constantinople and landed at Marseilles. I may recall in brief certain facts about his origin.

He was born in Gaul, brought up very carefully, and instructed in letters. After the fashion of the Frankish kings, he wore his hair long down his back. His mother presented him to King Childebert,² saying: ‘Behold thy nephew, son of King Lothar, who hateth him. Receive him now, for he is of thy blood.’ The king received the child, and kept him with him because he had no sons. But this was reported to King Lothar, who sent envoys to his brother with this request: ‘Let the boy go, that he may come to me.’ Childebert straightway sent the boy to Lothar, who, after he had looked on him, ordered his hair to be shorn, saying: ‘This is no son of mine.’ After the death of King Lothar, Gundovald was received by King Charibert. Then Sigibert summoned him, once more caused his hair to be cut off, and sent him to the city of Agrippina, which is now called Colonia. He escaped from that place, let his hair grow long again, and made his way to Narses, who at that time held the chief command in Italy. He there took a wife, begat sons, and betook himself to Constantinople. After long lapse of years, invited, as it is said, by a certain personage to return to Gaul, he landed at Marseilles and was received by Bishop Theodore. From the bishop he obtained horses, and joined Duke Mummolus, who was then at Avignon, as I have above related.³

Duke Guntram⁴ arrested Bishop Theodore, and imprisoned him on account of this affair, charging him with having introduced a foreigner into Gaul and with the intention of subjecting a Frankish kingdom to imperial rule.⁵ But it is said that the bishop produced a letter signed by the chief men of Childebert’s kingdom, protesting at the same time that he had done nothing of himself, but had only obeyed the commands of his lords and superiors. He was kept under guard in a cell, and not suffered to go near the church. But one night, while he was fervently praying to the Lord, the cell shone with an exceeding splendour, so that the count who guarded him was seized with a great fear, and an immense globe of light appeared over him for the space of two hours. As soon as it was day, the count related these things to the others who were with him. Theodore was then taken before King Guntram, with Bishop Epiphanius, who had fled from the Lombards, and was living at Marseilles; he was accused of complicity in the same affair. The king examined them, but found them guilty of no offence. Nevertheless he ordered them to be kept in confinement, in which, after many sufferings, Epiphanius died. Gundovald withdrew to an island in the sea,⁶ to await the issue of the matter. Duke Guntram divided the possessions of Gundovald with King Guntram’s duke, and carried off with him, by common report, to Auvergne an immense weight of silver and other treasure.

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