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History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 9, 1. Of Recared and His Envoys
Upon the death of Leuvigild, king of Spain, Recared, his son, made covenant with Goiswinth, his father’s widow, and recognized her as his mother. Goisvinth was the mother of Queen Brunhild, mother of Childebert the Second; Recared was the son of Leuvigild by another queen.1 After taking counsel with his step-mother, he sent envoys to King Guntram and to Childebert with the following message: ‘Let there be peace between us, and let us make a treaty, that ye may lend us the support of your strength, and that if need shall arise, we, through the love that is between us, shall in like manner lend you ours.’ The envoys thus sent to King Guntram were ordered to stop at the city of Mâcon. Thither the king sent his representatives to know the object of their mission, but he would not himself give them audience. This action caused such growth of enmity that no subject of Guntram’s was suffered to cross the frontier into the cities of Septimania. The envoys sent to King Childebert were welcomed with friendliness; they offered their gifts, received assurance of peace, and returned with presents from the king.
Notes
- Cf. IV. 25 (38); V. 28 (38). The mother of Recared was named Theodosia.