King Clovis' Lessons in Gregory of Tours' "History"

Gregory of Tours, in The History of the Franks, presents a well-regarded account of a history that Goffart contends may have otherwise been lost. The books seem to present the focus on God’s approval of those who follow and the series of unfortunate events that befalls those who do not. This focus on the barbarian acts of the non-believers provides an interesting narrative which imposes a moral lesson on a predetermined history. Early in the first book Gregory acknowledges the common fear of the end of the world – an event drawing nearer, as creating a sense of urgency in the social climate. In fact, this sort of determinist approach helps define Gregory’s context. Gregory is writing as though he is presenting a completely factual history, which for his time he likely was; however, the facts are based on the ultimate ‘source’ of The Bible and the focus on divine intervention as the explanation for his ‘miracles.’ Heralded as a history, I would question how much of this is interpreted and/or imagined and how much is factually based. That being said, I believe that the entertaining narrative is an effective way to relay some factual history while presenting the moral beliefs of the Christian faith while looking to divinity as a cause of events beyond human understanding and explanation.

Of particular interest for me in this week’s readings was Book II of The History of the Franks. The fascinating tales, centered mainly around Clovis – the first Merovingian King to convert to Christianity – presented many interesting issues that do shed light on the society and culture of which Gregory wrote.

The first of these issues is the emphasis on women in the influence of Christian fate. Clovis’ marriage to Clotilda seems to be the main impetus for his conversion into Catholicism. According to Gregory, she continued to persuade Clovis to consider the one God over his many idols as she believed that this would bring him true salvation and good fortune during his reign. Their son, dying during baptism, was seen as proof that this was not so for Clovis; however, Clotilda would prove an encouraging partner with firm resolve.

During battle Clovis asked his wife’s God for assistance and pardon for his disbelief and as soon as he did the battle turned. This brings forth a second theme which is the advantages (political, etc.) that came along with conversion. Following Clovis’ acceptance of the Christian faith, his fortune turned around and he was able to prove himself to God and have God bestow advantages over other Kings unto him in return. I found this fascinating especially in the conflict between the Arians and the Catholics.

Finally, the affect Christianity had on Clovis’ behaviour is an interesting point that may or may not qualify as a theme but is worth noting. While Gregory depicts the influence of Christianity on Clovis as being primarily a positive, I felt like there were many negative outcomes deriving from the ‘invincible’ disposition that Clovis adopted following his conversion. While this perception may be an undertone that was unintentional I do wonder what we can extract from this and maybe present a counterfactual debate to Gregory’s history.