A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle AgeThatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
History
A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age
Thatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; Middle Ages -- Sources
[After the death of his brothers, Chlothar united the whole Frankish
kingdom under his single rule (558-61). He left four sons, Charibert,
Gunthram, Chilperic, and Sigbert, who divided the kingdom among
themselves.]
IV, 27. Now when Sigbert saw that his brothers had taken wives of lowly
rank, he sent an embassy to Spain and sought the hand of Brunhilda,
daughter of king Athanagild [king of the West Goths]....
28. When Chilperic heard of this, although he already had several wives,
he sought the hand of Galeswintha, sister of Brunhilda, promising that
he would leave his other wives, if he should be given a wife of royal
rank. Athanagild, believing the promise of Chilperic, sent him his
daughter Galeswintha with rich gifts, as he had already sent Brunhilda.
And when she came to king Chilperic, he received her with great honor
and was married to her; and he loved her greatly, for she brought rich
treasures with her. But great strife was caused by the love of Chilperic
for Fredegonda, with whom he had formerly lived. Galeswintha complained
to the king of the indignity offered to her and said that she had no
honor in his house, and she begged him to keep the treasures which she
had brought with her and let her depart alone to her own land. But the
king attempted to placate her with soft and deceitful words. Finally he
ordered her to be slain by a servant, and she was found dead in her
bed.... And Chilperic, having mourned her death, after a few days
married Fredegonda.{40}
{30} Chlogio died in 457. The advance of the Franks to the Somme was
made easy by the depopulation of the land through two centuries of
border raids and by the withdrawal of the garrisons.
{31} The tomb of Childerich, father of Chlodovech, was discovered at
Tournai in 1653. In it were found along with the body, coins, a seal,
remnants of a purple mantle, covered with the famous golden bees which
Napoleon appropriated and wore, etc.
{32} Ægidius and Syagrius, whom Gregory calls kings of the Romans, were
probably Roman military commanders who still held out in Gaul in the
name of the emperor. Syagrius held the territory between the Somme and
the Loire.
{33} Alaric II, king of the West Goths, 485-507. At this time the
strength of the West Gothic kingdom was apparently in southern Gaul with
the capital at Toulouse. After the defeat of Alaric and the acquisition
by the Franks of most of the land north of the Pyrenees, the kingdom of
the West Goths was practically confined to Spain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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