History of the FranksGregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
History
History of the Franks
Gregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
France -- Church history -- To 987; France -- History -- To 987; Franks -- History -- To 768
17. His wife built the church of Saint Stephen in the outskirts of
the city. And wishing to adorn it with colors she used to carry
a book in her bosom, reading the histories of ancient times and
describing to the painters what they were to represent on the walls.
It happened one day that while she sat in the church and read, a
certain poor man came to pray, and seeing her in black clothing,
already an old woman, he thought she was one of the needy, and he
took out part of a loaf and put it in her lap and went off. But she
did not disdain the gift of the poor man who did not know her, but
took it and thanked him and put it away, and setting it before her at
meals used it as holy bread until it was used up.
18. Now Childeric fought at Orleans and Odoacer came with the Saxons
to Angers. At that time a great plague destroyed the people. Egidius
died and left a son, Syagrius by name. On his death Odoacer received
hostages from Angers and other places. The Britanni were driven from
Bourges by the Goths, and many were slain at the village of Déols.
Count Paul with the Romans and Franks made war on the Goths and
took booty. When Odoacer came to Angers, king Childeric came on the
following day, and slew count Paul, and took the city. In a great
fire on that day the house of the bishop was burned.
19. After this war was waged between the Saxons and the Romans; but
the Saxons fled and left many of their people to be slain, the Romans
pursuing. Their islands were captured and ravaged by the Franks,
and many were slain. In the ninth month of that year, there was an
earthquake. Odoacer made an alliance with Childeric, and they subdued
the Alamanni, who had overrun part of Italy.
20. Euric, king of the Goths, in the 14th year of his reign, placed
duke Victorius in command of seven cities. And he went at once
to Clermont, and desired to add it to the others, and writings
concerning this exist to the present. He gave orders to set up at the
church of Saint Julian the columns which are placed there. He gave
orders to build the church of Saint Laurentius and saint Germanus at
the village of Licaniacus. He was at Clermont nine years. He brought
charges against Euchirius, a senator, whom he ordered to be put in
prison and taken out at night, and after having him bound beside
an old wall he ordered the wall to be pushed over upon him. As for
himself, since he was over-wanton in his love for women, and was
afraid of being killed by the people of Auvergne, he fled to Rome,
and there was stoned to death because he wished to practise a similar
wantonness. Euric reigned four years after Victorius’s death, and
died in the twenty-seventh year of his reign. There was also at that
time a great earthquake.
[21. Bishop Eparchius of Clermont finds his church at night full of
demons.]
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