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
receiving the solemn service of the mass. And this evidently happened
to him for nothing else than his insult to the bishop.
[BL][40. Justin, a man of many vices, succeeds the emperor Justinian.
He associates with himself Tiberius “who was just, charitable, a
discerner of the right and winner of victories and--a feature that
surpasses all other excellences--a most orthodox Christian.”]
[BM]41. Albin, king of the Lombards, who had married Chlotsinda,
daughter of king Clothar, abandoned his country and set out for
Italy with all the Lombard people. They put their army in motion
and went with their wives and children, purposing to remain there.
They entered the country and spent seven years chiefly in wandering
through it, despoiling the churches, killing the bishops, and
bringing the land under their control. When his wife Chlotsinda
died, Albin married another wife whose father he had killed a short
time before. For this reason the woman always hated her husband and
awaited an opportunity to avenge the wrong done her father, and so
it happened that she fell in love with one of the household slaves
and poisoned her husband. When he died she went off with the slave
but they were overtaken and put to death together. Then the Lombards
chose another king over them.
42. Eunius, who was also named Mummulus, was made patrician by king
Gunthram. I think that certain details should be given as to the
beginning of his military service. He was a son of Peonius and native
of the city of Auxerre. Peonius governed this town as count. And when
he had sent gifts to the king by his son to secure reappointment, the
son gave his father’s presents and asked for his father’s office,
and took his place when he should have helped him. From this start
he gradually rose and attained a greater prominence. And upon the
invasion of the Gauls by the Lombards the patrician Amatus, who had
lately succeeded Celsus, went against them and engaged in battle,
but was defeated and slain. And it is said that the slaughter of the
Burgundians by the Lombards was so great on that occasion that the
slain could not be counted. And the Lombards loaded with plunder
departed again for Italy. And upon their departure Eunius, also named
Mummulus, was summoned by the king and raised to the high office of
patrician. When the Lombards made a second inroad into the Gauls and
came as far as _Mustiæ Calmes_ near the city of Embrun, Mummulus
set his army in motion and came to that place with the Burgundians.
He surrounded the Lombards with his army and made an abattis and
attacked them in pathless woods, and killing many took a number of
captives whom he sent to the king. The king ordered them to be kept
under guard in various places through the country, but a few in one
way or another escaped and took the news to their native land. There
were present in this battle Salonius and Sagittarius, brothers and
bishops, who armed themselves not with the cross of heaven but with
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