File(s) not publicly available
E02106: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (4.46), tells the story of a dispute in Clermont in the early 570s, during which an oath is taken on relics of unnamed martyrs; much later, one of the parties seeks asylum in the church of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035), in Brioude; all in central Gaul. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 575/594.
online resource
posted on 2016-12-12, 00:00 authored by kwojtalikGregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 4.46
The whole chapter is dedicated to the career, nefarious dealings, and eventual death of a royal official Andarchius.
Andarchius seeks to trick a rich citizen of Clermont, Ursus, out of his property. In the course of this, he produces an impostor who pretends to be Ursus, in order to swear an oath in Andarchius' favour:
Cumque venisset apud villam Brinnacum, requiret hominem alium Ursum nomen, quem ad altarium clam adductum iurare fecit ac dicere: 'Per hoc locum sanctum et reliquias martyrum beatorum, quia, si filiam meam tibi in matrimonium non tradidero, sidecem milia soledorum tibi satisfacere non morabor'.
'Andarchius went to the royal villa at Berny, where he produced another man also called Ursus. He brought him secretly before an altar and made him swear the following oath: 'By this holy place and on the relics of the blessed martyrs, I swear that if I do not give you [Andarchius] my daughter in marriage I will immediatley repay you sixteen thousand pieces of gold.'
Eventually, having been tricked out of his property, Ursus gets his revenge on Andarchius by setting fire to the house where he was staying, burning him alive, along with the seven servants accompanying him. After this:
Ursus vero metuens basilicam sancti Iuliani expetiit; datisque rege muneribus, res suas in soliditate recipit.
'Ursus was terrified by what had happened and fled for sanctuary to the church of Saint Julian. In the end he received all his goods back, but only after giving the King a bribe.''
Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 183. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 242-243, lightly modified.
The whole chapter is dedicated to the career, nefarious dealings, and eventual death of a royal official Andarchius.
Andarchius seeks to trick a rich citizen of Clermont, Ursus, out of his property. In the course of this, he produces an impostor who pretends to be Ursus, in order to swear an oath in Andarchius' favour:
Cumque venisset apud villam Brinnacum, requiret hominem alium Ursum nomen, quem ad altarium clam adductum iurare fecit ac dicere: 'Per hoc locum sanctum et reliquias martyrum beatorum, quia, si filiam meam tibi in matrimonium non tradidero, sidecem milia soledorum tibi satisfacere non morabor'.
'Andarchius went to the royal villa at Berny, where he produced another man also called Ursus. He brought him secretly before an altar and made him swear the following oath: 'By this holy place and on the relics of the blessed martyrs, I swear that if I do not give you [Andarchius] my daughter in marriage I will immediatley repay you sixteen thousand pieces of gold.'
Eventually, having been tricked out of his property, Ursus gets his revenge on Andarchius by setting fire to the house where he was staying, burning him alive, along with the seven servants accompanying him. After this:
Ursus vero metuens basilicam sancti Iuliani expetiit; datisque rege muneribus, res suas in soliditate recipit.
'Ursus was terrified by what had happened and fled for sanctuary to the church of Saint Julian. In the end he received all his goods back, but only after giving the King a bribe.''
Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 183. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 242-243, lightly modified.