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E06249: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (7.6), recounts how *Polyeuktos (soldier and martyr of Melitene, S00325), *Hilarius/Hilary (bishop of Poitiers, ob. 367, S00183) and *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) were called on to punish any offender against a pact drawn up between Merovingian kings; in Paris, in 584. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 584/594.
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posted on 2018-08-26, 00:00 authored by kwojtalikGregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 7.6
After the death of King Chilperic, his brother King Guntram marched on Paris and took up his quarters in the city. Then King Childebert, his nephew, arrived from another direction, but the Parisians refused to allow him to enter the city. He sent messengers to Guntram. They called on him to respect their treaty and grant to his nephew the part of Childebert’s kingdom which was his by right. Guntram reminded them of the pact:
Ecce pactiones, quae inter nos factae sunt, ut, quisque sine fratris voluntantem Parisius urbem ingrederetur, amitteret partem suam, essetque Polioctus martyr cum Hylario adque Martino confessoribus iudex ac retributor eius. Post haec ingressus est in ea germanus meus Sigyberthus, qui iudicio Dei interiens amisit partem suam. Similiter et Chilpericus gessit. Per has ergo transgressiones amiserunt partes suas. Ideoque ... illi iuxta Dei iudicium et maledictionibus pactionum defecerunt ...
'"Here is the pact to which we agreed," answered King Guntram. "It stipulates that, if one of us should enter the city of Paris without the prior agreement of his brother, he should thereupon forfeit his share; and it nominates Polyeuctes the martyr, with the support of Saint Hilary and Saint Martin, to judge the circumstances and to punish the offender. Not long after this my brother Sigibert entered Paris: he died by the judgement of God and so forfeited his share. Next Chilperic entered Paris. By breaking the terms of the pact they both lost their claim to a share. They both incurred the vengeance of God and the malediction promised in the pact ..."'
Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 329. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 391.
After the death of King Chilperic, his brother King Guntram marched on Paris and took up his quarters in the city. Then King Childebert, his nephew, arrived from another direction, but the Parisians refused to allow him to enter the city. He sent messengers to Guntram. They called on him to respect their treaty and grant to his nephew the part of Childebert’s kingdom which was his by right. Guntram reminded them of the pact:
Ecce pactiones, quae inter nos factae sunt, ut, quisque sine fratris voluntantem Parisius urbem ingrederetur, amitteret partem suam, essetque Polioctus martyr cum Hylario adque Martino confessoribus iudex ac retributor eius. Post haec ingressus est in ea germanus meus Sigyberthus, qui iudicio Dei interiens amisit partem suam. Similiter et Chilpericus gessit. Per has ergo transgressiones amiserunt partes suas. Ideoque ... illi iuxta Dei iudicium et maledictionibus pactionum defecerunt ...
'"Here is the pact to which we agreed," answered King Guntram. "It stipulates that, if one of us should enter the city of Paris without the prior agreement of his brother, he should thereupon forfeit his share; and it nominates Polyeuctes the martyr, with the support of Saint Hilary and Saint Martin, to judge the circumstances and to punish the offender. Not long after this my brother Sigibert entered Paris: he died by the judgement of God and so forfeited his share. Next Chilperic entered Paris. By breaking the terms of the pact they both lost their claim to a share. They both incurred the vengeance of God and the malediction promised in the pact ..."'
Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 329. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 391.