E07768: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (6.9), describes how Domnolus, later bishop of Le Mans, when he was abbot of the monastery attached to the church of *Laurence (deacon and martyr of Rome, S00037) at Paris, sought a favour from King Chlothar I in the church of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) at Tours, 558/559. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 584/594.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 6.9

Domnolus vero Cinomannorum episcopus aegrotare coepit. Tempore enim Chlothari regis apud Parisius ad basilicam sancti Laurenti gregi monasteriali praefuerat. Sed quoniam, Childeberto seniore vivente, semper Chlothario regi fidelis extitit et nuntius illius ad speculandum missus crebrius occulebat, praestolabatur rex locum, in quo pontificatus honorem acciperet. Migrante autem Avenniensis civitatis pontifice, istum illuc dare deliberaverat. Sed beatus Domnolus haec audiens, ad basilicam sancti Martini antistitis, ubi tunc Chlotharius rex ad orationem venerat, accessit, et nocte tota in vigiliis excubans, per priores qui aderant regi suggessionem intulit, ut non quasi captivus ab eius elongaretur aspectu, nec permitteret, simplicitatem illius inter senatores sophisticos ac iudices philosophicos fatigari, adserens, hunc locum humilitatis sibi esse potius quam honoris.

'Domnolus, the Bishop of Le Mans, fell ill. During the reign of King Chlothar he had been the head of a monastic community at Saint Laurence’s church in Paris. As long as Childebert I lived, Domnolus remained faithful to Chlothar, and he often concealed the emissaries which that King sent to find out what was happening. To reward him, Chlothar wanted to find a diocese to which Domnolus would accept election as bishop. The Bishop of Avignon died, so Chlothar planned to offer him that see. Domnolus heard of it, and made his way to the church (basilica) of Saint Martin, where King Chlothar had come to worship. Domnolus himself spent the whole night there in prayer and vigil, and then intimated to the King, through some of his leading courtiers, that he had no wish whatsoever to be banished from his presence, as if he had done something wrong; he looked upon being sent to Avignon as a humiliation rather than an honour, and he begged the King not to submit him, a simple man, to the boredom of having to listen to sophisticated arguments by old senatorial families, or to counts who spent all their time discussing philosophic problems.'


Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 279. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 339, lightly adapted.