Gregory of Tours: History and Society in the Sixth Century

For over 1400 years the Histories of Gregory of Tours (538-594) - the principal work of Merovingian history - have been understood as a ‘history of the Franks’ and as an objective portrayal of history, albeit told by a naive narrator succeeding only in chronological organisation. A completely new interpretation of the Histories is put forward in this book, in which the bishop of Tours can be seen to be giving each of his ‘Ten Books’ a self-contained topic, and also making use of the patristic method of typological biblical exegesis. By appreciating these elements, we can see clear connections between apparently unconnected, adjacent chapters, and to make out their real function. Gregory’s historiographical interests can be seen as focusing on the development of a socio-political concept of society, which wishes to see the leadership of the Christian state entrusted to the joint government of bishops and king (christianus princeps).