Gregory of Tours

Gregory of Tours (c. 538–594) was a Gallo-Roman bishop and historian whose writings, especially the History of the Franks, document Merovingian Gaul.

Merovingian dynasty: The Frankish royal dynasty that ruled much of Gaul from the fifth to eighth centuries. Gregory’s history follows Merovingian kings and the rivalries that shaped their rule.
History of the Franks: Gregory of Tours’s ten-book Latin history of the Franks, spanning biblical history through events near his own time. This is Gregory’s best-known work and the chief reason he remains a historical source.
Latin historiography: The writing of historical works in Latin, from Roman antiquity through the medieval period. Gregory adapted Latin historical writing to narrate Frankish rule and Christian history.
Fredegar: The name given to the author or authors of a seventh-century Latin chronicle of Frankish history. The Chronicle of Fredegar continues Frankish historical writing after Gregory’s lifetime.
Clotilde: A Burgundian princess and Frankish queen, traditionally credited with encouraging Clovis I’s conversion to Christianity. Gregory’s narrative gives Clotilde a central role in Clovis’s conversion.
Frankish Kingdom: A succession of Frankish realms that emerged in Gaul after the Western Roman Empire’s collapse. This political world supplies the setting for Gregory’s accounts.
Merovingian historiography: The study and writing of historical accounts concerning the Merovingian period. Gregory’s narrative is a foundational text for reconstructing this era.
Christian historiography: Historical writing that interprets events through Christian theology, providence, and sacred history. Gregory connects political events to divine judgment, miracles, and the Church.
Bede: An eighth-century Northumbrian monk and historian, best known for the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Bede offers a later, differently structured Christian history of a post-Roman people.
Fredegund: A Frankish queen and regent whose political rivalry with Brunhild shaped Merovingian conflicts. Gregory recounts her role in the violent politics of the later sixth century.

Linked from 11 pages