The History of the Franks

As both a devout Catholic Christian and a bishop in the church hierarchy, the author of the History of the Franks, Gregory of Tours, looks at history and the events of his own time through the lens of religion. Gregory makes this clear at the beginning, where he writes, "Proposing as I do to describe the wars waged by kings against hostile peoples, by martyrs against the heathen and by the Churches against the heretics, I wish first of all to explain my own faith, so that whoever reads me may not doubt that I am a Catholic" (67). For Gregory, God is active in guiding history toward certain ends, such as punishing evil individuals or rewarding the virtuous and promoting the true faith, which Gregory considers to be Catholic Christianity. Thus, in Gregory’s eyes, Christianity and the political events of his own day are inextricably linked.

For example, Gregory claims that God revealed the location of some hidden treasure to Emperor Tiberius II of the Byzantine Empire as a reward for his charity toward the poor (283-85). Likewise, Gregory suggests that King Recared of the Visigoths in Spain abandoned the Arian sect of Christianity and converted to Catholic Christianity because God only allowed Catholic bishops to perform miracles, such as healing the sick (497-98).