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ER 1803
Bishop Theodore of Marseille is kidnapped by the men of King Guntram when he is on his way, along with his clergy, to dedicate a rural oratory. His clerics are killed by the aggressors and Theodore is escorted to Guntram. Passing Aix, he is given some clerics to succour him by the local bishop. Meanwhile, the clerics of Marseille take possession of Church property, ca AD 581. Account of Gregory of Tours, "Histories", Tours (Gaul), AD 581-594.
VI.11
 
In the outcome of the conflict between Bishop Theodore of Marseille and Dynamius, governor of Provence, King Childebert II seized power over all the city grounds at the expense of King Guntram [1801]. King Guntram was furious and ordered his men to apprehend Bishop Theodore.
Sed cum episcopus de his suspectus esset nec facile posset ab urbe erui, advenit festivitas dedicationis oratorii ruris suburbani. Cumque ad haec festa, egressus civitatem, properaret, subito armati cum magno fremitu ab occultis insidiis scatentes, sanctum vallant antistitem; deiectumque ab equo, fugant omnes comites eius, servientes alligant, clericos caedunt, ipsumque super miserabilem inponentes caballum, nullum de suis seque permittentes, ad regis deducunt praesentiam. Cumque per Aquensim praeterirent urbem, Pientius episcopus loci, condolens fratri, datis clericis ad solatium inpositis que necessariis, abire permisit. Dum haec agerentur, clerici iterum Massiliensis domus ecclesiae reserant, archana rimantur et alia discribunt, alia suis domibus inferunt.
  
(ed. Krusch 1937: 280-281)
VI.11
 
In the outcome of the conflict between Bishop Theodore of Marseille and Dynamius, governor of Provence, King Childebert II seized power over all the city grounds at the expense of King Guntram [1801]. King Guntram was furious and ordered his men to apprehend Bishop Theodore.
The bishop, suspicious [of King Guntram's intentions], would not be easy to [persuade to] leave the city, but then came the dedicatory ceremony of a rural oratory close to the city (suburbanum). When, having left the city, he was on his way to the festivities, armed men suddenly emerged in an ambush with great cry and surrounded the holy priest (antistes). [The aggressors] knocked him off the horse, put all his companions to flight, tied up his servants, and killed [or beat: caedunt] the clerics. They put him on a miserable nag and escorted him to the King, forbidding any of his men to follow. As they passed by Aix, Bishop Pientius of that city sympathised with his brother and let him pass only after giving him clergy to succour him and providing him with other necessitiess. While all this was going on, clerics of Marseille once more pried open the church house, searching for hidden [treasures], part of which they put into inventories and the other part of which they took to their homes.
 
(trans. Thorpe 1974: 341-343, altered and summarised by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

Judging from the Gregory's narrative, these events took place in ca 581.
 
More on the conflict between Bishop Theodore and Dynamius, see Wood 1994: 84-86.
 
 

Place of event:

Region
  • Gaul
City
  • Marseille
  • Aix-en-Provence

About the source:

Author: Gregory of Tours
Title: The History of the Franks, Gregorii episcopi Turonensis historiarum libri X, Histories
Origin: Tours (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
Gregory of Tours (Gaul) wrote his ten books of Histories (known commonly in English as the History of the Franks) during his episcopal reign in Tours between 573 and 594. The books vary in scope and length. The first book covers 5,596 years from the creation of the world to AD 397, that is the death of Saint Martin of Tours, Gregory`s predecessor in bishopric. The second book deals with the history of Gaul between 397 and 511, the latter being the year of death of King Clovis I. The third and fourth books cover the next 64 years till the death of Austrasian King Sigibert II in 575. Finally, the following six books describe exclusively the sixteen years from 575 to 591. Probably in 594, Gregory added the list of bishops of Tours in the end of the Histories, with brief accounts of their actions.
Edition:
B. Krusch ed., Gregorii Episcopi Turonensis Historiarum Libri X [in:] Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores rerum Merovingiciarum 1.1, Hannover 1884 (repr. 1951): 1­-537.
 
Translation:
Gregory of Tours, The History of the Franks, trans. L. Thorpe, London 1974.
Bibliography:
I. Wood, The Merovingian Kingdoms, 450-751, London and New York 1994.

Categories:

Travel and change of residence
    Described by a title - Clericus
      Ritual activity - Celebrating feasts
        Ecclesiastical administration - Administering Church property
          Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
            Relation with - Secular authority
              Ritual activity - Dedication of churches and altars
                Conflict - Violence
                  Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1803, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1803
                  Record by: Jerzy Szafranowski
                  last edited: 2018-10-01 12:05:03
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