Dr. Marileif’s Spectacular Bad Luck

Marileif was an interesting figure who, for a time, was a prominent member of society in the land of the Franks in the 6th century. He came from obscure origins, apparently starting his career as a layman laborer for a church near the city of Poitiers. His father, brothers and some cousins were also working for the church, running church-owned mills or cooking in church-run kitchens. Marileif, however, had greater ambitions than being a laborer for the local church. Likely with the help of one of the book-smart clergymen that he had access to in his work as a church laborer, Marileif started studying the medical theories of the day. We, unfortunately, do not know where he studied, who taught him, or what types of credentials he touted, but it is certain that he ultimately became a renowned physician. His skills were treasured and trusted to such a degree that he became the court physician for King Chilperic of the Franks (r. 561-584).

Although Marileif was an important member of Chilperic’s court and he was lavished with untold gifts of precious metals, jewels and horses, his overall experience in Frankish high society was not good. His bad luck began around 577, when King Chilperic’s rebellious son, Merovech, targeted Marileif as a way to get back at the king. According to the contemporaneous bishop and historian, Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594), Merovech “ordered that Marileif, the royal physician, should be seized when he was journeying home from the King’s court. Marileif was cruelly beaten, his gold and silver and everything else which he had with him was confiscated, and he was left destitute” (History of the Franks, V.14). Merovech reportedly was planning to murder the physician, too, but Marileif fortunately escaped and used his contacts in the church (including Gregory of Tours) to return home to Poitiers.

Despite this robbery and attempted murder, Marileif made a comeback in the court of King Chilperic. Through work, he regained his lost wealth and expanded upon it, filling his estate in Poitiers with a vast hoard of gold and silver. He also had a fine stable of pricy horses, the pride and joy of many a well-to-do medieval man. Unfortunately, fate came to take its due once again from Marileif in 584. That year, King Chilperic was assassinated, and the vassals of the slain monarch’s brother and nephews scrambled to gain an advantage in the power vacuum. Shortly after Chilperic’s assassination in 584, Duke Gararic, a lord working for King Childebert II (Chilperic’s nephew), arrived in Poitiers to claim the city for Childebert. Before leaving Poitiers to make a similar demand to the people of Tours, Duke Gararic stopped by Marileif’s estate to pilfer some of the now patronless physician’s stockpile of wealth.

Poor Marileif’s ill luck, however, did not stop with Duke Gararic. Next came King Guntram (Chilperic’s brother) who sent an army against Poitiers in 585 as reprisal for the city’s submission to King Childebert II. As had happened last time, the invading army knew that Marileif was a wealthy man, and they targeted his estate for looting. The second round of pillaging was apparently even worse than the first. Gregory of Tours wrote about Marileif’s disastrous experience during 584 and 585, stating, “He had already been robbed once by Duke Gararic; and now he was stripped a second time, so that nothing remained to him of all his property. They took his horses, his gold and silver, and all of his precious possessions, of which he had a vast store, and reduced him once more to service to the church” (History of the Franks, VII.25).

Prompted by the ruthless one-after-the-other looting by the armies of King Childebert II and King Guntram, Marileif apparently returned to his beginnings, rejoining the group of workers that saw to the daily tasks of church properties. What he did from then on, if he continued as a physician for the clergymen or if he simply worked in the mills or kitchen, is unknown. Whatever path he chose, be it medical or muscle, hopefully it was free from further theft.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Picture Attribution: (A physician/alchemist examining a flask, by David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, translated by Lewis Thorpe. New York: Penguin Classics, 1971.

The Humiliating Exit Of King Childebert’s Envoys To King Guntram

In the 6th century, the Frankish Empire was divided among several kings of the Merovingian Dynasty, all ruling at the same time. Sometimes, they would work together against neighboring powers. Yet, they also fought amongst themselves, and when they were not in open civil war, they plotted against each other from the shadows. King Guntram of Burgundy (r. 561-593) began his reign in partnership with three brothers, and all four of the siblings controlled portions of their late father’s empire. Of the three brothers with whom Guntram shared power, only one, King Charibert, was said to have met a natural death. His other two siblings, King Sigebert and King Chilperic, were both stabbed to death by assassins in 575 and 584 respectively. Sigibert was succeeded by his son, Childebert II (r. 575-596), who was only five years old at the time, and Chilperic was succeeded by his infant son Chlotar II (r. 584-629), who was born the very same year his father was assassinated. Thus, with the death of Chilperic in 584, the last survivor among the original four brothers, King Guntram, became the undisputed patriarch of the Merovingian Dynasty, ruling alongside two young nephews, one a teenager and the other an infant.

King Childebert II, although only about fourteen years old in 584, showed ambition at an early age, and he, like his younger rival, Chlotar II, had an extremely competent mother, as well as a court of dukes and counts ready to fight for their liege. Childebert II had long been an ally of Guntram against the erratic and hostile ways of the late king King Chilperic, but in the years just prior to Chilperic’s assassination, Childebert had defected to Chilperic’s side and plotted attacks against Guntram. These attacks were fended off by Guntram and a truce between uncle and nephew was reached. From then on, Guntram, despite the ceasefire, understandably had a more distant and skeptical relationship with Childebert II, so, when news of Chilperic’s assassination spread in 584, Guntram acted immediately to make sure that he personally had a strong advantage against the realms of his fellow Merovingian kings. He occupied Paris and also sent troops to take over lands that had once belonged to Childebert’s father, Sigebert, including the areas around Tours and Poitiers. King Guntram also brought young Chlotar II under his protection and sheltered the infant king’s mother, Queen Fredegund. Both of these moves angered young Childebert II; he felt he had more right than Guntram to the lands once controlled by Sigebert, and he also wanted custody of Fredegund, for she had participated in the assassinations of Childebert’s father and aunt.

Not long after Guntram’s occupation of Paris, Tours, Poitiers and other regions, King Childebert II sent a group of bishops, dukes and counts from his realm to negotiate with King Guntram about possibly transferring Sigebert’s old land to Childebert II, and they also asked for Fredegund to be handed over so that she would face justice for murder. Obviously, King Guntram was not interested in either of these requests, and the debate between the king and the envoys became quite testy. At one point in the heated discussions, one of the diplomats made the horrid mistake of threatening Guntram with assassination. This was not something that Guntram took lightly—after all, two of his co-king brothers had been assassinated, and another of his brothers, Chramn, had been murdered before they succeeded their father. Also, many numbers of Guntram’s uncles, nephews, cousins and kinsmen had died due to intrigue or simply in civil war against one another. As such, Guntram understandably felt great fear and paranoia at the thought of assassinations, and such talk instantly caused him to cease negotiations and to throw the envoys out of the city.

Guntram, quite bitter and angry about the threat of assassination, prepared a spectacularly messy and humiliating exit for Childebert’s rude diplomats. The peculiar scene was described by Bishop (and historian) Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594), who wrote of the incident in his History of the Franks, stating, “He ordered decaying horse-dung to be flung over their heads as they went, wood-chips, straw and hay which had gone mouldy, and even stinking mud from the town-gutters. They were spattered all over with what was thrown at them, and they went their way beyond measure outraged and insulted” (History of the Franks, VII.14).

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Picture Attribution: (Punishment of Korah and Stoning of Moses, by Sandro Botticelli (c. 15th century), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, translated by Lewis Thorpe. New York: Penguin Classics, 1971.
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guntram-king-of-Burgundy 
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Chlotar-II 
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Childebert-II  

The Destructive Retreat Of King Chilperic From Bourges In 583

In 583, there were three Merovingian kings of the Frankish Empire. Brothers Chilperic and Guntram, as well as their nephew Childebert II, divided the lands of the Franks amongst themselves. In that year, Guntram, often the peacemaker between his fellow Merovingian monarchs, found himself to be the target of his kinsmen’s schemes. Chilperic and Childebert II worked together and planned to both attack King Guntram’s domain from different directions. Chilperic was impatient, however, and launched his invasion before Childebert’s army was ready to start its own attack. Therefore Guntram had the fortune of being able to face each of his kinsmen’s armies separately. In fact, when Chilperic launched his invasion, Childebert’s own invasion force was neither logistically or mentally ready to march, giving King Guntram ample time to deal with his brother’s lone army.

Even though Chilperic’s attack against Guntram was not coordinated well with his ally, the attack still caught King Guntram off guard, and Chilperic was able to do considerable damage before Guntram could pull together his army. Chilperic’s attack focused on the region around Bourges, and the invading army did indeed defeat the local garrison there in battle and besieged the city of Bourges. According to the bishop and historian, Gregory of Tours (c. 539-594), “The devastation there was greater than anything described in ancient times: not a house remained standing, not a vineyard, not an orchard; everything was razed to the ground and utterly ruined” (History of the Franks, VI.31).

Yet, while Chilperic’s forces looted and pillaged Bourges, King Guntram was able to cobble together a formidable force and began his march to confront his marauding brother. Chilperic, despite his early success, found himself completely underprepared for a full-scale battle against an army greater than a local garrison. Guntram was said to have intercepted and attacked Chilperic’s forces on a late afternoon, and through sound strategy or sheer shock, he delivered a massive blow to the invaders. The aforementioned Gregory of Tours commented on the battle, saying “One day, just as the evening shadows were falling, he ordered his forces to make contact and he destroyed the greater part of Chilperic’s army” (History of the Franks, VI.31). After this victory, Guntram did not press the attack, but instead opened up negotiations with Chilperic. Sometime the next morning, the two brothers came to a peace agreement and pledged to resolve their land disputes with diplomacy. With the negotiations concluded, both armies went on their way. Meanwhile, Childebert II had still not launched his own invasion by this time, and now that Chilperic had been defeated, Childebert decided to delay his own attack indefinitely.

Unfortunately for King Guntram, Chilperic’s troops were sore losers. Although they agreed to withdraw, they apparently decided to do as much damage as possible as they left.  Chilperic reportedly executed several of his unruly noblemen for the inordinate amount of looting, but such selective punitive measures did not stop the various sections of his army from devastating the land as they retreated. Gregory of Tours vividly described the destruction sewn by Chilperic’s troops as they sulked away from Guntram’s kingdom:

“When the troops who were besieging Bourges received the order to withdraw and return home, they stole so much booty that, as they evacuated it, the entire region seemed empty of inhabitants and cattle. As they passed through the Tours area, the men led by Desiderius and Bladast set fire to everything, stole everything that they could lay their hands on, and murdered the inhabitants out of hand, just as if they were in an enemy country” (History of the Franks, VI.31).

Despite the destruction, the peace between the brother monarchs held, allowing King Guntram to focus his efforts on his still-hostile nephew, Childebert II. Utilizing diplomacy, Guntram was able to make peace with Childebert II by giving him the city of Marseilles in 584, the same year in which King Chilperic was assassinated.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Picture Attribution: (Rioters pillaging a house in Paris from BL Royal 20 C VII, f. 41v, dated to 1380-1400, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, translated by Lewis Thorpe. New York: Penguin Classics, 1971.

The Property Woes Of Duke Lupus Of Champagne

Time and time again, vassals of monarchal governments divide into opposing political camps, one side supporting the royal family, and the other side wishing to limit the power of the monarchy. Duke Lupus of Champagne, a 6th-century vassal to the Merovingian kings of Austrasia, fit into the former pro-monarch category—Lupus supported King Sigebert I (r. 561-575) until the king was assassinated, and then he defended the interests of Sigebert’s widow, Queen Brunhild, and her five-year-old son, King Childebert II (r. 575-595). Duke Lupus, however, was only one of many vassals in the court of young Childebert II, and the party in favor of protecting the young king’s interests was apparently outnumbered by the faction that wanted to decrease or freeze monarchal power.

Opposed to Duke Lupus and his allies was a so-called aristocratic party, led by Dukes Ursio and Berthefried. Tensions ran hot during the political debating and maneuvering between the two sides, and eventually, Lupus and the opposing dukes became bitter personal enemies. Ursio and Berthefried grew tired of playing politics with Duke Lupus and ultimately decided it would be much simpler just to send an army to capture or kill the troublesome duke. Queen Brunhild discovered this plot and was able to warn Duke Lupus before the aristocratic party forces arrived on his estate; so, Ursio and Berthefried failed to catch their foe, and bloodshed was avoided. Unfortunately, the aristocratic party had already mobilized its forces and wanted some gain for their efforts. Therefore, as they could not reach the duke, they attacked the next best thing—Lupus’ estates. Ursio and Berthefried looted Lupus’ properties of its wealth and, using their ties to the regency council of Childebert II, managed to hide Lupus’ wealth inside the boy-king’s treasury.

Although Duke Lupus had escaped with his life, he could no longer fight the aristocratic party from within the kingdom of Austrasia. With his assets plundered and his pro-monarchy allies unwilling or unable to help him fight back against Ursio and Berthefried at that time, Duke Lupus fled to the court of another Merovingian monarch—King Guntram of Burgundy (r. 561-593), who was an uncle of Childebert II. Duke Lupus stayed with Guntram until Childebert II grew old enough to shed off his regency council. As for Ursio and Berthefried, they continued their plotting against the crown even after Childebert II came of age, and for this reason they both eventually met violent deaths.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Picture Attribution: (Image of King Childebert II from a text dated 1885, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, translated by Lewis Thorpe. New York: Penguin Classics, 1971.
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Austrasia 
• https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001/acref-9780198662778-e-5225 
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Childebert-II 
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sigebert-I-Merovingian-king 
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guntram-king-of-Burgundy  

The Anticlimactic Death Of Duke Dragolen

Dragolen was a 6th-century duke who served King Chilperic (r. 561-584), one of several co-kings from the Merovingian Dynasty who ruled the Frankish Empire. Although the previous Frankish co-kings had reportedly been able to live in relative peace, Chilperic’s generation was unfortunately prone to civil war, not just in the shadows, but also on the battlefield. In particular, a long and deadly feud erupted between King Chilperic and his brother, King Sigebert (r. 561-575), and the feud would continue on in their families after both kings were dead.

Although both Chilperic and Sigebert would eventually be assassinated, Sigebert was the first to have been struck down—reportedly on Chilperic’s instigation. Sigebert left behind a five-year-old heir, Childebert II, and a savvy wife named Brunhild. Chilperic tried to undermine and sabotage the child-king’s rise to power, but Childebert II and Brunhild were able to rebuild their might in Austrasia. A key component of their success was the support offered to them by another Merovingian Dynasty co-king, Guntram (r. 561-593)—Chilperic’s brother and Childebert’s uncle.

 When King Childebert II (or at least his regency council) seemed to have gained stability, his late father’s scattered vassals began making their way to Childebert’s court. One such man was Duke Guntram Boso, who had served as a military leader on the side of King Sigebert.  After Sigebert was assassinated in 575, the duke fled with his family to the city of Tours. King Chilperic tried to have Duke Guntram Boso arrested, but the duke was steadfastly protected by Bishop Gregory of Tours.

Guntram Boso was lucky. Other allies of the late King Sigebert, or defectors to the new King Childebert II, had a much more grim fate—often sealed by the arrival of King Chilperic’s greatest manhunter, the aforementioned Duke Dragolen. The most prestigious fugitive that Dragolen captured was Duke Dacolen, a vassal of King Chilperic who attempted to defect to the side of Childebert II. Dacolen was arrested, hauled back to King Chilperic in fetters, and was either executed or murdered in prison.

Around the year 578, Duke Guntram Boso decided the time was right to flee his sanctuary from Tours and attempt to reach the court of Childebert II. His first move was to bring his daughters to the city of Poiters, which was, at that time, loyal to Childebert II. The daughters were hidden in Saint Hilary’s church in the city. Hoping that his children were safe in the sanctuary, Guntram Boso went off to make contact with King Childebert’s court.

Poitiers, however, was not as safe as Guntram Boso had hoped, for Chilperic sent troops to attack the city before the end of 578 and defeated Childebert’s forces that were stationed there. The duke’s daughters survived the attack, but Guntram Boso decided it was time to move them to another location. As covertly as he could manage, he and a band of warriors returned to Poitiers, gathered the girls and their belongings, then hit the road for friendlier and safer lands.

Guntram Boso’s movements had not gone unnoticed by King Chilperic’s forces in the region, including the warriors of Duke Dragolen. Upon hearing of Guntram Boso’s presence near Poitiers, Dragolen gathered his troops and set up an ambush on the road.

During their travels, Guntram Boso and his party had the misfortune of wandering straight into Dragolen’s trap. Fortunately, the ambushed group was a well-equipped band of warriors, and they were able to resist the ambush and fight the assailants to a standstill. During the lull, Guntram Boso sent a messenger to Dragolen, offering to hand over all of his baggage and supplies if he and his family could continue on their way in peace. According to the writings of the aforementioned Bishop Gregory of Tours, Dragolen responded by holding up a well-used rope and arrogantly bragged, “I have used it to tie up quite a few other culprits, whom I have handed over to the King. Today I shall tie up Guntram Boso with it and hand him over in his turn” (History of the Franks, V.25).

With the parley in shambles, both sides prepared for battle. According to the account of the skirmish presented by Gregory of Tours, the self-confident Duke Dragolen personally led the charge against Guntram Boso, and the two dukes were reportedly the first people to exchange blows. Yet, the duel between the dukes was not as epic as one might expect—Dragolen, armed with a lance, missed his target completely and did no damage to his foe. Guntram Boso, wielding a pike, was more accurate and reportedly stabbed Dragolen through the throat with his first blow. After Dragolen’s immediate incapacitation at the start of the fight, all of his men fled from the battlefield, leaving behind their dead or wounded duke to the mercy of Guntram Boso. After making sure his rival was dead, Guntram Boso resumed travel on the road and successfully returned to the kingdom of Childebert II.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Picture Attribution: (Death of William II by Joseph Martin Kronheim (1810–96), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, translated by Lewis Thorpe. New York: Penguin Classics, 1971.
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Childebert-II