Dr. Hope Williard, University of Lincoln
This video introduces Gregory of Tours, the world of the sixth-century Merovingian Kingdoms, and his well-known narrative histories.
Video
Source
Gregory of Tours (539-594): History of the Franks: Books I-X
Discussion Questions
- What do Gregory’s own statements about his writing tell us about his choices as a writer?
- Why does Gregory tell us the things that he does?
- What characterises Gregory’s portraits of Merovingian queens?
Online Resources
- Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, trans. Ernest Brehaut (New York: Columbia University Press, 1916).
- Ian N. Wood, ‘The Secret Histories of Gregory of Tours’, Revue belge de Philologie et d’Histoire 71:2 (1993), pp. 253-270
Other Readings (available to purchase as e-books or online via library subscriptions)
- Gregory of Tours, The History of the Franks, trans. Lewis Thorpe (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974).
- Erin T. Dailey, Queens, Consorts, Concubines: Gregory of Tours and the Women of the Merovingian Elite (Leiden: Brill, 2015).
- Guy Halsall, ‘The Preface to Book V of Gregory of Tours’ Histories: Its Form, Contents, and Significance’ The English Historical Review 122:496 (2007), pp. 297-317.
- Alexander C. Murray, Gregory of Tours: The Merovingians (Peterborough: University of Toronto Press, 2006).
- Alexander C. Murray, ed., A Companion to Gregory of Tours (Boston: Brill, 2016).
- Ian Wood and Kathleen Mitchell, eds, The World of Gregory of Tours (Boston: Brill, 2002).
Cite
Williard, Hope. “An Introduction to the Histories of Gregory of Tours,” Middle Ages for Educators, April 17, 2020. Accessed[date]. https://middleagesforeducators.princeton.edu/introduction-histories-gregory-tours