Gregory of Tours : history and society in the sixth century

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Bibliographic Information

Gregory of Tours : history and society in the sixth century

Martin Heinzelmann ; translated by Christopher Carroll

Cambridge University Press, 2001

Other Title

Gregor von Tours (538-594) : "Zehn Bücher Geschichte", Historiographie und Gesellschaftskonzept im 6. Fahrhundert

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Note

Bibliography: p. 214-222

Includes indexes

Description and Table of Contents

Description

For over 1400 years the Histories of Gregory of Tours (538-594) - the principal work of Merovingian history - have been understood as a 'history of the Franks' and as an objective portrayal of history, albeit told by a naive narrator succeeding only in chronological organization. A new interpretation of the Histories is put forward in this 2001 book, in which the bishop of Tours can be seen to be giving each of his 'Ten Books' a self-contained topic, and also making use of the patristic method of typological biblical exegesis. By appreciating these elements, we can see clear connections between apparently unconnected, adjacent chapters, and to make out their real function. Gregory's historiographical interests can be seen as focusing on the development of a socio-political concept of society, which wishes to see the leadership of the Christian state entrusted to the joint government of bishops and king (christianus princeps).

Table of Contents

  • List of figures
  • Preface
  • List of abbreviations
  • Introduction: the state of research into Gregory of Tours in 1992
  • 1. Gregory of Tours and his family
  • 2. The function of autobiographical elements in Gregory's concept of contemporary history (books v-x)
  • the relationship of 'bishop' and 'king'
  • autobiography and the writing of history
  • the concept of history
  • 3. Ten Books of History: genre, structure and plan
  • 4. Gregory's ecclesia Dei: the eschatological church and the concept of history
  • Conclusion
  • Postscript
  • Bibliography
  • Index of references to Gregory's works
  • Index of names.

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