The History of the Franks Characters

The History of the Franks Character List

Gregory of Tours

A historian and Bishop of Tours, Gregory writes much about himself, especially as a protagonist, in The History of the Franks. He tells the story of how Chilperic arrested him because he though Gregory had murdered his wife, and tells how he was the gateway between the Romans and Gaul, and their eventual total connection.

It is debated upon whether The History of the Franks was a history written for flattery. It is possible that Gregory simply wrote the book to earn the favor of higher up officials, and intentionally included or excluded details that would assist him in earning this goal.

Chilperic

Seen as the antagonist in The History of the Franks, Chilperic was the king of Neustria. Chilperic's wife is slaughtered, and he blames Gregory of Tours for the deed. However, Gregory is eventually found not guilty, but Chilperic still maintains fragmented relations with Gregory until his death.

Saint Martin of Tours

Saint Martin of Tours is the man that Gregory credits with having the most Christian influence on the people of Tours. He is the man who most effectively westernized, or "bettered" Tours, in his opinion. Of course, this is a very biased view, but it would be wrong to omit Saint Martin as an important character in the history because of this fact.

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