Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Gregory of Tours discussion of Clovis and the Franks makes for some of the best reading of the term. As we know, Clovis's conversion to Christianity is one of the most important points in the history of the church; without him, it is doubtful that the Christian faith would have spread with the success that it did.

The Salic Law may be less of a good read, but we can tell a lot about a group of people from the prohibitions that are in force; each law indicates a behavior that those in power are attempting to stop. So, Question 1 for your homework is, what do we learn about these people's priorities through reading their statutes? Does anything strike you as particularly noteworthy?

The term "Thing" in Title I refers to the assembly in which key decisions are made. It is based on Germanic language, but there is also a corresponding Latin term: res, as in res publica, or "public affair," as in republic. Note the rules concerning cattle, and think about what Tacitus has to say about the importance of cattle in Germanic people's accounting of wealth.

Question 2 has to do with Bishop Remigius's letters to Clovis: Based on the Bishop's manner of addressing Clovis, what do you learn about their relationship from these letters? What does he want from Clovis?

Question 3 concerns the all-important scene of Clovis's conversion. What is his reason for converting? Do you think he is a true Christian? Why or why not?

Question 4: What is the role of Clovis's wife in his conversion? Evaluate their relationship.

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