E02257: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (7.21), tells of how, in 584, Eberulf, treasurer of king Chilperic, sought sanctuary in the church of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) in Tours. Men of Orléans and Blois, guarding him, steal some of the saint's animals, but Martin punishes them and recovers the beats. Eventually Eberulf is tricked and killed by a certain Claudius, who is himself killed. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 584/594.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 7.21

Quod cum Eberulfus conperissit, basilicam sancti Martini, cuius res saepe pervaserat, expetivit. Tunc data occansione, ut custodiretur, Aurilianensis adque Blesensis vicissim ad has excubias veniebant, impletisque quindecim diebus, cum praeda multa revertebantur, adducentis iumenta, pecora vel quodcumque derepere potuissent. Ille vero, qui beati Martini iumenta abduxerant, commota altercatione, se invicem lanceis transfixerunt. Duo, qui mulas diripiebant, ad domum vicini cuiusdam accedentes, potum rogare coeperunt. Cumque ille se habere negarit, elevatis lanceis ut eum transfoderent, hic extracto gladio utrumque perfodit, cecideruntque ambo et mortui sunt; iumenta tamen sancti Martini reddita sunt. Tantaque ibi tunc mala per hos Aurilianensis gesta sunt, ut nequeant explicari.

'As soon as Eberulf heard of this, he sought sanctuary in the church of Saint Martin, whose property he had often made off with. It was thought necessary to set up a guard over him, and the men of Orléans and Blois took it in turns to keep watch. They duly arrived, but, when they had stayed fifteen days, they set off home again, taking with them a vast amount of loot, carrying off pack-animals, cattle and whatever they could lay their hands on. These men who had stolen Saint Martin’s animals then quarrelled among themselves and started thrusting each other through with their spears. Two of them, who were driving off the mules, came to the house of one of the local inhabitants and began to ask for a drink. The man said that he had none, so they levelled their spears and were about to transfix him. Thereupon he drew his sword and pierced them both. They fell to the ground and died on the spot. Saint Martin’s beasts arrived home safe. So many crimes were committed on this occasion by the men of Orleans that it is impossible to tell them all.'

Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 340. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 402.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 7.22

Gregory attributes Eberulf's downfall to his lack of respect for the saint, and goes on to describe the bad behaviour of Eberulf and his servants:

Sed credo, infilici ea res maximum fuit inpedimentum, quod nullam reverentiam sancto praestabat antestiti. Nam saepe cedes infra ipsum atrium, quod ad pedes beati erat, exegit, exercens assiduae aebrietatis ac vanitatis. ... Cum autem presbiter, qui clavis ostei retenebat, clausis a reliquis, recessissit, per illum salutaturii osteum introeuntes puellae cum reliquis pueris eius, suspiciebant picturas parietum rimabantque ornamenta beati sepulchri; quod valde facinorosum relegiosis erat. Quod cum presbyter cognovissit, defixis clavis super ostium, intrinsecus serras aptavit. Haec ille cum post caenam vinu maditus advertissit et nos in basilicam in initium noctis orationis gratia psallerimus, furibundus ingreditur meque convitiis ac maledictionibus urguere coepit, illud inter iurgia exprobrans, quod ego eum vellim a sancti antestitis fimbriis separare.

'In my opinion the cause of his [Eberulf's] unhappy downfall was that he had no reverence for the saintly Bishop [Martin]. He often committed manslaughter in the very vestibule which was at the saint's feet, and he behaved there in a drunken and stupid way. ... When the priest who had charge of the door-keys had locked everything up and gone off, Eberulf’s young women and his men-servants used to come in through the sacristy entrance and stand gaping at the frescoes on the walls or pry about among the decorations on the Saint’s tomb, all of which was a desecration of religious feeling. When the priest realised what was happening, he nailed up the top of the door and had locks fitted to it. After supper, when he was sodden with wine, Eberulf noticed what had been done. In a mad frenzy he came up to me inside the church, where I was chanting psalms at the service held at nightfall, and began loading me with curses and insults, reproaching me, among other things, with having cut off his access to the fringes which hang round the Saint’s tomb.'

Gregory goes on tell Eberulf of how he had a dream in which King Guntram repeatedly tried to drag Eberulf from the altar. Eberulf confesses that if the king had him forcibly removed he intended to kill Gregory and his clerics in revenge.

Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 341-343. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 403-4, lightly adapted.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 7.29

Eberulf spent a long time in the church of Martin in Tours. King Guntram sent a certain Claudius to kill Eberulf or load him with chains, but with orders not to damage Martin's church. He went to Eberulf and swore, even by the miraculous power of Martin, that he would represent Eberulf well to the king. The next day, after a meal in the church-house, Claudius walked with Eberulf to the forecourt and killed him with a sword. Martin did not save Eberulf, because of his impiety. Eberulf's men, aided by the beggars and possessed who lived around the church and who were incensed at the crime, attacked Claudius and his supporters, and killed them:

Nonnulli etiam matricolariorum et reliquorum pauperum pro scelere commisso tectum cellolae conantur evertere. Sed et inergumini ac diversi egeni cum petris et fustibus ad ulciscendam basilicae violentiam proficiscuntur, indigne ferentes, quur talia, quae numquam facta fuerant, essent ibidem perpetrata.

'Some of the beggars who regularly received alms at the church and a number of other poor folk were so incensed at the crime that they tried to pull the roof off the cell. Then certain men who were possessed of devils and a number of other wretched creatures seized sticks and stones and rushed to avenge the violence done to their church, bearing it ill that such atrocities as had never been witnessed before should now have been perpetrated there.'


Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 346-349. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 412. Summary: Katarzyna Wojtalik.