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Queens,Consorts, Concubines: Gregory of Tours and Women of the Merovingian Elite
Gregory of Tours hoped to inspire the believers in sixth-century Gaul with examples of righteous and wicked deeds and their consequences. Critiquing his own society, Gregory contrasted vengeful queens, rebellious nuns, and conniving witches with pious widows, humble abbesses, and tearful saints. By examining his thematic treatment of topics including widowhood, marriage, sanctity, authority, and political agency, "Queens, Consorts, Concubines" reassesses the material shaped by such concerns, including e.g. Gregory s accounts of Brunhild, Fredegund, Radegund, and other important elite women, Merovingian political policies (marital alliances, ecclesiastical intrigue, even assassinations), and seemingly unrelated topics such as Hermenegild s rebellion and the career of Empress Sophia. The result: a new interpretation of an important witness to the transformations of Late Antiquity."
- GenresHistoryNonfictionFrance
202 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 3, 2024
This was very useful, and helped me make sense of Gregory of Tours, who I often struggle with. Wish I had taken better notes. Suspect I will revisit this often in the future.
December 25, 2023
En studie av hur Gregorius av Tours beskriver mäktiga merovingiska kvinnor, i kontexten av de slutsatser moderna historiker har dragit om merovingernas styrelseskick. Välskriven och spännande, men med ett väldigt nischat ämne.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews