Gregorius Turonensis

Gregorius Turonensis (Gregory of Tours), an eminent prelate and scholar of the 6th century, called "the father of French historian" was born of a noble family in Auvergne, A.D. 540, educated by his uncle, the bishop of Clermont. He was ordained deacon in 569, and bishop of Tours 573. He was strenuous in upholding the orthodox faith, and, though twenty-two years a bishop, he was only fifty-five years old when he died, A.D. 595. He was a man of active mind and habits, and much engaged in the theological disputes of the time. His great work, Anunales Francorum (History of the French), is as barbarous in style as it is full of credulity in narration it begins at the creation, and comes down to his own times (Paris, 1552; Basil. 8vo, 1568; Paris, 1610, 8vo; but the best edition is that edited by Du Chess in his Script. Franc. tom. 1, Paris, 1636). He wrote also Miraculorum librin 7 (Seven Books of Miracles), of which the first contains an account of the miracles of some "of the primitive Christians as well as of Christ; the second, the miracles of St. Justin; the four next, the miracles of St. Martin of Tours; the seventh, the lives of some monks, and an account of the Seven Sleepers. While these writings show an honest simplicty on the part of Gregory, they manifest also his excessive credulity. The best edition of his collected works is Greg. Opera, ed. Ruinart (Paris, 1699, fob.). The Historia Francorum is given in the Bib. Max. Patrol. volume 11, in Pertz, Monumena Germaniae historica, in a new German version, Kirschl. Geschichte d. Franken (Wuizlburg, 1853, 8vo), and by Giesebrecht (Barl. 1851, 2 volumes). See Lobell, Gregor. v. Tours und seine Zeit (Leips. 1885, 8vo, 2d edit. 1867); Kries, de Greg. Turon. vita et scriptis (Vrat. 1839, 8vo), Mosheim, Church History, cent. 6, part 2, chapter 2, note 42;

Clarke, Success. Sacred Literature, 2:344-5 Neander, C. Hist. volume 3; Dupin, Eccles. Writers, t. 5; Hist. Litt. de la France, 3:372; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gener. 21:856.