Epistolae_Austrasicae

<i>Austrasian Letters</i>

Austrasian Letters

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The Austrasian Letters (Latin: Epistulae Austrasicae) is a collection of 48 Latin letters sent from or to Austrasia between the 470s and 590s. The collection is transmitted in a single 9th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Lorsch.^[1]

The collection was probably assembled in Metz in the late 6th century.^[2] It has been attributed to Bishop Magneric of Trier, who was a counsellor of King Childebert II in the 580s.^[1] It is generally thought that the compilation was made for the use of the Austrasian chancery. Recently, however, it has been argued that the compilation was only brought together in the early 9th century at Lorsch.^[3]

The letters give insight into the workings of Frankish diplomacy and life at the Austrasian court. The letters give insights into the literacy of the kings' inner circle, along with snippets of information not supplied by other sources of the period. They provide more contemporary evidence for the reign of Clovis I than any other source. The letters are particularly useful in illuminating the complex diplomatic relations between Austrasia and the Byzantine Empire.^[4] A majority of the letters concern this relationship.^[1]

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[7] re 486?

[8] 486?

[9] rhaps as early as 500

[10] 550/552

[11] re 565

[12] re 568?

[13] re 575?

[14] .568

[15] .540–550

[16] 542–568

[17] 547

[A534–547-18] 534–547

[19] 568?

[20] .460

[A584-21] 584

[A585-23] 585

[24] 590

[25] 585 or 587

[FOOTNOTEDumézilLoseby2018-1] [1]
Dumézil & Loseby 2018.

[FOOTNOTEMcCormick1991-2] [2]
McCormick 1991.

[FOOTNOTEBarrettWoudhuysen20163-3] [3]
Barrett & Woudhuysen 2016, p. 3.

[FOOTNOTEBarrettWoudhuysen20164–5-4] [4]
Barrett & Woudhuysen 2016, pp. 4–5.

[table-5] [5]
Names of senders and addressees are drawn from the table in Barrett & Woudhuysen 2016, pp. 50–52.

[6] [6]
Dates are mainly those of Malaspina 2001 drawn from the table in Barrett & Woudhuysen 2016, pp. 53–57; alternative dates in footnotes. Question marks indicate uncertainty.

[Byz-22] [7]
Barrett & Woudhuysen 2016, p. 11 n29, citing Goubert 1951.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[lower-roman 1]

[lower-roman 2]

[lower-roman 3]

[lower-roman 4]

[lower-roman 5]

[lower-roman 6]

[lower-roman 7]

[lower-roman 8]

[lower-roman 9]

[lower-roman 10]

[lower-roman 11]

[lower-roman 12]

[lower-roman 13]

[lower-roman 14]

[lower-roman 15]

[7]

[lower-roman 16]

[lower-roman 17]

[lower-roman 18]

Number	Sender^[5]	Addressee^[5]	Date^[6]	Notes
1	Remigius of Reims	Clovis I	c.509?^{[lower-roman 1]}
2	Remigius of Reims	Clovis I	482/3^{[lower-roman 2]}
3	Remigius of Reims	Heraclius, Leo and Theodosius	512
4	Remigius of Reims	Falco of Tongres	c.511?–533^{[lower-roman 3]}
5	Florianus	Nicetius of Trier	543/552^{[lower-roman 4]}
6	Florianus	Nicetius of Trier	c.550
7	Nicetius of Trier	Justinian I	c.550–553^{[lower-roman 5]}
8	Nicetius of Trier	Chlodosuinth	561/567^{[lower-roman 6]}
9	Germanus of Paris	Brunhild	575
10	Aurelian of Arles	Theudebert I	c.534 or 546–548
11	Mapinius of Reims	Nicetius of Trier	c.550	Only known source for the Council of Toul (550).
12	Dynamius of Provence	Chaming	about or before 580?
13	Gogo	Chaming	c.561?^{[lower-roman 7]}
14	Venantius Fortunatus	Magneric of Trier	c.566/585^{[lower-roman 8]}
15	Mapinius of Reims	Vilicus of Metz	c.542/549^{[lower-roman 9]}
16	Gogo	Traseric of Toul	c.565–before 581
17	Dynamius of Provence	Vilicus of Metz	561–568^{[lower-roman 10]}
18	Theudebald	Justinian I	548/9^{[lower-roman 11]}
19	Theudebert I	Justinian I	536–538^{[lower-roman 12]}
20	Theudebert I	Justinian I	540–545^{[lower-roman 12]}
21	Rufus of Martigny	Nicetius of Trier	c.550
22	Gogo	Peter of Metz	after 568^{[lower-roman 13]}
23	Auspicius of Toul	Arbogast of Trier	c.472–474^{[lower-roman 14]}
24	unknown	Nicetius of Trier	561
25	Childebert II	Maurice	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}	These letters pertain to the embassy sent to the Byzantine Empire in late 587 or early 588.^[7]
26	Brunhild	Maurice	587–588
27	Brunhild	Athanagild	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
28	Childbert I	Athanagild	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
29	Brunhild	Anastasia	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
30	Brunhild	Anastasia	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
31	Childebert II	John IV of Constantinople	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
32	Childebert II	Honoratus the Apocrisarius	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
33	Childebert II	Domitian of Melitene	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
34	Childebert II	Theodore the Magister	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
35	Childebert II	John the Quaestor	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
36	Childebert II	Megas the Curator	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
37	Childebert II	Paul	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
38	Childebert II	Italica the Patrician	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
39	Childebert II	Venantius the Patrician	587–588^{[lower-roman 15]}
40	Romanus (?)	Childebert II	590^{[lower-roman 16]}
41	Romanus	Childebert II	590^{[lower-roman 16]}
42	Maurice	Childebert II	585?^{[lower-roman 17]}
43	Fortunatus	Theodosius	585	These letters pertain to the embassy sent to the Byzantine Empire in 585–586 with the possible exception of no. 46, which more likely pertains to that of 589.^[7]
44	Brunhild	Anastasia	585
45	Childebert II	John IV of Constantinople	585
46	Childebert II	Lawrence II of Milan	589^{[lower-roman 18]}
47	Childebert II	Maurice	585^{[lower-roman 15]}
48	Gogo	Grasulf of Istria	before 581?

Epistolae_Austrasicae

Austrasian Letters

Table of letters

Editions

Notes

Bibliography

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