THE QUEENS OF 6TH CENTURY EUROPE: MURDERESSES, COURTESANS, AND JEZEBELS
Date
2025-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
In the 6th century, on opposite sides of the former Roman Empire, two authors
wrote two prominent histories that would influence the perceptions of the three female
rulers they wrote about for centuries to come. At once lacking in nuance, powerful in
presentation, and effective in characterization, both Procopius’ Secret History and
Gregory of Tours’ History of the Franks have caused centuries of scholars to debate
both their accuracy and their honesty. This thesis does not attempt to provide an
answer to these unresolvable debates, but rather analyzes the methods Procopius and
Gregory rely on in order characterize their queens as “evil”, through literary analysis
and intertextual comparisons. Through using both qualitative and quantitative data,
along with consulting a number of 6th, 7th and 8th century sources, this study finds that
Propcopius and Gregory used very different methods, but to similar effect in order to
characterize their queens, with Procopius’ portrayal drawing more from Classical
models and Gregory’s model relying more upon his personal feelings and experiences
in his portrayal of the queens. Furthermore, through analyzing the folkloric motif of
the “Evil Queen”, this study argues that Gregory’s portrayal of Fredegund shares
significant similarities with the motif, primarily through analyzing Gregory’s
depiction of her complex relationship with motherhood. This speaks to the enduring
characterizations which these portrayals have afforded these rulers, and their impact,
which has extended further than their authors could have possibly imagined.