Germanic Kingdoms History has not been kind to the Germanic people, there civilizations reputation has been tarnished by pretinouse Romans and zealous Christians. Dark age propaganda has twisted the Vandal, Goth, and Hun tribes into epithets of brutishness, thievery, and evil. While often betrayed as barbaric pillaging pagan savages, the Germanic tribes contributed to the dynamic post roman European civilization. Far from the invading savages they are often portrayed, the Germanic tribes were wayward migrants, driven from there steppe homeland by the Hunic federation. The Germanic people often peacefully occupies the alling provinces of the western Roman Empire. established roman institutions such as civil law and Christianity were adopted by the Germanic tribes. The Germanic tribes were transformed by there interactions with the existing roman culture , the traditional Germanic chief councils were replaced with hereditary monarchy's. Traditional paganism declined as kings like Clovis I and Theodoric the Great converted and actively sponsored Christianity.

The Conversion of Clovis to Christianity

[Clovis took to wife Clotilde, daughter of the king of the Burgundians. Now Clotilde was a Christian. When her first son was born] she wished to consecrate him by baptism, and begged her husband unceasingly, saying, I , The gods whom thou honorest are nothing they cannot help themselves nor others; for they are carved from stone, or from wood, or from some metal. The names which you have given them were of men, not of gods, - like Saturn, who is said to have escaped by flight, to avoid being deprived of his power by his son; and like Jupiter himself, foul perpetrator of all uncleanness. . . . What power have Mars and Mercury ever had ? They are endowed with magical arts rather than divine power.

"The God who should be worshiped is he who by his word created from nothingness the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that in them is; he who made the sun to shine and adorned the sky with stars; who filled the waters with creeping things, the land with animals, the air with winged creatures; by whose bounty the earth is glad with crops, the trees with fruit, the vines with grapes; by whose hand the human race was created; whose bounty has ordained that all things should give homage and service to man, whom he created."

But when the queen had said these things, the mind of Clovis was not stirred to believe. He answered: "By the will of our gods all things are created and produced. Evidently your god can do nothing, and it is not even proved that he belongs to the race of gods."

Meantime- the faithful queen presented her son for baptism. She had the church adorned with tapestry, seeking to attract by this splendor him whom her exhortations had not moved. But the child whom they called Ingomer, after he had been born again through baptism, died in his white baptismal robe. Then the king reproached the queen bitterly. , if the child had been consecrated in the name of my gods he would be alive still. But now, because he is baptized in the name of your god, he cannot live."

After this another son was born to him, and called in baptism Clodomir. He fell very ill. Then the king said: "Because he, like his brother, was baptized in the name of Christ he must soon die." But his mother prayed, and by God's will the child recovered.

The queen unceasingly urged the king to acknowledge the true God, and forsake idols. But he could not in any wise be brought to believe until a war broke out with the Alemanni. Then he was by necessity compelled to confese what he had before willfully denied.

It happened that the two armies were in battle and there was great slaughter. Clovis' army was near to utter destruction. He saw the danger; his heart Was stirred; he was moved to tears, and he raised his eyes to heaven, saying - , Jesus Christ, whom Clotilde declares to be the son of the living God, who it is said givest aid to the oppressed and victory to those who put their hope in thee, I beseech the glory of thy aid. If thou shalt grant me victory over these enemies and I test that power which people consecrated to thy name say they have proved concerning thee, I will believe in thee and be baptized in thy name. For 1 have called upon my gods, but, as 1 have proved, they are far removed4 from my aid. So I believe that they have no power, for they do not succor those who serve them. Now 1 call upon thee, and I long to believe in thee -all the more that may escape my enemies."

When he had said these things, the Alemanni turned their backs and began to flee. When they saw that their king was killed, they submitted to the sway of Clovis, saying: "We wish that no more people should perish. Now we are thine." When the king had forbidden further war, and praised his soldiers, he told the queen how he had won the victory by calling on the name of Christ.

Then the queen sent to the blessed Remigius, bishop of the city of Rheims, praying him to bring to the king the gospel of salvation. The priest, little by little and secretly, led him to believe in the true God, maker of heaven and earth, and to forsake idols, which could not help him nor anybody else.

But the king said: "Willingly will I hear thee, O father; but one thing is in the way - that the people who follow me are not content to leave their gods. I will go and speak to them according to thy word."

When be came among them, the power of God went before him, and before he had spoken all the people cried out together: " We cast off mortal gods, 0 righteous king, and we are ready to follow the God whom Remigius tells us s immortal."

These thin-s were told to the bishop. He was filled with joy, and ordered the font to be prepared. The streets were shaded with embroidered hangings ; the churches were adorned with white tapestries, the baptistery was set in order, the odor of balsam spread around, candles gleamed, and all the temple of the baptistery was filled with divine odor. . . . Then the king confessed the God omnipotent in the Trinity, and was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and was anointed with the sacred chrism with the sign of the cross of Christ. Of his army there were baptized more than three thousand.

From the accounts translated in J. H. Robinson, Readings in European History, (Boston: Ginn, 1905), pp. 51-55

 

This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gregtours1.asp

Clovis conversion to Christianity and specifically Catholicism was a monumental event in European history. In this expert the historian Gregory of Tours explains the conversion of the Frankish king in a manner that compares Clovis to Constantine, the first Christian Monarch. Although it is doubtful that Clovis really converted in such a mythical way, Gregory's parallelism between Clovis and Constantine shows that he viewed the Frankish king as gods chosen ruler. This historical tradition of asserting the authority or superiority of a ruler or ethnic group over another is a well established political trick, the Franks supposedly saw them selfs as the decedents of refugees from mythical Troy much like the Romans did.        

 I. What the Lawmaker Should Observe in Framing the Laws.

In all legislation the law should be fully and explicitly set forth, that perfection, and not partiality, may be secured. For, in the formation of the laws, not the sophisms of argument, but the virtue of justice should ever prevail. And here is required not what may be prompted by controversy, but what energy and vigor demand; for the violation of morals is not to be coerced by the forms of speech, but restrained by the moderation of virtue.

II. What the Law Is.

The law is the rival of divinity; the oracle of religion; the source of instruction; the artificer of right; the guardian and promoter of good morals; the rudder of the state; the messenger of justice; the mistress of life; the soul of the body politic.

III. What the Law Does.

The law rules every order of the state, and every condition of man; it governs wives and husbands; youth and age: the learned and the ignorant, the polished and the rude. It aims to provide the highest degree of safety for both prince and people, and, in renown and excellence, it is as conspicuous as the noon-day sun.

IV. What the Law Should Be.

The law should be plain, and not lead any citizen to commit error or fraud. It should be suitable to the place and the time, according to the character and custom of the state; [6] prescribing justice and equity; consistent, honorable, worthy, useful, and necessary; and it should be carefully noted whether its provisions are framed rather for the convenience, than for the injury, of the public; so that it may be determined whether it sufficiently provides for the administration of justice; whether or not it appears to be contrary to religion, and whether it defends the right, and may be observed without detriment to any one.

V. Why the Law is Made.

Laws are made for these reasons that human wickedness may be restrained through fear of their execution; that the lives of innocent men may be safe among criminals; and that the temptation to commit wrong may be restrained by the fear of punishment.

     http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0506-0506,_AA_VV,_Leges_Romanae_Visigotorum_%5BScott_JP_Curatore%5D,_EN.pdf#page31