Gregory of Tours on Heresy and Sickness Emily Thagard College

The portrayal of heretics in Gregory of Tours’ History of the Franks suggests that those who do not subscribe to the orthodox Christian system of beliefs and practices are akin to being a plague upon the entire world. It is Gregory’s belief that all things that happen and that will happen are steeped with the power of God, and therefore, to be in opposition to this God and the Holy Trinity is to stand against the very constitution of the universe. This is made evident in the literal sickness that plagues these nonbelievers as well as the negative effects the spread of their incorrect (as far is Gregory is concerned) views damage the world around them. As far as Gregory is concerned, heresy is a poison on every level.

To fully understand his portrayal, we must understand what exactly Gregory considers to be heretical. To do this, we can look at how he discusses two different groups that exist outside of orthodox Christianity and why he discusses them that way: Pagans versus Arians. Pagans are commonly polytheistic people, therefore do not believe in the Christian God or Trinity, but rather their own set of Gods and customs. Arians are those who believe in the Christian God, but do not believe in the Holy Trinity being of equal...