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The Public Administration of the Merovingian Kingdoms in the Sixth Century

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The Public Administration of the Merovingian Kingdoms in the Sixth Century The public administration of the Merovingian kingdoms in the sixth century name: F.A.A. Koreman - 3362248 Utrecht University Department of History and Art History, Medieval Studies kind of thesis: Master thesis supervisors: Prof. M. Mostert, Prof. I. Wood (University of Leeds) date of submission: 31-5-2014 1 Table of contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 4 2. Analytical framework ............................................................................................................. 5 2.1. Trends in historiography ................................................................................................. 5 2.2. Models ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.3. Organization model ......................................................................................................... 8 3. Gregory of Tours and his Ten Books of Histories ............................................................... 11 3.1. Gregory of Tours ........................................................................................................... 11 3.2. Manuscript tradition ...................................................................................................... 17 3.3. Histories and reliability ................................................................................................. 18 4. Outlines of the pre-existing governmental organizations .................................................... 21 4.1. Roman government ....................................................................................................... 21 4.2. Burgundian and Gothic government ............................................................................. 22 4.3. The Pre-Merovingian kingdoms of the Franks ............................................................. 23 5. Merovingian government in historiography ......................................................................... 25 6. Merovingian government analyzed ...................................................................................... 30 6.1. General .......................................................................................................................... 30 6.2. Goals .............................................................................................................................. 33 6.3. Division of labour .......................................................................................................... 34 6.3.1. Hierarchical structure ............................................................................................. 34 6.3.1.1. Hierarchical structure: kings ........................................................................... 34 6.3.1.2. Hierarchical structure: queens ......................................................................... 36 6.3.1.3. Hierarchical structure: princes......................................................................... 38 6.3.1.4. Hierarchical structure: factions of magnates ................................................... 41 6.3.1.5. Hierarchical structure: dukes ........................................................................... 42 6.3.1.6. Hierarchical structure: counts .......................................................................... 44 6.3.1.7. Hierarchical structure: bishops ........................................................................ 47 6.3.1.8. Hierarchical structure: centenarius ................................................................. 51 6.3.1.9. Hierarchical structure: collective..................................................................... 51 6.3.2. Geographical structure ........................................................................................... 54 6.3.3. Functional structure ................................................................................................ 58 6.4. Officials ......................................................................................................................... 61 6.4.1. Power ...................................................................................................................... 61 2 6.4.2. Authority ................................................................................................................ 64 6.4.3. Span of control ....................................................................................................... 65 6.5. Means for the execution of the tasks ............................................................................. 66 6.5.1. Resources ............................................................................................................... 66 6.5.1.1. Revenues ......................................................................................................... 66 6.5.1.1.1. Taxes ........................................................................................................ 67 6.5.1.1.2. Gift-giving ................................................................................................ 70 6.5.1.1.3. Other income ............................................................................................ 72 6.5.1.2. Expenses .......................................................................................................... 73 6.5.2. Possessions ............................................................................................................. 73 6.5.2.1. Treasure ........................................................................................................... 73 6.5.2.2. Land ................................................................................................................. 76 6.5.3. Law and judgment .................................................................................................. 76 6.5.3.1. Time out .......................................................................................................... 79 6.5.3.2. Honour ............................................................................................................. 80 6.5.4. Communication ...................................................................................................... 81 6.5.5. Registration ............................................................................................................ 82 6.6. Effectivity and efficiency .............................................................................................. 83 6.6.1. Effectivity ............................................................................................................... 83 6.6.2. Efficiency ............................................................................................................... 84 6.6.2.1. Extent of the public administration ................................................................. 85 7. Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 86 Literature .................................................................................................................................. 92 3 1. Introduction In the lengthiest description of the Merovingian kingdoms in the sixth century we have, the Decem Libri Historiarum or Ten Books of Histories of Gregory of Tours, also known as the Historia Francorum, subsequently briefly called Histories, we can detect a certain wilful cooperation for the benefit of the several Merovingian kingdoms.1 Many conflicting interests can also be detected, but overall there is a coherence that makes these kingdoms work. They may have been loosely knit together and may have been very dynamic in their occurrence, but there was to a certain degree collabouration to rule them. We may say the public administration of the Merovingian kingdoms was ‘organized’ in a way, and the question is: in what way. This thesis is a study of the structure of the public administration of the Merovingian kingdoms in the second half of the sixth century. It is about how people worked together, according to their positions, in the organization structure of the Merovingian government. It is not about social structure (how people lived together) or political structure (how people influenced each other). But social and political structures will have had their influence on the way government operated, and will be taken into account when necessary. This research is on the borderline between the disciplines of historiography and public administration, a borderline which has to be walked carefully and which will present its problems. The challenge for this study will be to find acceptable solutions when the two disciplines collide. Although Gregory of Tours has become something of an academic industry, the Histories are also a rich source for data.2 With this attempt at a new approach these data may yield original results. When successful, the reward will be new perspectives on the governmental organization of the Merovingian kingdoms. The question posed in this study is to what extent a structure of public administration can be detected for the Merovingian kingdoms in the late sixth century that can be accepted as a model for all these kingdoms. The main source for this period is formed by the Histories of Gregory of Tours, who is reliable for the latter part of the sixth century and who depicts above all the situation
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