ABSTRACT
The apparent paradox that Gregory (bishop of Tours 573-94) thought it worthwhile combating Arianism in his Ten Books of History, even though he knew that Arianism was not a problem in Gaul and was, by the time he revised his History, no longer a problem in Spain either, has been addressed in a number of ways, none of them entirely satisfactory: it was a relic of his initial concerns when he began writing the History that was left in the text; it was a way of displaying his own theological credentials and proving his orthodoxy; it was an expression of his hostile feelings towards Spain; it was a reinforcement of the Catholic faith of his own congregation and, beyond that, of his readership. All of these explanations perhaps have an element of truth in them, but here I shall argue that the treatment of Arianism in his works should be seen more in terms of Gregory’s representation of himself and of his own episcopal power.
