Love and grief in post-imperial diplomacy: the letters of Brunhild

Andrew Gillett

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    A cluster of letters written in the name of the Merovingian dowager queen Brunhild, preserved in the late-sixth century letter collection Epistolae Austrasicae, concern her separation from her grandson, a hostage held at the court of the emperor Maurice in Constantinople. These letters have been read as genuine expressions of grief, offering insight into the personality of Brunhild herself or the emotional history of the early medieval period. Examination of the letters in the context of their composition - the larger set of diplomatic letters for which they were prepared, and patterns of communication between the royal courts of Gaul and Constantinople - suggests a more complex function for emotional imagery. The letters represent a script to be performed, deploying emotive scenarios as a tactic to bring indirect pressure on the emperor, and revealing a sophisticated understanding of the dynamics of communication and negotiation.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationStudies in emotions and power in the late Roman world
    Subtitle of host publicationpapers in honour of Ron Newbold
    EditorsBarbara Sidwell, Danijel Dzino
    Place of PublicationPiscataway, NJ
    PublisherGorgias Press
    Pages127-165
    Number of pages39
    ISBN (Print)9781617199141
    Publication statusPublished - 2010

    Publication series

    NameGorgias précis portfolios
    PublisherGorgias Press
    ISSN (Print)1935-3871

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