Mónika Mezei (Budapest)
The position of Jews in Merovingian towns in the second half of the sixth century is examined through the only extensive narrative source of the period, the Libri Decem Historiarum written by Gregory of Tours. Though Gregory himself does not deal much with this particular question his description is important for us because of the general scarcity of sources in that time.
In the Libri Decem Historiarum we can perceive the daily life of the Jewish communities in cities through Gregory's eyes: their clothing, behaviour, and religious customs. It is clear that Jews formed a quite closed and separate community within towns, though, of course, it does not mean that they had another living space separated from that of the Christian population.
As a consequence of their separation there were many conflicts between them and the Christians. This presentation will focus on and discuss the conflicts faced by the population of the cities as well as the reasons Gregory gives for their outbursts.
Based on the written stories of the Libri Decem Historiarum, it can be ascertained that almost all the conflicts happened around the great Christian feasts (Easter, Pentecost), and one of the reasons is to be found in the psychology of the crowds gathering for such religious celebrations.
The disaffection of the Jews was provoked by the Christian attempts at converting them by force. One of the most famous cases happened in 576 in Clermont-Ferrand and was led by a bishop called Avitus. This and similar other actions did not help the peaceful co-existence and overture of the two religious groups. It is also worth examining Gregory's standpoint on the issue.
Another source besides from Gregory's work is an epic that concerns the life of the Jewish people at that time. The poems of Venance Fortunate, although produced at Gregory's request, represent a different point of view about the conversion of the Jews in Clermont-Ferrand.