{"slug":"tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-pl:tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1","title":"Testamentum","title_source":"Testamentum","author":"Bertichramnus Cenomanensis Episcopus","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"latin","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T07:58:46Z","cost_usd":0.023416},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-pl:tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1","work_id":"tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1","edition":"ogl-pl","language":"","license":"Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/tmp1364/tmp1364/tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":54,"english_words":12361,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":51063,"commentary_units":287,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":7,"ambiguities":97,"work_notes":0,"external_links":0,"timeline":0},"summary":{},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin Patrologia Latina","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/tmp1364/tmp1364/tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"tmp1364.tmp1364.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":54,"translated":54,"commentary_passages":49,"commentary_units":287,"english_words":12361,"source_letters":51063,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 54 narrative."},{"kind":"caution","severity":"caution","text":"7 passage(s) are fragmentary in the source; the English bridges each break and says so in the note."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":54},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"SANCTI BERTIGHRAMNI CENOMANENSIS EPISCOPI TESTAMENTUM.\n\n(Mabill. Analect., t. I, p. 255.)\n\nSequitur exemplar testamenti praedicti domni Bertichramni, quod fecit pariter Cenomannicae matri ecclesiae et monasterio sancti Petri, sicut in haec habetur insertum. Quod ideo his in gestis pontificalibus inseramus, ut si aliqua, quod absit, negligentia perditum fuerit, hic reperiatur, per quod sciatur qualiter actum fuit.\n\nIn nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi et Spiritus sancti, sub die sexto Kal. Aprilis, anno regnante gloriosissimo domno Clothario rege, Bertrannus, etsi indignus, peccator, episcopus sanctae Ecclesiae Cenomannicae, sanus Deo propicio mente et corpore, sanoque consilio metuens casus humanae fragilitatis testamentum meum condedi cumque filio meo Ebbone notario scribere rogavi et dictavi. Quod testamentum meum si quo casu jure civile aut jure praetorio, vel alicujus novae legis interventu valere nequiverit, ac si ab intestato ad vicem codicellorum valere eum volo, et valeat.","english":"The Testament of Saint Bertichramnus, Bishop of Le Mans.\n\n(Mabillon, Analecta, vol. I, p. 255.)\n\nHere follows a copy of the testament of the aforementioned lord Bertichramnus, which he made equally for the mother church of Le Mans and for the monastery of Saint Peter, as is contained herein. And we insert it into these pontifical acts so that if, by any chance—which God forbid—it should be lost through negligence, it may be found here, whereby it may be known how it was done.\n\nIn the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit, on the sixth day before the Kalends of April, in the year of the reign of the most glorious lord King Clothar, I, Bertrannus, though unworthy, a sinner, bishop of the holy Church of Le Mans, sound in mind and body by the grace of God, and with sound counsel, fearing the accidents of human frailty, have drawn up my testament and have asked and dictated it to be written by my son, the notary Ebbo. And if this testament of mine should, by any chance, be unable to stand by civil law or by praetorian law, or by the intervention of some new law, I wish it to stand and have effect as if by intestacy, in place of codicils.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Sequitur exemplar testamenti praedicti domni Bertichramni","severity":"info","text":"This sentence introduces the testament as a copy inserted into the pontifical acts, explaining its preservation purpose.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"testamentum","severity":"info","text":"The term 'testamentum' here refers to a last will, but the document also functions as a donation to ecclesiastical institutions, blending legal and religious purposes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"jure civile aut jure praetorio","severity":"info","text":"The reference to civil and praetorian law reflects late Roman legal categories still influential in Merovingian Gaul, where ecclesiastical testaments often invoked these to ensure validity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"sub die sexto Kal. Aprilis, anno regnante gloriosissimo domno Clothario rege","severity":"info","text":"The date formula uses Roman calendar reckoning and regnal year of King Clothar (likely Clothar II, r. 584–629), placing the testament in the early 7th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Mabill. Analect., t. I, p. 255","severity":"info","text":"The source note cites Mabillon's 'Analecta' (late 17th century), indicating the testament's transmission through early modern scholarly collections.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Bertichramni","severity":"caution","text":"The name 'Bertichramnus' appears in variant spellings (e.g., Bertrannus in the text); the identity of the bishop is secure, but the orthographic inconsistency may reflect scribal transmission.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise identity of King Clothar (Clothar I or II) is not specified; the regnal year is given without a number, leaving the exact date uncertain.","The relationship between Bertichramnus and the notary Ebbo ('filio meo') may be literal or spiritual (as a deacon or priest), a common ambiguity in ecclesiastical documents."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Itaque quando ego suprascriptus Bertrannus peccator ex rebus humanis excessero, debitumve naturae tempus complevero; tunc tu sacrosancta Ecclesia Cenomannica, una cura sancta ac venerabili basilica domni Petri et Pauli apostolorum, quae in conspectu civitatis opere meo pro defensione civitatis vel salubritatem populi aedificavi, heredes mihi estote, heredesque meos vos esse constituo ac jubeo ceterive exheredes sint toti. Omnis itaque cui hoc testamentum meum dedero, legavero, darive jussero; id ut detur, fiat, praestetur, fidei heredibus meis committo: si quos autem liberos esse jussero, liberae liberive sint toti.","english":"Therefore, when I, the above-written sinner Bertichramnus, shall have departed from human affairs, or completed the due time of nature, then you, the sacrosanct Church of Le Mans, together with the holy and venerable basilica of the lords Peter and Paul, the apostles, which I built before the city by my own work for the defense of the city and the well-being of the people, shall be my heirs; and I establish and command that you be my heirs, and that all others be disinherited. Moreover, I entrust to my heirs that whatever I have given, bequeathed, or ordered to be given by this testament of mine, it be given, done, and rendered. But if I have ordered any to be free, let them all be free.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Bertrannus","severity":"info","text":"The Latin text uses 'Bertrannus' where the heading has 'Bertichramnus'. This is a common scribal abbreviation or variant; the identity is certain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"sacrosancta Ecclesia Cenomannica","severity":"info","text":"The 'sacrosanct Church of Le Mans' is the cathedral church, the primary heir. The phrase underscores its inviolable status in testamentary law.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"basilica domni Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"This basilica, built by Bertichramnus before the city, is likely the monastery of Saint Peter mentioned in the preamble. Its joint heirship reflects the bishop's dual foundation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"heredes mihi estote ... ceterive exheredes sint toti","severity":"info","text":"The disinheritance clause ('all others be disinherited') is a standard legal formula in early medieval testaments, reinforcing the exclusive rights of the ecclesiastical heirs.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"liberos esse iussero","severity":"info","text":"'Liberos' here likely refers to manumission of slaves or serfs, a common provision in bishops' wills. The phrase 'liberae liberive sint toti' extends freedom to all such persons.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ceterive exheredes sint toti","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin 'ceterive' is a non-classical form (perhaps for 'ceterive' = 'ceteri ve'?). The sense is clear: all others are disinherited, but the orthography is irregular.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise identity of the basilica of Peter and Paul: it may be the same as the monastery of Saint Peter mentioned in the preamble, or a separate foundation. The text does not clarify.","The phrase 'ceterive exheredes sint toti' is grammatically irregular; 'ceterive' may be a scribal error for 'ceteri vero' or 'ceterive' as a conflation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Et quia inditas atque praecelsus domnus Clotharius rex, cui Deus in milia aeternam retribuat beatitudinem, suum praeceptum manus suae jure firmatum mihi dedit, ut de propria facultate, quod ex parentum successione habeo, seu quod munere suo consecutus sum, aut aliquid comparavi, vel comparare Deo adjuvante potuero, vel in quibuscumque rebus atque corporibus facultatum augmentare potuero, taro pro animae meae remedium, quam propinquis meis, seu fidelibus meis delegare voluero, liberum tribuit arbitrium; idcirco te sacrosancta Ecclesia Cenomannica, heres mea, habere volo ac jubeo villam juris mei, cujus vocabulum est Bonalfa, sita in territurio Stampense seu AEqualina silva, et mihi precelsus domnus Clotharius rex suo munere, una cum praecelsa domna Fredegunda regina quondam genitrice sua, postquam cis domnus Vaedola justitia eorum reddidit, in me humilem eorum pro fidei meae conservationem, quae semper circa ipsum principem inviolabilem tenere et habere visus sum, concesserunt; ipsam villam cum domibus, mancipiis, vineis, silvis, campis vel omni re, jure et adjacentibus suis. tam mobilibus quam et immobilibus, post meum obitum tibi valeas perpetualiter possidere; excepto quos exinde liberare voluero.","english":"And because the renowned and most high lord Clotharius, the king, to whom God may grant eternal blessedness for a thousand years, gave me his decree, confirmed by the authority of his hand, that from my own property—whether what I hold from the succession of my parents, or what I have obtained by his gift, or have acquired or, with God’s help, may be able to acquire, or in whatever things and properties I may be able to increase my holdings—he grants me free choice to bequeath, both for the remedy of my soul and to my relatives or my faithful; therefore, I wish and command that you, the sacrosanct Church of Le Mans, my heir, hold the estate of my right, whose name is Bonalfa, situated in the territory of Étampes or in the AEqualina forest, and which the most high lord Clotharius, the king, together with the most high lady Fredegund, the queen, once his mother, granted to me by their gift, after the lord Vaedola restored it to them by their justice, to me, their humble servant, for the preservation of my fidelity, which I have always seemed to hold and keep inviolable toward that prince himself; that estate, with its houses, slaves, vineyards, forests, fields, and everything by right and its appurtenances, both movable and immovable, after my death you may possess in perpetuity; except for those whom I may wish to free from it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"inditas atque praecelsus","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'inditas atque praecelsus' is a variant or corruption of 'inclitus atque praecelsus' (renowned and most high), a standard honorific for Merovingian kings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domnus Clotharius rex","severity":"info","text":"Clotharius II (584–629) was a Merovingian king who reunited the Frankish kingdoms. His reign saw the Edict of Paris (614), which regulated church and state relations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domna Fredegunda regina","severity":"info","text":"Fredegund (d. 597) was the wife of Chilperic I and mother of Clotharius II. She was a powerful queen regent, often depicted in chronicles as ruthless.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villam ... Bonalfa","severity":"info","text":"Bonalpha (modern Bonneval) is a place-name in the territory of Étampes (Stampense), near the forest of AEqualina (likely the Yveline forest).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"excepto quos exinde liberare voluero","severity":"info","text":"This clause reserves the testator's right to manumit certain slaves from the estate, a common provision in early medieval wills reflecting the owner's control over unfree persons.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"in milia aeternam retribuat beatitudinem","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'in milia aeternam' is likely a scribal error for 'in mille annis' or 'in multa secula', as 'milia' (thousands) is unidiomatic for eternal blessedness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'in milia aeternam retribuat beatitudinem' is grammatically irregular; the intended meaning is probably 'may God grant eternal blessedness for many years'.","The identity of 'domnus Vaedola' is uncertain; he may be a local magnate or official involved in the restitution of the estate."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Similiter agrum ad culturam eo tempore adquisitum, te, domna heres mea Ecclesia, habere volo ac decerno; ex quo agro medietatem bonae memoriae domna Ingoberga quondam regina, mea instantia meoque exigente servitio sanctae Mariae dereliquit; aliam vero medietatem de germano ipsius Magnulfo quondam dato pretio comparavi, ut in jure sanctae ecclesiae ager ille ad integrum perveniret; et de villa Celonica sita in territorio Tricurino, quam bona memoria Bobelenus medietatem Ecclesiae delegaverat, et pro ipsa medietate multas habui vexationes, sed meo opere egi ut de jure sancta Ecclesiae non auferretur; etiam et postea aliam medietatem, quam uxore vel heredibus suis ad possidendum delegaverat, dato pretio ad integrum comparavi, et in dominationem meam pervenit; volo ut ipsam villam cum omni securitate tu sacrosancta Ecclesia heres mea, una cum fano Vicinoniae, quicquid mihi comparavi, aut meo opere ad mancipia stabilivi, cum id quod adhuc Deo propitio in ipsis agris immeliorare potuero, cum omni integritate eorum, et mancipia inibi commanentia, tibi, sacrosancta Ecclesia, volo esse donatum. Itemque et villa Brea, quem mihi Daulfus per donationis titulum contulit, et ego postea mihi comparavi, velut quaecumque subjunxi, velut ipsam villam cum omni integritate sua, sicut a me praesenti tempore possidetur, in dominationem sanctae Ecclesiae Cenomannicae heredis meae perduret.","english":"Similarly, the field acquired for cultivation at that time, I wish and decree that you, my lady heir the Church, shall have; from which field, the late lady Ingoberga, once queen, of blessed memory, at my insistence and at the demand of my service to Saint Mary, bequeathed one half; the other half I purchased for a given price from her brother Magnulfus, of blessed memory, so that that field might come in its entirety into the right of the holy Church; and concerning the villa of Celonica, situated in the territory of Tricurium, which the late Bobelenus, of blessed memory, had assigned half to the Church, and for that half I endured many vexations, but I acted through my efforts so that it would not be removed from the right of the holy Church; and also later, the other half, which he had assigned to his wife or his heirs for possession, I purchased in its entirety for a given price, and it came into my dominion; I wish that that villa, with all security, you, my sacrosanct heir the Church, together with the shrine of Vicinonia, whatever I have acquired, or through my work have established for the slaves, along with what, with God’s favor, I may yet be able to improve in those fields, with all their entirety, and the slaves dwelling therein, I wish to be donated to you, the sacrosanct Church. Likewise also the villa of Brea, which Daulfus conferred upon me through a title of donation, and which I later acquired for myself, or whatever I have subjoined, just as that villa with all its entirety, as it is possessed by me at the present time, shall endure in the dominion of the holy Church of Le Mans, my heir.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"domna heres mea Ecclesia","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'domna heres mea Ecclesia' personifies the Church as heir, a common legal formula in early medieval testaments, reflecting the Church's capacity to inherit property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ingoberga quondam regina","severity":"info","text":"Ingoberga, identified as a former queen, is otherwise unattested in known sources; her mention here provides a rare glimpse into Merovingian royal women's involvement in ecclesiastical patronage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"villa Celonica ... territorio Tricurino","severity":"info","text":"The villa Celonica in the territory of Tricurium (likely modern Tricorium in Gaul) and the shrine of Vicinonia are local place names, indicating the geographic scope of Bertichramnus's holdings in the Le Mans region.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Similiter ... Itemque","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as a series of bequests introduced by 'Similiter' and 'Itemque', typical of testamentary clauses listing properties with their acquisition histories.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"eo tempore","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'eo tempore' refers to the period of Bertichramnus's episcopacy (late 6th to early 7th century), situating the acquisitions within the Merovingian era under King Clotharius II.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"mancipia inibi commanentia","severity":"caution","text":"The term 'mancipia' can mean both 'slaves' and 'property'; here it likely refers to enslaved persons attached to the land, but the ambiguity reflects the legal conflation of human chattel with real estate in early medieval documents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Ingoberga is uncertain; she may be a local queen not recorded in other sources.","The location of the villa Celonica and shrine of Vicinonia is not precisely identified.","The term 'mancipia' may ambiguously refer to slaves or to property more generally."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Sed et quam plurima, quae memorare novero [F., non valeo], tibi meo studio, sancta Ecclesia, adquisivi.\n\nEt licet omnibus Christo propicio notum sit, qualiter ego aut quam fideliter in sancta Ecclesia, aut in monasteriis, ani in cunctis rebus laborassem; tamen et tu, domne pontifex, quem Deus in eis post me esse voluerit, cognoscere potes, quanta ibidem meo studio vel labore tempore meo Deus est dignatus conferre. Quod si fide integra disponis inquirere, cognosces me tuae Ecclesiae non modicum laborasse. Unde tibi ineptum esse non debet, si aliquid de rebus sanctae Mariae cuicunque ex fratribus nostris, hoc est presbyteris et diaconibus, seu lectoribus aut propinquis meis, vel amicis aut servientibus, tam sanctae Ecclesiae, quam et meis propriis, cuicumque aliquid in usufructu dimitto, quia sanctae Ecclesiae proprietatem non aufero, et de substantiola heredem ipsam constituo.","english":"But also very many things, which I am unable to recall, I have acquired for you, holy Church, through my efforts.\n\nAnd although it is known to all, with Christ’s favor, how I labored and with what faithfulness in the holy Church, or in the monasteries, or in all matters; nevertheless, you, lord bishop, whom God will have wished to be after me in these things, can recognize how much God has deigned to bestow in that same place through my efforts and labor during my time. If you resolve to inquire with complete faith, you will recognize that I have labored not a little for your Church. Hence it ought not to seem unfitting to you if I leave something from the property of Saint Mary to any of our brothers—that is, to presbyters and deacons, or to lectors, or to my relatives, or to friends or servants, both of the holy Church and of my own—to anyone to whom I leave something in usufruct, because I do not remove the ownership from the holy Church, and I establish her as heir to my little substance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Sed et quam plurima, quae memorare novero [F., non valeo]","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'memorare novero' is a scribal error; the edition corrects to 'non valeo' ('I am unable'). The sense is that the author cannot recall all his acquisitions for the Church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"usufructu","severity":"info","text":"'Usufructu' (ablative of ususfructus) denotes a legal right to use and enjoy property without owning it. The author distinguishes this from proprietas (ownership), which remains with the Church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Unde tibi ineptum esse non debet...","severity":"info","text":"This sentence forms a concessive argument: the bishop should not object to the author's bequests in usufruct because the Church retains ownership and is named heir of the 'substantiola' (little substance).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"substantiola","severity":"info","text":"'Substantiola' is a diminutive of substantia, meaning 'small property' or 'modest estate.' It reflects the author's humility and the legal concept of the Church as residual heir.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"Testamentum Bertichramni","severity":"info","text":"This testament is a key source for early medieval Frankish ecclesiastical property law, illustrating the use of usufruct to benefit clerics and kin while preserving Church ownership.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'memorare novero' is corrupt; the intended reading is 'non valeo' (I am unable). The identity of 'domne pontifex' (lord bishop) is unspecified, though it likely refers to the bishop of Le Mans."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"Et quia sanctae recordationis domnus Domnolus quondam episcopus de agris Ecclesiae aliqua locella ad basilicam suam, ubi requiescere videtur, delegavit, sed nobis molestum fuit, ut iterum nos simile conditione de agris Ecclesiae aliquid auferre aut minuere deberemus, ut basilicae sanctorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum, quam in honore eorum nominis construxi, conferre deberemus; sed magis pertractans cum consilio venerabilium fratrum nostrorum presbyterorum, seu diaconorum, vel omnium clericorum, ut unum locellum de Ecclesiae conditione ad ipsam sanctam basilicam, non tantum pro necessitate, sed propter primitias vel reverentiam ipsorum domnorum apostolorum, et quod mater sancta Ecclesia, quae omnes basilicas ad se pertinentes fovet ac ditat, convenit cum domnis pontificibus diem illum, quo benedictio caelestis vel reliquiae sanctorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum in ipsa basilica positae sunt, et dupliciter divina opitulante gratia sanctis sacerdotibus consecrata in honorem sanctorum apostolorum, vel loci illius consecrationem; villa Umbriaco, quam Basilius et Baudegundus quondam per donationis titulum ad sanctam Ecclesiam condederant post eorum obitum possidendam; unde et nos postea jugiter laboravimus, ut Ecclesiae non auferretur, postea omnia supradicta quod per me humilem sanctae Ecclesiae proficit aut obvenit, tam praedicto Umbriaco, quam in suburbana basilica domni Petri et","english":"And because the lord Domnolus of blessed memory, once bishop, assigned some small parcels of the Church’s lands to his own basilica, where he is seen to rest, yet it was burdensome to us that we should again, under a similar condition, have to remove or diminish anything from the Church’s lands in order to bestow it upon the basilica of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, which I built in honor of their name; but rather, after deliberating with the counsel of our venerable brothers the presbyters, deacons, and all the clergy, that we should assign one small parcel from the Church’s estate to that same holy basilica, not so much out of necessity, but for the sake of the first fruits and the reverence of the lords apostles themselves, and because the holy mother Church, which cherishes and enriches all basilicas belonging to her, it was agreed with the lord bishops on that day when the heavenly blessing and the relics of the holy apostles Peter and Paul were placed in that basilica, and it was twice consecrated by divine grace through holy priests in honor of the holy apostles, or for the consecration of that place; the villa Umbriaco, which Basilius and Baudegundus, of blessed memory, had once granted by a deed of donation to the holy Church to be possessed after their death; whence we also afterwards labored continuously that it should not be taken away from the Church; afterwards, all the above-mentioned things which through me, humble as I am, have accrued or come to the holy Church, both the aforesaid Umbriaco and the suburban basilica of the lord Peter and","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Domnolus quondam episcopus","severity":"info","text":"Domnolus was bishop of Le Mans in the mid-6th century; his episcopate is known from Gregory of Tours. The reference to his basilica and burial reflects early medieval practice of bishops endowing their own funerary churches.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"locellum","severity":"info","text":"Locellum (diminutive of locus) means a small parcel or plot of land, often with a church or oratory. Here it refers to a minor estate transferred from the cathedral church to a basilica.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"villa Umbriaco","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a general statement about not alienating church lands to a specific grant of the villa Umbriaco. This villa is the 'one small parcel' mentioned earlier, now named and described as a former donation to the church by Basilius and Baudegundus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"dupliciter ... consecrata","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'twice consecrated' likely refers to two separate consecration ceremonies: one for the relics and another for the church building itself. This reflects Merovingian liturgical practice where relic deposition and church dedication could be distinct rites.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"convenit cum domnis pontificibus","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax is confused: 'convenit' lacks a clear subject, and the clause beginning 'et dupliciter' is grammatically loose. The text may be corrupt or reflect a notarial style that mixes direct and indirect discourse.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'convenit cum domnis pontificibus' is ambiguous: it may mean 'it was agreed with the lord bishops' or 'it is fitting with the lord bishops'. The translation adopts the former, but the Latin could support either.","The clause 'et dupliciter ... consecrationem' is syntactically incomplete; it is unclear whether it modifies the preceding agreement or introduces a new point about the basilica's dedication."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Pauli apostolorum, quae meo opere aedificata esse dinoscetur, ad ipsam sanctam Ecclesiam, Christo propitio, debeat in perpetuo permanere.\n\nId mihi placuit delegare, ut villa Nimione, sita in territorio Parisiaco, cum vineis quae Frontanito ad palastrias et vinitores esse noscuntur, quas mihi domnus Clotharius rex dedit, quas meo saepius, dum laicus fui, tam de fisco, quam de comparato possidendum sanctae Ecclesiae Parisiacae, sub cujus gratia nutritus sum, ad integrum volo esse donatum. Basilicae vero sanctorum ac beatissimorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum, quam superius heredem, una cum santa Ecclesia Cenomannica constitui, sicut mea est devotio, quia ibidem meum (quandoquidem Deus voluerit) desidero collocare corpusculum, ad ipsam sanctam basilicam in honore sanctorum apostolorum.","english":"of the apostles Peter and Paul, which is known to have been built by my own labor, shall, with Christ’s favor, remain in perpetuity to that same holy Church.\n\nIt has pleased me to assign that the estate of Nimione, situated in the territory of Paris, together with the vineyards which are known to belong to Frontanitus for the use of the winepresses and vinedressers—which the lord King Clotharius gave to me, and which I, while still a layman, often held both from the fisc and by purchase—I wish to be given in full to the holy Church of Paris, under whose grace I was nurtured. But to the basilica of the holy and most blessed apostles Peter and Paul, which I have established as heir together with the holy Church of Le Mans, according to my devotion—since I desire, when God so wills, to place my little body there—I wish it to belong to that same holy basilica in honor of the holy apostles.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"villa Nimione","severity":"info","text":"The estate of Nimione is located in the territory of Paris. Its precise identification is uncertain, but it likely refers to a specific rural property granted to Bertichramnus by King Clotharius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ad palastrias","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ad palastrias' likely refers to winepresses or pressing facilities, derived from Greek 'palastrion' or Latin 'palastrum', indicating infrastructure for wine production associated with the vineyards.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domnus Clotharius rex","severity":"info","text":"King Clotharius II (584–629) was a Merovingian king who reigned over Neustria and later all Francia. His grant of the estate to Bertichramnus reflects royal patronage of ecclesiastical foundations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Basilicae vero sanctorum ... heredem","severity":"info","text":"This passage establishes the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul as co-heir with the Church of Le Mans, a legal arrangement typical of early medieval testaments to ensure perpetual endowment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"corpusculum","severity":"info","text":"The diminutive 'corpusculum' ('little body') reflects a common hagiographic and testamentary trope of humility, expressing the donor's wish for burial at the basilica he founded.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"quas mihi domnus Clotharius rex dedit, quas meo saepius, dum laicus fui","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax is ambiguous: 'quas meo saepius' may be corrupt or elliptical. The translation interprets it as 'which I often held', but the Latin could also imply 'which I often [acquired] by my own [effort]'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of 'villa Nimione' is unknown; it is identified only as in the territory of Paris.","The phrase 'quas meo saepius' is syntactically unclear, possibly a scribal error or abbreviation."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"ut pro facinore meo quod hic in saeculo jugiter visus sum perpetrasse, ut ipsi apostoli suffragiis suis ab infernali poena me liberare dignentur, et si non in gloria (quod non mercor) vel veniam eorum patrociniis aut intercessionibus merear obtinere; dono itaque ad ipsam sanctam basilicam villas sitas tam in territorio Cenomannico, quam et in Stampensi vel Burdigalinse, aut ubicumque, tam per donationis titulum quam ad ipsam basilicam jam die natalicii sui dedi, verum etiam quod et adhuc per testamenti istus paginam dedero, quas mihi domnus gloriosus Clotharius per suam munificentiam contulit, vel pro fidei meae conservationem ad integrum suis praeceptionibus manum suam roboratis, mihi integram tribuet licentiam, ut praedicto loco pro animae meae remedio, vel sui regni stabilitate, ipsas villas quas munere suae promerui, conferre debere. Haec sunt villas. Villa Thedone, Colonica nomine Telate, et alias villas Buresaco, et mansiones in Wastinense, quas de viro illustri Varnachario Majorem domnus pro villa Columbaria percepimus.","english":"so that for my misdeed, which I have continually been seen to commit in this world, the apostles themselves may deign to free me from infernal punishment by their intercessions, and if not in glory (which I do not deserve), I may at least merit to obtain forgiveness through their patronage or intercessions. I therefore give to that same holy basilica the estates situated both in the territory of Le Mans and in those of Étampes or Bordeaux, or wherever, both those which I have already given to that same basilica on its feast day by a deed of donation, and also those which I shall give through the page of this testament, which the glorious lord Clothar conferred upon me by his munificence, or for the preservation of my faith, by his decrees reinforced by his own hand, granted me full license to confer those same estates, which I merited by his gift, to the aforesaid place for the remedy of my soul and the stability of his reign. These are the estates: the estate of Thedon, the demesne called Telate, and other estates of Buresac, and the holdings in the Wastinense, which we received from the illustrious man Varnacharius, the mayor of the palace, in exchange for the estate of Columbaria.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ut pro facinore meo ... ab infernali poena me liberare dignentur","severity":"info","text":"The donor hopes the apostles will free him from hellish punishment, reflecting a transactional view of saintly intercession common in early medieval piety.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villam Columbaria","severity":"info","text":"Columbaria (dovecote) is a place-name; the exchange with Varnacharius for it is recorded, but its location is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Varnacharius Majorem domnus","severity":"info","text":"Varnacharius is titled maior domus (mayor of the palace), a high Merovingian office; his involvement shows the political weight behind the donation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Haec sunt villas","severity":"info","text":"This phrase introduces a list of properties, a typical clause in donation charters; the list is incomplete in this passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"domnus gloriosus Clotharius","severity":"info","text":"King Clothar II (or possibly Clothar I) is named; the reference helps date the testament to the early 7th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Burdigalinse","severity":"caution","text":"The form Burdigalinse (for Bordeaux) is a scribal variant; the text may have been corrupted in transmission.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of several estates (e.g., Thedone, Telate, Wastinense) is uncertain.","The phrase 'si non in gloria (quod non mercor)' may reflect genuine humility or a formulaic expression."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Illud vero rogo atque jubeo abbatibus, qui per singula tempora, sicut divina potentia aut gratia domnorum apostolorum eos inibi jusserit perdurare, ut omni tempore vitae eorum boc sit eis potissimum observandum, ut de villis superius nominalis, quicquid exinde aut in tributum, aut in suffragium annis singulis poterit obvenire, medietas ex hoc, quando fuerit mea commemoratio pauperibus aut in vestimentum, aut in aurum erogetur; alia medietas luminis exinde in sancta basilica omni tempore sulficienter accendatur, ut numquam sit neque una hora noctis absque luminaria ipsa sancta basilica, signum dignum est, in honorem praedictorum apostolorum luminis omni tempore fulgeat indesinenter, tam ad basilicam sanctorum apostolorum, quam et ad sanctam crucem, quam postea aedificavi, vel ad basilicam domni Martin ad Synodochium, quae est in Pontileuga, excepto de fructibus aut reliquis conditionibus, quod de praedictis agris speratur in usibus sanctae basilicae et monasteri sui, sive alimonia canonicorum vel pauperum, qui ad ipsam basilicam sanctam ad matrico sedere videntur, victus et vestitus per singulos annos sufficienter ministretur, et pro meis expiandis peccatis jugiter Domino deprecentur, et pro collata principis caelestis eidem et regnum longaevum praestet, et in retributionem aeternam centuplum accipere mereatur.","english":"I ask and command the abbots who, at each time, as divine power or the grace of the lord apostles may bid them to endure there, that throughout their lives this be most especially observed by them: that from the estates named above, whatever may come from them each year either in tribute or in support, half of this, when my commemoration occurs, be distributed to the poor either in clothing or in gold; the other half be used to provide light in the holy basilica sufficiently at all times, so that never for even one hour of the night should that holy basilica be without lamps—a fitting sign—so that in honor of the aforementioned apostles, light may shine unceasingly at all times, both at the basilica of the holy apostles and at the holy cross which I later built, and at the basilica of Lord Martin at the Synodochium, which is in Pontileuga, except for the fruits or other conditions which are expected from the said lands for the uses of the holy basilica and its monastery, or for the sustenance of the canons or the poor who are seen to sit at that holy mother church, so that food and clothing be sufficiently provided each year, and that they may continually entreat the Lord for the expiation of my sins, and that the celestial Prince may grant long life to the same [kingdom?] and that he may deserve to receive a hundredfold in eternal reward.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Synodochium","severity":"info","text":"Synodochium (from Greek συνοδόχειον) denotes a hostel or guesthouse for pilgrims or the poor, often attached to a church. Here it is a place-name in Pontileuga, associated with the basilica of St. Martin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"matrico","severity":"info","text":"Matrico (from Latin matrix, -icis) means 'mother church' or principal church. The phrase 'ad matrico sedere' likely refers to canons or poor seated at the main basilica, indicating a community of clergy or dependents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"commemoratio","severity":"info","text":"Commemoratio refers to the annual anniversary mass for the testator's soul, a common practice in early medieval wills. The distribution of alms and lighting on this day reflects the donor's concern for post-mortem intercession.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"medietas ... alia medietas","severity":"info","text":"The passage divides the income from the named estates into two equal halves: one for alms (clothing or gold) on the testator's anniversary, the other for perpetual lighting in the basilica. This binary structure is typical of early medieval testamentary provisions for the poor and church fabric.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"pro collata principis caelestis eidem et regnum longaevum praestet","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin is grammatically ambiguous: 'eidem' may refer to the king (perhaps Charles the Bald) or to the testator. The English draft interprets it as the kingdom, but the text likely prays for the celestial prince to grant long life to the donor or the ruler.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"centuplum accipere mereatur","severity":"info","text":"The promise of a hundredfold reward echoes biblical language (e.g., Matthew 19:29, or the parable of the sower) and reflects the early medieval theology of almsgiving as an investment in eternal return.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'pro collata principis caelestis eidem et regnum longaevum praestet' is syntactically unclear: 'eidem' could refer to the testator or the king, and 'regnum' may mean 'kingdom' or 'reign'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"Ecclesiae vero herede meae villa Dolus, quod meo opere construxi, et meo ingenio undique ad me pervenit post diem obitus mei, quicquid inibi laboravero, cum domibus, mancipiis. vincis, campis, pratis, cultis et incultis, et omni jure suo, vel termino suo, quod ibi justo ordine abstraxi, te, sancta Ecclesia, in integrum habere delego.\n\nBasilicae sancti Petri et Pauli, vitias quas dato pretio comparavi, id est Gaviaco, Colonica. Landolenas, et Ferrenis meo opere undique adquisitas, et quidquid Cellis vel in Samarciago ad prope Cenomannis civitate, quicquid Portithorengo, quem pro tutelam percepi, inibi fuit, et hoc quod Ceta et Mancia vel Guntha illuc possedisse jurae visae fuerant, et ad meam pervenit ditionem, tam terris, vineis, ac colonis et servis, integra portione eorum. Similiter et villas quas in honorem basilicae domni Petri et Pauli comparavi de pecunia, quam gloriosus domnus Clotharius rex nobis dedit, vel nos pro fidei nostrae undique conquisivimus. Haec sunt villae ipsae, Campocunanae, Ludina, et Comariago, vel Cambariaco, sicut venditiones edocent, ipsam basilicam, sicut nos eas jam ibidem tradidimus, cum villare cui nomen Piciniaco, quem Gondobaldus quondam diaconus tenuit, pariter et Iliaco quem de viro illustri Babisone percepimus, volo in Dei nomine possidendas.","english":"To the Church, my heir, the estate of Dolus, which I built by my own labor and which came to me from all sides by my own effort, after the day of my death, whatever I have worked there, with houses, slaves, vineyards, fields, meadows, cultivated and uncultivated lands, and with all its right or its boundary, which I have justly acquired there, I delegate you, holy Church, to hold in entirety.\n\nTo the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the estates which I purchased with money given as payment, that is, Gaviacus, Colonica, Landolenas, and Ferrenis, acquired from all sides by my own labor, and whatever at Cellis or in Samarciagus near the city of Cenomannum, whatever at Portithorengus, which I received for protection, was there, and this which Ceta and Mancia or Guntha were seen to have possessed there by right, and came into my power, both lands, vineyards, and tenants and slaves, their entire portion. Similarly also the estates which I purchased in honor of the basilica of the lord Peter and Paul with the money which the glorious lord King Clotharius gave us, or which we acquired from all sides for our faith. These are the estates themselves: Campocunanae, Ludina, and Comariagus, or Cambariacus, as the deeds of sale show, to that same basilica, just as we have already delivered them there, together with the farmstead named Piciniacus, which Gondobaldus, once a deacon, held, and likewise Iliacus, which we received from the illustrious man Babiso, I wish to be possessed in the name of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villa Dolus","severity":"info","text":"Dolus is a named estate (villa) that Bertichramnus claims to have built and acquired by his own labor. The term 'villa' in Merovingian context denotes a rural estate with dependent lands and workers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Clotharius rex","severity":"info","text":"King Clotharius II (584–629) was a Merovingian king who reigned over Neustria and later all Francia. His donation of money to Bertichramnus reflects royal patronage of the Church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villas ... comparavi de pecunia","severity":"info","text":"Bertichramnus distinguishes estates acquired by purchase (comparavi) from those acquired by labor. This legal precision underscores the legitimacy of Church ownership.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Basilicae sancti Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from bequest to the Church as heir (Ecclesiae) to a specific bequest to the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, likely the cathedral of Cenomannum (Le Mans).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Testamentum Bertichramni","severity":"info","text":"This testament is a key source for Merovingian landholding and ecclesiastical endowment. It survives in a 9th-century manuscript (Paris, BNF lat. 4631) and was cited in later disputes over church property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"villas ... sicut venditiones edocent","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'as the deeds of sale show' implies that written records existed, but these deeds are not preserved. The testament's list of estates may be incomplete or reflect later interpolations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of several estates (e.g., Gaviacus, Colonica) is uncertain. The phrase 'quod meo opere construxi' may be formulaic rather than literal."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Illud etiam constituens ac decernens, quod quicquid mihi in minutis rebus aut in quibuscumque modis datum est, vel in meis cartis noscuntur esse conscriptae, hoc totum et ad integrum, tu sancta Ecclesia et venerabilis basilica domni Petri et Pauli, qui in hoc folio testamenti mei forsitan in oblivione mihi obvenit, aequa lance dividatis possidendum. Villa vero Morenaco, quam meo opere et cum grandi labore adquisivi, et postea hunc ego absens vi pro fidei mei conservationes a Modeghiselo malo ordine fuit praeoccupata, et cum Deus reddidit justitiam domno Clothario regi, iterum ad dominationem sanctae Ecclesiae vel meam pervenit; ipsam villam, cum omni jure suo et terminum te, sancta Ecclesia, habere constituo. Basilica vero sancti Petri et Pauli portionem deinde quod inibi possidere videor, cum colonica quae mihi Leodaldus per donationis titulum contulit, cum id quod ibidem postea undique comparavi, in ipso fundo Mechense et Voligione, cum omni integritate, portionibus ipsius vel terminis earum, et mancipia, mobilibus, et immobilibus, te, sancta basilica, perpetualiter valeas dominare.","english":"I also establish and decree that whatever has been given to me in small items or in any manner whatsoever, or is known to be written in my charters, all this entirely and completely, you, holy Church and venerable basilica of the Lords Peter and Paul, which perhaps has come to me in forgetfulness in this leaf of my testament, shall divide and possess with equal measure. As for the estate of Morenaco, which I acquired by my own work and with great labor, and which later, in my absence, was wrongfully seized by Modeghiselus by force for the preservation of my faith, and when God restored justice to the Lord King Clotharius, it came again under the dominion of the holy Church and myself; I decree that you, holy Church, shall have this estate with all its right and boundary. And you, holy basilica of Saint Peter and Paul, shall be able to perpetually rule the portion which I seem to possess there, with the farmstead which Leodaldus conferred upon me by a title of donation, with what I later acquired there from all sides, in that same land of Mechense and Voligione, with all integrity, the portions thereof or their boundaries, and the slaves, movables, and immovables.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"in minutis rebus aut in quibuscumque modis datum est","severity":"info","text":"The phrase covers small gifts or casual donations not recorded in formal charters, ensuring they are included in the Church's inheritance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"aequa lance dividatis","severity":"info","text":"Aequa lance (with equal measure) is a legal metaphor for fair division, derived from the image of a balanced scale.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Modeghiselo","severity":"info","text":"Modeghiselus is a Frankish noble; his seizure of Morenaco reflects the violent land disputes common in Merovingian Gaul, resolved by King Clotharius II (d. 629/30).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa vero Morenaco","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from general bequests to a specific estate (Morenaco), then to a basilica's portion, following a pattern of increasing specificity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"in hoc folio testamenti mei forsitan in oblivione mihi obvenit","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase suggests the testator may have omitted some items from the written will; the clause attempts to cover such omissions, but the legal force is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"basilica sancti Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Le Mans was a major ecclesiastical institution; Bertichramnus's bequests reflect the merging of personal and church property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact relationship between the 'holy Church' and the 'basilica of Peter and Paul' is unclear; they may be the same entity or distinct recipients.","The phrase 'pro fidei mei conservationes' is ambiguous: it may mean 'for the preservation of my faith' or refer to a legal pretext for the seizure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Licet nulli habetur incognitum, qualiter ego post transitum Guntrami quodam Regis pro quo sacramentum insolubile domno meo Clothario regi dedi pro co quod civitas Cenomannis legitimo ordine, post transisitum domni Gunthranni, ex hereditate genitoris sui bonae recordationis suae Chilperici quondam regis debuit pervenire; sed faciente cupiditate et civitas ipsa ei fuit ablata, et de reliquo regno suo multum passus est dispendium, sed dum me sacramentum meum in integrum constrinxit, ut eum nullatenus dimittere deberem, facile mihi fuit ut secundum facultatem tam sanctam Ecclesiam, quam et proprietatem relinquerem quam perjurus (quod absit) invenirer. Sed dum pro amore ipsius principis unanimiter cum ipso consisterem, anteriorem exspoliationem suam, vel posteriorem, quod injuste pertulit, necesse principi ipsi fuit, ut nobis aliquid adderet, unde vitae substantiae et nos, et pauperes nostri sustentare deberemus, unde ille Rex caelestis pro nobis retributor existat. Nam nos pauperi non habemus nec aurum, nec argentum, unde tibi, gloriosissime domne Clotharie, bona retribuamus, attamen de id quod gloria vestra nobis contulit, praesumemus in hoc testamento nostro vestram celsitudinem memorare.","english":"Although it is known to no one, how I, after the passing of King Guntram, to whom I gave an indissoluble oath to my lord King Clothar, because the city of Le Mans, by lawful order, after the passing of the lord Guntram, ought to have come by inheritance from his father of blessed memory, the late King Chilperic; but, with greed at work, both the city itself was taken from him, and he suffered great loss from the rest of his kingdom. But since my oath bound me completely, that I should in no way abandon him, it was easy for me to leave both the holy Church and my property, rather than be found perjured (which God forbid). But while I stood with him unanimously out of love for that prince, whether for his earlier spoliation or the later one, which he unjustly endured, it was necessary for that prince himself to add something to us, by which we and our poor might sustain the substance of life, for which may the heavenly King be our rewarder. For we, the poor, have neither gold nor silver with which to repay you, most glorious lord Clothar, for good things; nevertheless, from that which your glory conferred upon us, we presume in this testament of ours to make mention of your highness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Guntrami ... Gunthranni","severity":"info","text":"Guntram (Guntramnus) and Gunthramnus likely refer to the same Merovingian king, Guntram (c. 561–592), son of Chlothar I. The spelling variation is common in medieval manuscripts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Chilperici","severity":"info","text":"Chilperic I (c. 539–584) was a Merovingian king of Neustria, father of Guntram. The text refers to him as 'bonae recordationis suae Chilperici quondam regis'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"sacramentum insolubile","severity":"info","text":"'Sacramentum insolubile' (indissoluble oath) is a legal term for an oath that cannot be broken, here binding Bertichramnus to King Clothar II after Guntram's death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"perjurus","severity":"info","text":"'Perjurus' (perjurer) is a legal and moral term; Bertichramnus emphasizes his fear of perjury to justify his actions, reflecting the gravity of oath-breaking in Merovingian society.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Licet nulli habetur incognitum","severity":"info","text":"This phrase opens a lengthy subordinate clause that delays the main verb, creating a rhetorical preamble typical of legal documents to justify the testator's actions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"anteriorem exspoliationem suam, vel posteriorem","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'anteriorem exspoliationem suam, vel posteriorem' is ambiguous: it may refer to two distinct spoliations of Clothar II, or to a single spoliation described in two ways. The translation adopts the former reading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Guntramus' and 'Gunthrannus' is assumed to be the same king, but the spelling variation could indicate a scribal error or a different individual.","The phrase 'anteriorem exspoliationem suam, vel posteriorem' is ambiguous: it may refer to two distinct spoliations or a single spoliation described in two ways."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"Offerimus itaque regno vestro de muneribus vestris, unde nos per praeceptum vigoris vestrae manus roboratum, licentiam tribuisti faciendi quod volebamus, id est villas Neolone et Walionno, cum omni termino et adjacentiis ad se pertinentibus, vel quicquid postea nobis fuit melioratum, hoc celsitudo vestra ad suam recipiat dominationem. Similiter donamus tibi, gloriosissima domna Berchirudis regina, villam, nomine Penpinas, quae appellatur Cella, quam nobis gloriosus domnus noster jugalis vester suo munere contulit, ut ipsam villam, cum domibus, mancipiis, vel terminum suum post meum obitum vel vestrum regimen absque ullo impedimento recipiatis. Dulcissimo nepote meo Sigechelmo, et pronepote meo Toringo, si mihi superstites fuerint, villam Seuvacum, Villare Ripariola aequa lance dividant\n\nSimili modo villa Briomilia, quae ex successione parentum nobis juste debita erat, et per interregna longo tempore nobis ablata fuit, et postea cum Deus domno Clothario regnum suum in integrum dedit, ipsam villam nobis sua pictas reddidit, et per praeceptionem suam firmavit: quam villam dulcissimo pronepoti meo filio Sigechelmi Leutranno et Sichranno volo esse donatam.","english":"We offer therefore to your kingdom from your gifts, whereby you, through a decree strengthened by the vigor of your hand, granted us the license to do what we wished, that is, the estates of Neolona and Walionno, with every boundary and appurtenance pertaining to them, or whatever was later improved by us, let your highness receive this into its own dominion. Similarly, we give to you, most glorious lady Queen Berchirudis, the estate named Penpinas, which is called Cella, which our glorious lord, your husband, conferred upon us by his gift, so that you may receive that estate, with its houses, slaves, and its boundary, after my death or your governance, without any impediment. To my dearest nephew Sigechelm, and to my great-nephew Toringus, if they survive me, let them divide the estate of Seuvacum and Villare Ripariola equally.\n\nIn like manner, the estate of Briomilia, which was justly owed to us by inheritance from our parents, and was taken from us for a long time during the interregna, and afterwards, when God gave the kingdom entire to lord Clothar, his piety restored that estate to us and confirmed it by his decree: I wish that estate to be given to my dearest great-nephew, the son of Sigechelm, Leutrannus, and to Sichrannus.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Offerimus itaque regno vestro de muneribus vestris","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'offerimus ... de muneribus vestris' indicates that the properties being donated were originally royal gifts, now being returned or redirected to the king and queen.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"villam, nomine Penpinas, quae appellatur Cella","severity":"info","text":"The estate 'Penpinas' also called 'Cella' may refer to a monastic cell or a dependent settlement; 'Cella' often denotes a small religious house or a farmstead in early medieval charters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"per interregna longo tempore nobis ablata fuit","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'interregna' points to the period of political instability in Merovingian Gaul after the death of King Guntram (c. 592), when rival kings contested control of Le Mans and its territories.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Simili modo villa Briomilia","severity":"info","text":"This passage mirrors the previous donation formula, using 'simili modo' to introduce a second bequest, creating a parallel structure that reinforces the testamentary pattern.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"postea cum Deus domno Clothario regnum suum in integrum dedit","severity":"info","text":"This refers to King Clothar II's reunification of the Frankish kingdoms after the death of Brunhild in 613, a key event that allowed Bertichramnus to recover the estate of Briomilia.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"dulcissimo pronepoti meo filio Sigechelmi Leutranno et Sichranno","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'filio Sigechelmi' likely modifies only Leutrannus, but the Latin syntax is ambiguous; it could be read as both Leutrannus and Sichrannus being sons of Sigechelm.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Sichrannus' is unclear; he may be another great-nephew or a separate beneficiary.","The exact location of estates 'Neolona', 'Walionno', 'Penpinas', 'Seuvacum', 'Villare Ripariola', and 'Briomilia' is not specified in the text."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"Similiter villam Castalione sitam in Santonico, qui parentibus meis et viro illustri Sigeleno fuit, et ipsam nobis gloriosus domnus Clotharius rex per suum praeceptum concessit, quia jam longo tempore et mihi et jam dicio parente meo Sigeleno ablata fuit, si me superstes fuerit ipse Sigelenus, ad suam revocet ditionem: sin autem filiis suis, id est Sicheleco et Berchelaico, ipsam volo esse donatam. Villas Crisciago et Botilo qui nobis ex successione genitoris nostri juste debentur, et cum germanis meis deberem partire, si ipsos mors non antecessisset: modo jubeo ut durissime nepos meus Sigechelme, una cum nepoti meo Thoringo aequa lance ipsas villulas dividatis. Villam Bualone sitam in Stampense secus AEqualina, quam per donationis titulum dulcissimo pronepoti meo Leuthranno die nuptiarum suarum dedi, sicut donatio ipsa continet, et per hoc testamentum meum ipsam eis volo esse donatam. Locello qui appellatur Fontanido, quem mihi gloriosus domnus Clotharius rex suo munere concessit, ubi Eusebius quondam laicus vineas plantavit, et nos postea et mancipia posuimus, ipsum locellum cum omni integritate quod ibidem aspicere videtur, totum et ad integrum sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli ad suam revocet dominationem, et medietatem de vineis pronepos meus Leuthramnus et conjux sua perpetualiter valeant possidere.","english":"Similarly, the estate of Castalione, situated in the Santonic territory, which belonged to my parents and to the illustrious man Sigelenus, and which the glorious lord King Clotharius himself granted to us by his decree—since for a long time it had been taken away both from me and from my aforementioned relative Sigelenus—if Sigelenus survives me, he is to reclaim it under his own authority; but if not, I wish it to be given to his sons, that is, Sichelecus and Berchelaicus. The estates of Crisciago and Botilo, which are justly owed to us from the inheritance of our parent, and which I would have had to share with my siblings had death not overtaken them—I now order that my nephew Sigechelmus, together with my nephew Thoringus, divide these small estates with the utmost fairness. The estate of Bualone, situated in the Stampense region near AEqualina, which I gave by a deed of gift to my dearest great-grandson Leuthramnus on his wedding day, as that deed itself contains, I wish to be given to them also by this testament of mine. The small place called Fontanido, which the glorious lord King Clotharius granted to me as his gift, where the late layman Eusebius planted vineyards, and where we later also placed serfs—this small place, with all the integrity that appears to pertain to it, is to be recalled entirely and completely to the dominion of the holy basilica of Lords Peter and Paul, and my great-grandson Leuthramnus and his wife are to be able to possess half of the vineyards in perpetuity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Similiter villam Castalione sitam in Santonico","severity":"info","text":"The estate Castalione in the Santonic territory (Saintonge) is here given conditionally: if Sigelenus survives the testator, he reclaims it; otherwise it goes to his sons.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"Santonico","severity":"info","text":"Santonico refers to the region of Saintonge in southwestern Gaul, a territory of the Santones tribe.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Sigelenus","severity":"info","text":"Sigelenus is described as a vir illustris, a late Roman honorific title for high-ranking officials, still used in Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villas Crisciago et Botilo","severity":"info","text":"This passage lists multiple bequests in a series introduced by 'Similiter' and 'Villas', each with distinct conditions, showing a formulaic testamentary structure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is likely the cathedral of Le Mans, to which Bertichramnus was bishop, reflecting the common practice of endowing one's own see.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"pronepos meus Leuthramnus","severity":"caution","text":"The term 'pronepos' can mean great-grandson or descendant; here it likely means great-grandson, but the exact genealogical relationship is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact relationship of Sigelenus to the testator is unclear; he is called 'parente meo' (relative) but not specified as brother or cousin.","The phrase 'si me superstes fuerit ipse Sigelenus' could be read as 'if he survives me' or 'if he outlives me'; the translation takes the former.","The location of Crisciago and Botilo is not identified; they may be in the same region as other estates."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"Basilicae, domni et peculiaris patrini mei Germani episcopi, qui me dulcissime enutrivit, et sua sancta oratione, acsi indignum, ad sacerdotii honorem perduxit, si supersistit ut in basilica domni Vincentii, ubi ejus sanctum corpusculum requiescit, dono inibi in honore sepulturae suae villam Bobane, quae est in terraturio Stampense super fluvio Calla, quem mihi gloriosissimus domnus Clotharius rex suo munere contulit; ut si semper corpus ejus in basilica nova, quam inclytus Chilpericus quondam rex construxit, si convenerit ut inibi transferatur, villam ipsam, ubi ejus semper corpus fuerit, semper ibidem deserviat, et ipse sanctus pontifex pro meis facinoribus deprecare dignetur. Rogo abba illustris loci illius ut nomen meum in libro vitae recitetur.\n\nVillare meum quae est in Cramteno terraturio ad Summa Vedantia, sicut a me praesenti tempore possidetur, et ex successione domni et genitoris mei legitime reddebatur basilicae domni Petri et Pauli post obitum meum pro mercede animae meae volo esse donatum. Dulcissimo pronepote meo Thoringo dono ei colonica, cui vocabulum est Villa nova, quam de filio Papoleno quondam dato pretio comparavi, in perpetuo teneat atque possideat. Villa Idguino dulcissimo nepote meo Segechelmo, dum advivit, volo esse donatum.","english":"of the basilica of my lord and special patron, Bishop Germanus, who nurtured me most tenderly and, though unworthy, led me by his holy prayer to the honor of the priesthood, if it survives, so that in the basilica of Lord Vincent, where his holy little body rests, I give there in honor of his burial the estate of Bobane, which is in the territory of Stampense on the river Calla, which the most glorious lord King Clotharius conferred upon me by his gift; so that if his body is always in the new basilica which the renowned King Chilpericus once built, if it happens that it is transferred there, that same estate, wherever his body may always be, shall always serve there, and the holy pontiff himself may deign to pray for my misdeeds. I ask the illustrious abbot of that place that my name be recited in the book of life.\n\nMy little estate which is in the territory of Cramtenum at Summa Vedantia, as it is possessed by me at the present time, and which by succession from my lord and father was lawfully rendered to the basilica of Lords Peter and Paul, I wish to be donated after my death for the sake of my soul. To my dearest great-nephew Thoringus I give the small estate whose name is Villa Nova, which I bought for a given price from the son of Papolenus, deceased, that he may hold and possess it in perpetuity. The estate of Idguinus I wish to be donated to my dearest nephew Segechelm for as long as he lives.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Basilicae","severity":"info","text":"The Latin 'Basilicae' is a genitive singular, dependent on the preceding clause in the previous passage. It refers to the basilica of Saint Germanus, not a separate building.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domni Vincentii","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Saint Vincent was a Merovingian foundation, possibly in Paris, associated with the cult of the martyr Vincent of Saragossa. King Chilperic I (r. 561–584) is credited with its construction.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villam Bobane","severity":"info","text":"'Bobane' is a place-name, likely a villa or estate in the territory of Stampense (modern Étampes, France). The river Calla is unidentified but may be a tributary of the Seine.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Rogo abba illustris loci illius","severity":"info","text":"This clause marks a shift from a conditional bequest to a direct request for liturgical commemoration, a common feature in early medieval testaments.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Villare meum","severity":"info","text":"'Villare' is a diminutive of 'villa', meaning a small estate or farmstead. The term appears in Merovingian land documents to denote a dependent settlement.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"liber vitae","severity":"info","text":"The 'book of life' (liber vitae) was a liturgical register of benefactors and the deceased, used in monastic communities to ensure prayers for their souls. This request reflects a standard practice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'si supersistit' is ambiguous: it may refer to the basilica surviving (i.e., remaining standing) or to the testator surviving (i.e., if he outlives the current arrangement). The translation adopts the former reading.","The clause 'si semper corpus ejus in basilica nova... si convenerit ut inibi transferatur' is syntactically confused; the sense is that if Germanus's body is moved to the new basilica, the estate follows it."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"Post obitum vero illius, filii sui, qui ex Bertichildi filia Leutramni nati esse noscuntur, absque consortium fratrum suorum, si alios filios habuerit, ipsos praecipio possidendum. Viniola seu prata quae sunt ad Riulione, et adjungunt ad vineas sanctae Ecclesiae vel infra terminum Calimarcense, quas dato pretio comparavi, sanctae Ecclesiae volo esse donata. Idemque et colonica Satovera, quem Vulfarius quondam tenuit, et postea Aiga eam nobis cum ipsas venditiones, quas ab ipso Vulfario acceperat, dedit, et ipso locello cura vineis et cum omni jure suo, tu, sancta Ecclesia heres mea, percipias, et locello qui dicitur Condomas, quem pro re mea accepi, et postea fidelissimae Cottanae per donationis titulum concedi, volo ut ipsa locello jam dicta Cotta vel filii sui in perpetuo valeant in integrum possidere. Domum vero intra muros civitatis Parisiorum, qui ab Eusebio quondam fuit aedificata vel possessa, et mihi a praecelso domno Clothario regi concessa esse denoscitur, inter sancta Ecclesia Cenomannica et sancta basilica heredes mea aequaliter possidendum decerno; sic quoque ut de tabernias, quae infra domum esse noscuntur, locarius ille, qui annis singulis exinde speratur, lumen in sacrosancta Ecclesia Cenomannica et praedicta basilica domui Petri et Pauli inferatur; et areas, quae foris civitatis sunt, idemque communiter possideant.","english":"After the death of that man, his sons, who are known to have been born from Bertichildis, daughter of Leutramnus, without the fellowship of their brothers, if he should have other sons, I order that they themselves possess it. The vineyards or meadows which are at Riulio, and which adjoin the vineyards of holy Church or within the boundary of Calimarcense, which I purchased with money paid, I wish to be donated to holy Church. And likewise the farmstead Satovera, which Vulfarius once held, and afterwards Aiga gave it to us with the same sales documents which she had received from that Vulfarius, and that little place with the vineyards and with all its right, you, holy Church, my heir, shall receive; and the little place which is called Condomas, which I received for my property, and afterwards granted to the most faithful Cotta by a title of donation, I wish that that same little place, the aforementioned Cotta or her sons, may be able to possess in perpetuity in its entirety. But the house within the walls of the city of Paris, which was once built and possessed by Eusebius, and is known to have been granted to me by the most exalted lord King Clotharius, I decree to be possessed equally between holy Church of Cenomanum and the holy basilica, my heirs; likewise so that from the shops which are known to be within the house, the rent which is expected from them each year shall be brought as light to the sacrosanct Church of Cenomanum and the aforementioned basilica of the house of Peter and Paul; and the building sites which are outside the city, they shall likewise possess in common.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"colonica Satovera","severity":"info","text":"A colonica is a farmstead or dependent agricultural holding, often with tenants. Satovera is a place-name, possibly modern Savonnières or similar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domum intra muros civitatis Parisiorum","severity":"info","text":"This house in Paris, built by Eusebius and granted by King Clotharius (likely Clothar II or III), reflects the bishop’s property holdings outside his diocese, a common practice among early medieval bishops.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"tabernias","severity":"info","text":"Tabernias (from taberna) here means shops or commercial stalls within the house, whose annual rent is designated for lighting the churches.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Post obitum vero illius...","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the testamentary dispositions, shifting from bequests of estates to a house in Paris, with a conditional inheritance clause for Bertichildis’s sons.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"sancta Ecclesia Cenomannica","severity":"info","text":"The church of Cenomanum (Le Mans) is repeatedly named as heir, reflecting the testament’s role in documenting episcopal property for the cathedral’s archives, later used in medieval property disputes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"absque consortium fratrum suorum","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'without the fellowship of their brothers' is ambiguous: it may mean the sons inherit alone, excluding other brothers, or that they inherit without sharing with brothers from another marriage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'filii sui' (his sons) is unclear: whether they are Bertichildis’s sons or another man’s sons. The phrase 'absque consortium fratrum suorum' is ambiguous as to which brothers are excluded. The location of 'Riulione' and 'Calimarcense' is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"Id constituimus observandum, ut quicquid die obitus mei in domo superius nominata Parisius, aut in unum aut in quibuslibet rebus, quae nostrae propriae esse noscuntur, aequaliter heredes meas sancta Ecclesia Cenomannica et basilica domni Petri et Pauli inter se dividant. Paene mihi in oblivione fuit positum; sed divina inspirante gratia memoravi. Viniolas secus arenas juxta quod ipsas maxima de deserto recuperavi vel adunavi, de ipsa arena usque ad strada quod clausura ipsa circumcingit, quod ipsa sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli praesenti tempore possidere videtur. Itemque vineolas, pradela vel terraturium, quod in dextera parte de strada est qui vadit ad Pontileugua, quem de venerabili fratre meo Eoladi abbate comparavi, quae in ipsius basilicae oppidum esse noscitur; cum brugilo quem de fratre meo Leusio abbate datos quadraginta solidos redemi, et campellos quos cum ipso abbate commutavimus, quae ad alveum Sartae, cum prato qui est ad confluens, totum et ad integrum cum servientibus, quos inibi posui, aut adhuc Christo propitio ponere potuero, et modo ad ipsa sancta basilica in Dei nomine possidetur, in perpetuo dominetur.","english":"We establish that this be observed: whatever on the day of my death is in the above-named house at Paris, whether in one thing or in any things whatsoever which are known to be our own property, my heirs, the holy Church of Le Mans and the basilica of the Lord Peter and Paul, shall divide equally between themselves. It had almost been placed in oblivion by me; but by divine inspiring grace I remembered. The small vineyards near the sands, according as I recovered or united the greatest part of them from the waste, from that sand as far as the road which the enclosure itself surrounds, which that holy basilica of the Lord Peter and Paul is seen to possess at the present time. And likewise the small vineyards, the vineyard-plot or the land, which is on the right-hand side of the road which goes to Pontlieue, which I bought from my venerable brother Eoladus the abbot, which is known to be in the town of that same basilica; with the thicket which I redeemed from my brother Leusius the abbot for forty shillings given, and the small fields which we exchanged with that same abbot, which are towards the bed of the Sarthe, with the meadow which is at the confluence, all and entire with the serfs whom I placed there, or whom I may yet, with Christ’s favor, be able to place there, and which is now possessed in the name of God by that same holy basilica, shall be ruled in perpetuity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Paene mihi in oblivione fuit positum; sed divina inspirante gratia memoravi","severity":"info","text":"This sentence interrupts the enumeration of bequests, functioning as a narrative aside that signals a remembered addition to the will.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Viniolas","severity":"info","text":"Viniolas is a diminutive of vinea, meaning 'small vineyards' or 'vineyard plots,' reflecting the modest scale of the property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"brugilo","severity":"info","text":"Brugilo (from Latin brugilus) denotes a thicket or brushwood, a type of uncultivated land often used for grazing or fuel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Pontileugua","severity":"info","text":"Pontileugua (modern Pontlieue) is a locality near Le Mans, indicating the geographical scope of Bertichramnus's property holdings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Eoladi abbate","severity":"info","text":"Eoladus and Leusius are named as abbots and 'brothers' (perhaps monastic or spiritual kin), reflecting the network of ecclesiastical transactions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"quicquid die obitus mei in domo superius nominata Parisius","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'whatever on the day of my death is in the above-named house at Paris' is ambiguous: it may include movable goods or only real property, but the context suggests chattels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'quicquid die obitus mei in domo superius nominata Parisius' could refer to movable goods or real property; the context of division among heirs suggests chattels.","The clause 'quod clausura ipsa circumcingit' leaves unclear whether the enclosure includes the road or only the vineyards.","The serfs (servientibus) are mentioned but their number and status are not specified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"Simili modo medietatem de colonico Vatilonno, quem de Berone in nomine ipsius sanctae basilicae comparavi, et aliam medietatem, quam illustris matrona Egydia ad ipsum sanctum locum per donationis titulum contulit, jubeo ut in integrum, sicut a modo ab ipsa basilica Christo praesule possidetur, et in perpetuo inibi perseveret.\n\nEt quia nulli habetur incognitum qualiter Berthechisilus inlicito ordine contra decreta canonum in sede sua fuit aggressus, et nimium res sanctae Mariae vel meas proprias generavit pro bis gravissimum dispendium; unde etiam non ut debuit restauravit, nisi parvitate per res proprias meas, quas malo ordine distraxerat, locella cum carta venditionis dedit, hoc est cum domibus, cum Bariaco et Vivale portionem suam in integrum nobis vendidit. Et postea cum alia vice gloriosus domnus Clotharius de regno suo in insidiis pertulit, et iterum ego propter ipsum valde in captivitate fui, et in ipso nec nominandus Berthegisilius iterum vastator Ecclesiae accessit, et carta ipsa quam prius fecerat, in archivo Ecclesiae invenit, cam igni comburi praecepit, sic illi judex metuendus atque terribilis pro rebus suis cum eo ponat judicium. Et postquam dominus noster cum voluntate Dei una cum praecelso consubrino suo Teudoberto rege caritatem inivit, et voluntarie quantitatem de regno suo recepit, et nos locella illa obsistente ad domininationem nostram revocavimus.","english":"Similarly, I order that half of the Vatilonno farm, which I purchased from Bero in the name of that same holy basilica, and the other half, which the illustrious matron Egydia conferred upon that same holy place by a deed of donation, remain entirely, as it is now possessed by that basilica under Christ as its bishop, and shall persist there in perpetuity.\n\nAnd because it is unknown to no one how Berthechisilus, in an unlawful manner and contrary to the decrees of the canons, assailed his see, and caused very grave loss to the property of Saint Mary and to my own property; for which he also did not restore as he ought, except in a small measure through my own property, which he had wrongfully disposed of, he sold us small estates with a deed of sale, that is, with houses, with Bariacum and Vivale, his entire portion. And afterwards, when the glorious lord Clotharius suffered from ambushes in his kingdom, and I again on his account was held in captivity, and in that same time the unspeakable Berthegisilus again approached as a ravager of the Church, and found the very deed he had previously made in the Church archive, he ordered it to be burned with fire; thus may that fearful and terrible judge pass judgment on him concerning his own property. And after our lord, by the will of God, together with his most excellent cousin King Teudobertus, entered into a bond of charity, and willingly received a portion of his kingdom, we, with that estate opposing, recalled it to our dominion.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"colonicum Vatilonno","severity":"info","text":"The term 'colonicum' (here 'colonicum Vatilonno') denotes a farm or estate worked by coloni (tenant farmers), a common unit in Merovingian land documents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Berthechisilus","severity":"info","text":"Berthechisilus (also Berthegisilus) is a figure who unlawfully seized the see of Le Mans, causing losses to church and personal property; his actions are detailed in the context of Merovingian ecclesiastical conflicts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Clotharius","severity":"info","text":"Clotharius (likely Clothar II, king of Neustria, d. 629) suffered ambushes in his kingdom, leading to Bertichramnus's captivity; this reflects the political instability of the period.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Teudobertus rex","severity":"info","text":"Teudobertus (Theudebert II, king of Austrasia, d. 612) is here called 'consubrinus' (cousin) of Clotharius; the reference to a bond of charity and recovery of kingdom portions alludes to the 604–605 conflict between Neustria and Austrasia.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"carta ipsa ... igni comburi praecepit","severity":"caution","text":"The narrative of Berthechisilus burning the deed in the church archive may be rhetorical exaggeration; such claims of document destruction are common in early medieval charters to discredit opponents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Simili modo ... Et quia ... Et postquam","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a land disposition (Vatilonno) to a historical grievance (Berthechisilus) and then to a political resolution (Clotharius and Teudobertus), showing a typical testamentary blend of donation, narrative, and legal justification.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of Vatilonno is uncertain; it may be a place in the region of Le Mans.","The identity of 'Bero' and 'Egydia' is not further attested in surviving sources.","The phrase 'locella cum carta venditionis' could mean either 'small estates with a deed of sale' or 'small estates together with the deed of sale'; the translation follows the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"Campariaco vero, Estivale, cum domibus, mancipiis, vineis, et silvis, pratis, aquis, aquarumque decursibus, et jure carum vel omnem peculium, sanctae basilice domni Petri et Pauli delego. Perfeci scilicet domum, quae infra muros, in dextra parte de posteviola meo opere aedificavi, ubi oratoriolus in honore sancti Michaelis archangeli constructus est, volui ut ipsas domus et basilica sancti Petri et Pauli esse debuisset.\n\nDum nos cum domno Clothario rege pro fide nostra et amore illius detenti fuimus, pistrinus Ecclesiae ante ipsa domo constructa est, propterca in his locis Ecclesia stipendia et madricola, quam ego inibi erexi, supplex quaeso domino meo pontifici, qui mihi successor fuerit, ut omni tempore madricola ipsa, sicut usque nunc in eis temporibus stipendia promeruit, et semper inantea ministrante sancta Ecclesia alatur, et domus ipsa sit ad receptionem pontificum, vel religiosos qui ad ipsum oratorium deserviunt: quia et virtutes ibi ostensae sunt, et honorare in omnibus vel venerare debetur.","english":"As for Campariacum and Estivale, with their houses, slaves, vineyards, woods, meadows, waters, watercourses, and their rights, and all their property, I bequeath them to the holy basilica of Lords Peter and Paul. I have indeed completed the house which I built within the walls, on the right side from my little postern, by my own labor, where a small oratory in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel has been constructed; I wished that this house and the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul should belong together.\n\nWhile I was detained with Lord King Clothar for the sake of our faith and my love for him, a bakery of the Church was built before that same house; therefore, in these places, for the support of the Church and the almshouse which I established there, I humbly beseech my lord bishop, who will be my successor, that at all times that almshouse, just as up to now in those times it has earned its support, and always henceforth, with the holy Church ministering, it be maintained, and that the house itself be for the reception of bishops or of religious persons who serve that oratory: because miracles have been shown there, and it ought to be honored and venerated in all things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Campariaco","severity":"info","text":"Campariacum is a place name, likely a farm or estate, mentioned also in the previous passage as 'Vatilonno' and 'Campariaco'—the latter may be a variant or distinct property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"madricola","severity":"info","text":"Madricola (from matricula) refers to an almshouse or a list of poor supported by the church; here it denotes the institution itself, as in early medieval Latin usage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domno Clothario rege","severity":"info","text":"King Clothar II (584–629) was the Merovingian king of Neustria and later all Francia; Bertichramnus served as bishop of Le Mans under him, and this reference anchors the testament in the early 7th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Dum nos ... detenti fuimus","severity":"info","text":"This clause interrupts the bequest with a narrative aside explaining the bakery's origin, then returns to the petition; it is a characteristic feature of early medieval testaments blending legal and hagiographic elements.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"virtutes ibi ostensae sunt","severity":"info","text":"The mention of miracles (virtutes) at the oratory of St. Michael suggests the site was a local pilgrimage destination, and the testament seeks to ensure its continued support and episcopal patronage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"jure carum","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'jure carum' is obscure; it may be a scribal error for 'iure aquarum' (rights of waters) or 'iure earum' (their rights). The translation 'their rights' follows the latter reading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of Campariacum and Estivale is unknown; 'jure carum' is textually uncertain; the relationship between the house built by Bertichramnus and the oratory of St. Michael is not fully clarified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"Precamur domno et pontifici successori nostro, et per Deum Trinitatis conjuramus, ut de villas quas ego sanctae Ecclesiae per hunc folium testamenti delegavi, vel quae meo tempore conquisitae sunt, vel in donationem sanctae Ecclesiae pervenerunt, ex omnibus vel in omnibus decimas annonae, vini, casei, lardi, omnes decimas in domo ipsa sancti Michaelis archangeli annis singulis congregentur, sicut nostro tempore actum fuit, et pauperibus vel peregrinis in eorum alimonia ministretur: quia nec sancta Ecclesia dispendium perferet; et quod nos, etsi indigni, qui qualemcumque locum sacerdotii visi fuimus occupare, ea quae Deo annuente in pauperibus studuimus ministrare, a vobis indesinenter conservetur. Basilicae vero sancti Petri et Pauli curtem illam cum casas quas bonae memoriae Romolos quondam presbyter Cenomannis in civitatem tenuit, et domum illam, quae nostris temporibus supra muros aedificavit, et nos et manum ad hoc porreximus, et postea de nepte sua comparavimus; domus ipsas sicut a praesenti tempore in Dei nomine ab ipsa sancta basilica possidentur, cum id quicquid inibi laboratum fuerit, aut ante vel meis temporibus subjectum, totum et ad integrum praefata Ecclesia absque ullius impedimento perpetualiter valeat possidere.","english":"We beseech our lord and pontiff, our successor, and conjure you by the Triune God, that the tithes of grain, wine, cheese, lard—all tithes—from the estates which I have bequeathed to the holy Church through this document of testament, or which were acquired in my time, or which came into the donation of the holy Church, be gathered each year in the house of Saint Michael the Archangel itself, just as was done in our time, and be ministered to the poor and to pilgrims for their sustenance: because the holy Church will suffer no loss thereby; and that what we, however unworthy, who seemed to occupy some place of priesthood, strove to minister to the poor with God’s consent, may be preserved by you without ceasing. As for the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, may it be able to possess perpetually, without any hindrance, that court with the houses which Romolos, once a priest of Le Mans of blessed memory, held in the city, and that house which in our times he built upon the walls—to which we also extended our hand—and which we later purchased from his niece; those houses themselves, just as from the present time they are possessed in the name of God by that same holy basilica, together with whatever has been worked upon there, or was subject to it before or in our times, entirely and completely.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Precamur domno et pontifici successori nostro, et per Deum Trinitatis conjuramus","severity":"info","text":"The opening combines a respectful request (precamur) with a solemn adjuration (conjuramus) by the Triune God, emphasizing the binding force of the testament on the bishop's successor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"decimas annonae, vini, casei, lardi","severity":"info","text":"These tithes in kind (grain, wine, cheese, lard) reflect the agricultural economy of early medieval Gaul and the practical support of the poor and pilgrims.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Romolos quondam presbyter Cenomannis","severity":"info","text":"Romolos, a priest of Le Mans (Cenomannis), is identified as a previous owner; his property was acquired by Bertichramnus, showing lay-clerical property transactions in the Merovingian church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Basilicae vero sancti Petri et Pauli curtem illam cum casas","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from the tithe arrangement to a separate bequest to the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, mirroring the structure of the previous passage (p19) which also named that basilica.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"nostro tempore","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'nostro tempore' (in our time) anchors the testament in Bertichramnus's episcopate (late 6th–early 7th century), contrasting with the earlier tenure of Romolos.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"domus ipsas sicut a praesenti tempore in Dei nomine ab ipsa sancta basilica possidentur","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin syntax is ambiguous: 'sicut a praesenti tempore ... possidentur' may mean 'as they are now possessed' or 'as they shall be possessed from now on'; the translation adopts the present sense.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'sicut a praesenti tempore ... possidentur' could be read as present or future; the translation takes it as present.","The clause 'cum id quicquid inibi laboratum fuerit' is vague: 'whatever has been worked upon there' may include buildings or cultivated land."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"Sanctae Ecclesiae herede mea dono villa, cui vocabulum est Grandefontana, quae dato pretio de Vaddoleno compatri meo filio Bavone comparavi, cum omni jure vel terminum suum. Te vero, sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli, dono villa Conadaco, quem de Belletrudi sive Bettane matrona, relicta quondam Maurini, dato pretio comparavi, cum Colicas villas, quas postea dato pretio de Betholeno vel Mantharigo cum silvas vel omni adjacentia ad se pertinentes, cum domibus et mancipiis, sicut jam in tua ditione tradidi, cum mobilibus et immobilibus in integrum volo esse donatum, cum agellum illum, nomine Timiago, quem filio et parente meo Berulfo ad usufructuario possidemus, et post meum obitum ad tuam revoces potestatem.","english":"I give to the holy Church, my heir, the estate called Grandefontana, which I purchased for a price from my godfather Vaddolenus, son of Bavo, with all right and its boundary. To you, holy basilica of the Lord Peter and Paul, I give the estate Conadacus, which I purchased for a price from Belletrudis or Bettana, the matron, widow of the late Maurinus, together with the Colicas estates, which I later purchased for a price from Betholenus and Mantharigus, with the woods and all appurtenances belonging to them, with houses and slaves, as I have already delivered into your power, with movables and immovables I wish to be given in their entirety, together with that little field named Timiagus, which I and my son and relative Berulfus possess in usufruct, and after my death you shall recall to your authority.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villa","severity":"info","text":"Villa here denotes a rural estate or agricultural domain, not a modern village. It is the standard term in Merovingian charters for a landed property with buildings and dependent lands.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"usufructuario","severity":"info","text":"Usufructuario is a Latin adjective meaning 'in usufruct' — the right to use and enjoy property without owning it. Berulfus holds Timiagus for life; ownership reverts to the church after Bertichramnus's death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Conadaco","severity":"info","text":"Conadacus (Conadaco) is a place-name of likely Celtic or pre-Latin origin, typical of the Maine region. It cannot be securely identified with a modern commune.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Belletrudi sive Bettane","severity":"info","text":"The double name Belletrudis or Bettana may reflect a vernacular nickname alongside a formal Latin name. The phrase 'sive' ('or') is common in Merovingian documents to clarify variant spellings or names.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Te vero, sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from a general bequest to the Church as heir to a specific gift to the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The direct address 'Te vero' marks a new clause in the testamentary formula.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"cum agellum illum, nomine Timiago","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'cum agellum illum' is grammatically irregular (accusative after cum). It may reflect a scribal error or a colloquial construction. The sense is clear: the little field Timiagus is included in the gift.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of Grandefontana, Conadacus, Colicas, and Timiagus is unknown. The relationship between Belletrudis and Bettana is unclear — they may be the same person or two different women. The phrase 'cum agellum illum' is syntactically anomalous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"Dulcissimo nepote meo Sigechelmo licet jam per donationis titulum villam Murocincto anteactis temporibus contuli, quam ex successione domni et genitoris mei legitime reddebatur, et postea meis peccatis facientibus germanus meus Berthulfus in expeditionem domni Clotharii regis interemtus fuit, cet portio sua mihi legitime obvenit, volui in hunc testamentum meum comprehendi, ut tam quod prius ei dedi, quam et quod postea mihi de germano meo obvenit, totum et ad integrum ipse nepos meus, villa ipsa cum domibus, mancipiis, vineis, campis, pratis, silvis, aquis aquarumve decursibus, mobilibus et immobilibus, sicut hoc jam possidere videtur, et ipsi et sobolis sui perpetualiter dominetur. Tertia vero portione de ipsa villa Murocincto, quem bonae memoriae germanus meus Ermenulfus tenuit, et ipsam mihi dedit, dulcissimo pronepote meo filio ipsius Sigechelmi, nomine Leodefredo, post obitum meum volo esse donatam, exceptis illis quos emisit, aut ego de captivitate redemi, ipsi liberi perseverent. Casa vero quae est infra muros civitatis Cenomannis, quam domnus et frater meus Chaimoaldus episcopus, dum archidiaconati videtur officium fungere aedificavit, cum casella quam Malaricus diaconus tenuit, hoc dulcissimo nepoti meo Sigechelmo, cui eas dedi, volo ut et ipsi et filii sui in perpetuo dominentur: quia ubi casa nova ex areas illas comparatas esse nosscuntur.","english":"To my dearest nephew Sigechelm, although I have already conferred upon him by a title of gift the estate Murocinctum in times past, which was lawfully owed to me from the succession of my lord and father, and afterwards, due to my sins, my brother Berthulf was killed in the expedition of Lord King Clothar, and his portion lawfully came to me, I have wished to include in this testament of mine that both what I gave to him earlier and what afterwards came to me from my brother, the whole and entire estate itself with its houses, slaves, vineyards, fields, meadows, woods, waters and watercourses, movable and immovable property, as he is already seen to possess it, may be perpetually ruled by him, my nephew, and by his offspring. But the third portion of that same estate Murocinctum, which my brother Ermenulf of blessed memory held, and which he himself gave to me, I wish to be given after my death to my dearest great-nephew, the son of that same Sigechelm, named Leodefred, except that those whom he has freed, or whom I have redeemed from captivity, shall remain free. The house which is within the walls of the city of Cenomannum, which my lord and brother Bishop Chaimoaldus built while he was seen to perform the office of archdeacon, together with the small house which the deacon Malaricus held, I wish that this be perpetually ruled by my dearest nephew Sigechelm, to whom I gave them, because the new house is known to have been purchased from those plots.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Murocincto","severity":"info","text":"Murocincto (literally 'wall-surrounded') is a place-name, likely a villa or estate. The Latin suggests it was inherited from the testator's father and later augmented by a brother's portion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domnus et frater meus Chaimoaldus episcopus","severity":"info","text":"Bishop Chaimoaldus (Chaimoald) is the testator's brother and a bishop of Cenomannum (Le Mans). He built a house within the city walls while serving as archdeacon, indicating clerical family networks.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Tertia vero portione","severity":"info","text":"The passage divides the estate Murocinctum: two-thirds to nephew Sigechelm (with prior gift and inheritance from brother Berthulf), and one-third (held by brother Ermenulf) to great-nephew Leodefred after the testator's death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"post obitum meum","severity":"info","text":"The gift of the third portion to Leodefred is post-obit (after the testator's death), while Sigechelm's portion is already possessed. This reflects phased inheritance typical in early medieval wills.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"quos emisit, aut ego de captivitate redemi","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'quos emisit, aut ego de captivitate redemi' is ambiguous: it may refer to slaves freed by Ermenulf or by the testator. The Latin 'emisit' could mean 'released' or 'sent out'; the sense here is manumission.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Casa vero quae est infra muros civitatis Cenomannis","severity":"info","text":"The testator confirms a house within Le Mans, built by Bishop Chaimoaldus, to nephew Sigechelm. The phrase 'quia ubi casa nova ex areas illas comparatas esse nosscuntur' explains the house was purchased from those plots.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'quos emisit' (those freed by Ermenulf or by the testator) is unclear; the text may conflate two acts of manumission.","The phrase 'casa nova ex areas illas comparatas' is grammatically awkward; 'nosscuntur' (for noscuntur) may be a scribal error."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"Villam vero Patriliaco, quae est secus Pontochiuggane, quem de Doleno quondam comparavi, et venditionem in nomine sanctorum Petri et Pauli, vel basilicae eorum, quam jam tunc tempore aedificare videbamus, et postea ad ipsa sancta basilica delegavi, volo ut eam in perpetuo possideat, cum colonicas ad se pertinentes. Villam Monciaco cum colonica quae conditae vel undique idipso Condacense aut Monciacense comparavi et adjunxi, te, sancta Ecclesia heres mea, ad integrum volo esse donatum. Vineas vero quas mihi sanctae, memoriae domnus Licinius episcopus pro amoris affectu secus vineas Cariliacenses suo munere dedit, et nos antea de Sargite quondam necutiante parte divina cum terra comparavimus, et po tea inibi vineas posuimus, et in una clausura cum vineas sanctae ecclesiae adjunximus, volumus, ut pro mercede animae nostrae hoc ecclesia sancta Cenomanica possideat. Licet antea ipse ager parum habebat vineolas, nec domini mei antecessores episcopi aliquid ibi voluerunt addere, sed nos pro amore sanctae Ecclesiae vel augmentum ipsius, tam de negotiantibus, quam de reliquis maxime spaciavimus et pretium dedimus, ut in jure et dominationem sanctae Ecclesiae proficiant optamus.","english":"The estate of Patriliacum, which is beside Pontochiuggane, which I once purchased from Dolenus, and the sale in the name of Saints Peter and Paul, or their basilica, which we were already at that time seeing to build, and afterwards I conveyed to that same holy basilica, I wish that she possess it in perpetuity, with the dependent farmsteads belonging to it. The estate of Monciacum, with the farmstead which I purchased and annexed, whether established or from all sides in that same Condacense or Monciacense, I wish to be given in its entirety to you, my holy Church, my heir. The vineyards, however, which the lord Licinius, bishop of holy memory, gave to me out of affection, beside the Cariliacensian vineyards by his gift, and which we earlier purchased from Sargitus, once a merchant, with the divine portion of the land, and afterwards we planted vineyards there, and we joined them in one enclosure with the vineyards of the holy church, we wish that this holy church of Le Mans possess them for the sake of our soul's reward. Although previously that field had few small vineyards, and my lord predecessors the bishops wished to add nothing there, yet we, for the love of the holy Church and its increase, both from merchants and from others, have greatly expanded and paid the price, so that we desire them to accrue to the right and dominion of the holy Church.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Villam Patriliaco","severity":"info","text":"Patriliacum is a place-name, likely a Merovingian estate; its location beside Pontochiuggane (a river or stream) is given for identification.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Licinius episcopus","severity":"info","text":"Bishop Licinius of Le Mans (fl. early 7th century) is a known figure; his gift of vineyards reflects episcopal patronage and land transactions typical of the period.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"colonicas","severity":"info","text":"Colonicae are dependent farmsteads or tenant holdings, a common unit in Merovingian land grants, indicating the estate's economic structure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"volo ut eam in perpetuo possideat","severity":"info","text":"The repeated formula 'volo ut' and 'volumus ut' marks the testator's intent, a standard legal clause in early medieval wills.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ecclesia sancta Cenomanica","severity":"info","text":"The church of Le Mans (Cenomanica) is the primary beneficiary; this testament reinforces its landed wealth and episcopal authority in the region.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"venditionem in nomine sanctorum","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'venditionem in nomine sanctorum' is ambiguous: it may refer to a sale document made in the saints' name or a donation disguised as a sale; the legal force is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of Patriliacum, Monciacum, and Condacense is uncertain; 'Pontochiuggane' may be a river name now lost.","The phrase 'venditionem in nomine sanctorum' could indicate a formal sale or a pious donation; the testator's intent is not fully clarified.","The relationship between the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and the church of Le Mans is not specified; they may be identical or separate."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"Idemque et vineolas, quae sunt in Saboranense, quae meo opere undique subjunxi, aut per donum, aut per venditionem, et si adhuc subjungere potuero, cum cultoribus eorum et familias ad domum quae ibi stabilius, te, sancta Ecclesia, domni Petri et Pauli habere jubeo.\n\nDe Ponteleugua haec est de matricula et synodochio in honorem sancti Martini, haec est miracula sancti Petri et Pauli, quod est ad Pontemleugua, si per singula perpensamus, quantum facinora nostra in saeculum dum detenti fuimus, commissa esse noscuntur, non esse tantum facultas redimendi, quantum sunt culpae commissae; sed omnipotens Deus, qui nullum perire vult, ipsae parva munuscula quae grandis lacrimas vel memoris animae Redemtori nostro offerre videmur, in pauperis, ipse pro larga pictatis suae gratia qualemcunque tribuat veniam.","english":"And likewise the small vineyards which are in the Saboranense region, which I have joined together from all sides by my own effort, either by gift or by purchase, and if I am able to join any more, with their cultivators and households, to the house which is more firmly established there, I command that you, holy Church of the lords Peter and Paul, shall hold them.\n\nConcerning Ponteleugua, this is from the register and the hospice in honor of Saint Martin; this is the miracle of Saints Peter and Paul, which is at Pontemleugua. If we consider each matter individually, how great our sins are known to have been committed while we were detained in the world, there is not so much capacity for redeeming as there are sins committed. But almighty God, who wishes no one to perish, may He Himself, by the great grace of His piety, grant some kind of pardon for these small gifts which we seem to offer to our Redeemer with great tears or with the memory of the soul, for the poor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"matricula et synodochio","severity":"info","text":"Matricula likely refers to a register of the poor or a charitable institution; synodochio (xenodochium) is a hospice or hostel. Together they denote a foundation for hospitality and care, here dedicated to Saint Martin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Saboranense","severity":"info","text":"Saboranense is a region in the diocese of Le Mans, possibly the modern Sablé-sur-Sarthe area. The term appears in other early medieval charters from the same diocese.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"De Ponteleugua haec est de matricula et synodochio","severity":"info","text":"This sentence marks a shift from a list of estates to a reflective, penitential passage. The phrase 'haec est de matricula et synodochio' may introduce a separate donation or a gloss on the preceding gift.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"haec est miracula sancti Petri et Pauli","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'haec est miracula' is grammatically irregular (miracula is neuter plural, but the verb is singular). It may be a scribal error for 'haec sunt miracula' or a conflation with the preceding clause. The sense is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"non esse tantum facultas redimendi, quantum sunt culpae commissae","severity":"info","text":"This sentiment echoes a common topos in early medieval penitential literature: the insufficiency of human reparation for sin, and reliance on divine mercy. It reflects the theological context of the donor's anxiety about salvation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ad domum quae ibi stabilius","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ad domum quae ibi stabilius' is elliptical; it likely means 'to the house which is more firmly established there,' referring to a church or monastic foundation at the Saboranense estate.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The relationship between the Ponteleugua passage and the preceding donation is unclear: it may be a separate bequest or a penitential reflection on the same gift.","The phrase 'haec est miracula sancti Petri et Pauli' is syntactically problematic; it may be a scribal corruption or a misplaced gloss."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"Ergo quia votus et liberatio et deliberatio mea est, ut basilica quae in honore beatissimi ac pecularis patrini nostri Martini sancti episcopi ad Ponteleugua, ubi et requies sua sancta Deo propitio posui, delego atque ipsum sanctum locum locella his nominibus, Longiagas, Noginto, Novavilla, Antoniaco, et de Monasteriolo, partem illam quam de Leodelene dato pretio comparavi, et Avanto quodcumque inibi comparavi, aut unde mihi obvenit, cum mancipiis, mobilibus et immobilibus, et omni jure earum, vel quantumcumque adhuc ad ipsa loca subjungere aut comparare potuero, habere jubeo ac decerno sub abbate vel basilicae sancti Petri et Pauli potestate consistat. Licet praesumtione ut dicamus synodochii locus sit, dum parvum ibi intulimus, tamen potens est Deus et ipse sanctus athleta Christi inibi plurima conferre, unde pauperes et alimonia vestiantur, et cuncti amici nostri et peregrini receptacula pro nostra memoria habere videantur. Ad praesens jubemus, ut sedicem animolas Deo devotas, hoc est viros pauperes, caecos aut debiles, in ipso loco collocentur; et diebus singulis eis victus facta ratione sufficienter ministretur.","english":"Therefore, because it is my vow, my liberation, and my deliberate intention, that the basilica which I have established in honor of the most blessed and special patron of ours, Saint Martin the holy bishop, at Ponteleugua, where I have also placed his holy resting place with God’s favor, I assign and decree that the small estates bearing these names—Longiagas, Noginto, Novavilla, Antoniaco, and that portion of Monasteriolum which I purchased with payment from Leodelena, and Avanto, whatever I have acquired there either by purchase or as it came to me—together with their slaves, movable and immovable property, and all their rights, and whatever else I may yet be able to annex or acquire for those places, shall be held and decreed to be under the authority of the abbot or the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Although we may say with presumption that it is a place of hospitality, since we have contributed little there, yet God and that holy athlete of Christ are powerful enough to bestow much upon it, so that the poor may be clothed and fed with sustenance, and all our friends and pilgrims may be seen to have shelters for our memory. For the present, we order that sixteen souls devoted to God, that is, poor men, blind or infirm, be placed in that same place; and each day, with due consideration, sufficient sustenance shall be provided for them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"votus et liberatio et deliberatio","severity":"info","text":"The triple formula 'votus et liberatio et deliberatio' is a legal-rhetorical cluster emphasizing the testator's free will and solemn vow, typical of early medieval charters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"synodochii","severity":"info","text":"'Synodochium' (from Greek ξενοδοχεῖον) denotes a hospice or guesthouse for pilgrims and the poor, a common institution in early medieval monastic foundations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ponteleugua","severity":"info","text":"Ponteleugua (modern Pontlevoy, Loir-et-Cher) was the site of a monastery founded by Bertichramnus; the dedication to St. Martin reflects the saint's widespread cult in Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from a list of endowed estates to a statement of charitable purpose, then to a specific provision for sixteen poor or infirm men, showing a tripartite structure common in testamentary charters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text is preserved in a single manuscript (Paris, BNF lat. 12078) and was edited by the Maurists; it is a key witness to Merovingian ecclesiastical endowment practices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"sedicem","severity":"caution","text":"'Sedicem' is likely a scribal error for 'sedecim' (sixteen); the numeral is confirmed by the context of the poor men to be housed.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of the named estates (Longiagas, Noginto, etc.) is uncertain; they are likely small hamlets or farms in the Saboranense region.","The phrase 'licet praesumtione ut dicamus' may indicate the testator's modesty or a legal formula acknowledging the modest scale of the foundation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"Et, quod superius meminimus, de tribulum Taletense, et suffragium Criscianense vel Cambariacense, sicut superius jam praecepimus, tam in vestimentis, quam et in lectariis, aut in calciamentis, et istis fratribus nostris et matricolabus sancti Petri qui sub regimine suo esse noscuntur; tu abba basilicae sancti Petri et Pauli omnimodis potissimum tibi cura sit hoc eis in omnibus adimplere. Quod si in aliquo (quod absit) ex hoc negligens apparueris, ante tribunal Christi cum sancto Petro et Paulo apostolos, et sancto Martino antistitem habeas rationem. Et nullus ex pontificibus successoribus nostris de id quod ad praedictum locum vel pauperibus est delegatum, auferre praesumat; sed ad festivitatem ipsam et pontifex et omnis clerus prandium dignum percipiant, et si de praedicta locella quicumque aliud retraxerit, tamquam necator pauperum ante conspectu divino judicetur. Tu vero, venerabilis abba, vel successores tui, talem curam habeatis de cursum sanctae ecclesiae domini Martini, qualem et sanctorum Petri et Pauli; et lumen per noctis de tributum villarum ipsarum sufficienter comparetur, et quod superest, ad ipsos pauperes vel inopes ipsius basilicae proficiat.","english":"And, as we mentioned above, from the tribute of Taletum, and the suffragium of Crisciacum or Cambariacum, as we have already commanded above, both in garments and in bedding or in footwear, for these our brothers and the matricularii of Saint Peter who are known to be under his rule: you, abbot of the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, let it be your utmost care to fulfill this for them in all respects. But if you should appear negligent in any part of this (which God forbid), you shall answer before the tribunal of Christ with the apostles Saints Peter and Paul and Bishop Saint Martin as your accusers. And let none of our pontifical successors presume to take away what has been assigned to the aforesaid place or to the poor; but for that feast day, both the pontiff and the entire clergy shall receive a worthy meal, and if anyone should divert anything from the aforesaid little places, let him be judged as a murderer of the poor before the divine sight. You, venerable abbot, or your successors, shall have such care for the course of the holy church of Lord Martin as you have for that of Saints Peter and Paul; and let the light for the night be sufficiently provided from the tribute of those villas, and let what remains benefit the poor or the needy of that same basilica.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"matricolabus","severity":"info","text":"Matricolabus (or matricularii) refers to enrolled poor or dependents supported by a church, a common institution in early medieval Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"suffragium","severity":"info","text":"Suffragium here likely denotes a tax or due (cf. tributum), possibly a payment for suffrage or support, rather than a prayer suffrage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ante tribunal Christi","severity":"info","text":"The image of judgment before Christ's tribunal with apostolic accusers reflects early medieval eschatological threats used to enforce ecclesiastical bequests.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"et quod superius meminimus","severity":"info","text":"This phrase signals a resumptive structure, linking back to earlier provisions (superius) for the tribute and suffragium, reinforcing the testamentary chain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"necator pauperum","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'necator pauperum' (murderer of the poor) is a strong rhetorical condemnation; the Latin may be corrupt or hyperbolic, but the sense is clear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"cursum sanctae ecclesiae","severity":"info","text":"Cursum here refers to the liturgical office (cursus), indicating the abbot's duty to maintain the divine office at Saint Martin's church as at Saints Peter and Paul's.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of Taletum, Crisciacum, and Cambariacum is uncertain; they are likely estates in the diocese of Le Mans.","The term 'suffragium' may be ambiguous between a tax and a spiritual benefit; context favors a material due."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"Villa vero Blacciago sita in terraturio Burdigalense secus castro Blavit, quae est super alveum Garonnae, licet a parentibus meis longo tempore fuit possessa, et per interregna, vel adolescentia meae genitricis fuit de jure suo ablata, et ab Aunulfo filio Maurilionis qui eas occupaverat, per testamenti sui paginas dum illicite ad sanctas Ecclesias hoc est Burdigalense et Toronice et Equilinense in duas partes ex ipsa villa sunt delegatas, tertiam Arnulfus germanus ipsius Aunulfo possedebat. Unde altercationes habuimus inter nos et ipsos de praedicta villa; sed ille recognoscens quod nobis legitime debebatur, coram ipsis pontificibus qui duas partes ex hoc possidere videbantur, nobis de praesente tertia ex omnibus de villa ipsa reddidit, et epistola exinde manu sua roborata, vel a praedictis sacerdotibus firmata nobis tradidit possidendam. Sed dum nos ita constringit amor divinus, ut contra sancta Ecclesia non ambulemus; forsitan si possimus cum gratia domnorum meorum et fratrum rem ipsam redimere.","english":"The estate of Blacciacum, situated in the territory of Bordeaux near the fortress of Blavia, which lies upon the bed of the Garonne, although it was possessed for a long time by my parents, and through the interregna or the youth of my mother was taken away from her lawful right, and by Aunulfus, son of Maurilio, who had seized it, through the pages of his testament, while unlawfully to the holy churches—that is, of Bordeaux and of Tours and of Equilinum—two parts of that estate were bequeathed, the third part was possessed by Arnulfus, brother of that same Aunulfus. Hence we had disputes between ourselves and them concerning the aforesaid estate; but he, recognizing that it was lawfully owed to us, in the presence of those same pontiffs who seemed to possess the two parts of it, forthwith restored to us the third part of everything from that estate, and delivered to us a document confirmed by his own hand and also signed by the aforesaid priests, to be possessed by us. But since divine love constrains us not to act against the holy Church, perhaps we may, with the grace of my lords and brothers, redeem that same thing.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Blacciago","severity":"info","text":"Blacciago (also Blacciacum) is a place-name likely referring to a villa or estate in the territory of Bordeaux, near the fortress of Blavia (modern Blaye). Its exact location is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Aunulfo / Arnulfus","severity":"info","text":"Aunulfus (son of Maurilio) and Arnulfus (his brother) are distinct individuals. The text notes Aunulfus seized the estate, while Arnulfus later restored a third part to Bertichramnus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"testamenti sui paginas","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Aunulfus's testament (testamenti sui paginas) indicates a written will, which unlawfully bequeathed parts of the estate to churches in Bordeaux, Tours, and Equilinum. This reflects early medieval legal practices of testamentary donation to ecclesiastical institutions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa vero Blacciago ...","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a narrative unit recounting the contested ownership of the estate of Blacciacum, its seizure by Aunulfus, partial bequest to churches, and eventual partial restitution by Arnulfus. It concludes with Bertichramnus's pious intention to redeem the property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Equilinense","severity":"caution","text":"Equilinense (or Equilinum) is an obscure toponym; it may refer to a church or monastery, but its identification is uncertain. The text does not provide further clues.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of Blacciago/Blacciacum is not specified beyond being in the territory of Bordeaux near Blavia.","Equilinense (Equilinum) is unidentified; it may be a church or monastery, but no further details are given.","The relationship between Aunulfus and Arnulfus is stated as brothers, but their respective roles in the seizure and restitution are not fully clarified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"Sed quia domnus Agericus episcopus [Turonensis] portionem illam, quae sancti Martini fuit, nobis vendidit, et venditionem cum canonicis suis nobis fecit, et solidus LX secundum arbitriis sui valebat de presenti dedimus, et ipsa altercatio nostra subjunximus, volumus ut tu, sancta heres mea, Ecclesia Cenomanica, possideas; et si adhuc in rem ipsam de domus pontificis de Burdigalense aut Equilemense redimere possumus, totum et ad integrum ad tuam revoces potestatem.\n\nColonica vero Vincentianae, quam domna et genitrix mea possedit, et nos eam modo in Dei nomine possidere videmur, quae secus ipsum agrum Blaviaco esse videtur, basilicae sancti Petri et Pauli cum mancipiis, vineis et terris, volo esse dona tum. Villa Floriaco, sita inter duo maria, qui parentum meorum fuit, et postea genitricis mea per orphanitatem perdidit, et a Childegerno fuit malo ordine possessa, quam villae medietatem cum mancipiis, domibus, vineis, silvis, omnique termino suo vel adjacentibus sibi a Berthranno sive Bettone filium ipsius Childegerni dato pretio redemi, volo ut ipsa villa qui parentum meorum fuit, basilica sancti Petri et Pauli in perpetuo dominetur.","english":"But because the lord Agericus, bishop of Tours, sold to us that portion which belonged to Saint Martin, and made the sale with his canons to us, and we gave sixty solidi according to his valuation from what was present, and we added our own settlement of that dispute, we wish that you, my holy heir, the Church of Le Mans, should possess it; and if we can still redeem any part of that property from the bishop's house of Bordeaux or of Equilem, you should recall it entirely and completely to your authority.\n\nAs for the farmstead of Vincentiana, which my lady mother possessed, and which we now seem to possess in the name of God, which appears to be adjacent to that same field of Blavia, I wish it to be a gift to the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, with its slaves, vineyards, and lands. The estate of Floriacus, situated between two seas, which belonged to my parents, and which my mother later lost through widowhood, and which was wrongfully possessed by Childegernus, half of which estate I redeemed with its slaves, buildings, vineyards, woods, and all its boundary or appurtenances from Berthrannus or Betto, son of that same Childegernus, for a given price, I wish that this estate, which belonged to my parents, should be permanently under the dominion of the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"domnus Agericus episcopus [Turonensis]","severity":"info","text":"Agericus, bishop of Tours, is otherwise unattested; the name may be a corruption of Agiulfus or similar. The sale of a portion of Saint Martin's property to Bertichramnus suggests a transaction between sees.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"solidus LX","severity":"info","text":"The solidus was a gold coin of late Roman origin, still used in Merovingian Gaul as a unit of account. Sixty solidi is a modest sum for a land transaction, indicating a small parcel or partial interest.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Equilemense","severity":"info","text":"Equilemense likely refers to the diocese of Equileium (modern Eauze) in Aquitaine. The bishop's house of Bordeaux or Equileium suggests overlapping claims to the property near Blavia.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Colonica vero Vincentianae","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from the dispute over Blacciacum to a new bequest: the farmstead Vincentiana, given to the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The structure lists properties sequentially, each with its own history and disposition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa Floriaco sita inter duo maria","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'between two seas' is hyperbolic; Floriacus was likely near the Gironde estuary or the Atlantic coast, not literally between two seas. It reflects a rhetorical flourish common in Merovingian charters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"a Berthranno sive Bettone filium ipsius Childegerni","severity":"caution","text":"The text is ambiguous: 'Berthrannus sive Betto' may be one person with two names or two individuals. The phrase 'filium ipsius Childegerni' grammatically attaches to Betto, but the syntax is loose.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Agericus, bishop of Tours, is uncertain; the name may be a scribal error.","The location of Equilemense is not precisely identified; it may refer to Eauze or another site.","The phrase 'inter duo maria' is likely figurative, not literal."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"Domum vero infra muros civitatis Burdigalense, quam ego et germanus meus Ermenulfus nostro opere recuperavimus, ipsam domum cimencitia cum adpenditia sua ad ditione dulcissimo nepoti nostro Sigechelmo jubemus pervenire, ut ipse habeat et possideat, et suis posteris ad possidendum relinquat. Et hoc jubemus, ut omni tempore vitae illorum, quando missi domnis et venerabilibus sanctae Ecclesiae Cenomanicae vel basilicae sancti Petri et Pauli pro piscibus negotiandum ibidem venirent, semper in domo illa receptaculum habeant, et inibi quae eis necesse fuerit comparent. Locum vero qui appellatur Bresetum in terratorium Burdigalense, ubi precarias habere videmur, et dato pretio cum Arennoaldo quondam comparavimus, ipsam rem cum precariis inibi manentibus, et familias eorum, vel pixita, sicut a me praesente tempore possidetur, et post meum obitum, tu sancta ac venerabilis basilica domni Petri et Pauli ad tuam revoces ditionem, ut exinde annis singulis pix recipiatur.","english":"The house, indeed, within the walls of the city of Bordeaux, which I and my brother Ermenulfus recovered by our own labor—that house, with its cistern and appurtenances, we order to pass into the possession of our dearest nephew Sigechelm, so that he may have and possess it, and leave it to his descendants to possess. And we order this: that for all the time of their lives, whenever the envoys of the lords and of the venerable holy church of Le Mans or of the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul come there to trade for fish, they shall always have lodging in that house, and there they shall procure what is necessary for them. As for the place called Bresetum in the territory of Bordeaux, where we are seen to hold precariae, and which we once purchased with payment from the late Arennoaldus—that property, together with the precariae remaining there, and their families, or the tax, just as it is possessed in my present time, and after my death, you, holy and venerable basilica of the Lord Peter and Paul, shall recall to your dominion, so that from it the tax may be received each year.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"cimencitia","severity":"info","text":"The Latin 'cimencitia' likely derives from Greek 'kēpion' (garden) or 'kistē' (chest), but here it is interpreted as 'cistern' based on context and the English draft.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"precarias","severity":"info","text":"'Precarias' refers to precarial grants, a form of land tenure where the holder has use of property in exchange for services or rent, often to ecclesiastical institutions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"pixita","severity":"info","text":"'Pixita' is a variant of 'picta' or 'pix', likely meaning 'tax' or 'payment', as rendered in the English draft; it may derive from Latin 'pictus' (painted) but here denotes a fiscal obligation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Bresetum","severity":"info","text":"Bresetum is an unidentified place in the territory of Bordeaux; its name may be of Gaulish or Latin origin, but no precise location is known from surviving records.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a narrative unit within the testament, detailing specific bequests of property in Bordeaux and conditions for ecclesiastical use, typical of early medieval wills.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The provision for lodging envoys from Le Mans reflects the practical arrangements for ecclesiastical trade and travel, a common concern in early medieval church documents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact meaning of 'cimencitia' is uncertain; it is interpreted as 'cistern' but could refer to a garden or other structure.","The location of Bresetum is not identified in extant sources.","The term 'pixita' is ambiguous; it may mean 'tax' or 'payment', but its precise fiscal nature is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"Omnibus notum est qualiter bis aut tertio in re bus sanctae Ecclesiae vel proprias sustinui spoliationem. Deus scit quod non pro culpis nostris hoc passus sum, sed pro hoc quod fidem volui inlibata custodire, et sancta Ecclesia in praesidiis illo tempore grave pertulit dispendium; et ego pauper substantiola mea propria valde egenus evasi. Idcirco erubesco scribere, quod parum resedit ad offerre. Dono argentum illum quem nobis postea Deus vel domnus rex aut amici contulerunt, sicut brevis manu mea conscripta concinit, quia pertractavi ut duas partes de ipso argento quod ego visus sum laborasse, tu sacrosancta Ecclesia, percipias; alia vero portione, quam in ipso breve conscripsi, tu, basilica sancti Petri et Pauli, quem herede meae, sicut te, sancta Ecclesia, institui, habere jubeo. Adjuro per Patrem, et Filium, et Spiritum sanctum, tam tibi, domne pontifex, qui successurus eris, quam et te, abba, qui eo tempore fueris, quando me Deus de hoc saeculo migrare praeceperit, vel successoribus vestris, ut nullus non praesumat de ista parvula munuscula, quae ego sanetae Ecclesiae, vel sanetae basilicae pro commemoratione nominis mei de his speciebus nihil abstrahere, vel venundare, sed omni tempore tam pro ornatum sanctae Ecclesiae vel basilicae, mensae earum perpetualiter debeat perdurare.","english":"It is known to all how I suffered spoliation of the property of holy Church or of my own possessions twice or thrice. God knows that I did not suffer this on account of my faults, but because I wished to keep faith inviolate, and the holy Church at that time suffered grave loss in its resources; and I, poor, escaped with my own very small property, greatly needy. Therefore I am ashamed to write that little remained to offer. I give that silver which afterwards God, or the lord king, or friends conferred upon us, as the brief written by my own hand declares, because I have arranged that you, sacrosanct Church, shall receive two parts of that silver which I am seen to have labored for; the other portion, which I have written down in that same brief, I order you, basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, whom I have instituted as my heir, just as you, holy Church, to have. I adjure by the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both you, lord bishop, who will be my successor, and you, abbot, who will be at that time when God commands me to depart from this world, and your successors, that no one presume to take away or sell anything from these little gifts which I have given to holy Church or to the holy basilica for the commemoration of my name, but that they should perpetually endure for the ornament of holy Church or the basilica, and for their table, for all time.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"spoliationem","severity":"info","text":"Spoliationem (spoliation) refers to the seizure of property, a recurring theme in early medieval wills reflecting political instability.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"brevis manu mea conscripta","severity":"info","text":"The 'brief written by my own hand' (brevis manu mea conscripta) indicates a separate inventory or list, a common documentary practice in Merovingian legal culture.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Adjuro per Patrem, et Filium, et Spiritum sanctum","severity":"info","text":"The adjuration formula invoking the Trinity reinforces the binding nature of the bequest, a typical feature of testamentary sanctions in this period.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"commemoratione nominis mei","severity":"info","text":"Commemoratio nominis (commemoration of my name) refers to the liturgical remembrance of the donor, a key motive for ecclesiastical gifts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"parvula munuscula","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'parvula munuscula' (little gifts) may be a rhetorical diminutive; the actual value is unclear from the text alone.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact nature of the 'spoliation' (whether by secular or ecclesiastical agents) is not specified.","The relationship between the 'basilica of Saints Peter and Paul' and the 'holy Church' (cathedral?) is left ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"De reliquo vero argentulo, quodcumque post diem obitus mei regesturiolo meo inventum fuerit; et hoc non delegavi, exceptum argentum sanetae Ecclesiae salvo, jubeo quod praesens habere videor, vel adhuc laborare potuero, quod delegatum non fuerit, totum inter sanctam Ecclesiam ac sanctam basilicam domni Petri et Pauli aequaliter dividantur; et abbas portionem illam quam accepit, si necesse fuerit sepulturae meae aliquid exornari, et si ego hoc antea non fecero, de hoc ipsum quod e contra pontifice perceperit, ad ipsa sepultura mea dignetur, exinde studeat componere; et si nos ea Christus permitteret ea luce durare, argentus ille in ministerio, quo necesse fuerit, basilicae faciendum intromittatur.\n\nSimile modo jubeo quod de vestimenta damea tu, dulcissimi archidiaconi, qui eo tempore fueris, domno \"vero et pontifice successore meo particulos duos optimos de proprio vestimenti damea reverenter offerre jubeo. Tibi vero sancti archidiaconi praecipio, ut unum cabellum bonum et unum pareculum de proprietate mea praesumas.","english":"As for the remaining silver, whatever is found in my little register after the day of my death—and this I have not bequeathed, saving the silver of holy Church—I order that whatever I seem to have in hand at present, or may yet be able to acquire, which has not been bequeathed, be divided equally between holy Church and the holy basilica of the lords Peter and Paul; and the abbot, if it should be necessary for my burial to be adorned with something, and if I have not done this beforehand, may deign to use that portion which he receives, from what he has obtained from the pontiff, to attend to the composition of my burial; and if Christ should permit us to endure in this light, that silver shall be put into the ministry of the basilica, to be used where necessary.\n\nIn like manner I order that, concerning the damask vestments, you, dearest archdeacon, who shall be at that time, I order that you reverently offer two best pieces of my own damask vestments to the lord and true pontiff, my successor. To you, holy archdeacon, I command that you take one good horse and one pair of my own property.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"regesturiolo","severity":"info","text":"The diminutive 'regesturiolo' (little register) likely refers to a personal inventory or account book, distinct from formal ecclesiastical records.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"argentulo","severity":"info","text":"'Argentulo' is a diminutive of 'argentum' (silver), possibly indicating small silver items or coins, as opposed to plate or bullion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"sanctam basilicam domni Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is likely the cathedral church of Le Mans, dedicated to these apostles, a common dedication in Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Simile modo","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Simile modo' (In like manner) introduces a parallel bequest, structuring the testament as a series of similarly formulated dispositions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"vestimenta damea","severity":"info","text":"'Vestimenta damea' likely refers to damask vestments, a luxury fabric; the term may be a Latinized form of 'damascenus' (from Damascus).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"domno 'vero et pontifice successore meo","severity":"caution","text":"The text has a stray apostrophe before 'vero', possibly a scribal error or abbreviation mark; the sense is 'domno vero et pontifice successore meo' (the true lord and pontiff, my successor).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'e contra pontifice perceperit' is unclear: it may mean 'from the pontiff' or 'in exchange from the pontiff'; the reading taken is 'from the pontiff'.","The identity of 'abbas' (abbot) is not specified; possibly the abbot of a monastery associated with the basilica."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"Omnia vero quae de proprietate, seu ex militia in regesturiolo meo post meum obitum inventa fuerint, seu et species aut vestimenta quod ego laboravi vel adquisivi, excepto quod sanctae Ecclesiae proprium est, tres exinde jubeo fieri portionis, una domnus et successor meus pontifex accipiat; alia vero basilica domni Petri et Pauli; tertia vero de praesente pauperibus jubeo erogare. Similiter tibi praecipio archidiaconi, et coram Deo contestor, ut de eos fructus quos eo anno relinquero, cum diem extremum exclusero, per manu tua, tertia parte pauperibus absque fraude erogetur.\n\nSimiliter volo ac jubeo omnibus servientibus sanctae Ecclesiae qui ministeriales esse noscuntur, vel meis, tam clericis quam saecularibus, qui mecum conversare videntur, singulos caballos, tam ingenui, quam liberi vel servientes de praesente percipiant; reliquos vero caballos tam Warannonis, quam spadas seu poledras, qui inventi Fuerint, et characterio sanctae Ecclesiae habuerunt, totus pontifex vel Ecclesia recipiant. Illi vero qui meum characterio peculiarem habuerunt, aut quos mihi parentes vel amici dederunt, medietatem sancta Ecclesia ex ipso accipiat; aliam medietatem basilica vel abbas qui inibi esse videtur recollegat.","english":"All things, however, which from my property, or from military service, are found in my little register after my death, whether goods or garments which I have worked for or acquired, except what is proper to holy Church, I order that three portions be made from them: one, my lord and successor the bishop shall receive; another, the basilica of the Lord Peter and Paul; the third, I order to be distributed to the poor at present. Likewise I command you, archdeacon, and I call you to witness before God, that from those revenues which I leave in that year, when I have closed my final day, through your hand, a third part be distributed to the poor without fraud.\n\nLikewise I wish and command that all servants of holy Church who are known to be ministers, or my own, both clerics and laymen, who are seen to have lived with me, each receive a horse at present, whether freeborn, freedmen, or servants; the remaining horses, both warhorses and geldings or fillies, which are found and have had the brand of holy Church, the bishop or the Church shall receive entirely. Those, however, which have had my personal brand, or which my parents or friends gave to me, holy Church shall receive half from them; the other half the basilica or the abbot who is seen to be there shall collect.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"regesturiolo","severity":"info","text":"The diminutive 'regesturiolo' (little register) suggests a personal inventory distinct from formal ecclesiastical records, emphasizing the testator's direct control over these assets.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"characterio","severity":"info","text":"'Characterio' (brand) refers to a mark of ownership, distinguishing Church property from the testator's personal possessions, a common practice in early medieval estate management.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Warannonis","severity":"info","text":"'Warannonis' (warhorses) indicates a specific class of valuable military horses, reflecting the testator's status and the importance of equine assets in Frankish society.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Similiter","severity":"info","text":"The repeated 'Similiter' (likewise) introduces parallel clauses, structuring the will into three distinct bequests: property division, revenue distribution, and horse allocation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"tres exinde jubeo fieri portionis","severity":"info","text":"The tripartite division (bishop, basilica, poor) echoes early medieval charitable norms, aligning with Carolingian capitularies that mandated almsgiving from ecclesiastical estates.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"de eos fructus quos eo anno relinquero","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'de eos fructus quos eo anno relinquero' is ambiguous: it may refer to revenues from the year of death or to those left unspent; the translation opts for the former.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'de eos fructus quos eo anno relinquero' could mean either 'from those revenues which I leave in that year' (as translated) or 'from those revenues which I leave behind in that year' (i.e., unspent). The reading taken follows the English draft.","The term 'ministeriales' may denote either ecclesiastical ministers or secular officials; the context suggests both, as the text specifies 'tam clericis quam saecularibus'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"Illud huic testamenta adnecti volui, ut de gregis equinis, quos mea parvitas undique attraxit vel augmentavit, excepto jur menta antiqua, inde duas portiones ex ipsis gregis quae meas proprias esse videntur, et super tera sanctae Ecclesiae pascua habent, ut diximus fiant: una percipiat sancta Ecclesia, et alia percipiat basilica sancti Petri et Pauli. Gregem illum, quem portionas equinarias super rem sanctae basilicae domni Victuri episcopi intendere videtur, ad ipsa sancta basilica volo esse donatum. Jumenta dei illo qui fuerunt peculiaris Gallimere, pro fidele mea Elopodiae volo esse donatus.\n\nVilla Marciliaco sita secus Diablentas vico, quem dato pretio a Medighiselo et Ebretrudi comparavi, aut undique adjunxi, aut adhuc adjungere potuero, cum domibus et mancipiis, et adjacentia sua, pratis, pascuis, aquis, aquarumve decursibus, dulcissimo pronepoti meo Leodochranno dono atque transfundo perpetua dominatione. Similiter villa secus Pacilenovico, quem genitor Blado Victriberno [An., Bladovic tribuno?] bessorum nobis pro soledus nostros vendidit, ipsam rem cum omni adjacentia sua, sibi dulcissimi pronepus meus Sigramni, habere jubeo. Similiter villam Pauliacum, quem ego dato pretio, id est solidos tregentos auro venerabile Bobeno abbate de basilica domni Albini comparavi, ipsa dulcissimo pronepoti meo Leodochranno habere jubeo, ut ipsa in perpetuo possideat.","english":"I have wished that this be attached to the testament: that from the herds of horses, which my smallness has drawn together or increased from every side, except the ancient stock, from those herds two portions which appear to be my own property, and which have pastures on the land of holy Church, as we have said, be made: one portion holy Church shall receive, and the other the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul shall receive. That herd, which seems to pertain to the horse-portions upon the property of the holy basilica of the lord Bishop Victurius, I wish to be donated to that same holy basilica. The beasts of burden there which were the particular property of Gallimerus, I wish to be donated for my faithful woman Elopodia.\n\nThe estate of Marciliacum, situated near the Diablintes district, which I bought at a given price from Medighiselus and Ebretrudis, or which I have joined together from every side, or which I may yet be able to join, with houses and slaves, and its appurtenances, meadows, pastures, waters, and watercourses, I give and transfer to my dearest great-grandson Leodochramnus in perpetual dominion. Similarly, the estate near the district of Pacilena, which the father Bladus Victribernus [or: Bladus the tribune?] of the Bessians sold to us for our solidi, that property with all its appurtenance, I order my dearest great-grandson Sigramnus to have. Similarly, the estate of Pauliacum, which I bought at a given price, that is three hundred gold solidi, from the venerable Abbot Bobenus of the basilica of the Lord Albinus, I order my dearest great-grandson Leodochramnus to have, so that he may possess it in perpetuity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"gregis equinis","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'gregis equinis' (herds of horses) is a genitive of description; the Latin is somewhat irregular, reflecting the Merovingian legal register.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"portionas equinarias","severity":"info","text":"'Portionas equinarias' (horse-portions) is a rare term, likely a Latinization of a Germanic or Vulgar Latin concept for designated shares of horse herds.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa Marciliaco","severity":"info","text":"The estate Marciliacum (modern Marcillé, perhaps Marcillé-Raoul in Sarthe) is situated near the Diablintes, a Gallic tribe whose territory became a pagus in Neustria.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Medighiselo et Ebretrudi","severity":"info","text":"The names Medighiselus and Ebretrudis are Germanic, indicating Frankish or Gallo-Frankish landowners; the transaction reflects the mixed ethnic milieu of Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"solidos tregentos auro","severity":"info","text":"'Solidos tregentos auro' (three hundred gold solidi) is a misspelling of 'trecentos'; the solidus was the standard gold coin of the late Roman and Merovingian period.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Blado Victriberno [An., Bladovic tribuno?]","severity":"caution","text":"The name 'Blado Victriberno' is uncertain; the editor suggests an alternative reading 'Bladovic tribuno' (Bladus the tribune), but the text is corrupt and the title ambiguous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'super tera sanctae Ecclesiae pascua habent' is syntactically loose; it may mean 'which have pastures on the land of holy Church' or 'which have pastures above the land of holy Church'.","The identity of 'Gallimere' and 'Elopodia' is unclear; they may be dependents or freedpersons, but the text does not specify their status.","The location 'Pacilenovico' is not securely identified; it may be a pagus or vicus in the Diablintes region."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"Sic quoque si aliquid aut basilica domni Albini, aut abbas qui successor ipsius Bobeno fuerit, exinde adtemtaverit circa ipsos, cum duplici satisfactionem jam dicto Leudochranno reddat, et villa ipsa, si voluerit contra definitione antecessores sui agere, nec sic valeat vindicare; et sic ab ipso pronepoti meo in perpetuo vindicetur. Villam quam secus vico Berulfo esse dignoscetur, et in ipsa villa Berulfus, qui quondam amisit quicquid inibi comparavi, tam de filio Enulfi, quam de Remoaldo vel conjuge sua, totum et ad integrum inter dulcissimos pronepotis meis Leutfredo et Thoringo, si mihi superstitem fuerint, aequalentia inter se dividendum volo esse donatum; sic quoque ut post obitum meum ad suam in integrum revocet potestatem.\n\nBasilicae sancti ac beatissimi sancti Germani Parisiaci antistitis, qui mihi dulciter enutrivit, et ad sacerdotali onus, ut non merui, ac per sua intercessione perveni, ad ipsa basilica in honorem ipsius obedum civitatis [Pro ob tus in civitate] Conomannicae aedificavi, et casas inibi aedificavi, et Moniculos institui, qui inibi Christo propitio in perpetuis temporibus officium et servilium procurent.","english":"Likewise, if either the basilica of Lord Albinus or the abbot who will be his successor after Bobenus should attempt anything concerning them, he shall render double satisfaction to the aforementioned Leudochrannus, and even if he wishes to act against the definition of his predecessors regarding that villa, he shall not be able to claim it; and thus it shall be vindicated in perpetuity by my great-nephew. The villa which is known to be near the vicus of Berulfus, and in that villa Berulfus, who once lost whatever I acquired there, both from the son of Enulfus and from Remoaldus or his wife, I wish the whole and entire to be given, to be divided equally between my dearest great-nephews Leutfredus and Thoringus, if they survive me, so that after my death they may recall it entirely into their own power.\n\nTo the basilica of the holy and most blessed Saint Germanus, bishop of Paris, who kindly nurtured me and through whose intercession I, though unworthy, attained the priestly burden, I have built in that basilica, in honor of him, an oratory in the city of Cenomanum, and I have built houses there, and I have instituted monks who, with Christ’s favor, shall provide office and service in perpetuity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"basilica domni Albini","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Lord Albinus likely refers to a church dedicated to Saint Albinus (Aubin) of Angers, a figure venerated in the region. The term 'domni' indicates a title of respect.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Leudochrannus","severity":"info","text":"Leudochrannus is a personal name, possibly a variant of Leudegramnus or similar Frankish name. The individual is a beneficiary of the penalty clause.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Bobeno","severity":"info","text":"Bobenus is likely the name of a previous abbot, possibly of the basilica of Saint Albinus. The text refers to his successor, indicating a monastic context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"sancti Germani Parisiaci antistitis","severity":"info","text":"Saint Germanus of Paris (c. 496–576) was bishop of Paris and a prominent figure in Merovingian Gaul. Bertichramnus claims to have been nurtured by him, linking the testament to his episcopal patronage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villam quam secus vico Berulfo","severity":"info","text":"This passage introduces a new bequest of a villa near the vicus of Berulfus, distinct from the preceding clause about the basilica of Saint Albinus. The structure shifts from conditional penalties to a direct donation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"obedum civitatis [Pro ob tus in civitate]","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin phrase 'obedum civitatis' is unclear; the bracketed 'Pro ob tus in civitate' suggests a scribal corruption or gloss. The intended meaning may be 'oratory in the city' (oratorium in civitate), as rendered in the English draft.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'basilica domni Albini' is not fully certain; it may refer to a church of Saint Albinus in the region of Cenomanum.","The phrase 'obedum civitatis' is corrupt; the reading 'oratory in the city' is conjectural based on context.","The relationship between Berulfus and the villa is unclear: 'Berulfus, who once lost whatever I acquired there' may indicate a previous transaction or dispute."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"Dono ad ipsa basilica in honore ipsius pontificis has villas his hominibus Charisago cum vineis quae Silviago vico sunt, et reicola quae appellatur Stirpiaco, cum vineolas et mancipiola qui inibi esse noscuntur, Landolenas, Graciaco et Manciaco, quas data pretio undique comparavi, et ad meam pervenit ditionem, tam quod praesenti tempore possidere videor, quam quod adhuc meliorare potuero, ad ipsa sancta basilica in honore beatissimi domni Germani volo esse donatas, et vineas illas quae ad Ruilione sunt, quod Aunigiselus diaconus tenuit, vel adhuc postea undique comparavi, cum prati mediate ad ipsum Ruivilionem ad ipsa sancta basilica praecipio possidendum. Villa vero de Comancio, quae ego de filio et parenti meo Ebroaldo comparavi, et postea et domos et vineas inibi aedificavi, cum id quod inveni, cum omni jure et adjacentia sua, te, basilica sancti Petri et Pauli, quam in honore vestro aedificavi, et immediate herede constitui in omnibus, habere decerno.","english":"I give to that same basilica in honor of that pontiff these estates: to his men Charisagus with the vineyards which are in the vicus of Silviacus, and the little estate which is called Stirpiacus, with the small vineyards and little slaves who are known to be there, Landolenas, Graciacus and Manciacus, which I have purchased everywhere at a given price, and which have come into my power, both what I seem to possess at the present time and what I shall yet be able to improve, I wish to be donated to that same holy basilica in honor of the most blessed lord Germanus; and those vineyards which are at Ruilio, which the deacon Aunigiselus held, or which I have since purchased everywhere, with the meadow adjoining that same Ruivilio, I order to be possessed by that same holy basilica. But the estate of Comancium, which I purchased from my son and relative Ebroaldus, and where I afterwards built both houses and vineyards, together with what I found there, with every right and its appurtenances, I decree that you, the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, which I built in your honor, and which I have constituted as immediate heir in all things, are to have.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"reicola","severity":"info","text":"The term 'reicola' (diminutive of 'res') denotes a small estate or property, distinct from the larger 'villa' and 'villa' in the same passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"mancipiola","severity":"info","text":"'Mancipiola' (diminutive of 'mancipium') refers to enslaved persons, likely of lower status or in smaller numbers, consistent with the diminutive forms used throughout.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Charisagus","severity":"info","text":"Charisagus is a personal name of likely Germanic origin, reflecting the mixed cultural milieu of Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Dono ... volo esse donatas ... praecipio possidendum ... decerno","severity":"info","text":"The passage uses a series of performative verbs ('dono', 'volo esse donatas', 'praecipio possidendum', 'decerno') to formalize the donation, each introducing a distinct clause or property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ruilione / Ruivilionem","severity":"caution","text":"The spelling 'Ruilione' and 'Ruivilionem' may reflect scribal variation or a copying error; the intended place name is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"basilica sancti Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, built by Bertichramnus, is a key recipient; its dedication reflects the widespread cult of the apostles in Merovingian monastic foundations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Charisagus' (a person or a place?) is ambiguous; the translation treats it as a person ('his men Charisagus'), but the Latin could also be read as a place name.","The relationship between 'Ruilione' and 'Ruivilionem' is unclear; they may refer to the same location with variant spellings or to two distinct places."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"Reicola quae appellatur Fontanas, infra terminum Alaunense, quam mihi vir magnificos Baudhegiselus et Saucia conjux sua condederunt, et donationes fecerunt, et nos multum eis in quo potuimus solatia praebuimus, ipsam rem post obitum nostrum sancta Ecclesia ac venerabilis basilica domui Petri et Pauli ad tuam revoces ditionem, sicut ad ipso Baudeghiselo possessum fuit; sic quoque, ut nomina illorum in libro vitae in ipsa basilica recitetur. Villa Redonatiogo quae ad Bonalfa semper aspexit, et nos postea inibi tam terras quam silvas, quas dato pretio de Chargario et Ragnarico comparavimus, vel undique totum et ad integrum, sicut semper ipsi villa Redonatiaco ad Bonalfa aspexit, et inibi aspicere debeat, ut sancta Ecclesia herede mea in perpetuo proficiat.\n\nLicet quicquid a nobis fuerat laboratum tam in agris, quam mobilibus et immobilibus, volemus totum jam, sicut anterior testamentus noster habuit, in uno testamentum totum et ad integrum delegavi: sed quia postea postquam Deus glorioso domno nostro Clothario rege totum regnum Francorum in sua ditione advenire praecepit, et postea nobis sua larga pietas pro servitia nostra in aliquo respexit, necipsum nobis oportet praeterire.","english":"The estate called Fontanas, within the boundary of Alaunum, which the magnificent men Baudhegiselus and his wife Saucia granted to me, and made donations, and we provided them with much assistance in whatever we could, that same property after our death you shall recall to the dominion of the holy Church and the venerable basilica of the house of Peter and Paul, just as it was possessed by that same Baudeghiselo; likewise, so that their names be recited in the book of life in that same basilica. The estate of Redonatiacum, which always looked to Bonalfa, and we later there both lands and woods, which we purchased at a given price from Chargarius and Ragnaricus, or everywhere entirely and completely, just as that same estate of Redonatiacum always looked to Bonalfa, and ought to look there, so that the holy Church may prosper as my heir in perpetuity.\n\nAlthough whatever had been labored by us, both in fields and in movables and immovables, we wish now everything, just as our earlier testament had, to be delegated entirely and completely in one testament: but because afterwards, after God commanded that the glorious lord our King Clothair bring the whole kingdom of the Franks under his dominion, and afterwards his great piety looked upon us in some measure for our service, it is not fitting for us to pass over that itself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Reicola","severity":"info","text":"Reicola is a Latinized Germanic term for a rural estate or farmstead, often used in Merovingian charters to denote a named property.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"vir magnificos Baudhegiselus et Saucia conjux sua","severity":"info","text":"Baudhegiselus and Saucia are likely local aristocrats; the title 'vir magnificos' indicates high social status in Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domno nostro Clothario rege","severity":"info","text":"King Clothair (Chlothar II, r. 584–629) unified the Frankish kingdoms; his reign is a key chronological marker for this testament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Licet quicquid a nobis fuerat laboratum","severity":"info","text":"This passage functions as a recapitulation and confirmation clause, summarizing previous bequests and adding new ones under the authority of King Clothair.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"libro vitae","severity":"info","text":"Liber vitae (book of life) refers to a liturgical commemoration list; inclusion ensured prayers for the donors' souls.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"condederunt","severity":"caution","text":"The verb 'condederunt' is a non-standard form; likely a scribal error for 'condonavērunt' (granted) or 'concessērunt' (conceded).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of Fontanas and the boundary of Alaunum are uncertain; 'Bonalfa' may be a place name or a personal name."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"Ergo villas illas quas horae recordationis Avitus, filius Felici quondam episcopus, qui parentem nostram et proximam in conjugium habuit sociata, et omnes res Aviti inter me et vir illuster Gundolando Majores domos sua pietas concessit, et ego contra ipsum modo ad praesens habere videor, omnem portionem meam, tam quod in Biturivo est, quam in Albiense, Cadurcino et Agennense, totum et ad integrum, quicquid medietas ex agro ipsa ad ineam pertinet rationem, pro mea vel in quantitate relaxandi peccata basilica sancti Petri et Pauli, quem heredem constitui, post obitum meum in integritate villas ipsas percipias; et Nogiogilo villam, quam et ego et vir inluster Gundolandus filiae meae et parente Dundanae usufructu concessemus, post ipsius obitum vos sacrosancta Ecclesia et basilica communiter mediate, sicut precaluriam jam dictae matronae convenit, ad vestrum revocetis potestatem idipsum aequaliter dividendum.","english":"Therefore, those estates which Avitus of blessed memory, son of Felix, once bishop, who had our parent and kinswoman joined to him in marriage, and all the property of Avitus, which his piety granted between me and the illustrious man Gundolandus, the Mayors of the Palace, and which I myself seem to hold at present, my entire portion, both that which is in the territory of Bourges and that in Albi, Cahors, and Agen, wholly and completely, whatever half of that land pertains to my share, for the sake of my sins or for the quantity of their remission, the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, which I have constituted as my heir, shall receive those estates in their entirety after my death; and the estate of Nogiogilus, which both I and the illustrious man Gundolandus granted in usufruct to my daughter and kinswoman Dundana, after her death you, the sacrosanct Church and basilica, jointly and equally, as befits the precaluria of the said matron, shall recall to your authority, to be divided equally.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"horae recordationis","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'horae recordationis' (literally 'of happy memory') is a formulaic epithet for the deceased, here applied to Avitus. It is not a Coptic term but a Latin honorific.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"precaluria","severity":"caution","text":"'Precaluria' is a rare or possibly corrupt term; the English draft renders it as 'precaluria' without translation. It may refer to a legal right or status of the matron Dundana, but its precise meaning is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Avitus","severity":"info","text":"Avitus, son of Felix and once bishop, is a historical figure whose property is being redistributed. His marriage to the testator's relative links him to the family network of Bertichramnus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Gundolandus","severity":"info","text":"Gundolandus, titled 'vir illuster' and 'Majores domos' (Mayor of the Palace), is a high-ranking Frankish court official. His joint grant with Bertichramnus reflects the political context of property transactions among elites.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"narrative","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the testamentary narrative, specifying the disposition of multiple estates (Biturivo, Albiense, Cadurcino, Agennense, Nogiogilo) to the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul after the deaths of the testator and his daughter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"medietas ex agro ipsa","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'medietas ex agro ipsa' is ambiguous: it could mean 'half of that land' or 'the half from that field'. The English draft takes it as 'half of that land', but the Latin syntax is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The term 'precaluria' is of uncertain meaning and may be a scribal error or a technical legal term not otherwise attested.","The phrase 'medietas ex agro ipsa' could be interpreted as either 'half of that land' or 'the half from that field', affecting the precise property division."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"Villa vero Vocriomno, quam mihi gloriosus domnus Clotarius rex suo munere pro rebus nostris quas Egulfus et Arnoaldus malo ordine et tenuerunt et vastaverunt, licet plus jam nobis exinde pius rex dederat, sed per injunctionem suam hoc Ecclesiae Metticae in honorem domni Stephani relaxavi, et villam istam cum domno et fratri meo Arnulfo episcopo petivi, ut illas villas quae fuerunt Egulfo et Arnoaldo ipso recepit; nos villa Vocrionno. in per petuo tenere deberemus, et quod exinde facere volebamus, liberum arbitrium haberemus. Idcirco ipsa villa tam pro mercedem domni regis quam et pro nostra, quia vineolas parum habet basilica sancti Petri et Pauli, hinc in loco isto ideo ipsa villa cum omni jure suo et adjacentias ad se pertinentes, totum et ad integrum, te sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli, ubi corpusculum meum desidero sepelire, in perpetuo volo esse donatum. Villa vero Nociogilos, quae est in terraturio Pectavo super alveum Ligeris, quem inibi Beato nepus quondam Babone filius Theudaldo, de maternum suum, per donationis titulum condedit, te sacrosancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli, post obitum meum habere jubeo.","english":"The estate of Vocriomno, which the glorious lord King Clothar granted to me by his own gift in exchange for our properties which Egulfus and Arnoaldus wrongfully held and laid waste—although the pious king had already given more to us from that source—I, however, by his command, released this to the Church of Metz in honor of the lord Stephen, and I requested this estate from my lord and brother Bishop Arnulf, so that he received those estates which belonged to Egulfus and Arnoaldus; we were to hold the estate of Vocriomno in perpetuity, and we were to have free discretion to do with it as we wished. Therefore, this estate, both for the sake of the lord king's merit and for our own, because the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul has few vineyards, I desire that this estate, with all its right and appurtenances belonging to it, entirely and completely, be donated in perpetuity to you, the holy basilica of the lord Peter and Paul, where I wish my body to be buried. The estate of Nociogilos, which is in the territory of Poitiers on the bank of the Loire, which the late Bavo, son of Theudaldus, by his maternal right, conveyed to you by a deed of donation, I order that you, the most sacred basilica of the lord Peter and Paul, shall have it after my death.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa vero Vocriomno","severity":"info","text":"Vocriomno is an otherwise unattested estate; its location is unknown, but the context of exchange with the Church of Metz suggests it lay in the region of Metz or Neustria.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"domnus Clotarius rex","severity":"info","text":"Clothar II (584–629) was the Merovingian king of Neustria; his grant to Bertichramnus reflects the royal patronage of bishops and the use of land grants to compensate for losses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ecclesiae Metticae","severity":"info","text":"The Church of Metz, dedicated to Saint Stephen, was a major episcopal see in Austrasia; Bertichramnus’s release of Vocriomno to it indicates a transaction with Bishop Arnulf.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa vero Nociogilos","severity":"info","text":"This second estate donation follows a pattern: naming the estate, its location, its previous owner, and the beneficiary, mirroring the structure of the first donation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Beato nepus quondam Babone filius Theudaldo","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin is corrupt: 'Beato nepus' likely means 'the late Bavo' (Bavo quondam), but 'nepus' may be a scribal error for 'nepos' (grandson) or a misreading; the genealogy is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"basilica domni Petri et Pauli","severity":"info","text":"Bertichramnus’s wish to be buried in this basilica, and his donation to it, reflects the early medieval practice of founding or endowing a church as a burial site to secure prayers for the soul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The location of Vocriomno is unknown; the text does not specify whether it was in Neustria or Austrasia.","The phrase 'Beato nepus quondam Babone' is textually corrupt; the relationship between Bavo and Theudaldus is unclear.","The phrase 'de maternum suum' may mean 'by his maternal right' or 'from his mother's side', but the exact legal nuance is ambiguous."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"De Marogilo villas Rufiniaco et Marigilo, qui de actione Nuncianae ad me pervenerunt, per res sanctae Ecclesiae quod multum devastavit, et nobis gloriosus domnus Clotarius rex post obitum ipsius Nuncianae concessit, te, sacrosancta Ecclesia, heres mea habere jubeo. Locello qui appellatur Lucianus, quicquid inibi debet Hisigilo; reicola illa, quae est super Ledo fluvium, nomine Bauciallo, quem ego de Bestingeselo de Vindocinense et conjuge vel filiastros suos comparavi, basilicae sancti Victuri Cenomannica civitate cum mancipiis et omni re quod inibi melioratum est, volo esse donatura. Villa nomine Tauriaco, portionem illam quem Nuncia inibi tenuit, et nos modo per praeceptionem domni nostri, sicut Marogilo et Rufiniaco tenemus, et ipsa villa Tauriaco tam portione illa Nuncianae qui fuit, et modo ad nostra traditione pervenit; quam et portionem illam, quam Audericum et nepoti sui, filius germanae suo et germanae suae nobis vendiderunt, et ipsum insimul conjunximus, te sacrosancta Ecclesia, heres mea, habere jubeo. Locello quae appellatur Luciacus, quicquid inibi de Berthigisillo, vel conjuge sua et filiis eorum comparavi, et ad praesens possidere videor, cum quicquid inibi adjunxi, aut adhuc adjungere potuero, basilicae sancti Petri et Pauli herede meae delego possidendum.","english":"Concerning Marogilum, the estates of Rufiniacum and Marigilum, which came to me from the legal action of Nunciana—through the resources of the holy Church, which he greatly devastated—and which the glorious lord King Clothar granted to me after the death of that same Nunciana, I order you, the most sacred Church, my heir, to have. The little place which is called Lucianus, whatever Hisigilus owes there; that little estate which is on the Ledo River, named Bauciallum, which I bought from Bestingeselus of Vindocinum and his wife and stepsons, I wish to be a donation to the basilica of Saint Victurus in the city of Cenomannum, with the slaves and everything that has been improved there. The estate named Tauriacum, that portion which Nunciana held there, and which we now hold by the decree of our lord, just as we hold Marogilum and Rufiniacum—and that same estate of Tauriacum, both that portion of Nunciana which was, and which has now come into our possession; as well as that portion which Audericus and his nephews, the son of his sister and his sister, sold to us, and which we have joined together—I order you, the most sacred Church, my heir, to have. The little place which is called Luciacus, whatever I have bought there from Berthigisillus, or his wife and their children, and which I seem to possess at present, with whatever I have added there, or may yet be able to add, I delegate to be possessed by the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, my heir.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"De Marogilo villas Rufiniaco et Marigilo","severity":"info","text":"The toponyms Marogilum, Rufiniacum, and Marigilum are likely estate names in the region of Le Mans (Cenomannum). Their exact locations are uncertain, but they recur in Merovingian charters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Nuncianae","severity":"info","text":"Nunciana is a personal name, likely a female landholder. Her death triggered the transfer of properties to Bertichramnus via King Clothar II, reflecting Merovingian royal patronage and legal action (actio).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"reicola","severity":"info","text":"Reicola (diminutive of res) means 'small estate' or 'property'. It is a rare term in Merovingian Latin, indicating a modest rural holding.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"te, sacrosancta Ecclesia, heres mea habere jubeo","severity":"info","text":"This formulaic phrase, repeated twice, marks the legal bequest to the Church as heir. It structures the testament as a series of dispositive clauses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Locello qui appellatur Lucianus / Locello quae appellatur Luciacus","severity":"caution","text":"The text switches between 'Lucianus' and 'Luciacus' for the same place, likely a scribal inconsistency. Both refer to a small locality (locellus).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"basilicae sancti Victuri Cenomannica civitate","severity":"info","text":"The basilica of Saint Victurus in Le Mans (Cenomannum) was a local church. Victurus is a rare saint, possibly a local bishop or martyr, indicating regional cult practices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact locations of Marogilum, Rufiniacum, Marigilum, Bauciallum, and Tauriacum are uncertain. The relationship between 'Lucianus' and 'Luciacus' is ambiguous—likely the same place with variant spelling. The identity of 'Hisigilus' and 'Bestingeselus' is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"Villas vero sitas in terraturio Dunense, hoc est villa Pannonio, quem de Johanni abbate dato pretio, hoc est solidis centum quadraginta comparavi, et villam Marcirias, quem de Bethone, filio Baddone quondam similiter visus sum comparasse; ipsas reicolas, tu dulcissimus nepos meus Sigechelmi, post meum obitum recipias; sic quoque ut post tuum obedum filii tui inter se aequalentia dividant.\n\nReicolas illas quas sanctae Ecclesiae Suadria soror Theoderi quondam episcopi per suum testamentum dedit, hoc est Luciniaco et Monte, et postea meo opere ipsas vindicavi. Villa quam de Dudone, nepoti Romono super Ligere comgaravi, hoc est dato solidos centum, ipsam rem, quicquid inibi ad praesens habere videor, cum domibus, vineis, terris, mancipiis et omni portione illa, te, sacrosancta Ecclesia neres mea, habere jubeo. Similiter villa Brea, quam mihi Theudoaldus vendidit, et ipsam ad tuam revoces ditionem, cum vineis, mancipiis et omni jure suo. Kairaco vero villa, quam de Comerio Diacono datos sol. ccc comparavi, et nunc in ditione mea in Dei nomine esse dinoscetur, te, sancta basilica domni Petri et Pauli, quam heredem cum ecclesia nuncupavi, habere decerno, cum domibus, mancipiis, vineis, pratis, silvis cum omni jure suo; et si adhuc inibi aliquid meliorare potuero, totum et ad integrum ad tuam revoces potestatem.","english":"The estates situated in the territory of Dunense, that is, the estate of Pannonio, which I purchased from Abbot John for a given price, that is, one hundred and forty solidi, and the estate of Marcirias, which I likewise appear to have purchased from Betho, son of the late Baddo; these little properties, my dearest nephew Sigechelm, you shall receive after my death; likewise so that after your death your sons shall divide them equally among themselves.\n\nThose little properties which Suadria, sister of Theoderus, the late bishop, gave to the holy Church by her testament, that is, Luciniacum and Mons, and which I afterwards recovered by my own effort. The estate which I purchased from Dudo, nephew of Romo on the Loire, that is, given one hundred solidi, that property, whatever I seem to have in it at present, with houses, vineyards, lands, slaves, and that entire portion, I order you, my sacred Church, my heir, to have. Likewise the estate of Brea, which Theudoaldus sold to me, and that you shall recall to your dominion, with vineyards, slaves, and all its right. But the estate of Kairacum, which I purchased from Comerius the Deacon for three hundred solidi given, and which is now known to be in my dominion in the name of God, I decree that you, the holy basilica of the Lords Peter and Paul, which I have named as heir along with the church, shall have, with houses, slaves, vineyards, meadows, woods, with all its right; and if I am able to improve anything further there, you shall recall the whole and entire to your power.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"villas","severity":"info","text":"The Latin 'villas' (accusative plural of 'villa') here denotes rural estates or agricultural settlements, not modern 'villas'. In Merovingian charters, 'villa' often refers to a fiscal or ecclesiastical estate with dependent lands and workers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"reicolas","severity":"info","text":"'Reicolas' (accusative plural) is a Latinized diminutive of 'res' (thing, property), meaning 'little properties' or 'small estates'. It appears twice in this passage, emphasizing the modest scale of the bequests.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Dunense","severity":"info","text":"The territory of 'Dunense' likely refers to the region around Dunum (modern Doué-la-Fontaine) in the Maine-et-Loire department, part of the Merovingian kingdom of Neustria. This aligns with Bertichramnus's episcopal see at Le Mans.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"solidis centum quadraginta","severity":"info","text":"The price of 140 solidi for the estate of Pannonio reflects the gold solidus, the standard Byzantine and Merovingian coin. Such sums indicate the economic value of land transactions in 7th-century Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"narrative","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from direct bequests to the nephew Sigechelm (first paragraph) to bequests to the Church (second paragraph), marked by the verb 'jubeo' (I order) and 'decerno' (I decree). The structure distinguishes familial from ecclesiastical heirs.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"comgaravi","severity":"caution","text":"The verb 'comgaravi' is a hapax legomenon, likely a scribal error or variant of 'comparavi' (I purchased). The context and parallel structure with 'comparavi' earlier support this reading, but the form is irregular.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of 'Kairacum' is uncertain; it may be a variant of 'Cairacum' or 'Quercy'.","The relationship between 'the holy basilica of the Lords Peter and Paul' and 'the church' named as heir is unclear—possibly the same entity or two distinct recipients."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":41,"ref":"p41","source":"Villa Sitriaco, quem dato pretio de Leugadie comparavi, cum alio locello qui nuncupatur Blaciacos, cum adjacentibus ad se pertinentibus, domibus, mancipiis, vineis, terris, pratis, silvis, vel omni jure earum, te, sacrosancta Ecclesia Cenomannica, heredem meam habere praecipio.\n\nVilla Cresciaco et Vallis, sicut per epistolas inter me et domno Arnulfo episcopo Mettensis Ecclesiae convenit, in honore domni Stephani Ecclesiae suae, sicut jam per epistolam nostram prius decrevi, post meum obitum, ipsa sancta Ecclesia in honore sancti Stephani ad suam revocet ditionem, et nomen meum in libro vitae inibi, qui tune tempore pontifex fuerit, scribi jubeat. Tres partes colonicae, quem de ratione Arngaldo habuimus, ipsam basilicam domni Petri et peculiaris patroni nostri Medardi episcopi post meum obitum habere jubeo. Villa Montiniaco, quam Giboaldus quondam episcopus tenuit, et postea ad nostram ditionem venit, ipsa cum omni jure suo sancta Ecclesia juris sui esse nunc delego atque decerno. Villas vero sitas in Burgundia, quas nobis gloriosus domnus noster Clotharius rex et viris inlust. Bradone et Warnehario Majoris domus dedit, qui fuerunt Leudegiselo quondam, tertiam portionem, quam mihi ex ipsas villas legitimo ordine cum ipsis viris illustribus debetur, vos sacrosancta Ecclesia Cenomannica et basilica sancti Petri et Pauli heredes meas aequalentia cum ipsis habere nolo.","english":"The estate of Sitriaco, which I purchased from Leugadia for a given price, together with another small place which is called Blaciacos, with the appurtenances belonging to it—houses, slaves, vineyards, lands, meadows, woods, and every right over them—I command that you, the most holy Church of Le Mans, be my heir.\n\nThe estate of Cresciaco and Vallis, as was agreed between me and the lord Arnulf, bishop of the Church of Metz, by letters, in honor of the church of the lord Stephen, as I already decreed earlier by my letter, after my death I order that the same holy Church in honor of Saint Stephen recall it to its own jurisdiction, and that the bishop who is then in office have my name inscribed in the book of life there. The three parts of the colonica which we obtained from the account of Arngaldus, I order that the basilica of the lord Peter and of our special patron Medardus the bishop have it after my death. The estate of Montiniaco, which the late bishop Giboaldus held, and which later came into our jurisdiction, I now delegate and decree that the holy Church hold it with every right of its own. As for the estates situated in Burgundy, which our glorious lord King Clothar and the illustrious men Brado and Warnehar, mayors of the palace, gave to us, which formerly belonged to Leudegiselus, the third portion which is owed to me from those estates by lawful order together with those illustrious men, I do not wish you, the most holy Church of Le Mans and the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, to have as my co-heirs equally with them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Villa Sitriaco","severity":"info","text":"Sitriaco is a place-name of Gaulish origin, likely a villa estate in the territory of Le Mans. Its precise location is unknown.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"domno Arnulfo episcopo Mettensis Ecclesiae","severity":"info","text":"Arnulf was bishop of Metz (c. 614–640) and a contemporary of Bertichramnus. The reference to letters between them indicates a formal agreement concerning the estate of Cresciaco and Vallis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Clotharius rex","severity":"info","text":"Clothar II (584–629) was king of the Franks. His grant of Burgundian estates to Bertichramnus, along with mayors Brado and Warnehar, reflects Merovingian royal patronage of bishops.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"colonica","severity":"info","text":"Colonica (or colonica) denotes a small agricultural holding worked by coloni (tenant farmers), distinct from a villa. The 'three parts' likely refer to shares of its produce or land.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villas vero sitas in Burgundia","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from direct bequests to a conditional clause: Bertichramnus excludes the Church of Le Mans and the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul from co-inheriting the Burgundian estates with the mayors, using 'nolo' (I do not wish).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"nomen meum in libro vitae","severity":"info","text":"The request to have his name inscribed in a 'book of life' (liber vitae) is a common early medieval practice for liturgical commemoration, ensuring prayers for the donor's soul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of Sitriaco, Blaciacos, Cresciaco, Vallis, and Montiniaco is uncertain. The identity of Leugadie (Leugadia) is unclear. The phrase 'tertiam portionem' may refer to a one-third share of the Burgundian estates, but the exact division among the heirs is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":42,"ref":"p42","source":"Et villas in Provencia, quas ipse pius rex inter me et viros illustris Gondolaido et Chugo de ratione Aurelianae dedit, quantum exinde per justitiam vindicare possemus, absque peccatum nostrum, id est de ipsas villas portionem meam, vos heredes meas cum ipsis illustris viris ad vestram revocetis potestatem. Villa vero quae de ratione Nuncianae, tam in Pectavo, quam et in Erbaticola, quam et illas alias villas quas cum Ghisone compatri meo in Cadurcino, Limodicino, aut ubicumque in Gutia portio Nuncianae nobis exinde legitime reddebantur, te dulcissime compater meus Chiso pro amoris affectum et comparatum una cum nepoti vestro et nostro Thoringo aequaliter dividendum habere praecipio. Villas vero quas dato pretio de Dracoaldo episcopo [Ausciensi] comparavi, et ia civem [L. civitatem] ipsam, ubi praedictus pontifex fuit occisus, esse noscuntur, tibi, dulcissime nepos meus Sigechelmi, una cum filiis tuis praecipio possidendum. Fidelissimus meus Warnehario et Walcone filio Tedemondi quondam, qui mihi fideliter ab adolescentia eorum vel sanctae Ecclesiae cum integra fide, quod omnibus incognitum non est, deservisse noscuntur, quidquid eis in terris. mancipiis, vineis dedi, aut ipso meo tempore visi sunt adquisisse, totum et ad integrum eis volo esse concessum, et filii et filiae eorum, quam diu vixerint, possideant, et nullus ex eis exinde nihil auferat jubeo ac decerno.","english":"And the estates in Provence, which the pious king himself gave between me and the illustrious men Gondolaidus and Chugo, by the judgment of Aureliana, as much of them as we could legally claim, without sin on our part—that is, my portion of those estates—you, my heirs, together with those illustrious men, are to reclaim into your power. The estate, however, which pertains to the property of Nunciana, both in Pectavum and in Erbaticola, as well as those other estates which, with my compatriot Ghiso, in the Cadurcinum, Limodicinum, or wherever in Gutia the portion of Nunciana was lawfully due to us from there, I decree that you, my dearest compatriot Ghiso, out of affection and fellowship, together with your and our nephew Thoringus, are to have divided equally. The estates, moreover, which I purchased for a given price from Bishop Dracoaldus of Ausci, and which are known to be in that city itself where the aforementioned pontiff was killed, I decree that you, my dearest nephew Sigechelm, together with your sons, are to possess. My most faithful men Warneharius and Walco, son of the late Tedemondus, who are known to have served me faithfully from their youth and the holy Church with complete faith—which is unknown to no one—whatever I gave them in lands, slaves, or vineyards, or whatever they are seen to have acquired in my own time, I wish it all and entirely to be granted to them, and their sons and daughters, as long as they live, are to possess it, and I order and decree that no one is to take anything from them in this regard.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"de ratione","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'de ratione' (here 'de ratione Nuncianae') denotes a legal claim or right, often to property or revenue, rather than a physical estate. It indicates a portion due from a fiscal or patrimonial account.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Gutia","severity":"info","text":"'Gutia' refers to the region of Gothia (Septimania) in southern Gaul, a Visigothic territory. This locates the estates in a contested area between Frankish and Visigothic influence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Dracoaldo episcopo [Ausciensi]","severity":"info","text":"Bishop Dracoaldus of Ausci (Auch) is otherwise unattested; his murder, mentioned here, suggests local violence or political turmoil in early 7th-century Aquitaine.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Villas vero quas ... comparavi","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from collective inheritance (heirs with Gondolaidus and Chugo) to specific bequests to named individuals (Ghiso, Sigechelm, Warneharius, Walco), each introduced by 'Villas vero' or 'Fidelissimus meus'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ia civem [L. civitatem] ipsam","severity":"caution","text":"The text reads 'ia civem', likely a scribal error for 'in civitatem' (into the city). The emendation is standard, but the original reading is corrupt.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Testamentum Bertichramni","severity":"info","text":"This will is a key source for Merovingian social and legal history, cited in studies of land tenure, kinship, and the role of the Church in 7th-century Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Ghiso' (also 'Chiso') and his relationship to Thoringus ('nepos' could mean nephew or grandson) is unclear.","The location of 'Pectavum' and 'Erbaticola' is uncertain; they may be place names in Poitou or Aquitaine.","The phrase 'absque peccatum nostrum' may be a legal formula meaning 'without legal fault' rather than a moral statement."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":43,"ref":"p43","source":"Quidquid fideli nostro Cherulfo quondam dedimus vel filiis suis, hoc ad integrum confirmamus. Fidelissimo amico meo Chadeleno quicquid ei hic et in Genomannico dedi, volo ut hoc in perpetuo et ille et filii sui possideant, quia omnibus notum est quod fideliter in ministeriis sanctae ecclesiae et jugiter deservivit, et tempore vitae suae facere disponit, et justum est, ut quicquid ei de jure Ecclcsiae, vel quae meo labore ad Ecclesiam pervenit, semper in eo perpetualiter perduret. Fideli meo Betoleno, filio Cundeleno quondam, quicquid genitore suo dedere, vel quod postea ipso Betoleno et nostra largitate est concessum, ipso Betoleno et conjuge suae, vel filiis eorum in perpetuo volo esse donatum: sic quoque ut genitrix sua quotquot exinde habet dum advixerit, usufructuario possideat. Post obitum ipsius jam dictus Betolenus, et filii sui in integrum percipiant, et semper amici Ecclesiae persistant.","english":"Whatever we once gave to our faithful Cherulfus or to his sons, we confirm in its entirety. To my most faithful friend Chadelenus, whatever I gave to him here and in the Genomanic territory, I wish that he and his sons may possess it in perpetuity, because it is known to all that he has served faithfully and continually in the ministries of the holy Church, and intends to do so during his lifetime; and it is just that whatever of the Church’s right, or whatever came to the Church through my labor, should always endure in him permanently. To my faithful Betolenus, son of the late Cundelenus, whatever was given to his father, or what was later granted to Betolenus himself by our generosity, I wish to be given in perpetuity to Betolenus himself and his wife, or to their children: provided, however, that his mother, as long as she lives, shall hold in usufruct whatever she has from it. After her death, the aforesaid Betolenus and his sons shall receive it in its entirety, and they shall always remain friends of the Church.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"fideli nostro Cherulfo","severity":"info","text":"Cherulfus is a recipient of a prior grant now confirmed; the name is Germanic, reflecting the Frankish milieu of the testament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"in Genomannico","severity":"info","text":"Genomannico refers to the territory of Cenomanum (Le Mans), the bishop's see; the term distinguishes grants made locally from those in Provence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"usufructuario","severity":"info","text":"Usufructuario denotes a life interest in property, a standard legal concept in early medieval ecclesiastical charters, allowing the mother use without ownership.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Quidquid ... confirmamus","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows a pattern of confirming prior grants to named individuals, then stipulating perpetual possession and conditions, typical of testamentary dispositions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"amici Ecclesiae persistant","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'friends of the Church' reflects a reciprocal relationship: beneficiaries receive property in exchange for continued loyalty and service to the Church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"de jure Ecclcsiae","severity":"caution","text":"The spelling 'Ecclcsiae' (for Ecclesiae) is a scribal error or abbreviation; the intended reading is 'Ecclesiae' (of the Church).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'quicquid ei de jure Ecclcsiae, vel quae meo labore ad Ecclesiam pervenit' is ambiguous: it may mean property that belonged to the Church by right or that came to the Church through the bishop's labor; the translation takes it as both categories enduring in Chadelenus."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":44,"ref":"p44","source":"Illud itaque rogo ac jubeo, ut quanticumque amici mei vel fideles servientes fuerint, semper eis memor sit nutritura mea, vel benefactum meum, quod circa illos impendidi, ut et ipsis post obitum meum cura sit, ut cum dies commemorationis meae evenerit, semper inibi adesse debeant: et Abbate loci illius solatium praebeant; et dicant: Felix est homo ille, qui amicos bonos relinquit. Praecipio tibi, dulcissime nepos meus Sigechelmi, et filiis tuis rego et adjuro per Deum omnipotentem, ut quamdiu vos in saeculo supertitisse volucrit, una cum conjuges vestras vel sobolis vestris, si sanitas permiserit, semper annis singulis bis aut ter sepulturola mea visitetis; et hoc adjuro Abba e loci illius, ut totaliter vos reficiat, et filios vestros honoret, qualiter cognoscit me sancta Ecclesia fuisse consolatorem, ut vobis et filiis vestris delectet frequens visitare locum ipsum sanctum, vel meam commemorare memoriam. Adjuro et rogo domno meo Cabimoaldo episcopo [Infra, Chaimaldo episc.","english":"Therefore I ask and command that, however many my friends or faithful servants may be, my nurture and the good deed I have bestowed upon them shall always be remembered by them, so that after my death they may take care that when the day of my commemoration comes, they should always be present there; and they should offer solace to the Abbot of that place, and say: \"Blessed is that man who leaves behind good friends.\" I command you, my dearest nephew Sigechelm, and I rule and adjure your sons by almighty God, that as long as you survive in this world, together with your wives or your children, if health permits, you shall visit my tomb twice or thrice every single year; and I adjure the Abbot of that place that he shall entirely refresh you and honor your sons, in such a way as he knows that I, the holy Church, was a comforter, so that it may delight you and your sons to frequently visit that holy place itself, or to commemorate my memory. I adjure and ask my lord Bishop Cabimoald [Below, Chaimald the Bishop].","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"nutritura mea, vel benefactum meum","severity":"info","text":"The pairing 'nutritura mea, vel benefactum meum' (my nurture or my good deed) likely refers to material support and patronage, not merely upbringing. The testator insists these be remembered by his friends and servants.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"sepulturola mea","severity":"info","text":"'Sepulturola' is a diminutive of 'sepultura' (burial, tomb), here meaning 'my little tomb' or 'my grave'. The affectionate diminutive may reflect personal devotion or the modest scale of the intended monument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Adjuro et rogo domno meo Cabimoaldo episcopo","severity":"info","text":"The passage ends with an incomplete sentence ('Adjuro et rogo domno meo Cabimoaldo episcopo [Infra, Chaimaldo episc.'), indicating a textual break or lacuna. The English draft marks this with a bracket, suggesting the original manuscript continues.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Abba e loci illius","severity":"info","text":"'Abba e loci illius' (the Abbot of that place) refers to the head of the monastic community where the testator's tomb is located. The testator commands the abbot to refresh and honor his descendants, reinforcing the bond between family and monastery.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Felix est homo ille, qui amicos bonos relinquit","severity":"info","text":"The saying 'Blessed is that man who leaves behind good friends' echoes classical and biblical wisdom on friendship (e.g., Sirach 6:14). Its inclusion in a testament underscores the social and spiritual value placed on loyal companions in early medieval Christianity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"supertitisse volucrit","severity":"caution","text":"'Supertitisse volucrit' is a corrupt or non-standard form; likely intended as 'superstites volueritis' (you wish to survive). The English draft reads 'as long as you survive in this world', which is a plausible emendation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'una cum conjuges vestras vel sobolis vestris' could mean 'together with your wives or your children' (as translated) or 'together with your wives and your children'; the Latin 'vel' may be inclusive. The testator's command to visit 'bis aut ter' (twice or thrice) annually is clear, but the exact frequency is left open. The incomplete final sentence leaves the adjuration to Bishop Cabim"],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":45,"ref":"p45","source":"Pictavensi], quia consanguineus meus esse dinoscetur, et cum divina pietas ad sacerdotale culmen perduxit, semper illi memor sit nutrita mea vel patrocinius sancti Petri, unde ad ipsum onus Christo praesule ambulavit; ut idonea sepultura,, quandoque me Deus ab hac luce migrare jusserit, suis manibus cum reliquis domnis et fratribus suis corpusculo meo dignanter sepeliant, ut unde Domini mercedem conquirant, et laus in populo percurrat: hoc jubeo tunc archidiacono, ut ipsius domnus qui peccatorem sepelire dignaverint, donent cis caballis padi [F., paria] duo, et poledros congregans duos, et singulos parioculos ipsi domni accipiant; et tu hoc domne Chaimalde cum archidiacono dignanter facias, et tibi simili modo, sicut tui fratres accipiant, ut accipias jubemus. Et quamdiu in saeculo te Deus superstitem esse voluerit, rogo ad meam commemorationem digneris venire; et domnus abbas vel congregatio sancti Petri et Pauli dignum tibi honorem impendant.","english":"of Poitiers], because he is known to be my kinsman, and since divine piety has led him to the priestly summit, may my nurture and the patronage of Saint Peter, by which he advanced to that burden under Christ the bishop, always be remembered by him; so that, when God commands me to depart from this light, they may deign to bury my poor body with their own hands, together with the rest of their lords and brothers, in a fitting burial, whereby they may gain the Lord’s reward and praise may spread among the people. I then command the archdeacon that, to those lords who deign to bury this sinner, they give two pairs of horses, and two colts gathered together, and that each of those lords receive a pair of small horses; and you, Lord Chaimaldus, together with the archdeacon, shall deign to do this, and we command that you receive in like manner as your brothers receive. And as long as God wills you to be a survivor in this world, I ask that you deign to come for my commemoration; and may the lord abbot and the congregation of Saints Peter and Paul pay you due honor.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"caballis padi [F., paria] duo","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'caballis padi duo' is obscure; the editor glosses 'padi' as French 'paria' (pair), suggesting 'two pairs of horses' as in the English draft.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"poledros congregans duos","severity":"info","text":"'Poledros' is a Latinized Greek term for colts or young horses; 'congregans duos' means 'gathered together two', i.e., two colts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"parioculos","severity":"info","text":"'Parioculos' likely means 'a pair of small horses' (diminutive of 'paria'), as rendered in the English draft.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Pictavensi","severity":"info","text":"'Pictavensi' refers to Poitiers (Pictavium), a city in western France; the bishop of Poitiers is named as a kinsman of the testator.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Chaimalde","severity":"info","text":"'Chaimalde' is a personal name, likely a Frankish or Germanic name, of a lord addressed directly in the will.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"donent cis caballis padi [F., paria] duo, et poledros congregans duos, et singulos parioculos","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax of the bequest is ambiguous: it is unclear whether the horses and colts are given to the burying lords or to the archdeacon for distribution; the English draft opts for the latter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]}],"ambiguities":["The exact number and type of horses (caballis padi, poledros, parioculos) is uncertain due to textual corruption or scribal abbreviation.","The recipient of the horses (the burying lords or the archdeacon) is ambiguous."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":46,"ref":"p46","source":"Hos, has liberas liberosve esse jubeo: Libigiselo cum uxore et filiis, Chinemundo, Chrodosindo cum uxore et infantes, Theodogundi et filio suo Lopo, et filia sua, Emmane cum uxore et filiis, Ebreleno cum uxore et filiis, Gariulfo, Juliano, Picoaldo cum uxore et filiis, filio et filia Maurello. Similiter et famulos meos qui inibi deservire videntur, tam natione Romana, quam et barbara. Id sunt, Teodane, Bajone, Baudasindo, Mauro, Austrehario, Audisgisilo, Vetesigilo, Bercehano, Quotane, Alagise, Leodegiselo, et filiis Theodoniviae.","english":"I order these to be free men and women: Libigiselo with his wife and children, Chinemundus, Chrodosindus with his wife and children, Theodogundus and his son Lopus and his daughter, Emman with his wife and children, Ebrelenus with his wife and children, Gariulfus, Julianus, Picoaldus with his wife and children, the son and daughter of Maurellus. Likewise also my servants who are seen to serve there, both of Roman nationality and of barbarian. They are: Teodanus, Bajonus, Baudasindus, Maurus, Austreharius, Audisgisilus, Vetesigilus, Bercehanus, Quotanus, Alagisus, Leodegiselus, and the children of Theodonivia.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"liberos liberosve","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'liberos liberosve' is a legal formula meaning 'free men and free women,' indicating manumission of slaves in a testamentary context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"tam natione Romana, quam et barbara","severity":"info","text":"This phrase distinguishes between Roman and barbarian (non-Roman) ethnic origins among the servants, reflecting the mixed population of Merovingian Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Hos, has liberas liberosve esse jubeo","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a manumission list, a standard component of early medieval wills, enumerating slaves to be freed, followed by a second list of servants who remain in service.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Theodogundi et filio suo Lopo, et filia sua","severity":"caution","text":"The names 'Theodogundi' and 'Lopo' are irregular; 'Theodogundi' may be a genitive or a female name, and 'Lopo' could be a variant of Lupus. The syntax is ambiguous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Similiter et famulos meos qui inibi deservire videntur","severity":"info","text":"This clause distinguishes between freed slaves and those who remain in service, a common distinction in early medieval testaments, reflecting social hierarchy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The list of names includes several that are not clearly gendered or may be corrupt; 'Theodogundi' could be a male or female name, and 'Lopo' may be a variant of Lupus. The reading follows the English draft's interpretation as masculine."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":47,"ref":"p47","source":"Hus omnis ad integrum ingenuos esse jubeo cum omni peculiari eorum quod habent, aut deinceps laborare poterunt, et defensionem sanctae basilicae domni Petri et Pauli Apostolorum, ubi corpusculo meo in Dei nomen opto requiescere, habere mereamur; ita ut unusquisque tempore depositionis meae conveniant, et oblata tantum nominis mei ante sanctum altarium offerant, vel recenseant, et ministerium, qualem egisse visi sunt, unusquisque in Dei nomen in praedicta die observent; et abbati loci illius solatium praebeant, et postea in crastinum abbas det illis dignissimam refectionem, et unusquisque ad domos eorum revertantur, tam isti quorum nomina hic continentur, vel quos postea de gente barbara comparavi, aut adhuc comparare potuero, tam pueri, quam puellae, qui a me emti noscuntur, et epistolas eis feci; et ipsi in integra ingenuitate perdurent, et hoc observent quod et pluris eorum, et toti sub tuitione et defensione sancti Petri perseverent; et Dasgastaldus qui voluerint ex ipsis cum ipso abbate consistere, vel basilicae deservire, de rebus sanctae basilicae ditentur, ut melius eis delectet sepulturolae meae impendere honorem, et sanctae basilicae deservire. Et qui hic in Cenomannico terraturio manere noscuntur, defensionem sanctae basilicae domnorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli se habere noscuntur.","english":"I order all of these to be fully free men and women, with all their property which they have, or will be able to acquire by their labor thereafter, and we may deserve to have the protection of the holy basilica of the Lords Peter and Paul the Apostles, where I wish my body to rest in the name of God; so that each one, at the time of my deposition, shall assemble and offer, or review, the oblation of my name alone before the holy altar, and each one shall observe the ministry which they are seen to have performed, in the name of God, on the aforesaid day; and they shall provide assistance to the abbot of that place, and afterwards, on the next day, the abbot shall give them a most worthy meal, and each one shall return to their homes—both those whose names are contained here, and those whom I have later purchased from the barbarian people, or whom I may yet be able to purchase, both boys and girls who are known to have been bought by me, and for whom I have made charters; and they shall continue in full freedom, and observe what is also observed by the majority of them, and all shall persevere under the protection and defense of Saint Peter; and Dasgastaldus, those among them who wish to remain with the abbot himself, or to serve the basilica, shall be enriched from the property of the holy basilica, so that it may please them more to pay honor to my tomb and to serve the holy basilica. And those who are known to remain in the territory of Cenomanicus are known to have the protection of the holy basilica of the Lords Apostles Peter and Paul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Dasgastaldus","severity":"info","text":"Dasgastaldus is a personal name, likely of Germanic origin, referring to a specific individual or possibly a title; the context suggests a person who may oversee the freedmen's service to the basilica.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"defensionem sanctae basilicae","severity":"info","text":"The 'protection of the holy basilica' reflects a common early medieval practice where freedmen were placed under the patronage of a church or monastery, ensuring their legal status and obligations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"et ipsi in integra ingenuitate perdurent","severity":"info","text":"This clause reiterates the condition of perpetual freedom, linking the freedmen's status to their continued service and the abbot's provision, forming a conditional structure typical of manumission documents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"epistolas eis feci","severity":"info","text":"The reference to charters (epistolas) for purchased slaves indicates a documentary practice in Merovingian Gaul, where written records were used to formalize manumission, as seen in other contemporary formularies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"et ministerium, qualem egisse visi sunt","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the ministry which they are seen to have performed' is ambiguous: it may refer to liturgical service or general duties; the Latin 'ministerium' can denote both, and the intended scope is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity and role of Dasgastaldus is unclear; it may be a personal name or a title. The phrase 'ministerium' could mean liturgical service or general labor. The clause 'et ipsi in integra ingenuitate perdurent' may imply a conditional freedom contingent on continued service."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":48,"ref":"p48","source":"Si necesse fuerit, et abbas ille, qui basilica sancta ad regendum et gubernandum commissa fuerit, omni tempore de eo quod inibi a me collatum est, depositionem meam et lumen sepulturolae meae annis singulis taliter studeat celebrare, qualiter alia delectet loca sanctorum in maximis rebus ditare Quod si abbas ille qui exinde negligens fuerit, cognoscat ante tribunal Christi cum domnis Petro e(??) Paulo apostolis ex hoc habere ultionem, et perpetuam suscipere damnationem. Illos vero quos de ratione Ecclesiae pro singulis festivitatibus in Albis, per epistolas relaxavi, aut relaxavero, sicut epistolae eorum edocent, sub tuitione et defensione sanctae Ecclesiae rependeant.\n\nEt quia casus humanus multos dubios reddit; et ego vereor, ne (quod Deus avertat) devotionem meam iniqua cupiditas, quae malorum radix est, in aliquo frangat; conjuro te, domne sacerdos, quem post me Deus esse voluerit, per illum judicium tremendum— que diem, sic in aeternum beatitudinis praemium adipiscas, et non cum Juda damnationis partem adquiras, ut omnibus voluntatis meae arbitrium impleas; vel dum te Deus superstitem esse voluerit, custodire intendas omnia. Hanc libertatem debet perpendere, qui voluntati suae judicium firmiter desiderat permanere.","english":"If it should be necessary, and that abbot, to whom the holy basilica has been entrusted for ruling and governing, at all times concerning what has been conferred by me in that place, shall take care to celebrate my deposition and the light of my little tomb each year in such a manner as it delights to enrich other places of the saints in the greatest matters. But if that abbot should be negligent in this, let him know that before the tribunal of Christ with the lords Peter and Paul the apostles he will suffer vengeance for this, and receive perpetual damnation. Those whom I have released from the obligation of the Church for individual feasts in White, through letters, or will release, as their letters teach, let them be repaid under the protection and defense of the holy Church.\n\nAnd because the human condition renders many things uncertain; and I fear, lest (which God forbid) my devotion be broken in some part by iniquitous greed, which is the root of evils; I conjure you, lord priest, whom God will have wished to be after me, by that terrible judgment—that day, so that you may obtain the eternal reward of blessedness, and not acquire a part of damnation with Judas, that you fulfill the judgment of my will in all things; or while God wills you to be a survivor, you intend to guard everything. This liberty ought to consider, he who desires his will's judgment to remain firmly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":49,"ref":"p49","source":"Rogo cum testamentum meum ad omnis et comprovincialibus meis fuerit apertum, tunc per manum archidiaconi centum solidi per domnum episcopum Turonicae civitatis ad sepulcrum domni et peculiaris patroni sancti Martini antistitis ubi comam deposui, et annis singulis tributum meum ibidem reddidi, transmittantur. Similiter ad basilicam sancti Albini antistitis per manum Andegavi pontificis sol. quinquaginta dirigantur, quos solidos per sacellos separatim cum brevicellis sigillatis ad unumquemque locum, sicut superius memini, in manu fideli dispensatori commendavi, sicut pagina testamenti mei eloquitur dispensandos.\n\nTibi vero, archidiacone, demando atque praecipio, ut per omnes basilicas quae circa civitatem nostram esse noscuntur, hoc est basilicae sancti Victurii peculiaris patroni mei, dabis solid. XX. Basilicae domni Vicentii, ubi sanctus Domnolus episcopus requiescit, in honore ipsius martyris vel domni antistitis dabis solid. XX. Basilicae sanctae Mariae vel sanctae Crucis dabis solid. X. Basilicae sancti Juliani episcopi aut caballum, aut in aurum dabis solid. V. itemque basilicae sancti Richomeri solid. Basilicae sancti Hilarii dabis solid. V. Ad oratoria domni Martini, domni Victorii, vel sancti Petri infra muros, dabis in aurum aut in caballos solid. V. Basilicae sancti Stephani martyris aut in aurum aut in caballos dabis solid. V.","english":"I ask that when my testament has been opened before all my fellow bishops and provincials, then through the hand of the archdeacon one hundred solidi be transmitted by the lord bishop of the city of Tours to the tomb of the lord and special patron Saint Martin the bishop, where I laid down my hair, and where I paid my tribute each year. Likewise, to the basilica of Saint Albinus the bishop, through the hand of the bishop of Angers, fifty solidi be directed, which solidi I have entrusted separately in purses with sealed little documents to each place, as I have mentioned above, in the hand of a faithful steward, to be dispensed as the page of my testament declares.\n\nTo you, however, archdeacon, I command and charge that to all the basilicas which are known to be around our city, that is: to the basilica of Saint Victurius, my special patron, you shall give 20 solidi; to the basilica of the lord Vincent, where Saint Domnolus the bishop rests, in honor of that martyr and the lord bishop, you shall give 20 solidi; to the basilica of Saint Mary and the Holy Cross, you shall give 10 solidi; to the basilica of Saint Julian the bishop, either a horse or in gold you shall give 5 solidi; likewise to the basilica of Saint Richomer, solidi; to the basilica of Saint Hilary, you shall give 5 solidi; to the oratories of the lord Martin, the lord Victorius, and Saint Peter within the walls, you shall give in gold or in horses 5 solidi; to the basilica of Saint Stephen the martyr, either in gold or in horses, you shall give 5 solidi.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":50,"ref":"p50","source":"Similiter volo ac jubeo, ut omnibus clericis nostris qui hic in ecclesia deservire noscuntur;, de quibus aut in quibuslibet rebus quinquaginta solid. dones. Illud vero specialiter rogo, ut in supra scripta loca, ubi aliquid non ut decuit, sed in quantum virtus praevaluit delegavi, nomen meum ac sacerdotes illorum in libro vitae jubeant adscribere, et per singulas festivitates recitari.\n\nLicet superius hoc intimare debueram, quid cineribus meis deservire deberent; sed quia non habui integre perscrutatum de familia mea, quorum hoc agendum committerem; ideo mihi convenit, ut de quantiscumque villis sanctae basilicae domni Petri et Pauli herediis meae delegavi possidendas, ut singulos condomas de unaquaque villa qui nitidiores esse noscuntur, et nos vel basilicae sanctae fideliter deserviunt volumus nomina eorum in una epistola conscribere, et manu nostra firmare, ut integro relaxentur a servitio, et ipsis una pariter cum abbate de sepulturola mea, tam de luminario quam de cineribus meis integra eis sit cura usque die ultimo vitae eorum, tam illi quam soboles qui ex ipsis fuerant procreati, in perpetuo debent cum integra diligentia deservire, et ingenuitas status illorum sub defensione ipsius abbatis debeat perpetualiter perdurare.","english":"Similarly, I wish and command that to all our clerics who are known to serve here in the church, concerning whatever matters, you give fifty solidi. I especially ask that in the above-mentioned places, where I have assigned something not as was fitting, but as far as my ability allowed, they order my name and those of their priests to be inscribed in the book of life, and to be recited on each feast day.\n\nAlthough I ought to have indicated above what should serve my ashes, yet because I have not fully investigated among my household whom I might entrust with this task, it is fitting for me that, from whatever estates of the holy basilica of the lords Peter and Paul which I have assigned to be possessed as my inheritances, I wish that the names of individual heads of household from each estate who are known to be more upright and who faithfully serve us or the holy basilica be written in one letter and confirmed by our hand, so that they may be fully released from service, and that they, together with the abbot, shall have full care for my burial, both for the lighting and for my ashes, until the last day of their lives; both they and the offspring who have been procreated from them must serve perpetually with complete diligence, and the status of their freedom shall perpetually endure under the protection of that same abbot.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":51,"ref":"p51","source":"Sed quia nos de familia sanctae Ecclesiae nihil nec cineribus nostris, nec dispositione facienda praesumimus injungi aut relaxari, sicut domni et antecessores nostri fecerunt; simili modo, jubeo, ut si aliquid mihi minime in mente fuerint de meis famulis, aut germani mei Bertulfi quondam, et haec in Cenomannico manere videntur, toti absoluti sint a servitio et defensionem vel tuitionem sanctae basilicae domni Petri et Pauli, sicut reliqui liberi mei, habere mereantur. Illos vero quos de captivitate redemi, et ante ingenui fuerunt, et modo pro pretio servire videntur, tam viri quam mulieres de villa Boalcha omnes a servitio relaxentur. Ad matriculas capitalis in civitate vel qui per basilicolas sunt, per manus archidiaconi quinque sol. jubeo dari.\n\nQuia deliberationis meae arbitrium opto per hunc testamentum fi miter conservare, ideo conjuro vos, domni et pontifices, per sanctum apostolatum quem divina traditione accepistis, ubicumque necesse fuerit, basilicae meae vel abbati loci illius semper solatium praebeatis, et tale consilium domno et successori ineo instruite, ut de id quod sanctae basilicae in honore domni Petri et Pauli apostolorum pro animae meae remedium deputavi, nihil exinde minuat, nec per qualibet occasione aliquid debeat fraudare, quia ego nullum dispendium me sanctae ecclesiae generasse cognosco.","english":"But because we presume to impose or relax nothing concerning the household of the holy Church, neither for our ashes nor in the arrangement to be made, just as our lords and predecessors did; in like manner, I command that if anything concerning my servants, or those of my late brother Bertulf, has been least in my mind, and these are seen to remain in the territory of Cenomanum, they are all to be freed from service and are to deserve to have the defense or protection of the holy basilica of the lords Peter and Paul, just as my other free persons. Those whom I redeemed from captivity, and who were formerly freeborn, and now seem to serve for a price, both men and women from the estate of Boalcha, are all to be released from service. To the matriculants in the city cathedral or those who are in the minor basilicas, I order five solidi to be given through the hand of the archdeacon.\n\nBecause I wish the judgment of my deliberation to be preserved inviolably through this testament, therefore I adjure you, lords and pontiffs, by the holy apostolate which you have received by divine tradition, that wherever it may be necessary, you always provide solace to my basilica or to the abbot of that place, and instruct my lord and successor with such counsel that he diminish nothing from what I have designated for the holy basilica in honor of the lords Peter and Paul, apostles, for the remedy of my soul, nor should he defraud anything on any occasion, because I acknowledge that I have generated no loss for my holy church.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"matriculas","severity":"info","text":"Matriculas refers to clerics enrolled in the matricula, a list of those supported by the church, often including the poor or clergy. Here it likely denotes junior clergy or those in minor orders attached to the cathedral and basilicas.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Boalcha","severity":"info","text":"Boalcha is an estate name, possibly a variant of Bualcha or similar, located in the diocese of Cenomanum (modern Le Mans). Its identification remains uncertain, but it appears in other early medieval charters from the region.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Quia deliberationis meae arbitrium opto per hunc testamentum fi miter conservare","severity":"info","text":"This sentence introduces the testament's concluding adjuration, shifting from specific bequests to a general plea for enforcement. The phrase 'fi miter' is likely a scribal error for 'firmiter' (firmly).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"fi miter","severity":"caution","text":"The reading 'fi miter' is corrupt; the intended word is almost certainly 'firmiter' (firmly). This is a common scribal error in medieval manuscripts, possibly due to abbreviation or misreading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"conjuro vos, domni et pontifices","severity":"info","text":"This adjuration formula echoes late antique testamentary practice, where testators invoked ecclesiastical authority to ensure execution of wills. It reflects the growing power of bishops in Merovingian Gaul to oversee pious bequests.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"basilicae meae vel abbati loci illius","severity":"info","text":"The reference to an abbot suggests that Bertichramnus' basilica of SS. Peter and Paul was a monastic church, possibly part of a monastery. This aligns with the practice of bishops founding or endowing monastic communities in the 6th–7th centuries.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'de meis famulis, aut germani mei Bertulfi quondam' is ambiguous: it may mean servants of Bertichramnus and his late brother Bertulf, or servants of Bertichramnus and those formerly of Bertulf. The translation adopts the latter reading.","The estate 'Boalcha' is not securely identified; it may be a variant spelling of a known place in the diocese of Le Mans, but no certain identification exists."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":52,"ref":"p52","source":"Similiter conjuro vos omnes per victorias clementissimorum principum, qui, in saeculo virtutem agendi apud ipsos domnos et principes nostros habetis, ut si necesse fuerit semper defensionis vestrae auxilium paginolae non negetis. Adhuc parva memoravi quod valde in oblivione tradidi. Domum vero, Diablentes quam meo opere aedificavit cum curte et stabulum, et hortus et colonicas, quicquid undique tam de Bosone presbytero, quam de heredis Etoleno, Trilono, loco quae dicitur Calviaco, vel undique in opidum Diablentis juxta ripam Aroenae fluviolo comparavi, tam terris, mancipiis, silvis, pravis et omnes jure suo, cum Taxonaria quam vindicavi contra Leutthero et heredes suos, totum et ad integrum, te, sacrosancta Ecclesia heres mea, habere volo, excepto res antiquas sanctae Ecclesiae Diablenticae. Idemque et portiones illas quas mihi Guntherus in omnes res suas per donationes contulit, et ipsum conjunctum apud ipsam casam Diablenticam te, sacrosancta mater et heres mea Ecclesia habere decerno Casellas illas quas bonae memoriae.","english":"Likewise, I adjure you all, by the victories of the most clement princes, who in this world hold the power of action with those lords and our princes, that if need be, you never deny the aid of your defense to this little page. I have now recalled a small matter which I had greatly consigned to oblivion. The house, however, which I built by my own labor at Diablintes, with the court and stable, and the garden and farmsteads—whatever I acquired from all sides, both from the priest Boso and from the heirs of Etolenus, Trilunus, at the place called Calviacum, or from anywhere in the town of Diablintes along the bank of the little river Aroena, including lands, slaves, woods, meadows, and all by their own right, together with Taxonaria, which I recovered against Leuttherus and his heirs—I wish you, my holy Church, my heir, to have wholly and entirely, except for the ancient properties of the holy Church of Diablintes. Likewise, I decree that those portions which Guntherus conveyed to me by donation in all his properties, and that same property joined to that house of Diablintes, you, my holy mother and heir Church, are to possess. Those little houses of blessed memory.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]},{"i":53,"ref":"p53","source":"Domnigisilus diaconus ex nostro munere habuit, et ipsi pauper inibi aedificavit, et nos post illius obitum dulcissimo nepoti nostro Leudochramno concessimus, cum omnes casellas, casticella, vineola, campellos, et quod ibi ipse diaconus habere visus fuit, cum mancipiola illa qui inibi habere videntur, volumus ut ipse nepos noster dum pro amore nostro frequens ad basilicam S. Petri et Pauli apostolorum venire deliberat, sicut et nos in testamentum scripsimus, volumus ut ipsas cum gratia pontifice successore nostro semper possideat, sic quoque ut post obitum illius ad jus sancto Ecclesiae revertatur.\n\nNam et ego in praesenti denuntio, ut si quis contra hanc voluntatem meam venire tentaverim excommunicatione perpetua ferietur, et tale in ipsum Deus judicium ostendat, ut lepra Naaman percussus, terra ipsum sicut Dathan et Abiron absorbeat; et sic ultio divina in illum appareat, ut in praesenti saeculo se male egisse cognoscat, et in futurum judicium nunquam remissionis veniam consequatur. Si quae liturae, si quae caraxaturae, si quae litterae adjectae sunt vel detractae, ego feci, fierique jussi, dum meam mihi saepius praelego voluntatem; et omnia per singula recognosco vel emendo. Ut lex edocet, septem virorum honestorum subscriptionibus et sigillis credidi muniendum, et pro totius rei firmitate atque stipulatione adnecti praecepi.","english":"Domnigisilus the deacon had from our gift, and that same poor man built there, and we after his death granted to our dearest nephew Leudochramnus, with all the little houses, little cottages, little vineyards, little fields, and whatever that deacon was seen to have there, along with the little slaves who are seen to have a dwelling there; we wish that our nephew, as long as he, for love of us, frequently decides to come to the basilica of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, just as we have written in the testament, we wish that he always possess these with the grace of our pontifical successor, yet also so that after his death they revert to the right of the holy Church.\n\nAnd I myself declare at present, that if anyone should attempt to come against this will of mine, he shall be struck with perpetual excommunication, and God shall show such a judgment upon him that, struck with the leprosy of Naaman, the earth shall swallow him up like Dathan and Abiron; and thus divine vengeance shall appear upon him, so that in the present age he may know that he has acted wickedly, and in the future judgment he shall never obtain the pardon of remission. If there are any erasures, any scratchings-out, any letters added or removed, I have done them, or ordered them to be done, while I more often read over my will to myself; and I acknowledge or correct everything individually. As the law teaches, I have entrusted it to be fortified with the subscriptions and seals of seven honest men, and I have ordered them to be affixed for the firmness and stipulation of the whole matter.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Domnigisilus diaconus","severity":"info","text":"Domnigisilus is a deacon, a clerical rank below priest. The name is Germanic, reflecting the Frankish context of the diocese of Le Mans.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"lepra Naaman percussus, terra ipsum sicut Dathan et Abiron absorbeat","severity":"info","text":"The curse invokes two biblical punishments: Naaman's leprosy (2 Kings 5:27) and the earth swallowing Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16:31-33). This combines Old Testament exempla of divine retribution.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"septem virorum honestorum subscriptionibus et sigillis","severity":"info","text":"Roman law required seven witnesses for certain legal documents, a practice continued in Merovingian Gaul. The subscription and seal of each witness authenticated the will.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Si quae liturae, si quae caraxaturae, si quae litterae adjectae sunt vel detractae","severity":"info","text":"This clause, common in early medieval testaments, acknowledges and validates any corrections or alterations made by the testator, preempting challenges to the document's integrity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"excommunicatione perpetua ferietur","severity":"info","text":"The threat of perpetual excommunication for violating the will reflects the Church's increasing authority in enforcing testamentary dispositions in the early Middle Ages.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of the property at Diablintes is uncertain; it may refer to the region of Aulerci Diablintes in modern Mayenne.","The relationship between Domnigisilus and Bertichramnus is not fully clarified; 'ex nostro munere' could imply a gift from the bishop's own resources."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":54,"ref":"p54","source":"Actum Cenomannis in civitate, die et anno superius comprehenso, Bertichramnus in Christi nemine acsi indignus episcopus testamentum meum, quem filio meo Ebbone notario scribendo dictavi, relegi et subscripsi. Guntinus Honoratus subscripsi, rogante domno Bertichramno. Dado, rogante domno Bertichramno, subscripsi. Signum Gerinus, rogante domno Bertichramno, subscripsi. Ibbolenus, rogante domno Bertichramno, subscripsi. Gaddo, rogante domno Bertichramno, subscripsi. Ego Hugo Honoratus subscripsi. Ego Ebbo notarius, jubente domno meo Bertichramno episcopo, et ipso praesente, hoc testamentum scripsi, relegi et subscripsi, notavi diem. Similiter ego Bertichramnus episcopus rogo filio meo archidiacono, ut cum testamentum meum apertum fuerit, ipso prosequente, gestis municipalibus secundum legem faciat alligari, quo semper firmiter perduret.","english":"Done at Le Mans in the city, on the day and year written above, I, Bertichramnus, in the name of Christ, though an unworthy bishop, have read over and subscribed my testament, which I dictated to my son Ebbo the notary for writing. I, Guntinus Honoratus, have subscribed, at the request of the lord Bertichramnus. I, Dado, have subscribed, at the request of the lord Bertichramnus. The mark of Gerinus, who subscribed at the request of the lord Bertichramnus. I, Ibbolenus, have subscribed, at the request of the lord Bertichramnus. I, Gaddo, have subscribed, at the request of the lord Bertichramnus. I, Hugo Honoratus, have subscribed. I, Ebbo the notary, by order of my lord Bertichramnus the bishop, and in his presence, have written, read over, and subscribed this testament, and have noted the day. Likewise I, Bertichramnus the bishop, ask my son the archdeacon that, when my testament has been opened, he, pursuing the matter, cause it to be bound to the municipal records according to law, so that it may always endure firmly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[],"ambiguities":[],"confidence":"","notes":[]}]}