Edictum De Synodo Parisiensi [AD 0615]

Coptic	Rendering	Count	First
no glossary terms recorded

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Source

a EDICTUM DE SYNODO PARISIENSI. (Breqaigny, Diplom. tom. I.) Felicitatem regni nostri in lioc magis magisque, divino intercedente suffragio, succrescere non dubium est, si quae in regno nostro, Deo propitio, bene acta, statuta, atque decreta sunt, inviolabiliter nostro studuerimus tempore custodire; et quae contra rationis ordinem acta vel ordinata sunt, ne inantea, quod avertat divinitas, contingant, disposuerimus, Christo praesule, per hujus edicti nostri tenorem, generaliter emendare. Ideoque definitionis nostrae est ut canonum statuta in omnibus conserventur, et quod per tempora ex hoc praetermissum est, vel dehinc, perpetualiter observetur. I. Ita ut, episcopo decedente, in loco ipsius, qui a metropolitano ordinari debet cum provincialibus, a clero et populo eligatur b; et si persona condigna fuerit, per ordinationem principis ordinetur; vel cene si de palatio eligitur, per meritum personae et doctrinae ordinetur·.

English

EDICT OF THE SYNOD OF PARIS. The felicity of our kingdom increases more and more, with divine favour intervening, there is no doubt, if those things which in our kingdom, God willing, have been well done, established, and decreed, we have striven inviolably to preserve in our time; and if those things which have been done or ordained contrary to the order of reason, lest they occur in the future, which may the divinity avert, we have arranged, with Christ as guide, through the tenor of this our edict, to correct generally. Therefore it is our determination that the statutes of the canons be preserved in all things, and that what has been omitted in this regard over time, or henceforth, be perpetually observed. I. So that, when a bishop dies, in his place, one who ought to be ordained by the metropolitan with the provincials, is to be elected by the clergy and people; and if the person is worthy, he is to be ordained by order of the prince; or even if he is chosen from the palace, he is to be ordained by merit of person and learning.

Commentary

structuretextEDICTUM DE SYNODO PARISIENSI

The heading identifies the document as an edict issued in connection with the Synod of Paris (614). The text is a royal capitulary, not a conciliar decree, though it enforces canon law.

termtextFelicitatem regni nostri

The phrase 'Felicitatem regni nostri' reflects the Merovingian royal ideology that the king's prosperity depends on divine favour and the maintenance of ecclesiastical order.

backgroundtextcanonum statuta

The reference to 'canonum statuta' alludes to the canons of the early church councils, especially those of the Fourth Council of Toledo (633) and earlier Gallic synods, which regulated episcopal elections.

paralleltexta clero et populo eligatur

The requirement that bishops be elected by clergy and people echoes the ancient canonical norm found in the Apostolic Canons and the Council of Nicaea (canon 4), though Merovingian practice often involved royal appointment.

cautiontextvel cene si de palatio eligitur

The phrase 'vel cene' is likely a scribal error or abbreviation; the intended reading may be 'vel etiam' or 'vel certe'. The clause allows for royal nomination from the palace, subject to merit, which tempers the canonical election ideal.

receptiontextper ordinationem principis ordinetur

This clause preserves the Merovingian king's role in episcopal appointments, a practice later criticized by the Gregorian Reform. The edict was included in early modern collections like that of Bréquigny, shaping views of Frankish church-state relations.

named: Bréquigny 1790

Open questions · 1

The phrase 'vel cene' is unclear; it may be a corruption of 'vel certe' or 'vel etiam'. The exact relationship between canonical election and royal appointment is left ambiguous, as the text allows both paths without resolving their priority.

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II. Ut nullus episcoporum, se vivente, eligat successorem; sed tunc alius ei substituatur, cum taliter afficeretur ut Ecclesiam suam nec clerum regere possit. Itemque ut nullus, vivente episcopo, adoptare locum ejus praesumat. Quod si petierit, ei minime tribuatur d. III. Si quis clericus, quolibet bonore munitus, contempto episcopo suo, vel praetermisso, ad principem aut ad potentiores quasque personas ambulare vel sibi patrocinium elegerit expetendum, non recipiatur, praeter si pro venia videtur expetere. Et si pro qualibet causa principem expetierit, et cum ipsius principis epistola ad episcopum suum fuerit reversus, excusatus recipiatur. Is qui ipsum, post admonitionem pontificis sui, retinere praesumpserit, sancta communione privetur e. IV. Ut nullus judicum de quolibet ordine clericos de civilibus causis, praeter criminalia negotia, per se distringere aut damnare praesumat, nisi convincitur manifestus, excepto presbytero aut diacono. Qui vero convicti fuerint de crimine capitali, juxta canones distringantur, et cum pontificibus examinentur f.

English

II. That no bishop, while he is alive, may choose a successor; but that another be substituted for him only when he is so affected that he cannot govern his church or clergy. And likewise that no one, while the bishop is alive, may presume to take his place. If he should seek it, it is not to be granted to him. III. If any cleric, invested with any honor, having despised his bishop, or having passed him over, should go to the prince or to any more powerful persons, or choose to seek patronage for himself, he is not to be received, except if he appears to be seeking pardon. And if for any cause he has sought the prince, and has returned to his bishop with a letter from that prince, he is to be received with excuse. Anyone who presumes to retain him after the admonition of his pontiff is to be deprived of holy communion. IV. That no judge of any rank may presume to constrain or condemn clerics in civil cases, except for criminal matters, by his own authority, unless the cleric is manifestly convicted, except in the case of a presbyter or deacon. Those who are convicted of a capital crime are to be constrained according to the canons, and are to be examined together with the bishops.

Commentary

termtextadoptare locum ejus

The phrase 'adoptare locum ejus' (to take his place) implies a formal, perhaps canonical, substitution, not merely informal succession.

backgroundbackground

Canon II addresses episcopal succession, a recurring concern in early medieval councils to prevent simony or undue influence by lay powers.

structuretext

Canons II–IV form a coherent block on clerical discipline: succession (II), recourse to secular authority (III), and judicial immunity (IV).

termtextbonore munitus

The Latin 'bonore munitus' is likely a scribal error for 'honore munitus' (invested with any honor), as the sense requires a clerical rank or dignity.

backgroundbackground

Canon III reflects tension between episcopal authority and the right of clerics to appeal to the king, a dynamic central to Merovingian church-state relations.

termtextcriminalia negotia

'Criminalia negotia' (criminal matters) is contrasted with 'civilibus causis' (civil cases), preserving the canonical privilege that clerics be tried by bishops except for grave crimes.

Open questions · 2

The Latin 'bonore' in Canon III is almost certainly a corruption of 'honore', but the manuscript tradition is not specified.
Canon IV's exception for presbyter or deacon is ambiguous: it may mean they are subject to secular judges in civil cases, or that they are exempt from the exemption.

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V. Quod si causa inter personam publicam et homines ecclesia; steterit, pariter ab utraque parte praeposit ecclesiarum et judex publicus in audientia publica positi ea debeant judicare g. VI. Cuicunque defuncto, si intestatus decesserit, propinqui absque conlrarietate judicum in ejus facultate juxta legem succedant h. VII. Libertos cujuscunque ingenuorum a sacerdotibus, juxta textus chartarum, ingenuitatis suae defensandos, nec absque praesentia episcopi aut praepositi Ecclesiae esse judicandos, vel ad publicum revocandos i. VIII. Ut ubicunque census novus impie additus est, et a populo reclamatur, justa inquisitione misericorditer emendetur. IX. De teloneo, ut per ea loca debeat exigi, vel de speciebus ipsis de quibus praecedentium principum tempore, id est, usque ad transitum bonae memoriae domnorum parentum nostrorum Gunthramni, Chilperici, Sigeberti regum, est exactum J.

English

V. If a case arises between a public person and the men of the church, the provosts of the churches and the public judge, placed together in a public hearing, ought to judge it equally on both sides. VI. If anyone dies intestate, his relatives shall succeed to his property according to the law, without opposition from the judges. VII. Freedmen of any freeborn persons are to be defended by the priests in accordance with the texts of their charters of freedom, and are not to be judged or summoned to a public court without the presence of the bishop or the provost of the church. VIII. That wherever a new tax has been impiously added and the people complain of it, it shall be mercifully corrected by a just inquiry. IX. Concerning tolls: that they shall be exacted only in those places and on those kinds of goods for which they were exacted in the time of the preceding princes, that is, up to the passing of the lords of good memory, our parents Kings Guntram, Chilperic, and Sigebert.

Commentary

sensetextcausa inter personam publicam et homines ecclesia

This canon establishes a mixed tribunal of ecclesiastical and public judges for disputes between a public person and church dependents, reflecting the Merovingian fusion of secular and ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

termtextteloneo

Teloneum (toll) refers to a customs duty or market tax. The canon restricts its collection to places and goods established under earlier Merovingian kings, indicating fiscal continuity and resistance to novel exactions.

backgroundtextdomnorum parentum nostrorum Gunthramni, Chilperici, Sigeberti regum

The named kings—Guntram (Chlothar I's son), Chilperic I, and Sigebert (Sigebert I)—reigned in the late 6th century. Their reigns serve as a benchmark for legitimate tolls, showing the edict's appeal to precedent.

structuretextV–IX

These five canons (V–IX) form a block of procedural and fiscal regulations, following earlier canons on episcopal succession and clerical discipline. They address mixed jurisdiction, inheritance, manumission, taxation, and tolls.

receptiontextlibertos ... defensandos

Canon VII's protection of freedmen by priests and bishops echoes late Roman and early medieval church advocacy for manumission, and anticipates later Carolingian capitularies on the same subject.

cautiontextabsque conlrarietate

The reading 'conlrarietate' is likely a scribal error for 'contrarietate' (opposition). The sense is clear: relatives succeed without judicial opposition.

Open questions · 2

The phrase 'personam publicam' may denote a royal official or any lay authority; the exact scope is debated.
Canon VIII's 'census novus impie additus' refers to an unspecified new tax, possibly a local imposition; the text does not specify the tax type.

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X. Judaei super Christianos actiones publicas agere non debeant. Quare qui se quaestuoso ordini sociare praesumpserit, severissimam legem ex canonica incurrat sententia a. XI. Ut pax ct disciplina in regno nostro sit, Christo propitiante, perpetua, rebellio vel insolentia malorum hominum severissime reprimatur b. XII. Ut nullus judex de aliis provinciis ani regionibus in alia loca ordinetur; ut si aliquid mali de quibuslibet conditionibus perpetraverit, de suis propriis rebus exinde quod male abstulerit, juxta legis ordinem debeat restituere e. XIII. Praeceptiones nostrae per omnia impleantur fuis capitis deperdita.) XIV. (Textus deperditus.) XV. (Textus deperditus.) XVI. Quidquid parentes nostri anteriores principes vel nos, per justitiam visi sumus concessisse et confirmasse, in omnibus debeat confirmari. XVII. Et quae imus de fidelibus ac leodibus, suam fidem servando domino legitimo, interregno faciente, visus est perdidisse, nera(??)iter absque aliquo incommodo de rebus sibi juste debilis praecepimus revestiri.

English

X. Jews ought not to bring public actions against Christians. Therefore, whoever presumes to join a profit-seeking order shall incur the most severe penalty under the canonical sentence. XI. So that peace and discipline may be perpetual in our kingdom, with Christ’s favor, the rebellion or insolence of evil men shall be most severely repressed. XII. That no judge from other provinces or regions be appointed in other places; so that if he perpetrates any wrong concerning any conditions whatsoever, he must make restitution from his own property for what he has wrongfully taken, according to the order of the law. XIII. Our precepts shall be fulfilled in all things, under penalty of loss of life. XIV. (Text lost.) XV. (Text lost.) XVI. Whatever our ancestors, previous princes, or we ourselves are seen to have granted and confirmed through justice shall be confirmed in all things. XVII. And as for those of our faithful and leudes who, while preserving their faith to their legitimate lord during the interregnum, are seen to have lost something, we have ordered that they be reinvested, without any inconvenience, in the things justly owed to them.

Commentary

termtextJudaei super Christianos actiones publicas agere non debeant

The phrase 'actiones publicas' likely refers to formal legal proceedings, not merely commercial activities. The restriction reflects late antique and early medieval canon law limiting Jewish legal authority over Christians.

backgroundtextrebellio vel insolentia malorum hominum severissime reprimatur

This clause reflects the political context after the Frankish civil war (c. 613), when Chlotarius II sought to consolidate royal authority and suppress aristocratic unrest.

structuretextXIII. Praeceptiones nostrae per omnia impleantur fuis capitis deperdita.)

The Latin of XIII is corrupt: 'fuis capitis deperdita' is unintelligible. The English draft interprets it as a penalty of death, but the original text is too damaged for certainty.

transmissiontextXIV. (Textus deperditus.) XV. (Textus deperditus.)

The loss of XIV and XV indicates that the manuscript tradition of the Edictum is incomplete. These gaps may have contained further disciplinary or procedural canons.

termtextleodibus

'Leodes' (from Germanic *leudiz) refers to the king's sworn retainers or vassals, a key term in early Merovingian political structure, distinct from general 'fideles'.

cautiontextnera(??)iter absque aliquo incommodo de rebus sibi juste debilis praecepimus revestiri

The word 'nera(??)iter' is a crux; the English draft reads it as 'we have ordered', but the Latin is garbled. The sense of reinvestiture is clear, but the precise verb is uncertain.

Open questions · 3

The text of XIII is corrupt; the penalty 'fuis capitis deperdita' is unclear.
The word 'nera(??)iter' in XVII is illegible or garbled, leaving the exact legal formula uncertain.
The lost canons XIV and XV may have contained important provisions now unrecoverable.

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XVIII. Puellas el viduas religiosas, aut sanctimoniales, quae se Deo voverunt, tam quae in propriis domibus resident, quam quae in monasteriis positae sunt, nullus nec per praeceptum nostrum competat, nec trahere, nec sibi in conjugio sociare penitus praesumat. El si quis exinde praeceptum elicuerit, nullum sortiatur effectum e. Et si quicunqne aut per virtutem aut per quemlibet ordinem ipsas detrahere aut sibi in conjugium praesumpserit sociare, capitali sententia feriatur. Etsi in ecclesia conjugium fecerint, et illa rapta aut rapienda in hoc consentire videbitur, sequestrati ab invicem in exsilio deportentur, et facultates eorum propinquis haeredibus socientur f. XIX. Episcopi vero vel potentes, qui in aliis possident regionibus, judices vel missos discussores de aliis provinciis non instituant, nisi de loco, qui justitiam percipiant et aliis reddant.

English

XVIII. No one shall presume to approach, abduct, or join in marriage with religious girls or widows, or nuns who have vowed themselves to God, whether they reside in their own homes or are placed in monasteries, not even by our decree. And if anyone shall have obtained a decree to that effect, it shall have no force. And if anyone, whether by force or through any order whatsoever, shall presume to abduct them or join them in marriage, he shall be struck by the capital sentence. And if they have contracted a marriage in a church, and the woman, whether abducted or to be abducted, appears to consent to this, they shall be separated from each other and deported into exile, and their property shall be assigned to the lawful heirs. XIX. Bishops or powerful men who possess lands in other regions shall not appoint judges or investigating envoys from other provinces, but only from the locality, who may receive justice and render it to others.

Commentary

termtextsanctimoniales

Sanctimoniales designates women who have taken religious vows, often synonymous with nuns, but here distinguished from those in monasteries by including those residing at home.

backgroundbackgroundcapitali sententia feriatur

The capital penalty for abducting religious women reflects the severe sanctions of early medieval canon law, reinforced by secular authority under Chlotarius II.

structuretextXVIII

Canon XVIII comprises three conditional clauses: prohibition, nullification of any contrary decree, and escalating penalties for abduction or forced marriage, including exile and confiscation.

paralleltextsequestrati ab invicem in exsilio deportentur

The penalty of separation and exile for a marriage involving a consenting abducted woman parallels similar provisions in earlier Merovingian capitularies and canon law collections.

termtextmissos discussores

Missos discussores (investigating envoys) are officials sent to administer justice; the canon restricts their appointment to local persons to prevent abuse of power.

cautiontextel

The Latin text uses 'el' where classical Latin would have 'et' (and); this is a common medieval orthographic variant and does not affect meaning.

Open questions · 2

The phrase 'quae se Deo voverunt' may include women who made private vows without formal monastic profession; the canon treats them equally with nuns.
The term 'capitali sententia' could mean death or severe corporal punishment; context suggests execution, but the exact penalty is not specified.

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XX. Agentes igitur episcoporum aut potentum per potestatem nullius rei collecta solatia nec auferant, nec cujuscunque contemptum per se facere non praesumant. XXI. Porcarii fiscales in silvas ecclesiarum aut privatorum absque voluntate possessoris in silvas eorum ingredi non praesumant. XXII. Neque ingenuus, servus qui cum furto non deprehenditur, a judi(??) ibus, aut ad quemcunque interfici non debeat inauditus g. XXIII. Et quando quidem pastio non fuerit, unde porci non debeant saginari, cellarinsis in publico non exigatur h. XXIV. Quicunque vero I hanc deliberationem, quam cum pontificibus i, vel lam magnis viris optimatibus aut fidelibus nostris in synodali concilio instituimus, temerare praesumpserit, in ipsum capitali sententia judicetur, qualiter alii non debeant similia perpetrare. Quam auctoritatem vel edictum perpetuis temporibus valiturum manus nostrae subscriptionibus decrevimus roborandum.—Hamingus.—Chlotacharius, in Christi nomine rex, hanc definitionem subscripsi.

English

XX. Therefore, the agents of bishops or of powerful men shall not, by virtue of their power, exact any collections of provisions, nor shall they presume to commit any act of contempt on their own authority. XXI. Fiscal swineherds shall not presume to enter the forests of churches or of private persons without the consent of the owner. XXII. Neither a free man nor a slave who is not caught in the act of theft shall be put to death by judges, or by anyone else, unheard. XXIII. And when there has been no mast, so that pigs ought not to be fattened, the cellar-tax shall not be exacted in public. XXIV. Whoever, however, presumes to violate this deliberation, which we have established with the bishops, and with the great men, nobles, and our faithful in the synodal council, shall be judged by capital sentence, so that others may not commit similar acts. We have decreed that this authority or edict, which shall remain in force for all time, be strengthened by the subscriptions of our hand.—Hamingus.—Chlotacharius, king in the name of Christ, have subscribed to this definition.

Commentary

termtextAgentes igitur episcoporum aut potentum

The phrase refers to agents acting on behalf of bishops or powerful laymen, reflecting the administrative and judicial roles of ecclesiastical and secular authorities in Merovingian Gaul.

termtextPorcarii fiscales

Fiscal swineherds were royal servants managing pig herds on public lands; their restriction from church or private forests without consent underscores tensions over resource rights.

backgroundtextcapitali sententia

The capital penalty for violating the edict reflects the synodal council's authority and the king's enforcement of ecclesiastical decrees, a common feature in early medieval legislation.

structuretextXXIV. Quicunque vero ...

This concluding canon serves as a penal clause, threatening capital punishment to deter violation, and is followed by the king's subscription formula, typical of Merovingian edicts.

transmissiontextHamingus.—Chlotacharius

The subscription by Hamingus (likely a notary or referendary) and King Chlotacharius II authenticates the edict; such subscriptions were standard for royal promulgations.

cautiontexta judi(??) ibus

The text is corrupt here; the intended word is likely 'a judicibus' (by judges), but the manuscript reading is uncertain, affecting interpretation of canon XXII.

Open questions · 2

The phrase 'a judi(??) ibus' in canon XXII is corrupt; the reading 'a judicibus' is assumed based on context.
The term 'cellarinsis' in canon XXIII may be a variant of 'cellaraticum' (cellar-tax), but its exact meaning is debated.

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Source

Data sub die xv Kalendas Novembris, anno regni nostri Parisius.

English

Given on the fifteenth day before the Kalends of November, in the year of our reign, at Paris.

Commentary

structuretextData sub die xv Kalendas Novembris, anno regni nostri Parisius

This is the dating clause that closes the edict, providing the place and date of issuance. It follows the standard form of Merovingian royal diplomas.

datingtextxv Kalendas Novembris

The date corresponds to 18 October in the Roman calendar. The year is not specified, but the edict is traditionally assigned to 615, the year of the Council of Paris.

termtextanno regni nostri

The phrase 'year of our reign' is a standard regnal dating formula. Chlotarius II became sole king of the Franks in 584, but the regnal year count may begin from his accession in Neustria (584) or from his unification of the kingdom (613).

backgroundtextParisius

Paris was a principal residence of the Merovingian kings and the site of the synod of 614/615, whose canons this edict confirms. The dating clause locates the issuance of the edict at the royal court in Paris.

transmissiontextData sub die

The phrase 'Data sub die' is typical of Merovingian chancery practice for dating royal acts. The survival of this edict depends on later canonical collections, not on original parchment.

Open questions · 1

The year of the reign is not specified; the traditional date of 615 is inferred from the synod. The exact regnal year count for Chlotarius II is uncertain.

Citation. Tergwame, “Edictum De Synodo Parisiensi [AD 0615]”, tmp1376.tmp1376.opp-lat1:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/tmp1376.tmp1376.opp-lat1#s1

Colophon. Source: ogl-pl · licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0035 · generated 2026-11-15.

Edictum De Synodo Parisiensi [AD 0615]

Summary

Historical context

Annotation and terms

Pipeline notes

Term index