Chronicon

Chronicle of Eutrandus of Pavia, Deacon and Subdeacon of Toledo. To the holy father Regimund, bishop of Elvira, Eutrandus, the useless servant of servants. It was pleasing to me, most blessed father and much revered lord, that our Antapodasis, in which I play with verse, now with prose, has finally reached your hands. Nor is it less delightful that you now command that I should seek for you in the library of the monastery of Fulda, where I now dwell as an exile, the Chronicle of Dexter, which Maximus, bishop of Caesaraugusta, wrote at the request of bishop Argebatus, and, if there were time, bring it down to our own era. For you say that you suffer from a great scarcity of certain books; for among the barbarous and inhuman Saracens there is not an abundance of things necessary for life, let alone that you should have a supply of good books. I indeed grieved for your lot, that you live your life so harshly. But you, placed in such great straits, are consoled, you who, like a good shepherd, are a comfort and help to your sheep, you who daily undergo death for the sake of all.

The chronicle which you seek I found in this library written on ancient parchment, and I added, as I was commanded, the series of years up to these times (that is, up to the era 960), and I congratulate myself that when I set out for Italy from Toledo, where I was subdeacon under the most holy prelate Bonitus, bishop of Toledo, I brought with me some historical books, in which the series of many bishops of Spain was collected in order (which books, I believe by order of the holy emperor Charlemagne, were brought from Spain to this library, and which, as they say, the most holy Elipandus, archbishop of Toledo, offered to him after he seriously repented of his error concerning the adoption of Christ). I did what you commanded, most blessed Father; whether the effort has matched the vow, you will see, who commanded it. Farewell, and commend this servant, an exile, to God. More truly this will be called a fragment, since, although promising to extend to the year of the Lord 922, it reaches only to the year 630. Two hundred and ninety-two years are missing, and only twenty-five years are found in this fragment of the Chronicle. That is, from the year to the year 630. Here the author is corruptly called Eutrandus, both here and by Trithemius. He ought to be called Luitprandus. He came to Toledo from Italy, and there he was a subdeacon. Having set out for Italy, he was made a deacon, about whom Trithemius writes.

Era of Caesar. Year of the Lord. At Toledo, a son is born to illustrious parents, Ildefonsus, who afterwards was bishop of Toledo. A synod is gathered at Toledo. Mahomet, about to pour forth the poison of his error in the Era of Caesar. Year of the Lord, comes into the Spains. He begins to sow at Corduba, Hispalis, and Toledo; he is driven from Toledo by Aurasius. Wilericus persecutes the Catholics. Theoderic, king of the martyrs, returns Hermenga, daughter, untouched to her father Witeric. At Secontia, the generals of Witeric rout the Romans. A synod of Lucus in Spain, over which Aurasius presided. Witeric having died at Toledo, Gundemarus is substituted. Gundemarus convokes a council at Toledo. Sisebutus succeeds Gundemarus as king. Deusdedit is substituted for Pope Boniface. Aurasius having died, Helladius is substituted unwillingly in the see of Toledo. The holy man Vincent, bishop of Carthage, dies at Rome. John, exarch of Ravenna, is slain by a popular tumult.

Isidore the bishop having been expelled by force, Gordianus is thrust into Hispalis, to whom Deusdedit sends letters. Deusdedit dies. Bonifacius succeeds him. Isidore is restored to his see. The city of Casita is deprived of its bishops. Mahomet in Arabia publishes the books of his sect. Sisebutus having died, in the month of November, Svinthila is substituted in the kingdom of the Goths. Isidore presides over the second council of Hispalis. Under his discipline, Illephonsus greatly profits. Honorius follows Bonifacius as pope. Maximus, a monk, is held as a distinguished bishop of Caesaraugusta. Adabaldus having been removed, Aubaldus is created king of the Longobards. The see of Assota is transferred to Bigastrum. Maximus, bishop of Caesaraugusta, dies. Illephonsus returns to Hispalis. Helladius wished to make him a deacon. But he, withdrawing from the world, lives his life in the monastery of Agaliense, which is in the suburb of Toledo, as you know (to the north, not far from the river Tagus, and about three hundred paces from the praetorian temple of Saint Leocadia), which I, when I was at Toledo, frequently visited. Era of Caesar. Year of the Lord. Tonantius, bishop of Patenta, dies.

Helladius, renowned for the holiness of his life throughout all Spain. Primigenius, patriarch of Grado. Heraclytus, victorious, having recovered the Cross, went to Jerusalem. On the Kalends of January, Fulgentius of Astigi dies. Svinthila, king of the Visigoths, admits his son Rechimir into the partnership of the kingdom under Heraclius. In the Caesarean Era. In the Year of Christ. Of the reign. Illephonsus, a monk, is promoted to the diaconate by Helladius, bishop of Toledo. Svinthila, driven from the kingdom, dies; and with Helladius removed, King Sisenandus now reigning, Justus the archdeacon succeeds, and to John of Caesaraugusta, Braulio. Here ends the fragment of Eutrandus.