Letter 5

From: Theudebert I, King of the Franks (Austrasia) To: Justinian I, Emperor of the Romans Date: ~541 AD Context: Theudebert presses his territorial claims in northern Italy in the wake of the Gothic War, asserting Frankish control over former Gothic territories. To the most glorious Emperor Justinian, from his friend Theudebert, king of the Franks, The negotiations our ambassadors have conducted have been valuable but have not yet produced the resolution that both sides need. I write to you directly to clarify our position. The Frankish claim to the territories in question rests on three things: military occupation, the consent of the local populations who have welcomed our administration, and the irreversible fact that neither the Gothic kingdom nor the Roman forces were in a position to hold these areas when we entered them. To withdraw now would create a vacuum that would be filled by disorder. I am not asking the Emperor to concede a permanent Roman territory to the Franks. I am asking him to recognize a temporary administrative reality — that Frankish forces are maintaining order in these territories — until such time as a comprehensive settlement of Italian affairs makes a different arrangement possible and practical. In return for this recognition, I am prepared to offer firm commitments on trade access for Roman merchants, on the treatment of the Roman population in territories under Frankish administration, and on military cooperation against any future Gothic resurgence. I remain your ally and friend. I believe this offer is fair. I ask you to consider it in the spirit in which it is made. Theudebert