Prætextatus (bishop of Rouen)

Prætextatus (died 586) was the Bishop of Rouen from approximately 550 until his exile in 577, and again from 584 until his death in 586. He played a significant role in the Merovingian political landscape of Neustria and Austrasia during the reigns of Chlothar I, Chilperic I, and Guntram.

His episcopate was marked by involvement in the power struggles between the Merovingian kings. He was a close associate of Queen Brunhilda of Austrasia, and his support for her and her son Childebert II brought him into conflict with Chilperic I of Neustria and his wife Fredegund.

In 577, Prætextatus was accused of plotting against Chilperic I and Queen Fredegund. He was tried by a synod at Paris, where he was found guilty, stripped of his episcopal office, and exiled to an island in the English Channel, possibly Jersey. Gregory of Tours, a contemporary historian, provides a detailed account of these events in his History of the Franks.

After Chilperic I's assassination in 584, Prætextatus was recalled from exile and reinstated as Bishop of Rouen. However, his return was short-lived. He was assassinated in 586, allegedly on the orders of Queen Fredegund, though this remains a contested point among historians. His death further inflamed the already volatile political climate of the Merovingian kingdoms.

Prætextatus's life and career exemplify the close ties between the Church and the ruling dynasties in Merovingian Gaul, and the dangers faced by prominent churchmen who became entangled in the rivalries between the kings. His story is primarily known through the writings of Gregory of Tours, offering a valuable, though possibly biased, perspective on the period.