Byzantine-Frankish relations portrayed in the letters of Merovingian monarchs to Emperor Justinian I. Part 2: "Titulature"

The article is the second part of the study of diplomatic relations between Merovingian kings and the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. The sources comprise three preserved letters from Frank rulers to Emperor Justinian I (527-565). The subject of the analysis is the titulature used in the correspondence. The diplomatic protocol can provide precise information about the relations between the two countries. Various opinions have been formulated on the subject of the titulature of the above-mentioned letters, treating them either as an expression of dependence of Franks on the empire, or as a provocative manifest of their independence. Those titles which refer to family relationships (pater, filius) are supposed to confirm the theory that the concept of the “family of dynasties” was used as an instrument of Byzantine domination. The following analysis points out that those theses should be approached with caution. The titulature seems to express the recognition of the honorary superiority of Byzantium yet without renouncing political independence by the Frank rulers.