Foreigners in the Histories of Gregory of Tours

In the year 590, the senior Frankish king decided that something had to be done to punish the Bretons for several years of plundering across their borders. So he raised an army and set two commanders at its head, one of whom was called Beppolen; and the army was sent to ravage Brittany. A Frankish queen, however, hated Beppolen for having deserted her service. She therefore ordered some of her subjects, who lived near the war zone, to cut their hair in the Breton fashion and to put on Breton clothes: thus disguised, they were to join in the fighting and fall upon Beppolen's detachment. The queen's stratagem worked. Beppolen was brought to battle and perished in the fighting (10.9).