De sancto Ambrosio
The Sweet Fragrance of Ambrose
The name Ambrose is explored through its etymological connections to fragrance, light, and the food of angels.
The name Ambrose is said to come from amber, a highly fragrant and precious substance. For he was truly precious to the Church, and his words and deeds were deeply fragrant; or, the name Ambrose is derived from 'ambra' and 'syos'—which means God—as if to say 'the amber of God.' For God spreads His fragrance everywhere through him, as if through amber. He was, and still is, the sweet fragrance of Christ in every place. Alternatively, the name is derived from 'ambor,' meaning 'father of light,' and 'sior,' meaning 'little child': he was a father in the spiritual generation of many children, a light in his exposition of the Holy Scriptures, and a little child in his humble way of life. Or, as the Glossary says: 'ambrosia' is the food of angels, and 'ambrosium' is the heavenly honeycomb. He was a heavenly fragrance through his sweet-smelling reputation, a savor through his deep contemplation, a heavenly honeycomb through his sweet exposition of the Scriptures, and the food of angels through his glorious enjoyment of God. His life was written by Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, for Augustine.
A Call to the Episcopacy
Ambrose's miraculous childhood and his reluctant, divinely-ordained ascent to the bishopric of Milan are recounted.
When Ambrose, son of the Roman prefect Ambrose, was lying in his cradle in the praetorium courtyard, a swarm of bees suddenly appeared and covered his face and mouth so completely that they seemed to be entering and leaving his mouth as if it were their hive. Afterward, they flew up to such a great height in the air that they could no longer be seen by human eyes. Terrified by what had happened, his father said, "If this little child lives, he will become someone great." Later, when he had grown up and saw his mother and his sister, a consecrated virgin, kissing the hands of priests, he would playfully offer his own hand to his sister, insisting she do the same for him. She, however, would push him away, seeing him as just a boy who didn't know what he was saying. After being educated in Rome, Ambrose was pleading cases in the praetorium with great distinction when Emperor Valentinian sent him to govern the province of Liguria and Aemilia; when he arrived in Milan and found that the city was then without a bishop, the people gathered to provide themselves with one. But when a significant riot broke out between the Arians and the Catholics over the election of a bishop, Ambrose went there to settle the unrest, and suddenly the voice of a child rang out, saying, "Ambrose for bishop!"—a cry to which everyone unanimously agreed, shouting for Ambrose to be their bishop. When he learned of this, in order to drive them away from him through fear, he left the church, climbed up to the tribunal, and, contrary to his usual practice, ordered that people be put to the torture. Even as he did this, the people kept shouting, "Your sin be upon us." Disturbed, he returned home and wanted to profess philosophy. He was called back so he wouldn't do it. He had public women come into his presence openly, hoping that by seeing them, he might turn the people away from electing him; but when that didn't work, and he still saw the people shouting, "Your sin be upon us," he decided to flee in the middle of the night, and though he thought he was heading for Ticinum, he was found in the morning at the gate of the city of Milan, which is called the Roman Gate. Once he was found and held by the people, a report was sent to the most merciful Emperor Valentinian, who received the news with great joy that the judges he had sent were being sought for the priesthood. The honest prefect rejoiced that his own words had been fulfilled in him; for when he was giving him his instructions as he set out, he had said: "Go and act, not as a judge, but as a bishop." While the report was pending, he hid again, but once found, he was baptized—since he was still a catechumen—and on the eighth day, he was raised to the episcopal chair. When he went to Rome four years later and his sister, a consecrated virgin, kissed his hand, he said to her with a laugh, "See, as I told you, you are kissing a priest's hand."
Defender of the Church
Ambrose faces persecution from Arians and the Empress Justina, demonstrating divine protection and his own steadfastness.
When he went to a certain city to ordain a bishop, Empress Justina and other heretics opposed his choice, wanting someone from their own sect to be ordained. One of the Arian virgins—more shameless than the rest—climbed the tribunal and grabbed blessed Ambrose by his vestment, trying to drag him over to the women's side so that, beaten by them, he might be driven from the church in disgrace. Ambrose said to her, "Even if I am unworthy of such a priesthood, it isn't fitting for you to lay hands on any priest; you should have feared the judgment of God, lest something happen to you." The outcome confirmed this, for the next day he led her to the grave, repaying her insult with kindness. This act terrified everyone. After returning to Milan, he endured countless plots from Empress Justina, who used gifts and honors to stir up the people against him. When many were trying to drive him into exile, one of them—more wretched than the rest—was stirred to such a fury that he rented a house next to the church and kept a four-horse chariot ready inside, so that, with Justina’s help, he could more easily seize him and carry him off into exile. But by the judgment of God, on the very day he intended to seize him, he was driven into exile in that same chariot from that same house. Yet Ambrose, returning good for evil, provided him with money and the necessities he required. He established the singing and the order of service in the church of Milan. At that time, there were many in Milan possessed by demons who would cry out in loud voices that they were being tormented by Ambrose; meanwhile, Justina and many of the Arians, who lived together, claimed that Ambrose was paying people to pretend they were being harassed by unclean spirits and to say they were being tormented by him. Then, suddenly, one of those Arians standing nearby was seized by a demon, jumped into the middle of the crowd, and began to shout, "I wish those who don't believe in Ambrose were tormented just as I am!" Confused, they drowned the man in a pool and killed him. A certain heretic, a very sharp debater who was stubborn and impossible to convert to the faith, heard Ambrose preaching and saw an angel speaking into his ears the very words he was preaching to the people. After seeing this, he began to defend the faith he had previously been persecuting. A fortune-teller used to summon demons and send them to harm Ambrose, but they would return and report that they couldn't get near him—or even the doors of his house—because an insurmountable fire protected the entire building, burning anyone who even stood nearby. When this same fortune-teller was being tortured by a judge for certain acts of sorcery, he cried out that he was being tortured even more by Ambrose. A demon left a possessed man as he was entering Milan, but attacked him again as he was leaving; when asked about this, the demon said that he feared Ambrose. Another man, prompted by Justina’s pleas and money, went to Ambrose’s bedroom at night to kill him with a sword, but when... ...he had raised his right hand with the sword to strike him, his hand immediately withered.
The Penance of Theodosius
Ambrose exercises his pastoral authority by requiring the Emperor Theodosius to perform public penance for his sins.
When the men of the city of Thessalonica had committed an offense against the emperor, and the emperor had granted them pardon through the prayers of the blessed Ambrose, the malice of the courtiers secretly acted, and many were killed by the emperor's order without Ambrose's knowledge; when Ambrose learned of this, he denied the emperor the opportunity to enter the church. When the emperor told him that David had committed adultery and murder, Ambrose replied: 'You who have followed him in his sin, follow him in his repentance.' When the most merciful emperor heard this, he accepted it so gratefully that he did not refuse to perform a sincere penance. A man possessed by a demon began to cry out that Ambrose was tormenting him. Ambrose replied, "Be silent, devil. It isn't Ambrose who torments you, but your own envy, because you see men ascending to the place from which you fell so shamefully; for Ambrose does not know how to be puffed up." And he was silenced immediately.
Virtues and Miracles
A collection of anecdotes illustrates Ambrose's humility, discernment, and the severe judgment of God upon the worldly.
Once, as blessed Ambrose was walking through the city, a man happened to fall and lie sprawled on the ground, and seeing this, another person began to laugh.1 Ambrose told him, "You too, who are standing, watch out that you don't fall." After saying this, the man who had laughed at another's fall immediately grieved over his own. Once, Ambrose went to the palace of Macedonius, the master of offices, to intercede for someone, but when he found the doors closed and couldn't get in, he said, "You, too, will come to the church, and you won't be able to enter when the doors are closed, but you will when they are open." Some time later, fearing his enemies, Macedonius fled to the church, but even with the doors open, he couldn't find a way in. He was also a man of such abstinence that he fasted every day, except on Saturdays, Sundays, and major feast days. He was also so generous that he gave everything he could to the churches and the poor, keeping nothing for himself. He was so compassionate that when someone confessed their fall to him, he would weep so bitterly that he compelled the other person to weep as well. He was of such humility and industry that he would write the books he dictated with his own hand, unless he was weighed down by bodily infirmity. He was also of such piety and sweetness that when the death of any holy priest or bishop was announced to him, he would weep so bitterly that he could hardly be comforted. When asked why he wept so much for holy men departing for glory, he replied, "Don't think I'm weeping because they've left, but because they've gone before me, and because it's hard to find anyone considered worthy of such a ministry." He was also of such constancy and fortitude that he didn't flatter the vices of the emperor or his princes, but most steadfastly rebuked them with a free voice. When a certain man had committed a shameful act and was brought before him, Ambrose said, "He must be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that he doesn't dare to commit such things again." At that very moment, while the words were still being spoken, an unclean spirit began to tear at him in its usual way. Once, as the story goes, while Saint Ambrose was traveling to Rome and had stayed as a guest at a villa in Tuscany with a man of great wealth, he began to ask the man carefully about his situation. The man replied to him: My status, Lord, has always been happy and glorious. Look, I have infinite wealth, I have many servants and attendants, I have always had everything I wanted, and nothing has ever happened to me that was adverse or that caused me any grief. When Ambrose heard this, he was struck with horror and said to those with him, "Get up, and let's leave here as quickly as possible, because the Lord is not in this place." Hurry, my sons, hurry, and don't delay in your flight, lest divine vengeance overtake us here and involve us in their sins as well. So as they were fleeing and had gone on a little way, the earth suddenly opened and swallowed that man, along with everyone who belonged to him, so that no trace of them remained. Seeing this, Ambrose said, "Look, brothers, how mercifully God spares us when He sends us adversity, and how severely He is angry when He lavishes prosperity upon us." It is said that a very deep pit remained in that same place, which persists to this day as a testimony to this event.
The Departure of a Saint
Ambrose's final days, his vision of Christ, and his peaceful death are described, followed by the judgment of those who spoke against him.
When Ambrose saw that greed—the root of all evil—was growing more and more among people, especially among those in positions of power where everything was sold for a price, and even among those assigned to sacred ministries, he groaned deeply and prayed more urgently to be freed from the misery of this age. Rejoicing that he had obtained this, he revealed to his brothers that he would be with them until Easter. A few days before he was confined to his bed, while he was dictating Psalm 44 to his secretary, a fire shaped like a small shield suddenly covered his head. In the secretary's presence, it gradually entered through his mouth as if a dweller were entering a house. His face turned white as snow, but it soon returned to its natural appearance. That same day, he stopped writing and dictating, unable to finish the psalm; a few days later, he began to suffer from a physical illness. At that time, the Count of Italy was in Milan and called the nobles together, saying that with such a great man departing, there was a danger that Italy would face ruin; he asked them to approach the man of God and beg him to obtain from the Lord a reprieve of one more year of life for himself. When he heard this, he replied, "I haven't lived among you in a way that makes me ashamed to live, nor do I fear to die, for we have a good Lord." At that time, his four deacons gathered together, discussing among themselves who would be good after his death. Since they were far from where the man of God, Ambrose, was lying, and had been speaking of Simplicianus so quietly they could barely hear one another, he—though positioned far away—called out for the third time: "An old man, but a good one." Hearing this, they were terrified and fled, and they chose no one but him after his death; meanwhile, where he lay, he saw Jesus coming toward him, smiling with a bright face. Honoratus, the Bishop of Vercelli, who was waiting for the death of blessed Ambrose, had fallen asleep when he heard a voice calling to him three times: "Get up, for he is about to depart." He rose, hurried to Milan, and gave him the Sacrament of the Lord's Body; soon after, Ambrose stretched out his hands in the shape of a cross and breathed his last breath while speaking. He flourished around the year of our Lord 379. When his body was brought to the church on Easter night, many newly baptized infants saw him; some said they saw him sitting on the bishop's throne, others pointed him out to their parents as he ascended, and some even told of seeing a star above his body. A certain priest was at a banquet with many others when he began to speak ill of Saint Ambrose; a plague struck him immediately, and he was carried from the banquet to his bed, where he ended his life. In the city of Carthage, while three bishops were dining together and one of them spoke ill of blessed Ambrose, it was reported what had happened to that priest who had spoken against him. When he dismissed this, he was suddenly struck by a fatal wound and immediately breathed his last.
The Commendable Character of Ambrose
A systematic summary of Ambrose's virtues—generosity, chastity, faith, and prayer—is presented through patristic testimony.
It should be noted that the blessed Ambrose appears commendable in many respects, first in his generosity, because everything he had belonged to the poor; this is why he reports of himself that when the emperor asked for a basilica, he replied in this way, as recorded in the Decretum, 23, q. VIII: I am summoned, etc. If he were to ask me for what is mine—that is, my land, my silver, and things of that sort—I wouldn't refuse, even though everything I own belongs to the poor. Second, in the purity of his chastity; for he was a virgin. Hence, Jerome reports that he said: 'We don't just praise virginity; we keep it.' Third, in the firmness of his faith; hence he said, when the emperor asked for the basilica, and it is in the same chapter: 'It is better that he take my life than my seat.' Fourth, in his eagerness for martyrdom; hence it is read in his letter concerning not handing over the basilica, that the representative of Valentinian sent word to Ambrose, saying: 'You despise Valentinian; I am taking your head.' To whom Ambrose replied: 'May God allow you to do what you threaten, and would that God might turn them away from the Church, so that they might aim all their weapons at me and satisfy their thirst with my blood.' Fifth, in the persistence of his prayer; as it is said of him in the eleventh book of the Ecclesiastical History: when faced with the queen's fury, Ambrose didn't defend himself with force or weapons, but by fasting and constant vigils, placing himself beneath the altar to prepare God as his defender and the defender of the Church through his prayers. Sixth, in his abundance of tears; for he had three kinds of tears. First, tears of compassion for the sins of others, as Paulinus relates in his life of him: when someone confessed a fall to him, he would weep so bitterly that he compelled the other to weep as well. Second, tears of devotion for eternal longings, as Paulinus also mentions above: when he was asked why he wept so much for the saints who were dying, he replied, 'Don't think I am weeping because they have departed, but because they have preceded me into glory.' Third, tears of compassion for the injuries of others, as he himself says in the decree mentioned in the previous chapter: 'Against the Goth soldiers, my tears are my weapons; for they are the sufficient defenses of a priest, and otherwise I neither can nor ought to resist.' Seventh, his firm constancy; this is most evident in three ways: first, in his defense of the Catholic faith. As the eleventh book of the Ecclesiastical History says, Justina—mother of Emperor Valentinian and a follower of the Arian heresy—began to disturb the churches and threaten the priests with removal and exile unless they revoked the decrees of the Council of Rimini. In this conflict, she attacked Ambrose, the wall and most sturdy tower of the Church. In his preface, it is also sung of him: 'You strengthened Ambrose with such virtue, and adorned him from heaven with such a gift of constancy, that through him the Arian heresy was excluded and tormented, its impiety driven away and withered, and the necks of secular princes were brought low, subjected to your yoke.' Second, in his protection of the Church's liberty; for when the emperor wanted to take away a certain basilica, Ambrose stood against him, as he himself testifies, and as is recorded in the Decretum, XXIII, q. Sixth: I am approached by the counts, who demand that I hand over the basilica immediately, saying that the emperor has ordered it and that it must be surrendered by his right. I replied: 'If he asks for my personal property, take it; if he asks for my body, I will meet him; if you want to put me in chains, do it; if you want me dead, that is my will.' I won't shield myself with the confusion of the crowds, nor will I cling to the altars begging for my life; rather, I will more gladly be sacrificed for the altars, as is commanded. We are pressured by royal commands, but we are strengthened by the words of Scripture. He replied: 'You have spoken like one of the foolish women; do not burden yourself, Emperor, by thinking that you have any right over things that are divine. Palaces belong to the emperor, but churches belong to the priests.' Saint Naboth defended his vineyard with his own blood; if he did not surrender his vineyard, shall we surrender the Church of Christ? Tribute belongs to Caesar and shouldn't be denied; the Church belongs to God, and it certainly shouldn't be given to Caesar. If I were being pressured or asked for something of my own—a piece of land, a house, gold, or silver—I would gladly offer it, for that would be within my rights; but I cannot take anything away from the temple of God, nor can I surrender it, since I received it to guard, not to give away. Third, he showed it by rebuking vice and all iniquity. The Tripartite History records that when a riot broke out in Thessalonica and some judges were stoned by the people, Emperor Theodosius, in his anger, ordered everyone to be killed, not distinguishing the guilty from the innocent, and nearly five thousand people were slaughtered. When the emperor arrived in Milan and wanted to enter the church, Ambrose met him at the door and blocked his way, saying, 'Emperor, why do you not recognize the gravity of your presumption after the cause of such fury? Or does the power of your empire perhaps prevent you from acknowledging your sin?' It is fitting that reason should conquer power; you are a prince, Emperor, but you are also a fellow servant. With what eyes, then, will you look upon the temple of our common Lord? With what feet will you tread upon the holy floor? How will you stretch out your hands, from which the blood of the innocent still drips? With what presumption will you receive the cup of His blood with your mouth, when such blood has been unjustly shed by the fury of your words? Withdraw, then, withdraw, and do not try to add to your previous wickedness with a second sin; accept the bond with which the Lord has now bound you, for it is the greatest medicine for health. Obeying these words, the emperor returned to the palace, weeping and groaning. After he had been weeping for a long time, Rufinus, the master of soldiers, asked him why he was so sad. He replied, 'You don't understand my troubles; churches are open to servants and beggars, but for me, there is no entry.' As he said this, he broke off every word with sobs. Rufinus said to him, 'If you wish, I will run to Ambrose so that he may release the bond by which he has bound you.' But he replied, 'You won't be able to persuade Ambrose, because he will not fear imperial power, nor can he violate divine law.' But when he promised that he would sway him, the emperor ordered him to go, and he himself followed a little later. But as soon as Ambrose saw Rufinus, he said, 'You have imitated the impudence of dogs, O Rufinus, being the author of such great slaughter, and without even wiping the shame from your face, you are not ashamed to bark against the divine majesty.' And when Rufinus had pleaded for the emperor and said that he was following, Ambrose, inflamed with heavenly zeal, said, 'I declare to you that I forbid him from entering the sacred thresholds; but if he turns his power into tyranny, I will gladly accept death.' When Rufinus reported this to the emperor, he said, "I'll go to him so I can receive my just insults to my face." When he arrived and asked for his chains to be removed, Ambrose met him and, blocking his entry, said, "What kind of repentance have you shown after such great sins?" He replied, "It's for you to impose, and for me to obey." But when the emperor argued that David had also committed adultery and murder, Ambrose said, "You've followed him in his sin; now follow him in his repentance." The emperor accepted this so gratefully that he didn't refuse to perform public penance. Once he had been reconciled and entered the church, and was standing inside the chancel, Ambrose asked him what he was waiting for there. When he told him that he was waiting to receive the sacraments, Ambrose said, "O Emperor, the inner areas are reserved for priests alone. Go out, therefore, and wait with the others; for the purple robe makes emperors, not priests." The emperor obeyed him immediately. When he returned to Constantinople and was standing outside the chancel, the bishop there sent word for him to come inside, but he replied: "I have barely been able to learn the difference between an emperor and a priest; I have hardly found a teacher of the truth, for I know only Ambrose who is truly called a bishop."2 Eighth, his teaching is profound, because his doctrine carries a deep, inner weight. Jerome, in his work on the twelve doctors, places Ambrose above them. He is like a bird of the air caught in the depths, which, as long as it enters the deep, seems to draw fruit from the heights; he provides firm stability. Jerome adds in the same place that all his statements are firm pillars of the faith, of the Church, and of every virtue. Regarding his elegant beauty, Augustine writes in his book on marriage and contracts: the heresiarch Pelagius praises Ambrose so highly that he says, 'Blessed Bishop Ambrose, in whose books the Roman faith shines especially bright, who has stood out as a kind of flower among Latin writers.' Augustine adds: not even his enemy dared to criticize his faith or his most pure understanding of the Scriptures. He carries great authority because he is ancient. Writers like Augustine held his words in high authority. For instance, Augustine reports to Januarius that when his mother was surprised that they didn't fast on Saturday in Milan, and Augustine asked Ambrose about it, Ambrose replied, 'When I am in Rome, I fast on Saturday.' So you, too, should observe the custom of whatever church you happen to visit, if you don't want to cause scandal to anyone, or have anyone be a scandal to you. Augustine adds, "As I reflect on this statement again and again, I have always held it as if I had received it as a heavenly oracle." .
Note on Other Martyrs
A brief editorial note directs the reader to the account of other martyrs associated with the broader narrative.
The life and martyrdom of Tiburtius and Valerian are included in the account of Saint Cecilia's martyrdom.
Read the original Latin
Ambrosius dicitur de ambra, quae est species valde redolens et pretiosa. -Iste enim ecclesiae valde pretiosus exstitit et in dictis et in factis suis valde redoluit, Vel dicitur Ambrosius ab ambra et syos, quod est Deus, quasi ambra Dei. Deus enim per eum quasi per ambram ubique redolet. Fuit enim et est bonus odor Christi in omni loco. Vel dicitur ab ambor, quod est pater luminis, et sior, quod est parvulus: quia pater in multorum filiorum spirituali generatione, luminosus in sacrae scripturae expositione et parvulus in sua humili conversatione. Vel sicut dicitur in Glossario: ambrosia, esca angelorum, ambrosium coeleste mellis favum. Fuit enim coelestis odor per odoriferam famam, sapor per contemplationem intimam, coeleste mellis favum per dulcem scripturarum expositionem , esca angelica per gloriosam fruitionem. Ejus vitam scripsit Paulinus Nolanus episcopus ad Augustinum.
Ambrosius, filius Ambrosii praefecti Romae, cum in cunabulis in atrio praetorii esset positus et dormiret, examen apum subito veniens faciem ejus et os ita complevit, nt quasi in alveolum suum intrarent pariter ct exirent. Quae postea evolantes in tantam aéris altitudinem sublevatae sunt, ut hwfanis oculis minime viderentur. Quo peracto territus pater ait: si vixerit infantulus iste, aliquid magni erit. Postea cum adolevisset et videret mairem et sororem, sacram virginem, manus sacerdotibus osculari, ipse ludens sorori dextram offerebat asserens, et sibi id ab ea fieri oportere. llla vero, ut adolescentem et nescientem, quid diceret, respuebat. Romae igitur litteris eruditus cum causas praetorii splendide peroraret, a Valentiniano imperatore ad regendam Liguriam Emiliamque provinciam directus est, cumque Mediolanum venisset et ibidem episcopus tunc deesset, convenit populus, ut sibi de episcopo provideret. Sed cum inter Arianos et catholicos de eligendo episcopo seditio non modica oriretur, illuc Ambrosius causa sedandae seditionis perrexit et statim vox infantis insonuit dicens Ambrosium episcopum, cnjus voci omnes unanimiter consenserunt Ambrosium episcopum acclamantes. Quo ille cognito, ut eos a se terroribus removeret, ecclesiam exiens tribunal conscendit et contra consuetudinem suam tormenta personis adhiberi jussit.
Quod cum faceret, populus nihilominus acclamabat: peccatum tuum super nos. Tunc ille turbatus domum rediit et philosophiam profiteri voluit. Quod ut ne faceret, revocatus est. Publicas mulieres publice ad se ingredi fecit, ut his visis ab ejus electione populum revocaret, sed cum nec sic proficeret, sed semper populum peccatum tuum super nos acclamare videret, fugam media nocte concepit, cumque Ticinum se pergere putaret, mane ad portam civitatis Mediolanensis, quae Romana dicitur, invenitur. Qui inventus cum eustodiretur a populo, missa relatio est ad clemenlissimum imperatorem Valentinianum, qui summo gaudio accepit, quod judices a se directi ad sacerdotium peterentur. Laetabatur enim probus praefectus, quod verbum suum fuerat in eo adimpletum; dixerat enim, cum proficiscenti maudata donaret: vade, age, non ut judex, sed ut episcopus. Pendente relatione iterum absconditur, sed inventus cum adhuc esset catechumenus , baptizatur et VIII die in episcopalem cathedram sublimatur. Cum autem post annos IV Romam ivisset et soror sua, sacra virgo, ejus dextram oscularetur, sibi ridens ait: ecce, ut dicebam tibi, sacerdotis manum oscularis.
Cum antem in quandam civitatem pro quodam episcopo ordinando ivisset et ejus electioni Justina imperatrix et alii haeretici contradicerent, volentes ut aliquis de sua secta ordinaretur, una de Arianorum virginibus impudentior caeteris tribunal conscendit et beatum Ambrosium per vestimentum apprehendit volens ipsum ad partem mulierum trahere, ut ab iis caesus de ecclesia cum injuria pelleretur. Cui Ambrosius ait: etsi ego indignus tanto sacerdotio, tibi tamen non convenit in qualemunque sacerdotem manus injicere, unde timere debuisti judicium Dei, nme tibi aliquid contingat. Quod dictum exitus confirmavit, Nam die alio mortuam ad sepulchrum usque deduxit gratiam pro contumelia rependens. Quod factum omnes perterruit. Post boc Mediolanum reversus innumeras insidias a Justina imperatrice pertulit, muneribus et honoribus adversus eum populum excitante. Cum ergo multi eum in exsilium pellere niterentur, unus eorum caeteris infelicior in tantum furorem excitatus est, ut juxta ecclesiam domum sibi locaret ac in ea quadrigam paratam haberet, quo procurante Justina facilius raptum ad exsilium deportaret. Sed Dei judicio ipso die, quo eum rapere arbitrabatur, in cadem quadriga de eadem domo in exsilium pulsus est. Cui tamen Ambrosius reddens bona pro malis, sumptus et necessaria ministravit.
Cantus et officium in ecclesia Mediolanensi celebrari instituit. Erant et tunc temporis Mediolani multi a daemonibus obsessi, qui se torqueri ab Ambrosio magnis vocibus clamabant, Justina antem et multi Arianorum, cum simul habitarent, dicebant Ambrosium pecunia homines comparare, qui se ab immundis spiritibus vexari mentirentur et ab Ambrosio dicerent se torqueri. "Tunc subito unus ex illis Arianis, qui adstabant, arreptus a daemonio in medium prosiluit atque clamare coepit: utinam sic torqueantur, ut torqueor, qui non credunt Ambrosio! At illi confusi in piscinam demersum hominem necaverunt. Quidam haereticus acerrimus disputator et durus et inconvertibilis ad fidem cum audiret Ambrosium praedicantem, vidit angelum ad aures ejus loquentem verba, quae populo praedicabat. Quo viso fidem, quam persequebatur, coepit defendere.
Quidam aruspex daemones advocabat et ipsos ad nocendum Ambrosio transmittebat, sed reversi daemones renuntiabant, quod non solum ad ipsum, sed nec etiam ad fores domus suae appropinquare valebant, quoniam ignis insuperabilis omne illud adificium communiret, ut etiam longe positi urerentur. Praedictus vero aruspex cum a judice propter quaedam maleficia torqueretur, clamabat amplius ab Ambrosio se torqueri. Quendam daemoniacum Mediolanum ingredientem daemon dimisit, egredientem invasit: interrogatus de hoc daemon ait, Ambrosium se timere. Alius quidam nocte ejus cubiculum adiit, ut gladio ipsum necaret, prece ac pretio a Justina inductus, sed cum. dextra gladium elevasset, ut ipsum percuteret, continuo aruit manus ejus. Cum viri Thessalonicae civitatis imperatori aliquid deliquissent, et iis imperator precibus beati Ambrosii indulsisset, clam agente curialium malitia, per jussum imperatoris nesciente Ambrosio plurimi sunt occisi, Quod ut Ambrosius comperit, imperatori copiam intrandi ecclesiam denegavit. Cui cum imperator diceret, quod David adulterium et homicidium commisisset, respondit: qui secutus es errantem, sequere corrigentem. Quod cum audiisset clementissimus imperator, ita gratanter cepit, quod puram poenitentiam agere non negavit.
Quidam a daemonio arreptus clamare coepit, ab Ambrosio se torqueri. Cui Ambrosius: obmutesce, dyabole, quia non te torquet Ambrosius, sed tua invidia, quia illuc homines adscendere conspicis, unde tu turpiter corruisti, nam Ambrosius nescit inflar. At ille statim obmutuit.
Quadam vice cnm beatus Ambrosius per civitatem pergeret, quidam casu lapsus est et in terra postratus jacebat, quod videns alter ridere coepit.
Cui Ambrosius: et tu, qui stas, vide ne cadas; quo dicto statim lapsum doluit suum , qui riserat alienum. Quadam etiam vice Ambrosius ad palatium Macedonii, magistri officiorum, ut pro quodam intercederet, venit, sed cum fores clausas invenisset nec intrandi copiam habere potuisset, ait: et tu quidem venies ad ecclesiam et non clausis januis ingredi, sed apertis januis non valebis. Elapso aliquo tempore metuens inimicos Macedonius ad ecclesiam fugit et patentibus januis aditum reperire non potuit. Fuit etiam tantae abstinentiae, quod quotidie nisi in sabbato et die dominico et festis praecipuis jejunabat. Tantae etiam largitatis erat, quod omnia, quae habere poterat, ecclesiis et pauperibus mil sibi retinens tribuebat. Tantae compassionis, ut, cum aliquis lapsum snum sibi confitebatur, sic amarissime flebat, quod illum similiter flere compellebat. Tantae humilitatis ac laboris, ut libros, quos dictabat, propria manu scribebat, nisi cum infirmitate corporis gravaretur. Tantae autem pietatis et dulcedinis, ut, cum alicujus sancti sacerdotis vel episcopi sibi obitus nuntiaretur, sie amarissime flebat, ut vix consolari valeret.
Cum antem interrogaretur, cur viros sanctos, qui ad gloriam proficiscebantur, sic fleret, ajebat: ne putetis me flere, quod recesserint , sed quia me praecesserunt et quia difficile invenitur, qui tam dignus ejus officii habeatur. Tantae etiam constantiae et fortitudinis, quod imperatoris vel principum vitia non palpabat, sed eos voce libera constantissime arguebat. Cum quidam vir quoddam flagitium perpetrasset et coram eo adductus fuisset, dixit Ambrosius: oportet illum tradi Sathanae in interitum carnis, ne talia deinceps audeat perpetrare. Quem eodem momento, cum adhuc sermo esset, more ejus immundus spiritus discerpere coepit.
Quadam vice, ut ajunt, cum beatus Ambrosius Romam pergeret et in quadam villa Tusciae apud quendam hominem nimium locupletem hospitatus fuisset, illum hominem super statu suo sollicite requisivit. Cui ille respondit:
MM status meus, domine, semper felix exstitit et gloriosus. Ecce enim divitiis infinitis abundo, servos et famulos quam plures habeo et omnia semper ad vota habui nec unquam mihi aliquid adversum accidit vel, quod contristaret , evenit. Quod audiens Ambrosins vehementer obstupuit et his, qui erant secum in comitatu, dixit: surgite et hinc quantocius fugiamus, quia: dominus non est in loco isto. Festinate, filii, festinate nec in fugiendo moram facite, ne nos hic divina ultio apprehendat et in peccatis illorum pariter nos involvat. Cum ergo fugerent et aliquantulum processissent, subito se terra aperuit et hominem illum cum universis, qui ad illum pertinebant, ita absorbuit, ut nullum inde vestigium remaneret. Quod cernens Ambrosius dixit: ecce fratres, quam misericorditer Deus parcit, cum hic adversa tribuit, et quam severe irascitur, cum semper prospera elargitur. In eodem autem loco fovea quaedam profundissima remansisse dicitur, quae usque hodie in hujus facti testimonium perseverat.
Cum autem Ambrosius radicem omnium malorum avaritiam magis ac magis in hominibus crescere cerneret et maxime in his, qui erant in potestatibus constituti, apud quos omnia pretio vendebantur, nec non et in his, qui erant sacris ministeriis deputati, vehementer ingemuit et se de hujus saeculi aerumna liberari instantius exoravit. Qui cum se id obtinuisse gauderet, revelavit fratribus, quod usque ad resurrectionem dominicam secum esset. Ante vero paucos dies quam lectulo detineretur, cum XLIIII psalmum cum notario dictaret, subito ipsi vidente notario in modum scuti brevis ignis caput ejus operuit atque paulatim per os ejus, tanquam in domum habitator, intravit. Tunc facies tanquam nix effecta est, sed postmodum ad suam speciem reversa est. Ipso igitur die scribendi et dictandi finem fecit nec ipsum psalmum explere potuit, post igitur paucos dies infirmitate corporis laborare coepit. Tunc comes Italiae cum Mediolani esset, nobiles convocavit dicens, quod tanto viro recedente periculum esset, ne Italiae interitus immineret, rogavitque ut ad virum Dei accederent rogantes, ut sibi adhuc spatium vivendi uno anno a domino impetraret. Quod ille ut ab illis audivit, respondit: non ita inter vos vixi, ut me vivere pudeat, nec mori timeo, cum bonum dominum habeamus. Eo tempore quatuor ejus dyaconi invicem convenerunt tractantes inter se, quis post ejus obitum bonus esset.
Cum ergo a loco, in quo vir Dei Ambrosius jacebat, longe essent et Simplicianum ita silenter nominassent, ut vix invicem se audirent, ille ab iis longe positus tertlo exclamavit: senex, sed bonus. Quod audientes territi fugerunt et nonnisi illum post ejus obitum elegerunt, in loco autem, in quo jacebat, vidit Jesum ad se venientem et sibi vultu alacri arridentem. Honoratus vero episcopus Vercellensis, qui beati Ambrosii obitum exspectabat, cum se sopori dedisset, vocem tertio se clamantis audivit: surge, quia mox est recessurus. Qui consurgens Mediolanum concitus venit et ei dominici corporis sacramentum dedit moxque ille manus in modum crucis expandit et ultimum spiritum inter verba oris efflavit. Floruit circa annos domini CGCCLXXIX. Cum autem in nocte paSchae corpus ejus ad ecclesiam fuisset delatum, plurimi infantes baptizati eum viderunt, ita ut aliqui eum sedentem in cathedra tribunali dicerent, alii adscendentem digito suis parentibus demonstrarent, nonnulli vero stellam super corpus ejus se videre narrarent. Quidam presbiter cum in convivio cum multis aliis esset et sancto Ambrosio detrahere coepisset, eum continuo plaga perculit et de convivio ad lectum ductus vitam finivit. In urbe Carthaginiensi cum tres episcopi simul convivarent et unus eorum beato Ambrosio detraxisset, relatum est, quid illi presbitero, qui sibi detraxerat, accidisset.
Quod cum ille vilipenderet, subito letale vulnus accepit et extremum continuo diem clausit,
Notandum, quod beatus Ambrosius in multis commendabilis fuisse videtur, primo in liberalitate, quia omnia, quae hahebat, pauperum erant, unde refert de se ipso, quod imperatori petenti basilicam sic respondit et est in decreto XXIII qu. VIII: convenior ete. , si a me peteret, quod meum esset, id est fundum meum, argenium meum et hujusmodi meum, non refragarer, quamquam omnia, quae mea sunt, pauperum sunt. Secundo in munditiae puritate; fuit enim virgo. Unde refert Hieronymus eum dixisse: virginitatem non solum eílerimus, sed etiam servamus. Tertio in fidei firmitate, unde dixit, cum imperator peteret basilicam, ct est in eodem capitulo: prius est, ut animam mihi quam sedem auferat. Quarto in martirii aviditate, unde legitur in epistola sua de basilica non tradenda, quod praepositus Valentiniani Ambrosio mandavit dicens: tu contemnis Valentinianum, caput tibi tollo. Cui Ambrosius: Deus permittat tibi, ut facias, quod minaris, atque utinam Deus avertat eos ab ecclesia, in me omnia tela sua convertant et meo sanguine sitim suam expleant.
Quinto in orationis instantia, unde dicitur de eo et habetur in libro XI hystoriae ecclesiasticae: Ambrosius adversum reginae furorem non se manu defensabat aut telo, sed jejuniis et continuatis vigiliis, sub altari positus per obsecrationes defensorem sibi atque ecclesiae Deum parabat. Sexto in lacrymarum abundantia, habuit enim tria genera lacrymarum, scilicet lacrymas compassionis pro aliorum culpis, unde dicit Paulinus de eo in legenda, quod, cum aliquis lapsum sibi confitebatur, sic amarissime flebat, quod illum similiter flere compellebat; lacrymas devotionis pro aeternis desideriis, unde supra dictum est a Paulino, quod, cum interrogabatur, cur sanctos, qui moriebantur, sic fleret, respondit: ne me putetis flere, quod recesserint, sed quia me ad gloriam praecesserunt; lacrymas compassionis pro aliorum injuriis, unde ipse dicit de se et est in decreto in superiori capite: adversus milites Gothos lacrymae meae arma sunt mea, satis enim munimenta sacerdotis sunt, aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere.
Septimo in forti constantia; cujus constantia maxime in tribus apparet, primo in defensione catholicae veritatis, unde dicitur in libro XI ecclesiasticae hystoriae, quod Justina mater Valentiniani imperatoris Arianae haereseos alumna coepit conturbare ecclesiarum statum, comminari sacerdotibus depulsiones et exsilia, nisi Ariminensis concilii decreta revocarent, quo bello ecclesiae murum ac turrim validissimum pulsabat Ambrosium. In ejus quoque praefatione sic de eo cantatur: tanta Ambrosium virtute solidasti, constantiae tanto munere coelitus decorasti, ut per eum exclusa torquerentur, daemonia Arianorum impietas propulsa tabesceret ac secularium principum colla tuo jugo subacta redderentur humilia. Secundo in tuitione ecclesiasticae libertatis, unde cum imperator auferre vellet quandam basilicam, opposuit se Ambrosius contra imperatorem; sient ipse testatur et est in decreto XXIII, quaest. VI: convenior ipse a comitibus, ut per me basilicae fieret matura traditio, dicentibus imperatorem jussisse, jure suo tradi debere, respondi : si patrimonium petit, invadite, si corpus, oecurram, vultis in vincula, imponite, vultis in mortem, voluntatis est mihi. Non ego me vallabo confusione populorum nec altaria tenebo vitam obsecrans, sed pro altaribus gratius immolabor, mandatur tradere. basilicam, urgemur igitur praeceptis regalibus, sed confirmamur scripturae sermonibus. Qui respondit: tanquam una ex insipientibus locuta es, noli gravare te, imperator, ut putes, te in ea, quae divina sunt, jus habere, ad imperatorem palatia pertinent, ad sacerdotes ecclesiae. Sanctus Naboth vineam suam proprio crnore defendit: si ille vineam suain non reddidit, nos trademus Christi ecclesiam?
Tributum Caesari est, non negetur, ecclesia Dei est, Caesari utique non donetur. Si de me aliquid compellaretur aut posceretar, fundus aut domus aut aurum aut argentum, id quod juris mei esset, libenter offerrem, templo Dei nibil possum decerpere nec detrahere, cum illud custodiendum, non decerpendum acceperim. Tertio in objurgatione vitii et omnis iniquitatis; unde legitur in hystoria tripartita in quadam chronica, quod cum apud Thessalonicam orta seditione quidam judices fuissent a populo lapidati, Theodosius imperator indignatus jussit omnes interimi, nocentes ab innocentibus non secernens, ubi fere quinque millia hominum sunt occisa. Cum igitur imperator Mediolanum venisset et ecclesiam intrare vellet, occurrit ei Ambrosius ad januam eique aditum prohibuit dicens: cur, imperator, post causam tanti furoris non agnoscis molem tuae praesumtionis, sed forte recognitionem peccati prohibet potestas imperii? decet te, ut vincat ratio potestatem, princeps es, o imperator, sed conservorum. Quibus ergo oculis adspicies communis domini templum, quibus pedibus calcabis sanctum pavimentum, quomodo manus extendes, de quibus adhuc sanguis stillat injustus, qua praesumtione ore tuo poculum sanguinis ejus percipies, dum furore tuorum sermonum tantus injuste sit sanguis effusus. Recede ergo, recede, ne secundo peccato priorem nequitiam augere contendas; suscipe vinculum, quo te dominus nunc ligavit, est enim medicina maxima sanitatis. His sermonibus imperator obediens gemens et flens ad regalia remeavit.
Cum ergo diu in fletu mansisset, Rufinus magister militum causam tantae tristitiae inquisivit. Cui ille: tu, inquit, mea mala non sentis, quia servis et mendicantibus aperta sunt templa, mihi vero ad ea ingressus non est. Et haec dicens singula verba singultibus interrumpebat. Cui Rufinus: curro, si vis, ad Ambrosium, ut tibi solvat vinculum, quo te ligavit. Et ille: non poteris suadere Ambrosio, quia non verebitur imperialem potestatem, nut legem possit praevaricari divinam. Sed cum ille promitteret, quod eum flecteret, eum imperator ire praecepit, et ipse post paululum est secutus. Mox autem ut Ambrosius Rufinum vidit, ait: impudentiam canum imitatus es, o Rufine, tantae videlicet necis auctor exsistens et nec pudorem ex fronte detergens non erubescis contra majestatem latrare divinam. Cumque Rufinus pro imperatore supplicasset et diceret eum sequi, superno zelo accensus Ambrosius ait: ego tibi praedico, quoniam ingredi eum sacra limina prohibeo, si vero potestatem in tyrannidem mutaverit, necem libenter suscipio.
Quod cum Rufinus imperatori nuntiasset: pergam, inquit, ad eum, ut justas in faciem contumelias recipiam. Cum ergo venisset et sua solvi vincula postulasset, occurrens Ambrosius et ingressum prohibens ait: quam poenitentiam ostendisti post tantas iniquitates? Et ille: tuum est imponere, meum obtemperare. Verum cum imperator allegaret, quod et David adulterium et homicidium commisisset, ait Ambrosius: qui secntus es errantem, sequere corrigentem. Quod ita gratanter imperator suscepit, quod publicam poenitentiam agere non recusavit. Cum igitur reconciliatus ecclesiant intrasset et intra cancellos staret, requirit Ambrosius, quid ibi exspectare. Cui cum diceret, se perceptionem sacrorum !) ministeriorum exspectare, ait Ambrosius: o imperator interiora loca tantum sacerdotibus suntcollocata, egredere igitur et hanc exspectationem cum caeteris communem habe, purpura namque imperatores facit non sacerdotes.
Cui imperator protinus obedivit. Cum ergo Constantinopolin reversus extra cancellos staret, mandavit eidem episcopus, nt intraret, et ille ait: vix discere potui, quod differentia sit imperatoris et sacerdotis, vix enim veritatis inveni magistrum, Ambrosium namque solum novi vocari pontificem,
Octavo insana doctrina, ejus namque doctrina habet altam profunditatem. Hieronymus de XII doctoribus: Ambrosius super. profundorumpinna raptus et aéris volucer quamdiu in profundum ingreditur, fructum de alto capere videtur; firmam soliditatem, Hieronymus ibidem: ejus omnes sententiae fidei et ecclesiae et omnium virtutum firmae sunt columnae; elegantem venustatem, Augustinus in libro de nuptiis et contractibus: Pelagius haeresiarcha sic laudat Ambrosium, ut dicat: beatus Ambrosius episcopus, in cujus praecipue libris romana lucet fides, qui scriptores inter latinos flos quidam emicuit. Et subdit Augustinus: cujus fidem et purissimum in scripturis sensum ne inimicus quidem ausus est reprehendere. Magnam auctoritatem, quia autiqui. scriptores sicut Augustinus verba sua pro magmna auctoritate habebant. Unde refert Augustinus ad Januarium, quod, cum mater ejus mirata fuisset, cur Mediolani sabbato non jejunaretur, et de hoc Augustinus Ambrosium interrogasset, ait Ambrosius: cum venio Romam, jejuno sabbato. Sic et tu, ad quam forte ecclesiam veneris, ejus morem serva, si cuiquam non inde vis scandalum esse nec quemquam tibi.
Et subdit Augustinus: ego de hac sententia etiam atque etiam cogitans, ita semper habui, tamquam coelesti oraculo acceperim. .
Vita et passio Tiburcii et Valeriani in passione sanctae Cae-ciliae continetur.
Notes
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