Ambrose

Saint Ambrose
Archbishop of Milan
Early mosaic of Ambrose that might be an actual portrait.
See	Mediolanum, Diocese of Milan
Appointed	374 AD
Term ended	April 4, 397
Predecessor	Auxentius
Successor	Simplician
Orders
Consecration	December 7, 374
Personal details
Born	c. 340 AD Augusta Treverorum, Gallia Belgica, Roman Empire (present-day Germany)
Died	April 4, 397 Mediolanum, Italia annonaria, Roman Empire (present-day Italy)
Sainthood
Feast day	December 7[1]
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodoxy Anglican Communion Lutheran Church
Title as Saint	Confessor and Doctor of the Church
Attributes	Beehive, a child, whip, bones
Patronage	bee keepers; bees; candle makers; domestic animals; French Commissariat; learning; Milan; students; wax refiners
Shrines	Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio

Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose (c. 340 – 4 April 397), was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was consular prefect of Liguria and Emilia, headquartered in Milan, before being made bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. Ambrose was a staunch opponent of Arianism.

Ambrose is traditionally credited with promoting "antiphonal chant", a method of chanting where one side of the choir alternately responds to the other; and the composition of Veni redemptor gentium (a Christmas hymn).

Ambrose was one of the four original doctors of the Church, and is the patron saint of Milan. He is notable for his influence on St. Augustine.

Life

Early life

Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family about 340 and was raised in Trier.^[2] His father was Aurelius Ambrosius,^[3][4] the praetorian prefect of Gaul;^[1] his mother was a woman of intellect and piety. Ambrose's siblings, Satyrus (who is the subject of Ambrose's De excessu fratris Satyri) and Marcellina, are also venerated as saints.^[5] There is a legend that as an infant, a swarm of bees settled on his face while he lay in his cradle, leaving behind a drop of honey. His father considered this a sign of his future eloquence and honeyed tongue. For this reason, bees and beehives often appear in the saint's symbology.

After the early death of his father, Ambrose followed his father's career. He was educated in Rome, studying literature, law, and rhetoric.^[6] Praetorian prefect Probus first gave him a place in the council and then in about 372 made him consular prefect or "Governor" of Liguria and Emilia, with headquarters at Milan, which was then (beside Rome) the second capital in Italy.^[1]

Ambrose was the Governor of Aemilia-Liguria in northern Italy until 374 when he became the Bishop of Milan. He was a very popular political figure, and since he was the Governor in the effective capital in the Roman West, he was a recognizable figure in the court of the Emperor Valentinian I. Ambrose never married.

Bishop of Milan

In the late 4th century there was a deep conflict in the diocese of Milan between the Catholics and Arians.^[7][8] In 374 the bishop of Milan, Auxentius, an Arian, died, and the Arians challenged the succession. Ambrose went to the church where the election was to take place, to prevent an uproar, which was probable in this crisis. His address was interrupted by a call "Ambrose, bishop!", which was taken up by the whole assembly.^[8]

Ambrose was known to be Catholic in belief, but also acceptable to Arians due to the charity shown in theological matters in this regard. At first he energetically refused the office, for which he was in no way prepared: Ambrose was neither baptized nor formally trained in theology.^[1] Upon his appointment, Ambrose fled to a colleague's home seeking to hide. Upon receiving a letter from the Emperor Gratian praising the appropriateness of Rome appointing individuals evidently worthy of holy positions, Ambrose's host gave him up. Within a week, he was baptized, ordained and duly consecrated bishop of Milan.

As bishop, he immediately adopted an ascetic lifestyle, apportioned his money to the poor, donating all of his land, making only provision for his sister Marcellina (who later became a nun),^[2] and committed the care of his family to his brother. Ambrose also wrote a treatise by the name of "The Goodness of Death".

Arianism

According to legend, Ambrose immediately and forcefully stopped Arianism in Milan. He studied theology with Simplician, a presbyter of Rome. Using his excellent knowledge of Greek, which was then rare in the West, to his advantage, he studied the Old Testament and Greek authors like Philo, Origen, Athanasius, and Basil of Caesarea, with whom he was also exchanging letters.^[9] He applied this knowledge as preacher, concentrating especially on exegesis of the Old Testament, and his rhetorical abilities impressed Augustine of Hippo, who hitherto had thought poorly of Christian preachers.

In the confrontation with Arians, Ambrose sought to theologically refute their propositions, which were contrary to the Nicene creed and thus to the officially defined orthodoxy. The Arians appealed to many high level leaders and clergy in both the Western and Eastern empires. Although the western Emperor Gratian supported orthodoxy, the younger Valentinian II, who became his colleague in the Empire, adhered to the Arian creed.^[10] Ambrose did not sway the young prince's position. In the East, Emperor Theodosius I likewise professed the Nicene creed; but there were many adherents of Arianism throughout his dominions, especially among the higher clergy.

In this contested state of religious opinion, two leaders of the Arians, bishops Palladius of Ratiaria and Secundianus of Singidunum, confident of numbers, prevailed upon Gratian to call a general council from all parts of the empire. This request appeared so equitable that he complied without hesitation. However, Ambrose feared the consequences and prevailed upon the emperor to have the matter determined by a council of the Western bishops. Accordingly, a synod composed of thirty-two bishops was held at Aquileia in the year 381. Ambrose was elected president and Palladius, being called upon to defend his opinions, declined. A vote was then taken, when Palladius and his associate Secundianus were deposed from their episcopal offices.

Nevertheless, the increasing strength of the Arians proved a formidable task for Ambrose. In 385^[10] or 386 the emperor and his mother Justina, along with a considerable number of clergy and laity, especially military, professed Arianism. They demanded two churches in Milan, one in the city (the Basilica of the Apostles), the other in the suburbs (St Victor's), to the Arians.^[10] Ambrose refused and was required to answer for his conduct before the council.^[1] He went, his eloquence in defense of the Church reportedly overawing the ministers of Valentinian, so he was permitted to retire without making the surrender of the churches. The day following, when he was performing divine service in the basilica, the prefect of the city came to persuade him to give up at least the Portian basilica in the suburbs. As he still refused, certain deans or officers of the court were sent to take possession of the Portian basilica, by hanging up in it imperial escutcheons^[10] to prepare for the arrival of the emperor and his mother at the ensuing festival of Easter.

In spite of Imperial opposition, Bishop Ambrose declared:

If you demand my person, I am ready to submit: carry me to prison or to death, I will not resist; but I will never betray the church of Christ. I will not call upon the people to succour me; I will die at the foot of the altar rather than desert it. The tumult of the people I will not encourage: but God alone can appease it.

Judaism

An address by Ambrose to Christian young people warns them against intermarriage with Jews ("De Abrahamo," ix. 84, xiv. 451). But his opposition assumed a more active character in the matter of the bishop of Callinicum in Mesopotamia. It appears that in 388 a mob, led by the local bishop and many monks, destroyed the synagogue at Callinicum. The emperor Theodosius the Great ordered the rebuilding of the synagogue at the expense of the rioters, including the bishop. Ambrose immediately issued a fiery protest to the Emperor. He writes to Theodosius ("Epistolæ," xl. xvi. 1101 et seq.) that "the glory of God" is concerned in this matter, and that therefore he cannot be silent. "Shall the bishop be compelled to reerect a synagogue? Can he religiously do this thing? If he obey the emperor, he will become a traitor to his faith; if he disobey him, a martyr. What real wrong is there, after all, in destroying a synagogue, a 'home of perfidy, a home of impiety,' in which Christ is daily blasphemed? Indeed, he must consider himself no less guilty than this poor bishop; at least to the extent that he made no concealment of his wish that all synagogues should be destroyed, that no such places of blasphemy be further allowed to exist." At the end, he succeeded in obtaining from Theodosius a promise that the sentence should be completely revoked, with the very natural consequence that thereafter the prospect of immunity thus afforded occasioned spoliations of synagogues all over the Empire. That Ambrose could nevertheless occasionally say a good word for the Jews is shown by a passage in his "Enarratio in Psalmos" (i. 41, xiv. 943), in which he remarks, "Some Jews exhibit purity of life and much diligence and love of study."

Imperial relations

The imperial court was displeased with the religious principles of Ambrose, however his aid was soon solicited by the Emperor. When Magnus Maximus usurped the supreme power in Gaul, and was meditating a descent upon Italy, Valentinian sent Ambrose to dissuade him from the undertaking, and the embassy was successful.

A second later embassy was unsuccessful; the enemy entered Italy; and Milan was taken. Justina and her son fled; but Ambrose remained at his post, and did good service to many of the sufferers by causing the plate of the church to be melted for their relief.

In 385 Ambrose, backed by Milan's populace, refused Valentinian II's imperial request to hand over the Portian basilica for the use of Arian troops. In 386 Justina and Valentinian received the Arian bishop Auxentius the younger, and Ambrose was again ordered to hand over a church in Milan for Arian usage. Ambrose and his congregation barricaded themselves inside the church, and the imperial order was rescinded.^[11]

Theodosius I, the emperor of the East, espoused the cause of Justina, and regained the kingdom. Theodosius was excommunicated by Ambrose for the massacre of 7,000 persons at Thessalonica in 390, after the murder of the Roman governor there by rioters.^[1] Ambrose told Theodosius to imitate David in his repentance as he had imitated him in guilt — Ambrose readmitted the emperor to the Eucharist only after several months of penance. Ambrose also forced Theodosius to retreat from compensating a Jewish community in Mesopotamia when a synagogue was burnt down by militant Christians.^[12][13] These incidents show the strong position of a bishop in the Western part of the empire, even when facing a strong emperor — the controversy of John Chrysostom with a much weaker emperor a few years later in Constantinople led to a crushing defeat of the bishop.

In 392, after the death of Valentinian II and the acclamation of Eugenius, Ambrose supplicated the emperor for the pardon of those who had supported Eugenius after Theodosius was eventually victorious.

Persecution of Paganism

Under Ambrose's major influence, emperors Gratian, Valentinian II and Theodosius I carried on a persecution of Paganism.^{[14][15][16][17]} Under Ambrose's influence, Theodosius issued the 391 "Theodosian decrees," which with increasing intensity outlawed Pagan practises,^[15][18] and the Altar of Victory was removed by Gratian. Ambrose prevailed upon Gratian, Valentinian and Theodosius to reject requests to restore the Altar.

Death and legacy

Soon after acquiring the undisputed possession of the Roman empire, Theodosius died at Milan in 395, and two years later (April 4, 397) Ambrose also died. He was succeeded as bishop of Milan by Simplician. Ambrose's body may still be viewed in the church of S. Ambrogio in Milan, where it has been continuously venerated — along with the bodies identified in his time as being those of Sts. Gervase and Protase — and is one of the oldest extant bodies of historical personages known outside Egypt.^{[citation needed]}

Character

Many circumstances in the history of Ambrose are characteristic of the general spirit of the times. The chief causes of his victory over his opponents were his great popularity and the reverence paid to the episcopal character at that period. But it must also be noted that he used several indirect means to obtain and support his authority with the people.

He was generous to the poor; it was his custom to comment severely in his preaching on the public characters of his times; and he introduced popular reforms in the order and manner of public worship. It is alleged, too, that at a time when the influence of Ambrose required vigorous support, he was admonished in a dream to search for, and found under the pavement of the church, the remains of two martyrs, Gervasius and Protasius. The saints, although they would have had to have been hundreds of years old, looked as if they had just died. The applause of the people was mingled with the derision of the court party.

Theology

Ambrose ranks with Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great, as one of the Latin Doctors of the Church. Theologians compare him with Hilary, who they claim fell short of Ambrose's administrative excellence but demonstrated greater theological ability. He succeeded as a theologian despite his juridical training and his comparatively late handling of Biblical and doctrinal subjects. His spiritual successor, Augustine, whose conversion was helped by Ambrose's sermons, owes more to him than to any writer except Paul^{[citation needed]}.

Ambrose's intense episcopal consciousness furthered the growing doctrine of the Church and its sacerdotal ministry, while the prevalent asceticism of the day, continuing the Stoic and Ciceronian training of his youth, enabled him to promulgate a lofty standard of Christian ethics. Thus we have the De officiis ministrorum, De viduis, De virginitate and De paenitentia.

Ambrose displayed a kind of liturgical flexibility that kept in mind that liturgy was a tool to serve people in worshiping God, and ought not to become a rigid entity that is invariable from place to place. His advice to Augustine of Hippo on this point was to follow local liturgical custom. "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the church where you are."^[19][20] Thus Ambrose refused to be drawn into a false conflict over which particular local church had the "right" liturgical form where there was no substantial problem. His advice has remained in the English language as the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

One interpretation of Ambrose's writings is that he was a Christian universalist.^[21] It has been noted that Ambrose's theology was significantly influenced by that of Origen and Didymus the Blind, two other early Christian universalists.^[21] One quotation cited in favor of this belief:

Our Savior has appointed two kinds of resurrection in the Apocalypse. 'Blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection,' for such come to grace without the judgment. As for those who do not come to the first, but are reserved unto the second resurrection, these shall be disciplined until their appointed times, between the first and the second resurrection.^[22]

One could interpret this passage as being another example of the mainstream Christian belief in a general resurrection (both for those in heaven and for those in hell). Several other works by Ambrose clearly teach the mainstream view of salvation. For example:

The Jews feared to believe in manhood taken up into God, and therefore have lost the grace of redemption, because they reject that on which salvation depends.^[23]

Mariology

The powerful Mariology of Ambrose of Milan influenced contemporary Popes like Pope Damasus and Siricius and later, Pope Leo the Great. Central to Ambrose is the virginity of Mary and her role as Mother of God.

• The virgin birth is worthy of God. Which human birth would have been more worthy of God, than the one, in which the Immaculate Son of God maintained the purity of his immaculate origin while becoming human?^[24]

• We confess, that Christ the Lord was born from a virgin, and therefore we reject the natural order of things. Because not from a man she conceived but from the Holy Spirit.^[25]

• Christ is not divided but one. If we adore him as the Son of God, we do not deny his birth from the virgin… But nobody shall extend this to Mary. Mary was the temple of God but not God in the temple. Therefore only the one who was in the temple can be worshipped.^[26]

• Yes, truly blessed for having surpassed the priest (Zechariah). While the priest denied, the Virgin rectified the error. No wonder that the Lord, wishing to rescue the world, began his work with Mary. Thus she, through whom salvation was being prepared for all people, would be the first to receive the promised fruit of salvation.^[27]

Ambrose viewed virginity as superior to marriage and saw Mary as the model of virginity.^[28] He is alleged to have founded an institution for virgins in Rome.^{[citation needed]}

Writings

In matters of exegesis he is, like Hilary, an Alexandrian. In dogma he follows Basil of Caesarea and other Greek authors, but nevertheless gives a distinctly Western cast to the speculations of which he treats. This is particularly manifest in the weightier emphasis which he lays upon human sin and divine grace, and in the place which he assigns to faith in the individual Christian life.

• De fide ad Gratianum Augustum (On Faith, to Gratian Augustus)
• De Officiis Ministrorum (On the Offices of Ministers, an ecclesiastical handbook modeled on Cicero's De Officiis.^[29])
• De Spiritu Sancto (On the Holy Ghost)
• De incarnationis Dominicae sacramento (On the Sacrament of the Incarnation of the Lord)
• De mysteriis (On the Mysteries)
• Expositio evangelii secundum Lucam (Commentary on the Gospel according to Luke)
• Ethical works: De bono mortis (Death as a Good); De fuga saeculi (Flight From the World); De institutione virginis et sanctae Mariae virginitate perpetua ad Eusebium (On the Birth of the Virgin and the Perpetual Virginity of Mary); De Nabuthae (On Naboth); De paenitentia (On Repentance); De paradiso (On Paradise); De sacramentis (On the Sacraments); De viduis (On Widows); De virginibus (On Virgins); De virginitate (On Virginity); Exhortatio virginitatis (Exhortation to Virginity); De sacramento regenerationis sive de philosophia (On the Sacrament of Rebirth, or, On Philosophy [fragments])
• Homiletic commentaries on the Old Testament: the Hexaemeron (Six Days of Creation); De Helia et ieiunio (On Elijah and Fasting); De Iacob et vita beata (On Jacob and the Happy Life); De Abraham; De Cain et Abel; De Ioseph (Joseph); De Isaac vel anima (On Isaac, or The Soul); De Noe (Noah); De interpellatione Iob et David (On the Prayer of Job and David); De patriarchis (On the Patriarchs); De Tobia (Tobit); Explanatio psalmorum (Explanation of the Psalms); Explanatio symboli (Commentary on the Symbol).
• De obitu Theodosii; De obitu Valentiniani; De excessu fratris Satyri (funeral orations)
• 91 letters
• A collection of hymns
• Fragments of sermons
• Ambrosiaster or the "pseudo-Ambrose" is a brief commentary on Paul's Epistles, which was long attributed to Ambrose.

Church music

Ambrose is traditionally credited but not actually known to have composed any of the repertory of Ambrosian chant also known simply as "antiphonal chant", a method of chanting where one side of the choir alternately responds to the other. (The later pope St. Gregory I the Great is not known to have composed any Gregorian chant, the plainsong or "Romish chant".) However, Ambrosian chant was named in his honor due to his contributions to the music of the Church; he is credited with introducing hymnody from the Eastern Church into the West.

Catching the impulse from Hilary and confirmed in it by the success of Arian psalmody, Ambrose composed several original hymns as well, four of which still survive, along with music which may not have changed too much from the original melodies. Each of these hymns has eight four-line stanzas and is written in strict iambic dimeter (that is 2 x 2 iambs). Marked by dignified simplicity, they served as a fruitful model for later times.

• Deus Creator Omnium
• Aeterne rerum conditor
• Jam surgit hora tertia
• Jam Christus astra ascendante"
• Veni redemptor gentium (a Christmas hymn)

In his writings, Ambrose refers only to the performance of psalms, in which solo singing of psalm verses alternated with a congregational refrain called an antiphon.

St. Ambrose was also traditionally credited with composing the hymn Te Deum, which he is said to have composed when he baptised St. Augustine of Hippo, his celebrated convert.

Augustine

Ambrose was Bishop of Milan at the time of Augustine's conversion, and is mentioned in Augustine's Confessions.

Celibacy

In a passage of Augustine's Confessions in which Augustine wonders why he could not share his burden with Ambrose, he makes a comment which bears on the history of celibacy:

Ambrose himself I esteemed a happy man, as the world counted happiness, because great personages held him in honor. Only his celibacy appeared to me a painful burden.^[30]

Reading

In this same passage of Augustine's Confessions is a curious anecdote which bears on the history of reading:

When [Ambrose] read, his eyes scanned the page and his heart sought out the meaning, but his voice was silent and his tongue was still. Anyone could approach him freely and guests were not commonly announced, so that often, when we came to visit him, we found him reading like this in silence, for he never read aloud.^[30]

This is a celebrated passage in modern scholarly discussion. The practice of reading to oneself without vocalizing the text was less common in antiquity than it has since become. In a culture that set a high value on oratory and public performances of all kinds, in which the production of books was very labor-intensive, the majority of the population was illiterate, and where those with the leisure to enjoy literary works also had slaves to read for them, written texts were more likely to be seen as scripts for recitation than as vehicles of silent reflection. However, there is also evidence that silent reading did occur in antiquity and that it was not generally regarded as unusual.^[31][32][33]

In popular culture

In the 2012 film Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Bishop Ambrose is portrayed by Italian actor Andrea Giordana.

Bibliography

Latin

• Hexameron, De paradiso, De Cain, De Noe, De Abraham, De Isaac, De bono mortis – ed. C. Schenkl 1896, Vol. 32/1 (In Latin)
• De Iacob, De Ioseph, De patriarchis, De fuga saeculi, De interpellatione Iob et David, De apologia prophetae David, De Helia, De Nabuthae, De Tobia – ed. C. Schenkl 1897, Vol. 32/2
• Expositio evangelii secundum Lucam – ed. C. Schenkl 1902, Vol. 32/4
• Expositio de psalmo CXVIII – ed. M. Petschenig 1913, Vol. 62; editio altera supplementis aucta – cur. M. Zelzer 1999
• Explanatio super psalmos XII – ed. M. Petschenig 1919, Vol. 64; editio altera supplementis aucta – cur. M. Zelzer 1999
• Explanatio symboli, De sacramentis, De mysteriis, De paenitentia, De excessu fratris Satyri, De obitu Valentiniani, De obitu Theodosii – ed. Otto Faller 1955, Vol. 73
• De fide ad Gratianum Augustum – ed. Otto Faller 1962, Vol. 78
• De spiritu sancto, De incarnationis dominicae sacramento – ed. Otto Faller 1964, Vol. 79
• Epistulae et acta – ed. Otto Faller (Vol. 82/1: lib. 1-6, 1968); Otto Faller, M. Zelzer ( Vol. 82/2: lib. 7-9, 1982); M. Zelzer ( Vol. 82/3: lib. 10, epp. extra collectionem. gesta concilii Aquileiensis, 1990); Indices et addenda – comp. M. Zelzer, 1996, Vol. 82/4

English translations

• H. Wace and P. Schaff, eds, A Select Library of Nicene and Post–Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 2nd ser., x [Contains translations of De Officiis (under the title De Officiis Ministrorum), De Spiritu Sancto (On the Holy Spirit), De excessu fratris Satyri (On the Decease of His Brother Satyrus), Exposition of the Christian Faith, De mysteriis (Concerning Mysteries), De paenitentia (Concerning Repentance), De virginibus (Concerning Virgins), De viduis (Concerning Widows), and a selection of letters]
• St. Ambrose "On the mysteries" and the treatise on the sacraments by an unknown author, translated by T Thompson, (London: SPCK, 1919) [translations of De sacramentis and De mysteriis; rev edn published 1950]
• S. Ambrosii De Nabuthae: a commentary, translated by Martin McGuire, (Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America, 1927) [translation of On Naboth]
• S. Ambrosii De Helia et ieiunio: a commentary, with an introduction and translation, Sister Mary Joseph Aloysius Buck, (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America, 1929) [translation of On Elijah and Fasting]
• S. Ambrosii De Tobia: a commentary, with an introduction and translation, Lois Miles Zucker, (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America, 1933) [translation of On Tobit]
• Funeral orations, translated by LP McCauley et al., Fathers of the Church vol 22, (New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1953) [by Gregory of Nazianzus and Ambrose],
• Letters, translated by Mary Melchior Beyenka, Fathers of the Church, vol 26, (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America, 1954) [Translation of letters 1-91]
• Saint Ambrose on the sacraments, edited by Henry Chadwick, Studies in Eucharistic faith and practice 5, (London: AR Mowbray, 1960)
• Hexameron, Paradise, and Cain and Abel, translated by John J Savage, Fathers of the Church, vol 42, (New York: Fathers of the Church, 1961) [contains translations of Hexameron, De paradise, and De Cain et Abel]
• Saint Ambrose: theological and dogmatic works, translated by Roy J. Deferrari, Fathers of the church vol 44, (Washington: Catholic University of American Press, 1963) [Contains translations of The mysteries, (De mysteriis) The holy spirit, (De Spiritu Sancto), The sacrament of the incarnation of Our Lord, (De incarnationis Dominicae sacramento), and The sacraments]
• Seven exegetical works, translated by Michael McHugh, Fathers of the Church, vol 65, (Washington: Catholic University of America Press, 1972) [Contains translations of Isaac, or the soul, (De Isaac vel anima), Death as a good, (De bono mortis), Jacob and the happy life, (De Iacob et vita beata), Joseph, (De Ioseph), The patriarchs, (De patriarchis), Flight from the world, (De fuga saeculi), The prayer of Job and David, (De interpellatione Iob et David).]
• Homilies of Saint Ambrose on Psalm 118, translated by Íde Ní Riain, (Dublin: Halcyon Press, 1998) [translation of part of Explanatio psalmorum]
• Ambrosian hymns, translated by Charles Kraszewski, (Lehman, PA: Libella Veritatis, 1999)
• Commentary of Saint Ambrose on twelve psalms, translated by Íde M. Ní Riain, (Dublin: Halcyon Press, 2000) [translations of Explanatio psalmorum on Psalms 1, 35-40, 43, 45, 47-49]
• On Abraham, translated by Theodosia Tomkinson, (Etna, CA: Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, 2000) [translation of De Abraham]
• De officiis, edited with an introduction, translation, and commentary by Ivor J Davidson, 2 vols, (Oxford: OUP, 2001) [contains both Latin and English text]
• Commentary of Saint Ambrose on the Gospel according to Saint Luke, translated by Íde M. Ní Riain, (Dublin: Halcyon, 2001) [translation of Expositio evangelii secundum Lucam]
• Ambrose of Milan: political letters and speeches, translated with an introduction and notes by JHWG Liebschuetz, (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2005) [contains Book Ten of Ambrose’s Letters, including the oration on the death of Theodosius I; Letters outside the Collection (Epistulae extra collectionem); Letter 30 to Magnus Maximus; The oration on the death of Valentinian II (De obitu Valentiniani).]

Several of Ambrose's works have recently been published in the bilingual Latin-German Fontes Christiani series (currently edited by Brepols).

Several religious brotherhoods which have sprung up in and around Milan at various times since the 14th century have been called Ambrosians. Their connection to Ambrose is tenuous

See also

• Ambrosian hymnography
• Ambrosian Liturgy and Rite.
• St. Ambrose Basilica, Milan
• Saint Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa

Notes

References

• Attwater, Donald; John, Catherine Rachel (1993), The Penguin Dictionary of Saints (3rd ed.), New York: Penguin Books, ISBN 0-14-051312-4 .
• Butler (1991), Walsh, Michael, ed., Lives of the Saints, New York: HarperCollins Publishers .
• von Campenhausen, Hans; Hoffman, Manfred, trans. (1964), Men Who Shaped the Western Church, New York: Harper and Row .
• Deferrari, Roy J., ed. (1954–72), The Fathers of the Church, 26, 42, 44, 65, New York: Fathers of the Church  Check date values in: |date= (help).
• Dudden, F. Homes (1935), The Life and Times of St. Ambrose, Oxford: Clarendon Press .
• Gilliard, Frank D. (1984), "Senatorial Bishops in the Fourth Century", Harvard Theological Review 77 (2): 153–75 .
• King, N. Q. (1960), The Emperor Theodosius and the Establishment of Christianity, Philadelphia: Westminster Press .
• MacCulloch, Diarmaid (2009), Christianity, London: Viking Penguin 
• McLynn, Neil B. (1994), Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital, The Transformation of the Classical Heritage 22, Berkeley: University of California Press .
• Paredi, Angelo; Costelloe, Joseph, trans. (1964), Saint Ambrose: His Life and Times, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press .
• Paulinus; Lacy, John A., trans. (1952), Life of St. Ambrose by Paulinus., New York: Fathers of the Church .
• "Ambrose", Patron Saints Index, SPQN, retrieved 2012-12-08 .
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Ambrose". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ambrose, Saint". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ambrose.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ambrose

• Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Works of Ambrose of Milan
• Hymni Ambrosii (latin)
• EarlyChurch.org.uk Extensive bibliography
• Ambrose's works: text, concordances and frequency list
• Ambrose at The Online Library of Liberty
• Opera Omnia
• Ambrose in Anglo-Saxon England, with Pseudo-Ambrose and Ambrosiaster, Contributions to Sources of Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture, by Dabney Anderson Bankert, Jessica Wegmann, and Charles D. Wright.
• "St. Ambrose" in Christian Iconography
• Forum about the "ambrosian rite" (Italian)
• "Of St. Ambrose" from the Caxton translation of the Golden Legend
• Augustine's account of the penitence of Theodosius
• Works by Ambrose at Project Gutenberg
• St. AMBROSE HIS LIFE AND TIMES (340-397) by R.THORNTON in BTM format

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v t e Doctors of the Church Gregory the Great Ambrose Augustine of Hippo Jerome John Chrysostom Basil of Caesarea Gregory of Nazianzus Athanasius of Alexandria Cyril of Alexandria Cyril of Jerusalem John of Damascus Bede the Venerable Ephrem the Syrian Thomas Aquinas Bonaventure Anselm of Canterbury Isidore of Seville Peter Chrysologus Leo the Great Peter Damian Bernard of Clairvaux Hilary of Poitiers Alphonsus Liguori Francis de Sales Peter Canisius John of the Cross Robert Bellarmine Albertus Magnus Anthony of Padua Lawrence of Brindisi Teresa of Ávila Catherine of Siena Thérèse of Lisieux John of Ávila Hildegard of Bingen

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v t e Bishops and Archbishops of Milan Ancient Age St Apostle Barnabas (1st-century, his coming to Milan is probably legendary) St Anathalon St Caius St Castricianus St Calimerus (about 270 – 280) St Monas (283–313?) St Mirocles (313–316?) St Maternus (316–328?) St Protasius (328–343?) St Eustorgius I (343–349?) St Dionysius (349–355) Auxentius (355–374, considered an intruder by the Catholic Church) St Ambrose (374–397) St Simplician (397–400) St Venerius (400–408) St Marolus (408–423) St Martinianus (423–435) St Glycerius (436–438) St Lazarus (438–449) St Eusebius (449–462) St Gerontius (462–465) St Benignus (465–472) St Senator (472–475) St Theodorus I (475–490) St Lawrence I (490–512) St Eustorgius II (512–518) St Magnus (518–530?) St Dacius (530–552) Vitale (552–556) St Ausanus (556–559?) Genoa Period St Honoratus (560–571?) Frontone (571–573?) Lawrence II (573–592) Constantius (593–600) Deodatus (601–628) Asterius (629–639) Forte (639–641) Middle Age St John the Good (641–669) St Antonino (669–671) St Maurilio (671) St Ampelius (671–676) St Mansuetus (676–685) St Benedict (685–732) Theodorus II (732–746) St Natalis (746–747) Arifred (747–748) Stabile (748–750) Leto (751–755) Thomas (755–783) Peter (784–803) Odelpert (803–813) St Anselm I (813–818) St Buono (818–822) Angilbert I (822–823) Angilbert II Pusterla (824–859) Tadone (860–868) Anspert (868–881) Anselmo II Capra (882–896) Landulf I (896–899) Andrea of Canciano (899–906) Aicone (906–918) Gariberto of Besana (918–921) Lambert (921–931) Elduin (931–936) Arderico (936–948) Adelman (948–953) Walpert (953–970) Arnulf I (970–974) Gotofredo I (974–979) Landulf II of Carcano (980–998) Arnolfo II da Arsago (998–1018) Ariberto da Intimiano (1018–1045) St Guido da Velate (1045–1069) Attone (1070–1075) Gotofredo II da Castiglione (1070–1075, antibishop) Tebald da Castiglione (1075–1080) Anselmo III da Rho (1086–1093) Arnolfo III (1093–1097) Anselmo IV da Bovisio (1097–1101) Grossolano (1102–1112) Giordano da Clivio (1112–1120) Ulrich da Corte (1120–1126) Anselmo V della Pusterla (1126–1135) Robaldo (1135–1145) Umberto I da Pirovano (1146–1166) St Galdino della Sala (1166–1176) Algisio da Pirovano (1176–1185) Umberto II Crivelli (1185–1187, elected Pope Urban III) Milone da Cardano (1187–1195) Umberto III da Terzago (1195–1196) Filippo I da Lampugnano (1196–1206) Umberto IV da Pirovano (1206–1211) Gerardo da Sessa (1211–1212) Enrico I da Settala (1213–1230) Guglielmo I da Rizolio (1230–1241) Leon da Perego (1241–1257) Ottone Visconti (1262–1295) Ruffino da Frisseto (1295–1296) Francesco I da Parma (1296–1308) Cassone della Torre (1308–1317) Aicardo da Intimiano (1317–1339) Giovanni II Visconti (1342–1354) Roberto Visconti (1354–1361) Guglielmo II della Pusterla (1361–1370) Simon da Borsano (1370–1380) Antonio de' Saluzzi (1380–1401) Pietro II di Candia (1402–1410) Francesco II Crippa (1409–1414) Bartolommeo Capra (1414–1433) Francesco III Piccolpasso (1433–1443) Enrico II Rampini (1443–1450) Giovanni III Visconti (1450–1453) Nicolò Amidano (1453–1454) Timoteo Maffei (1454) Gabriele Sforza (1454–1457) Carlo I da Forlì (1457–1461) Stefano Nardini (1461–1484) Giovan IV Arcimboldi (1484–1488) Guido Antonio Arcimboldi (1488–1497) Ottaviano Arcimboldi (1497) Ippolito I d'Este (1497–1520) Ippolito II d'Este (1520–1550) Giovan Angelo Arcimboldi (1550–1555) Filippo II Archinto (1556–1558) vacant Modern Age St. Carlo Borromeo (1564–1584) Gaspare Visconti (1584–1595) Federico I Borromeo (1595–1631) Cesare Monti (1632–1650) Alfonso Litta (1652–1679) Federico II Visconti (1681–1693) Federico III Caccia (1693–1699) Giuseppe Archinto (1699–1712) Benedetto II Erba Odescalchi (1712–1737) Carlo Gaetano Stampa (1737–1742) Giuseppe II Pozzobonelli (1743–1783) Filippo Maria Visconti (1784–1801) Giovanni Battista Caprara (1802–1810) vacant Carlo Gaetano Gaisruck (1818–1846) Bartolomeo Carlo Romilli (1847–1859) Paolo Angelo Ballerini (1859–1867) Luigi Nazari di Calabiana (1867–1893) Bl. Andrea Ferrari (1894–1921) Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (1921–1922, elected Pope Pius XI) Eugenio Tosi (1922–1929) Bl. Ildefonso Schuster (1929–1954) Giovanni Battista Montini (1954–1963, elected Pope Paul VI) Giovanni Colombo (1963–1979) Carlo Maria Martini, SJ (1979–2002) Dionigi Tettamanzi (2002–2011) Angelo Scola (2011–present)

Authority control WorldCat VIAF: 100227669 LCCN: n79029712 ISNI: 0000 0001 2145 2186 GND: 11850245X SUDOC: 026684217 BNF: cb11888642v HDS: 22761

Persondata
Name	Ambrose
Alternative names	Ambrose, Saint; Ambrosius; Ambrogio; Ambroeus;
Short description	bishop of Milan; one of the four original doctors of the Church
Date of birth	between 337 and 340
Place of birth	Trier, Germany
Date of death	4 April 397
Place of death	Milan, Italy