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| Saint Ambrose from a Picture Bible French (St. Omer, Abbey of St. Bertin),c.1190-1200 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 76 F 5, fol. 38v |
Saint Ambrose is one of those saints that people have heard
of but often know little about. He is
most frequently mentioned as the man whose preaching finally “got through” to a
young North African man about Christianity and who, subsequent to that young man’s
conversion, baptized him. The young man
went on to become St. Augustine of Hippo, whose fame would eventually far
surpass that of the man who was so influential in his life.
But Ambrose himself is interesting. He leads us back into the brief period between the official toleration of Christianity under Constantine the Great in 315 and the final fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. His death occurred between the first Danube crossing of the Goths in 375 and the much larger and more destructive crossing of the Rhine by Goths, Franks and others in 405. In his time some of what are now the fundamental elements of Christian belief were still not fixed and there were many versions of Christianity striving for dominance and membership.
Many of the events of his life were cast in bronze in 835 when the Altar of Saint Ambrose was created by a goldsmith called Vuolvinus (or Wolfinus) at the request of his successor, Archbishop Angilbert II. (Both of these names, which are Germanic in origin, show how the world had changed since his death.)
Many of the events of his life were cast in bronze in 835 when the Altar of Saint Ambrose was created by a goldsmith called Vuolvinus (or Wolfinus) at the request of his successor, Archbishop Angilbert II. (Both of these names, which are Germanic in origin, show how the world had changed since his death.)
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| Vuolvinus, Scenes from the Life of Saint Ambrose German, c. 835-840 Milan, Basilica of Sant Ambrogio |
Ambrose's Early Life
Saint Ambrose was born sometime around 340 in the city of Trier, in what is now Germany,
but which was at that time the capital of the western half of the Roman Empire,
comprising what is now the countries of France, Belgium, parts of Switzerland,
England, Spain, Southern Germany and parts of Austria. Although of Roman origin, he was born there because his father was the
Imperial Prefect of the province of Gaul (modern day France and Belgium). When he was a few years old his father died
and Ambrose’s mother moved the family (he had a brother and a sister) back to
Rome. It was there that Ambrose received
an education appropriate for a career in Imperial service, similar to his
father’s. And, that is the career path
on which he began.
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| Mosaic Head of Saint Ambrose Italian, c. First Half of 9th Century Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
In about 370 he was appointed as the Governor of the
province of Aemilia-Liguria on the northern Mediterranean coast of Italy, with
his capital at Milan. This was a highly
prestigious appointment, as Milan was the working capital of the entire Western
Roman Empire (including Italy and the area of which his own father had been
Prefect).
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| Juan de Valdes Leal, St. Ambrose Appointed Governor of Liguria and Emilia Spanish, c.1673 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
His governorship brought him
into the circle of the Imperial Court and of the ongoing religious conflict
between the Arian and Catholic Christians.
In this period, there was a
considerable amount of conflict over how to comprehend the person of
Jesus. Was He a divine being or a human
being? Was His nature that of God or of
man? Was His apparent human form a kind
of façade or mask for a divine being?
There were many divergent views. It
would be another 80 years before the Council of Chalcedon was able to agree on
the definition of Jesus as combining both the natures of God and of man in one
person without one nature taking over the other. 1
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| Vuolvinus, Flight of Saint Ambrose After His Election as Bishop German, c. 835-840 Milan, Basilica of Sant Ambrogio |
An Enormous Surprise
The Arians professed a form of Christian faith that denied
the divine nature of Jesus and at this time counted among their adherents many
influential people, including Justina, the wife of the Western Emperor
Valentinian I, who resided in Milan.
Following the death of the Arian bishop, Auxentius, who had been imposed
on the largely Catholic church in Milan by the Imperial family, it became likely that a riot
would ensue between the two types of believers.
In this time, bishops were still being elected by popular acclaim of the
entire population of Christians in the city and elections could sometimes turn violent.
As governor, Ambrose went to the cathedral to maintain the peace. To his surprise, the crowd began to cry “Ambrose,
bishop!” and proceeded to acclaim him as bishop.
Horrified, Ambrose ran away and hid in a colleague’s house. Valentinian, who was pleased that an Imperial
official and someone whom the Arians thought of as a “moderate” had been
elected, then decreed that anyone who would harbor him would be severely
punished. This forced Ambrose to save his friends, so he left his hiding place and accepted that he had been chosen as the new bishop. But, before he could assume his new duties
there were a few obstacles. For one
thing, even though he was a “cradle” Christian, he wasn’t yet baptized, even
though he was around 35 years old!
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| Vuolvinus, Baptism of St. Ambrose German, c. 835-840 Milan, Basilica of Sant-Ambrogio |
In this period infant baptism was not yet the norm for
Christians. People often delayed baptism
for many years, being baptized only on their deathbeds in many cases. Ambrose would have had a basic understanding
of Christian doctrine, of course, but had been educated for a secular career in the law, not for the
church.
However, within a week of his election he was baptized, ordained a priest and then ordained a bishop. Knowing that his education had not prepared him for his new role, he also began a serious and in-depth study of the Bible and of church doctrine and was so successful in his studies that he became an eloquent preacher and writer. In fact, he was so successful in his studies and in the use that he made of them that he became one of the four original doctors of the western church.2
However, within a week of his election he was baptized, ordained a priest and then ordained a bishop. Knowing that his education had not prepared him for his new role, he also began a serious and in-depth study of the Bible and of church doctrine and was so successful in his studies that he became an eloquent preacher and writer. In fact, he was so successful in his studies and in the use that he made of them that he became one of the four original doctors of the western church.2
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| Vuolvinus, Saint Ambrose Ordained a Bishop German, c.835-840 Milan, Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio |
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| Saint Ambrose as Bishop From a Breviary French (Champagne), 13th-14th Century Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Nouvelle Acquisition Latin 3241, fol. 12v |
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| Saint Ambrose Austrian, c. 1340-1350 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection |
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| Juan de Valdes Leal, Consecration of St. Ambrose as Bishop Spanish, c. 1673 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
Conflict with the Emperors
Among the events of his life after his election as bishop
the most dramatic involved his several conflicts with the Emperors of both the
Western and Eastern parts of the Roman Empire.
When the Western Emperor Valens, the Arian son of Valentinian, and his
mother, Justina, attempted to take over one of the churches of the diocese of
Milan for the Arians, Ambrose led the resistance of the majority of people in
the city. The Emperor and his mother
were forced to back down.
Later, in 390, when the Eastern Emperor Theodosius I, who had taken
control of the Western Empire as well and had moved to Milan, ordered the massacre
of over 7,000 people as a reprisal for a rebellion in one of the Eastern
provinces, Ambrose urged him to demonstrate public penance. Legend
increases the drama of this event by setting it as a public confrontation
before the doors of Milan cathedral. The
reality was probably less dramatic. However, the
result was remarkable, as the Emperor did do public penance before
Ambrose.
,%20c%201323-1326_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Latin%2010483,%20fol.%20169r.jpg) |
| Workshop of Jean_Pucelle, Saint Ambrose Admonishing Theodosius From a Breviary French (Paris), c 1323-1326 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 10483, fol. 169r |
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| Anthony van Dyck, Emperor Theodosius Prevented by Saint Ambrose From Entering Milan Cathedral Flemish, c. 1619-1620 London, National Gallery |
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| Juan de Valdes Leal, St. Ambrose Denying Theodosius Entry into the Church Spanish, c.1673 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Juan de Valdes Leal, St. Ambrose Absolving Theodosius Spanish, c.1673 Madrid, Museo del Prado |
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| Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. Emperor Theodosius Prevented by Saint Ambrose From Entering Milan Cathedral Italian, c. 1749-1751 Würzburg, Archepiscopal Residence, Kaisersaal |
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| Jules Lenepveu, Emperor Theodosius Prevented by Saint Ambrose From Entering Milan Cathedral French, c.1850-1860 Paris, Church of Saint-Ambroise |
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| Federico Barocci, St. Ambrose Absolves Theodosius I Italian, 1603 Milan, Cathedral |
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| Pierre Subleyras, Emperor Theodosius Receiving Absolution from Saint Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan French, c.1740 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
These events have been among the most popular in the iconography of Saint Ambrose, especially in the period following the Reformation, popularly known as the Counter-Reformation or Catholic Revival. The Reformation, a series of breaks from the unity of the Church which began in 1517, received a huge boost in its spread due to secular rulers taking it up as a means to achieve their own ends (as for example, Henry VIII in England, who used it to further his own end of dissolving his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, or the secular rulers of several German states, who saw it as a way to oppose the Holy Roman Emperors). The conflict between Saint Ambrose and Theodosius I could thus serve as a classical Catholic example of the proper role of the Church in guiding and correcting the secular powers, by challenging them over their actions, rather than bending to their will.
Discovering the Bodies of the Martyrs of Milan
Also dramatic was the discovery in 386 of the bodies of the
martyr saints Gervasius and Protasius.
The bodies of these two martyr brothers was located under the floor of a
Milanese church. The search was guided
by a dream in which they appeared to Ambrose and showed him where to find them.
Their remains rest today in the same
chapel in which the body of Ambrose also rests.
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| Philippe de Champaigne, Appartition of Saints Gervais and Protais to Saint Ambrose French, c.1657-1660 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
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| Philippe de Champaigne, Discovery of the Relics of Saints Gervais and Protais French, c. 1657-1660 Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
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Legends About Saint Ambrose -- The "Miracle of the Bees"
There are several legends associated with St. Ambrose. The most commonly seen one is that of the “miracle
of the bees”. According to this legend,
when Ambrose was a baby in the cradle, a swarm of bees settled on his face
while he was sleeping. They did no harm,
but left a drop of honey on his lips.
His father, seeing this, prophesied that great things would come from
his baby son. So, occasionally, St.
Ambrose will be seen holding a beehive or with some other reference to bees.
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| Vuolvinus, Bees Swarm the Sleeping Ambrose German, c.835-840 Milan, Church of Sant Ambrogio |
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| Richard de Montbaston, Miracle of the Bees From Legenda aurea by Jacques de Voragine French (Paris), 1348 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 241, fol. 98r |
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| Laurenz Benz, Saint Ambrose German, c.1865, Schwäbisch Gmünd, St. Joseph Chapel Here the saint carries a beehive, one of his symbols. |
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| Fra Filippo Lippi, Miracle of the Bees Italian, 1441-1447 Berlin, Bode Museum |
Doctor of the Church
In addition to the events of his life, both real and
legendary, St. Ambrose is remembered as one of the four doctors of the Latin-speaking
Church. The other three are, St. Jerome,
St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine.
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| Guillaume Vrelant, Saints Ambrose, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas from a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1455-1465 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 387. fol. 105v
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| Pedro Berruguete, Saints Ambrose and Augustine Spanish, c.1495-1500 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
In this he may appear as a member of the group of Doctors, as for instance in Bernini's masterpiece, the Chair of Peter, or he may appear individually, as a writer.
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| Michael Pacher, Altarpiece of the Church Fathers German, c.1483 Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakotek |
,%201503_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Francais%20594,%20fol.%20376r.jpeg) |
| Master of the Triumphs of Petrarch, Triumph of Divinity From The Trionfi by Petrarch French (Rouen), 1503 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 594, fol. 376r |
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| Battista di Benedetto, Group of Confessor Saints Italian, 1600 Rome, Church of San Vitale This grouping includes the Doctors as well as other, popular saints, such as Francis, Benedict and Anthony Abbot |
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| Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, St. Ambrose Terracotta bozzetto (model) for the Chair of Peter Italian, late 1650s St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum |
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| Abraham Van Diepenbeeck, The Four Doctors of Church Flemish, 1650-16660 Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
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| Giovanni di Paolo, Saint Ambrose Italian, c. 1465-1470 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
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| Possibly Albrecht Durer, Saint Ambrose German, c. 1492 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
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| St. Ambrose in His Study Spanish, c.1500 New York, Metropolian Museum of Art |
_c.1600_Belgian_Dorset%20UK+Kingston%20Lacy%20Estate_2.jpg) |
| Gerard Seghers, St. Ambrose (from a set of Four Doctors of the Church) Flemish, c.1600 Dorset UK, Kingston Lacy Estate |
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| Mathias Stomer, Saint Ambrose Dutch, c.1633-1639 Rennes, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
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| Franz Martin Kuen, St. Ambrose German, 1743-1766 Ulm, Wengen Church (Destroyed 1944) |
A series of manuscript illuminations he appears with his fellow Doctors as defenders of those besieged in the Fortress of Faith by various opponents.
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| Follower of Loyset Liedet, Fortress of Faith from Fortalitium fidei of Alphonsus de Spina North French or Belgian (Lille or Bruges), c. 1475-1500 London, British Library MS Royal 17 F VI, fol. 26 |
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| Follower of Loyset Liedet, Fortress of Faith from Fortalitium fidei of Alphonsus de Spina North French or Belgian (Lille or Bruges), c. 1475-1500 London, British Library MS Royal 17 F VI, fol. 101 |
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| Follower of Loyset Liedet, Fortress of Faith from Fortalitium fidei of Alphonsus de Spina North French or Belgian (Lille or Bruges), c. 1475-1500 London, British Library MS Royal 17 F VI, fol. 146 |
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| Follower of Loyset Liedet, Fortress of Faith from Fortalitium fidei of Alphonsus de Spina North French or Belgian (Lille or Bruges), c. 1475-1500 London, British Library MS Royal 17 F VI, fol. 129 |
Saint Ambrose as Patron
In addition, as with other saints, Saint Ambrose may appear as a patron, often shown presenting his "client" to the Madonna and Child, but, also, as patron of the nation. In this case, the "nation" is the city of Milan. Like Ambrose, his successors were the spiritual leaders of the city, while the ruling dynasties came and went. |
| Attributed to NIvardus, St. Ambrose Blessing the Standard from Prayer Book of Archbishop Arnulph II of Milan Italian (Milan, 998-1018) London, British Library MS Egerton 3763, fol. 121v |
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| Master of the Pala Sforzesca, Madonna and Child Enthroned with the Doctors of the Church and the Family of Ludovico il Moro The "Sforza Altarpiece" Italian, c. 1494-1495 Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
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| Paris Bordone, Holy Family with St. Ambrose Presenting a Donor Italian, c. 1524-1526 Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera |
Death of Saint Ambrose
St. Ambrose died in 397. He was buried in Milan. His feast day is celebrated on December 7.3 |
| Vuolvinus, Death of St. Ambrose German, c. 835-840 Milan, Church of Sant'Ambrogio |
,%201463_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Francais%2051,%20fol.%20301v.jpg) |
| Master Francois & Workshop, Death of Saint Ambrose From Speculum historiale by Vincent of Beauvais French (Paris), 1463_Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 51, fol. 301v |
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| Bon Boullogne the Elder, Death of Saint Ambrose French, c. 1700 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
© M. Duffy, 2016, additional and updated images 2023
- I cover this situation in more detail in “Saint Leo the Great, Protector of Rome and Doctor of the Church” at http://imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2016/11/saint-leo-great-protector-of-rome-and.html
- See comments on St. Ambrose as a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI made on October 24, 2007 at http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20071024.html
- For more information on the life of St. Ambrose and his writings see Loughlin, James. "St. Ambrose." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1907 at <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01383c.htm>
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