Ambrose's writings

Intro | Works Online | References

Intro

 

Ambrose's works are all closely connected with his bishop role: even the funeral oration for the death of his brother, Uranius Satyrus, aims at outlining the examplary christian (book I) and at teaching how a believer has to bear the sorrow of a dear person's death (book II). The same is said of the letters, never restricted to his private sphere.Manoscritto da http://biblional.bibliog.unam.mx/incunab/incu10.html Many doctrinaire works probably derived from a fusion of homilies bishop's speeches for the people on the same subject. According to tradition hymns were born when the believers with their bishop occupied the Portiana Basilica for four weeks, to prevent Justina Empress from giving the church to the arian sect.

Even if he is given a good retorical upbringing and a polished culture in writings, instead of searching stylistic elegances, Ambrose mainly looks for the essence of the "Truth" he wants to communicate. He declares that all the required culture is in the Holy Scriptures but he models his De officiis ministrorum (Clergy's duties) on Cicero's De officiis. Anyhow the adhesion to classical models is restricted as the role of writings is changed and there is a new relationship with the public: a mass of believers instead of few acculturated people.

Probably some of his works aren't really by him but by someone who wrote them and then signed with the bishop's name; humanists (XVth century) assigned to a "false Ambrose" (ambrosiaster) a comment to S.Paul's letters.

For a practical orientation his writings can be divided into groups:
PROSE: a) doctrinaire works b) funeral orations c) exegetic works (Bible passages explanation) d) 91 letters
POETRY: Hymns (4 are surely written by him, according to S. Augustin's Confessiones evidence, but other 8 of them are of controversial provenance)

On history of music in the hymnography and on Ambrose's role in this sphere there's a brief summary at www.maranathamusic.com/newsong.htm


Main pageBack to Ambrose's main page Toptop

By Edoardo De Carli (transl.: S.Schembari)