Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/229

 AMBROSE. 193 -./as obliged to comply. He was then baptized, bein^ but a catechumen before ; and ordained bifhop towards the latter end of the year 374, or beginning of 375. About the car 377, the barbarous nations making an incuriion into the Ro- man empire, he fled to Illyricum, and afterwards to Rome. In the year 384, he was fen t to the tyrant Maxim us, who Ibid. p. 166, had ufurped the empire, and prevailed upon him nut to pafs over into Italy. The heathens, being encouraged by thefe intertine commotions in the empire, attempted to reftore their religion, and employed Q^ Aurelius Symmachus, pre- fect of Rome, a man of great eloquence, to plead their caufe. This gave rile to the famous conteft between St. Ambrofe and him, about repairing the altar of Vi&ory : but Symma- chus having loft his caufe, was expelled the city, and com- manded not to ;ipprnach within an hundred miles of it. The petition which he prefented to the emperor Valentinian the Younger, is ftill extant; and we find in it the (rrongeft figures of rhetoric and the g-eutefi force of eloquence. St. Ambrofe wrote a confutation of this petition, but he has ibid, been thought guilty of many paralogifms : yet he protefts, " that he aimed only at folidity of realbning, leaving Symmachus all the glory of eloquence and politenefs, it being," fays he, " the pecuUar privilege of the pagan phi- F!erlm-r,Vie <c ing true ones." Ambrofe met with a good deal of oppo-"' fition from the Arians, againft whom he acled with great fpirit and intrepidity. Juftina the emprefs, and mother of Valentinian, who was an Arian, refolding to reftore Aria- nifm at Milan, began with demanding of St. Ambrofe one of the churches, which was called the Fortian church ; but he refufed it : anJ the people lurrounding the palace in a body, (he was obliged to leave him in pofldfion of his church, and even defire him to pacify the people. Some time after,
 * lofophers to amufe, the mind with colours as falfe as their de i ru-o^ie,
 * idols ; and to fay great things, not being capable of fay- 1 '
 * he emprels fent and required of him, in the emperor's name,

not only that church, but the new church likewife : he re- iufed to obey this order, and anfwered with men fpirit and refolution as aftoniflied thofe who came with the emperor's orders. Ambrofe was a fecond time fent to the tyrant Maximus, for Valentinian found no pcrfon lo proper to negotiate with. him. He fpoke to him with great courage and boldnefs, but could obtain nothing, for Maximus foon after marched inro Italy, and made himfelf mafter of the wtlk-rn empire ; f> Chat Valentinian was obliged to retire, with his mother Jufti- VOL. I. O na

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