Nicene Era
On the Mysteries, On the Duties of the Clergy & Hymns
Ambrose of Milan · c. 374 – 397
Historical Context
Roman governor turned bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374; teacher of Augustine and a chief architect of Latin church music, ethics, and pastoral practice.
Summary
On the Mysteries and On the Sacraments explain baptism, chrismation, and the Eucharist to the newly baptised; On the Duties of the Clergy adapts Cicero's De Officiis into a Christian ethic. Ambrose's Latin hymns shaped Western liturgical song for a thousand years.
Major Themes
- Mystagogy
- Christian civic virtue
- Latin hymnody
- Church and empire
Important Quotations
“The emperor is within the Church, not above her.”— Sermon Against Auxentius 36
Related Timeline Events
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Neil B. McLynn, Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital