E00894: The Life of *Ambrose (bishop of Milan, ob. 397, S00490) by Paulinus of Milan recounts how after his death people in Milan (northern Italy) had visions demonstrating his sanctity; his body, being transferred to the place of his burial in the Basilica Ambrosiana, tormented demons, and his funeral was attended by crowds of people, including Jews and pagans, who threw articles of clothing towards it in the hope they would touch his body. Written in Latin, probably in North Africa, c. 422.
Creators: name: Robert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Paulinus of Milan, Life of Ambrose 48<br><br>1. Atque inde ad ecclesiam maiorem antelucanum, hora qua defunctus est, corpus ipsius portatum est ibi queadem fuit nocte, qua vigilavimus in pascha. Quem plurimi infantes baptizati, cum a fonte venirent, viderunt, ita ut aliqui sedentem in cathedra in tribunali dicerent, alii vero ascendentem suis parentibus digito ostenderent. Sed illi videntes videre non poterant, quia tam mundos oculos non habebant. Plurimi autem stellam supra corpus eius se videre narrabant. 2. Sed lucescente die dominico, cum corpus ipsius, peractis sacramentis divinis, de ecclesia levaretur portandum ad basilicam Ambrosianam, in qua positus est, ita ibi daemonum turbae clamabant se ab illo torqueri, ut eiulatus illorum ferri non possent; quae gratia sacerdotis non solum in illo loco, verum etiam in plurimis provinciis usque in hodiernum manet. 3. Iactabant etiam turbae virorum ac mulierum oraria vel semicinctia sua, ut corpus sanctum aliquatenus ab ipsis contingeretur. Erant enim exsequiarum turbae innumerabiles totius dignitatis totius que sexus omnium que paene aetatum, non solum christianorum sed etiam Iudaeorum et paganorum; maiore tamen gratia ordo praecedebat eorum qui fuerant baptizati.<br><br>'Thereafter, his body was carried to the greater church just before daybreak, the hour in which he died, and was there the same night on which we kept the vigil of Easter. And a great many baptized infants saw him when they were coming from the font, so that some said they saw him sitting on the episcopal throne, while others indicated with their fingers to their parents that they saw him walking, but they, although they looked, were not able to see him, because they did not have pure eyes. There also were very many who related that they had seen a star over his body. But, as it began to dawn on the Lord's Day, after the divine mysteries had been performed, when his body was being lifted up to be carried from the church to the Ambrosian Basilica in which it was placed, a crowd of demons there cried out that they were being tortured by him, and so loudly that their wailings could not be endured. And this grace of the bishop remains not only in that place but even in a great many provinces even to this day. Crowds of men and women also threw their handkerchiefs and sashes so that the body of the holy man might be touched by them in some way (Iactabant etiam turbae virorum ac mulierum oraria vel semicinctia sua, ut corpus sanctum aliquatenus ab ipsis contingeretur). For those taking part in the obsequies formed an innumerable crowd; men, women, and children of every rank and of all ages, not only Christians, but also Jews and pagans. However, the group of those who had been baptized led the procession, because of their greater grace.' <br><br>Text: Bastiaensen 1975, 114. Translation: Lacy 1952, 62, altered by Robert Wiśniewski.