8.9. de Jud. pillage and ruin the synagogues of the Jews'; and he made a A. D. 393. law to hinder those, who had presumed to rail either against Ib. 16. tit. him or his government, from being prosecuted as guilty of high-treason". "If it is done through levity," says his Ib.9.tit. 4. law, "it ought to be despised; if through folly3, we ought imp.maled. "to have compassion; and if through malice', we must insania.] injuria.] pardon it; so that we would have the matter referred entirely to us, that we may judge, from a consideration "of the persons accused, whether it ought to be passed 66 8 6 7 1. si quis as lib. 7. 8 16. Ruff. 11. b. c. 33. Soz. 7. 22. bk. 18. over or prosecuted." All these laws were dated at Con- [ as well stantinople under the Consulship of Theodosius and Abun- tit. 3. 1.] dantius, that is, in the year 393. Theodosius spent all the rest of this year there, and the beginning of the next, and continued his preparations for the war during the winter. Eugenius made preparations on his side, but in a far different manner; for as he had been supported by the Pagans, he allowed them every liberty. At Rome' they performed a multitude of sacrifices, poured forth the blood of victims, inspected their entrails, and pretended to find in them fortunate omens, indicating certain victory to Eugenius. Flavian the Prætorian Præfect and friend to Symmachus, Ibid. et who was looked upon as a great politician, and very learned [ Supra, in this science of divination, was the most eager to practise ch. 31.] these superstitions, and the forwardest to make these magnificent promises. Eugenius having made himself master of the passages of the Julian Alps, suffered the Pagans to set up there idols of Jupiter', and his chief ensign carried on it that's. Aug. of Hercules. He granted to the Pagans that which the De Civ. 5. Younger Valentinian3 had twice refused, namely, the restora-Theod. 5. tion of the altar of Victory at Rome, and also of the revenues Paulin. of their temples. He had refused it twice, but granted it the third time'. St. Ambrose seeing Eugenius thus given up to the Pagans, returned no answer to a letter which he had written to him at the beginning of his reign, but he afterwards wrote to him, and solicited him for those who were in danger; shewing on the one side that he was incapable of flattery even at the hazard of his life, and on the other, that he knew how to honour power when charity required it. Ibid. § 11, Afterwards, understanding that Eugenius was making all imaginable expedition to Milan, he left it and retired to 3 26. 24. Vit. S. Amb. c. 26. S. Ambr. Ep. 57. 6. 12. 2 § 6. A. D. 393. Bologna. He however wrote' to Eugenius, and gave him 1 Ep. 57. an account of his retreat, representing likewise how he had opposed the demands of the Pagans made to Valentinian and Theodosius himself. He refuted the poor excuse' which Eugenius pleaded, namely, that he had not restored the goods to the temples, but had given them to certain persons to whom he was under obligations, that is to say, to Arbogastes and Flavian. "Your power is great," says St. Ambrose, "yet consider that of GoD, who sees all things, and knows "the very bottom of your heart. You will not suffer any "to deceive you, and yet you would conceal things from GOD. "How will you make your offerings to CHRIST? How will the "Priests distribute them? All that the Pagans do will be im § 7. $ 8. 5 Paulin. $ 31. XLVIII. St. Am brose at Bologna and Florence. 6 S. Ambr. [See bk. Is. 47. note s.] puted to you." St. Ambrose's threatenings came to pass, for the church at Milan refused the offerings of Eugenius, and would not even admit him to prayers; this so exasperated Arbogastes and Flavian that upon leaving Milan they vowed, that if they returned victorious they would turn the Basilica into a stable, and oblige the Clergy to bear arms. St. Ambrose upon leaving Milan went to Bologna, to which place he was invited to be present at the translation of the holy Martyrs, Vitalis and Agricola, who had just been found there. These Martyrs had suffered together. Vitalis was Exhort. one of Agricola's slaves, and he was executed first to terrify his Virgin.init. [A.D.393.] master, who was of a very gentle disposition, and beloved by Paulin.$29. the persecutors themselves; but finding that he would not yield they crucified him. They were buried among the Jews, and the Christians knew not where, till the Martyrs revealed it to the Bishop of the same Church, who on searching found their bodies, and took them up from among a great number both of Jews and Christians. By the quantity of nails which were found it was known what a multitude of wounds St. Agricola had received; they also collected his blood, and recovered the wood of his cross. The bodies of the holy Saints were laid beneath the altar of the Basilica with the joyful acclamations of the people, and the evil spirits tormented at the sight of the Martyrs declared their merits. St. Ambrose therefore having been invited to this festival, came to Bologna and assisted at the translation, bringing back with him part of the relics, that is, some of the nails and the wood of the cross; c. 2. tit. 17. 7. viol. [3 distra for they did not as yet divide the bodies; indeed it was not usual A. D. 393. even to translate them. Theodosius had made a law' in the 'Cod.Th.9. year 386, forbidding the translation of human bodies from de sepulch. one place to another, or the sale or purchase of a Martyr, legend. only permitting such edifices to be built as they thought humatum ] proper to his honour', in the place of his burial. The cause of here.] this was that there were false Monks, who made it their business to run over all the provinces with pretended relics. From Bologna St. Ambrose went immediately to Faience', Op. Monac. " c. 28. and there stayed some days, during which time he was invited Paul.§ 27. [Faventia, by the Florentines into Tuscany, whither he went, and carried Faenza.] to Florence the relics of St. Vitalis, which he had designed 8 [ pro ejus venera tione.] 5 S. Aug. de 8 for others; and he placed them under the altar of a Exhort. church, which he dedicated there, and which was named the Virg. § 1. Basilica Ambrosiana. A holy" widow named Juliana had Ibid. c. 2. built it; she had three daughters whom she had consecrated to God, and on this account, the title of the sermon which St. Ambrose preached at this dedication being chiefly made with a view to their instruction, is An Exhortation to Virginity. At Florence he lived' in the house of a considerable citizen 'Paul. § 28. named Decens, a Christian, whose son, an infant, named Pansophius, was tormented with an evil spirit; the holy Bishop cured him by praying often for him and laying his hands on him, but a few days after the child died suddenly; his mother who was a very religious woman carried him from the top of the house to a lower apartment, in which St. Ambrose lodged, and laid him on his bed whilst he was abroad. St. Ambrose, on his return, finding the child lying dead on his bed, was moved with the faith of his mother, and immediately, in imitation of Elisha, laid himself on the child, and by his prayers procured his re- [ meruit.] storation to life; he presented him alive to his mother, and composed at that time a little book which he addressed to this infant, that he might hereafter learn by reading what his years prevented his yet understanding. This work is not extant, but we know that there was no Paulin. mention made in it of this miracle. St. Ambrose returned to Milan' as soon as he knew that Eugenius had left Paulin. it to proceed on his march against Theodosius; so that he arrived about the beginning of August A. D. 394, and Ep.61.$1.2. [Ser. Å. D. R 3 ibid. $ 31. 394.] A. D. 393. there waited for the Emperor, being confident that GoD would give him the victory. XLIX. Victory of sius. p. 777. nor. v. 83, &c. Theodosius having passed the whole winter in making Theodo- preparations for the war, and having lost Galla his first' wife, [Qu. se- who died in childbed, left at Constantinople his two sons cond. See Arcadius and Honorius with Ruffinus the Prætorian Præfect, Supra c. 1.] Zosim. 4. to govern the affairs of the East'. He had given Honorius [c. 57.] the title of Augustus on the tenth of January 393. He left Socr.5.25. Claud.de 3. Constantinople in the spring of the following year 394, under Cons. Ho- the third Consulship of Arcadius, and the second of Honorius. On leaving Constantinople he stopped at Hebdomon in the church which he had built [to GoD] in honour of St. John Soz. 7. 24. Baptist, to whom he commended the happy success of his arms, invoking his assistance. This place was called Hebdomon because it was seven miles from Constantinople. It is said that Theodosius conveyed thither the head of St. John Baptist, having found it in a village near Chalcedon, [p. 305.] [See Gib- where it had been taken and remained ever since the reign of Valens, under the care of a Priest named Vincentius, and a virgin called Matrona, who were both of the Macedonian sect. Matrona continued in her error, but Vincentius was converted, and followed the Emperor to Constantinople. [5 Supr. ch. 31. note k.] 6 Soz. 7.21. Chron. Pasch, ad an. 391. bon, vol. 3. p. 119.] s Zos. 4. c. 58. 9 6 When Theodosius had reached Italy, he forced the passage of the Alps, and found all Eugenius' army assembled in the plain before Aquileia. He immediately caused the auxiliary troops of the barbarians commanded by Gaïnas to advance. After a very sharp engagement they were unable to sustain the force of the enemy under the command of Arbogastes. Supra, bk. Ten thousand Goths perished; and Bacurius, an Iberian prince, who had served under the Romans a long time, and was remarkable for his virtue and piety, was killed fighting valiantly. Night parted the armies, and Eugenius believing himself victorious, distributed largesses, and sent his troops away to feast and take rest; in the mean time [Arbogastes] lined the passage of the mountains, in order to enclose Theo 11. ch. 39. 24. 1 Theod. 5. dosius, and hinder his retreat. The officers' of Theodosius' army advised him to retire, and put off the decision of the war to the following year; but he answered, that he could not bear that the Cross, which was carried at the head of his legions, should fall back before the idol of Hercules, dis played by Eugenius; so, though there remained with him A. D. 394. but few troops, and those discouraged, he resolved to stay. He retired to an oratory built on the top of a mountain, where he encamped, and without taking any nourishment or sleep, he passed the night in prayer, prostrate on the ground, which he watered with his tears. At last, at cockcrow, overcome with fatigue he fell asleep, and thought that he saw two men clothed in white, mounted on white horses, who exhorted him to take courage, to arm the troops at daybreak, and draw them up in order of battle, for that they were come to his assistance, and that one was John the Evangelist, the other Philip the Apostle. The Emperor after this vision redoubled the fervour of his prayers. A soldier having seen the same thing, told it to his captain, who repeated it to his tribune, and the tribune to the general, who came and told the Emperor, thinking he brought him news. The Emperor said, "It is not on my account that this soldier "has seen this vision, I am sufficiently assured of the victory; but that I should have a witness of what God (( permitted me first to see. Let us march therefore boldly "under the conduct of the Saints', regarding their power, [1 Tоîs #ро"and not the number of the enemy." Having then en- dxos kal couraged his army, he descended the mountain, and fortified xos.] with the sign of the cross, marched against the enemy. Oros. 7.35. He then began to perceive the danger which surrounded him; for the forces of Eugenius were posted behind him on an eminence, to attack him in the rear during the engagement. However, Count Arbetio', who commanded them, [or Armoved with respect for the Emperor, went over to Theo- ibid.] dosius; and many more by his example, after the battle had begun, sent to offer their services to the Emperor, provided he would continue them in an honourable rank. He granted what they desired, and promised them in writing several military commissions. As the defiles and the baggage retarded his progress, Theodosius, seeing the enemy advance to take advantage of it, leaped from his horse and advancing alone at the head of his forces, cried out; "Where is the GOD "of Theodosius?" and with these words encouraged the whole army. Eugenius saw him descend, and causing his army to advance, remained himself on a hill. He said that μάχοις πολεμάρ 3 Soz. 7. 24. bitrio. Oros. |