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ER 1225

Ambrose, bishop of Milan (Italy) forbids Emperor Theodosius to receive communion in the sanctuary because it is an exclusive privilege of the clergy, Milan, AD 390. Account of Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Ecclesiastical History, AD 438/446.

V.18.19-22

Ambrose of Milan excommunicates the Emperor of Theodoius after the massacre in Thessalonica. The emperor asks Ambrose what he shall do to be received again to the communion, and Ambrose demands a law that differs all the sentences of capital punishment. The emperor agrees and the bishop cancels the excommunication. Then Theodosius goes to the church to participate in the Mass. During the first part of the mass he lies on the floor, but stands up and enters sanctuary to receive communion.

Οὕτως ὁ πιστότατος βασιλεὺς εἴσω γενέσθαι θαρρήσας τοῦ θείου νεώ, οὐχ ἑστὼς τὸν δεσπότην ἱκέτευεν οὐδὲ τὰ γόνατα κλίνας, ἀλλὰ πρηνὴς, ἐπὶ τοῦ δαπέδου κείμενος τὴν Δαυϊτικὴν ἀφῆκε φωνήν· »ἐκολλήθη τῷ ἐδάφει ἡ ψυχή μου, ζῆσον με κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου« (Ps 118:25), καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ἀποτίλλων τὰς τρίχας καὶ τὸ μέτωπον τύπτων καὶ ταῖς τῶν δακρύων σταγόσι τοὔδαφος καταρραίνων συγγνώμης ἠντιβόλει τυχεῖν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ καιρὸς ἐκάλει τῇ ἱερᾷ τραπέζῃ τὰ δῶρα προσενεγκεῖν, ἀναστὰς μετὰ τῶν ἴσων δακρύων τῶν ἀνακτόρων ἐπέβη· προσενεγκὼν δὲ ὥσπερ εἰώθει, ἔνδον παρὰ τὰς κιγκλίδας μεμένηκεν. ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὁ μέγας Ἀμβρόσιος οὐκ ἐσίγησεν, ἀλλ' ἐξεπαίδευσε τὴν τῶν τόπων διαφοράν. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἤρετο εἴ τινος δέοιτο· τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως εἰρηκότος ὡς προσμένει τὴν τῶν θείων μυστηρίων μετάληψιν, ἐδήλωσεν ὑπουργῷ τῷ τῶν διακόνων ἡγουμένῳ χρησάμενος ὅτι· »τὰ ἔνδον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μόνοις ἐστὶν ἱερεῦσι βατά, τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἄδυτά τε καὶ ἄψαυστα. ἔξιθι τοίνυν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις κοινώνει τῆς στάσεως· ἁλουργὶς γὰρ βασιλέας, οὐχ ἱερέας ποιεῖ«. καὶ ταύτην δὲ ὁ πιστότατος βασιλεὺς ἀσμένως δεξάμενος τὴν εἰσήγησιν, ἀντεδήλωσεν ὡς οὐ θρασύτητι χρώμενος ἔνδον τῶν κιγκλίδων μεμένηκεν, ἀλλ' ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει τοῦτο εἶναι ἔθος μαθών· »χάριν δὲ ὀφείλω«, ἔφη, »καὶ τῆςδε τῆς ἰατρείας«.

(ed. Parmentier 1954: 312-313)

V.18.19-22

Now the very faithful emperor came boldly within the holy temple but did not pray to his Lord standing, or even on his knees, but lying prone upon the ground he uttered David's cry "My soul cleaveth unto the dust, quicken thou me according to thy word." He plucked out his hair; he smote his head; he besprinkled the ground with drops of tears and prayed for pardon. When the time came for him to bring his oblations to the holy table, weeping all the while he stood up and approached the sanctuary. After making his offering, as he was wont, he remained within at the rail, but once more the great Ambrosius kept not silence and taught him the distinction of places. First he asked him if he wanted anything; and when the emperor said that he was waiting for participation in the divine mysteries, Ambrose sent word to him by the chief deacon and said, "The inner place, sir, is open only to priests; to all the rest it is inaccessible; go out and stand where others stand; purple can make emperors, but not priests." This instruction too the faithful emperor most gladly received, and intimated in reply that it was not from any audacity that he had remained within the rails, but because he had understood that this was the custom at Constantinople. "I owe thanks," he added, "for being cured too of this error."

(trans. B. Jackson 1892: 144)

Discussion:

The episode of the "excommunication" of the Emperor Theodosius by Ambrose after the massacre of Thessalonica, attracted a lot of scholarly attention - for detailed discussion see, among others, Kolb 1980, Larson 1970, Liebeschuetz 89-91, McLynn 1994: 315-330.

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia

City

Milan

About the source:

Author: Theodoret of Cyrus
Title: Ecclesiastical History, Historia ecclesiastica, Church History, Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ ἱστορία
Origin: Cyrrhus (East)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Theodoret of Cyrrhus was born in Antioch (East) probably in AD 393. He was destined for the ecclesiastical career, and as an adolescent entered the ranks of clergy. After the death of his parents he sold his property, and became a monk in the monastery in Nikertai near Antioch. He lived there from AD 416 to 423. He writes then the Cure of the Greek Maladies. In AD 423 he became a bishop of Cyrrhus. He took part in the Nestorian controversy as a follower of Nestorius, and wrote treatises (not extant) against Cyril of Alexandria. He was condemned by the council of Ephesus AD 449, but rehabilitated by the council of Chalcedon AD 451. His writing were condemned again during the Three Chapters Controversy at the council in Constantinople AD 553. Theodoret wrote the Ecclesiastical History most probably ca AD 438/446. (Martin 2006: 11-28; dating: 31-37). Theodoret continues the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea, and his narration ends in the year AD 428.

Edition:

L. Parmentier ed., Theodoret, Kirchengeschichte, Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller der Ersten Jahrhunderte 5, Berlin 1954

Translations:

Theodoret, The Ecclesiastical History, trans. B. Jackson, [in:] The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, II series, vol. 3, Oxford, New York 1892, 33-159

Théodoret de Cyr, Histoire ecclésiastique. Tome II, (Livres III-V), introd. A. Martin, trans. P. Canivet, Sources Chrétiennes 530, Paris 2009

Bibliography:

F. Kolb, "Der Bussakt von Mailand: Zum Verhaltnis von Staat und Kirche in der Spatantike", [in:] Geschichte und Gegenwart: Festschrift fur K.D. Erdmann, ed. H. Boockmann, K. Jurgensen, G. Stottenberg, Neumunster 1980, 41-74.

C. W. R. Larson, "Theodosius and the Thessalonian Massacre Revisited—Yet Again", Studia Patristica 10 (1970), 297–301.

J.H.W.G. Liebeschuetz, Ambrose and John Chrysostom: clerics between desert and empire, Oxford 2011.

N. McLynn, Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital, Berkeley 1994.

Categories:

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

Ritual activity - Eucharist

Relation with - Monarch and royal/imperial family

Equal prerogatives of presbyters and bishops

Equal prerogatives of presbyters and deacons

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1225, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1225