ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes the arguments developed by Ambrose, bishop of Milan, to fortify the Nicene faith immediately after the Council of Aquileia, in 381. It suggests such arguments also support the unit around the imperial figure. To answer our questions, we examined three letters written by Ambrose: Epistolae extra collectionem4 (10), 5 (11) and 6 (12). Although all these letters have been sent to three roman emperors - Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius - we realized that the bishop wrote more specifically for Gratian, to whom the Milanese bishop was directly connected. In the roman-western territories, Ambrose yearned for a Christian-Nicene society driven specifically by Gratian, who headquartered in Milan. Such closeness fueled an interesting alliance between the temporal power, personified in Gratian, and the spiritual power exercised by Ambrose.
Keywords:
Council of Aquileia; Orthodoxy; Temporal power; Spiritual power; Trinity.