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| Of Justina, the wife of Valentinianus, and of her plot against Ambrosius.
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Chapter XIII.—Of Justina, the wife of Valentinianus, and of her
plot against Ambrosius.
At this
time Justina,864
| 864 Justina, left widow by Magnentius in 353, was married to
Valentinian I. (we may dismiss the story of Socrates (iv. 31) that he
legalized bigamy in order to marry her in the lifetime of Severa)
probably in 368. Her first conflict with Ambrose was probably in 380 at
Sirmium. On the murder of Gratian in 383 Maximus for four years left
the young Valentinian in possession of Italy, in deference to the
pleading of Ambrose. It was during this period, at Easter, 385, that
Justina ungratefully attacked the bishop and demanded a church for
Arian worship. | wife of Valentinianus the great,
and mother of the young prince, made known to her son the seeds of the
Arian teaching which she had long ago received. Well knowing the warmth
of her consort’s faith she had endeavoured to conceal her
sentiments during the whole of his life, but perceiving that her
son’s character was gentle and docile, she took courage to bring
her deceitful doctrine forward. The lad supposed his mother’s
counsels to be wise and beneficial, for nature so disposed the bait
that he could not see the deadly hook below. He first communicated on
the subject with Ambrosius, under the impression that, if he could
persuade the bishop, he would be able without difficulty to prevail
over the rest. Ambrosius, however, strove to remind him of his
father’s piety, and exhorted him to keep inviolate the heritage
which he had received. He explained to him also how one doctrine
differed from the other, how the one is in agreement with the teaching
of the Lord and with the teaching of his apostles, while the other is
totally opposed to it and at war with the code of the laws of the
spirit.
The young man, as young men
will, spurred on moreover by a mother herself the victim of deceit, not
only did not assent to the arguments adduced, but lost his temper, and,
in a passion, was for surrounding the approaches to the church with
companies of legionaries and targeteers. When, however, he learnt that
this illustrious champion was not in the least alarmed at his
proceedings, for Ambrosius treated them all like the ghosts and
hobgoblins with which some men try to frighten babies, he was
exceedingly angry and publicly ordered him to depart from the church.
“I shall not,” said Ambrosius, “do so willingly. I
will not yield the sheepfold to the wolves nor betray God’s
temple to blasphemers. If you wish to slay me drive your sword or your
spear into me here within. I shall welcome such a death.”865
| 865 This contest is described by Ambrose himself in letters to
Valentinian and to his sister Marcellina, Epp. xx. xxi, and in the
“Sermo de basilicis tradendis.” On the apparent error of
Gibbon in confusing the “vela” which were hung outside a
building to mark it as claimed for the imperial property, with the
state hangings of the emperor’s seat inside, vide Dict. Christ.
Biog. i. 95. | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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