Ambrose (Ambrosius), Saint

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Ambrose (Ambrosius), Saint

Ambrose (Ambrosius), Saint, Italian churchman; b. Tier, c.339; d. Milan, April 4, 374. His father was the Roman prefect in Gaul. Ambrose began his career as a political figure, becoming governor of Liguria and Aemilia about 370. On Dec. 7, 374, he was elected Bishop of Milan. As one of the 4 Doctors of the Roman Catholic church, he was canonized. Ambrose has long been credited with developing Ambrosian or Milanese chant, the introduction of hymns and antiphonal singing in the Roman Catholic Church, the authorship of the Te Deum, and the composition of hymns. However, only his composition of hymns can be verified, and he may have written only the words to the hymns attributed to him.

Bibliography

F. Dudden, The Life and Times of St A. (Oxford, 1935); H. Leeb, Die Psalmodie bei A. (Vienna, 1967).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire