Ambrose vs. Symmachus

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the arguments and quotes relevant passages of the debate between St. Ambrose and a Roman Senator Symmachus about the purpose and aim of Christianity for the Roman Empire. While the former argues for ascendency of the religion, the latter is for tolerance. It presents a very interesting facet of the early development of Christianity as it developed from relative obscurity to become a dominant force shaping historical developments in the Roman Empire and the Western World.

From the Paper:

Superficially, the debate between Saint Ambrose and Quintus Aurelius Symmachus centers on reinstating an altar to the Roman goddess Victory in the Senate building, and public funding of the pagan cults - issues the under the discretionary power of the emperor Valentinian. In reality, however, the focus of the debate centers on Christian toleration of state pagan religions, and emperor's responsibilities as a member of the Christian Church. Arguing from a position of relative weakness, Symmachus pleads for toleration and preservation of the ancestral institutions and laws hitherto advantageous to the emperor and the country; Ambrose, on the other hand, affirms the absolute truth of Christianity (an invariant position against toleration in the religious sphere) and compels the emperor to actively oppose paganism (a position which has varied through time in respect to the relationship between Church and State).

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