It was the haunt of writer Ambrose Bierce, who admired its redwoods.

Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose ( c. 330 – 4 April 397 ), was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century.

Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family about 330 and was raised in Trier.

Ambrose was the Governor of Aemilia-Liguria in northern Italy until 374 when he became the Bishop of Milan.

He was a very popular political figure, and since he was the Governor in the effective capital in the Roman West, he was a recognizable figure in the court of the Emperor Valentinian I. Ambrose never married.

Ambrose went to the church where the election was to take place, to prevent an uproar, which was probable in this crisis.

His address was interrupted by a call " Ambrose, bishop!

Ambrose was known to be Catholic in belief, but also acceptable to Arians due to the charity shown in theological matters in this regard.

At first he energetically refused the office, for which he was in no way prepared: Ambrose was neither baptized nor formally trained in theology.

Within a week, Ambrose was baptized, ordained and duly consecrated bishop of Milan.

Ambrose was elected president and Palladius, being called upon to defend his opinions, declined.

Ambrose refused and was required to answer for his conduct before the council.

The imperial court was displeased with the religious principles of Ambrose, however his aid was soon solicited by the Emperor.

When Magnus Maximus usurped the supreme power in Gaul, and was meditating a descent upon Italy, Valentinian sent Ambrose to dissuade him from the undertaking, and the embassy was successful.

In 386 Justina and Valentinian received the Arian bishop Auxentius, and Ambrose was again ordered to hand over a church in Milan for Arian usage.

Ambrose and his congregation barricaded themselves inside the church, and the imperial order was rescinded.

Theodosius was threatened with excommunication by Ambrose for the massacre of 7, 000 persons at Thessalonica in 390, after the murder of the Roman governor there by rioters.

In 392, after the death of Valentinian II and the acclamation of Eugenius, Ambrose supplicated the emperor for the pardon of those who had supported Eugenius after Theodosius was eventually victorious.

Ambrose also wrote a treatise by the name of " The Goodness of Death ".

However, Ambrose feared the consequences and prevailed upon the emperor to have the matter determined by a council of the Western bishops.

Painting of St. Ambrose with whip and book in the church of San Giuseppe alla Lungara, RomeAn address by Ambrose to Christian young people warns them against intermarriage with Jews (" De Abrahamo ," ix.

That Ambrose could nevertheless occasionally say a good word for the Jews is shown by a passage in his " Enarratio in Psalmos " ( i. 41, xiv.

Saint Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius by Anthony van Dyck | Van Dyck.

Justina and her son fled ; but Ambrose remained at his post, and did good service to many of the sufferers by causing the plate of the church to be melted for their relief.

In 385 Ambrose, backed by Milan's populace, refused Valentinian II's imperial request to hand over the Portian basilica for the use of Arian troops.

Under Ambrose's major influence, emperors Gratian, Valentinian II and Theodosius I carried on a persecution of Paganism .< ref name = " MacMullen1984p100 "> MacMullen ( 1984 ) p. 100: ‘ The law of June 391, issued by Theodosius [...] was issued from Milan and represented the will of its bishop, Ambrose ; for Theodosius — recently excommunicated by Ambrose, penitent, and very much under his influence < sup > 43 </ sup > — was no natural zealot.

Several other works by Ambrose clearly teach the mainstream view of salvation.

St. Ambrose, by Francisco de Zurbarán

Catching the impulse from Hilary and confirmed in it by the success of Arian psalmody, Ambrose composed several original hymns as well, four of which still survive, along with music which may not have changed too much from the original melodies.

* Ambrose in Anglo-Saxon England, with Pseudo-Ambrose and Ambrosiaster, Contributions to Sources of Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture, by Dabney Anderson Bankert, Jessica Wegmann, and Charles D. Wright.

But in this Council, and later, in that of Florence, Ambrose, by his efforts and charity toward some poor Greek bishops, greatly helped to bring about a union of the two Churches, the decree for which, 6 July 1439, he was called on to draw up.

Ambrose also made successful efforts to improve the moral life of women in the Milan of his time by promoting the permanent institution of Virgins, as also of widows.

Another group of cloistered " Nuns of St Ambrose ", also called the Annunciatae ( Italian: Annunziate ) of Lombardy or " Sisters of St Marcellina ", were founded in 1408 by three young women of Pavia, Dorothea Morosini, Eleonora Contarini, and Veronica Duodi.

The best presentation of the case for Ambrose is by P. A. Ballerini in his complete edition of that father's works.

This is the interpretation given in the fourth century by Saint Ambrose, Saint Ephraem of Syria and Saint Augustine.

At first a gnostic Valentinian and Marcionist, Ambrose, through Origen's teaching, eventually rejected this theology and became Origen's constant companion, and was ordained deacon.

The last mention of Ambrose in the historical record is in Origen's Contra Celsum, which the latter wrote at the solicitation of Ambrose.

All of Origen's works written after 218 are dedicated to Ambrose, including his On Martyrdom, Contra Celsum, Commentary on St. John's Gospel, and On Prayer.

Origen's methods of interpreting Scripture and praying on them were learned by Ambrose of Milan, who towards the end of the 4th century taught them to Saint Augustine, thereby introducing them into the monastic traditions of the Western Church thereafter.

Origen's methods were then learned by Ambrose of Milan, who towards the end of the 4th century taught them to Saint Augustine, thereby introducing them into the monastic traditions of the Western Church thereafter.

Smith briefly moved among the circle that included Ambrose Bierce and Jack London, but his early fame soon faded away.