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Jovian at that time ordered a third of the regular provision to be supplied, promising that when the famine ceased he would provide the full grain allowance. Having adorned the beginnings of his reign with such laws, he set out from Antioch for the Bosphorus. And at Dadastana (this is a village lying on the border of Bithynia and Galatia) he met the end of this life, departing himself with the greatest and fairest provisions for the journey, but leaving in grief those who had tasted of that imperial clemency. But I think the Ruler of all things, refuting our wickedness, both shows us good things and again strips us of them, and on the one hand, teaches through that man that He can 217 provide what He wishes very easily, and on the other hand, through this refutes us as unworthy of good things and exhorts us to a better life. Then, however, the soldiers, having learned of the sudden death of the emperor, mourned the departed one as a father, but they proclaimed as emperor that Valentinian, the one who had struck the temple-warden with his hand and been sent away to the fortress, a man distinguished not only for his courage, but also for his prudence and moderation and justice and greatness of body. And so kingly and magnanimous was he that when the army attempted to proclaim a partner for him in the empire, he said that thing which is sung by all: "It was your role, O soldiers, when there was no emperor, to give me the reins of the empire; but since I have received them, it is henceforth my business and not yours to consider public affairs." Both admiring and approving these words, the soldiers followed, guided by his commands. But he, having sent for his brother from Pannonia, as he ought not to have done, made him partner of the empire, one who had not yet received the corruption of doctrine; and having delivered to him the scepters of Asia and indeed also of Egypt, he assigned Europe to himself. And having taken possession of the West, he instructed it all in good government, beginning from the proclamations of piety. For when Auxentius, who had received the plague of Arius, and though entrusted with the church of Milan had been condemned in very many synods, had departed this life, the emperor, having summoned the bishops, 218 addressed them with such words as these: "You know clearly, since indeed you have been nurtured in the divine oracles, what sort of man one deemed worthy of the high priesthood ought to be, and that it is necessary to govern those who are ruled not by word only but also by life, and to set oneself forth as an archetype of every virtue, and to have one's conduct as a witness to one's teaching. Therefore, now install such a man upon the archepiscopal thrones, so that we who direct the empire may sincerely bow our heads to him, and the reproofs that come from him (for being human it is necessary also to stumble) we may welcome as a physician's therapy." When the emperor had said these things, the synod asked him to choose, as he was both wise and adorned with piety. But he said: "The undertaking is too great for us; for you, having been deemed worthy of divine grace and having received that splendor, will choose better." So they went out and deliberated by themselves; but those who inhabited that city were in disagreement, some contending for this man to be appointed, others for that man. For those who had partaken of the disease of Auxentius voted for those of like mind, while those of the sound party in turn sought to have a leader of like opinion. Ambrose, who had been entrusted with the civil governorship of the province, having learned of this strife and fearing that some disturbance might arise, quickly went to the church. And they, having ceased from that dispute, raised a common voice, asking for Ambrose 219 to be appointed pastor for them. But he was still unbaptized. When the emperor learned these things, he immediately ordered the praiseworthy man both to be baptized and to be ordained; for he knew his judgment to be straighter than any plumb-line, and his decisions more exact than any rule.

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συντάξεως τὸ τριτημόριον Ἰοβιανὸς τὸ τηνικαῦτα παρασχεθῆναι προσέταξεν, ὑπο σχόμενος τοῦ λιμοῦ παυσαμένου τέλειον παρέξειν τὸ σιτηρέσιον. Τοιούτοις νόμοις τὰ τῆς βασιλείας κατακοσμήσας προοίμια, ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀντιοχέων ἐπὶ τὸν Βόσπορον ὥρμησεν. ἐν ∆αδαστάνῃ δὲ (κώμη δὲ αὕτη Βιθυνῶν καὶ Γαλατῶν ἐν μεθορίῳ κειμένη) τοῦδε τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος ἐδέξατο, αὐτὸς μὲν μετὰ μεγίστων καὶ καλλίστων ἐφοδίων ἀπάρας, τοὺς δὲ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἐκείνης ἡμερότητος γεγευμένους ἐν ὀδύνῃ καταλιπών. οἶμαι δὲ τῶν ὅλων τὸν πρύτανιν, τὴν ἡμετέραν διελέγχοντα πονηρίαν, καὶ δεικνύναι ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τούτων ἡμᾶς πάλιν γυμνοῦν, καὶ δι' ἐκείνου μὲν διδάσκειν ὡς μάλα εὐπετῶς 217 παρέχειν ἃ βούλεται δύναται, διὰ δὲ τούτου καὶ διελέγχειν ὡς οὐκ ἀξίους τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμείνω βίον προτρέπειν. Τότε μέντοι τὴν ἀθρόαν τελευτὴν τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ στρατιῶται μεμαθηκότες ἐθρήνησαν μὲν ὡς πατέρα τὸν ἀπελθόντα, Βαλεντινια νὸν δὲ ἐκεῖνον, τὸν τῇ χειρὶ τὸν νεωκόρον πατάξαντα καὶ εἰς τὸ φρούριον ἐκπεμφθέντα, βασιλέα προὐβάλοντο, οὐκ ἀνδρείᾳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ φρονήσει καὶ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ μεγέθει σώματος διαπρέποντα. οὕτω δὲ ἦν βασιλικός τε καὶ μεγαλόφρων ὡς τῆς στρατιᾶς πειραθείσης κοινωνὸν αὐτῷ προβαλέσθαι τῆς βασιλείας, ἐκεῖνο φάναι τὸ παρὰ πάντων ᾀδόμενον· "ὑμέτερον ἦν, ὦ στρατιῶται, βασιλέως οὐκ ὄντος, ἐμοὶ δοῦναι τῆς βασιλείας τὰς ἡνίας· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταύτην ἐδεξάμην ἐγώ, ἐμὸν λοιπὸν καὶ οὐχ ὑμέτερον τὸ περὶ τῶν κοινῶν διασκοπεῖσθαι πραγμάτων". τούσδε τοὺς λόγους καὶ θαυμά σαντες καὶ στέρξαντες οἱ στρατιῶται εἵποντο τοῖς ἐκείνου νεύμασιν ἰθυνόμενοι. ὁ δὲ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐκ Πανονίας μεταπεμψάμενος, ὡς οὐκ ὤφελε, κοινωνὸν ποιεῖται τῆς βασιλείας, οὐδέπω τὴν τῶν δογ μάτων διαφθορὰν εἰσδεξάμενον· καὶ τῆς Ἀσίας αὐτῷ παραδοὺς τὰ σκῆπτρα καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἑαυτῷ τὴν Εὐρώπην ἀπένειμε. καὶ τὴν Ἑσπέραν καταλαβὼν πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἐξεπαίδευσεν εὐνομίαν, ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας κηρυγμάτων ἀρξάμενος. Αὐξεντίου γάρ, ὃς τὴν Ἀρείου μὲν εἰσεδέξατο λώβην, Μεδιολάνου δὲ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν πεπιστευμένος ἐν πλείσταις ἀπεκηρύχθη συνόδοις, τὸν βίον ὑπεξελθόντος, μεταπεμψάμενος τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ὁ βασιλεὺς 218 τοιοῖσδε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐχρήσατο λόγοις· "ἴστε σαφῶς, ἅτε δὴ τοῖς θείοις λογίοις ἐντεθραμμένοι, ὁποῖον εἶναι προσήκει τὸν ἀρχιερωσύνης ἠξιωμένον, καὶ ὡς οὐ χρὴ λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ βίῳ τοὺς ἀρχομένους ῥυθμίζειν καὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς ἑαυτὸν ἀρχέτυπον προτιθέναι καὶ μάρ τυρα ἔχειν τῆς διδασκαλίας τὴν πολιτείαν. τοιοῦτον δὴ οὖν καὶ νῦν τοῖς ἀρχιερατικοῖς ἐγκαθιδρύσατε θώκοις, ὅπως καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ τὴν βασιλείαν ἰθύνοντες εἰλικρινῶς αὐτῷ τὰς ἡμετέρας ὑποκλίνωμεν κεφαλὰς καὶ τοὺς παρ' ἐκείνου γιγνομένους ἐλέγχους (ἀνθρώπους γὰρ ὄντας καὶ προσπταίειν ἀνάγκη) ὡς ἰατρικὴν ἀσπαζώμεθα θερα πείαν". Ταῦτα τοῦ βασιλέως εἰρηκότος, αὐτὸν ἡ σύνοδος ἠξίου ψηφίσασθαι σοφόν τε ὄντα καὶ εὐσεβείᾳ κοσμούμενον. ὁ δὲ ἔφη· "μεῖζον ἢ καθ' ἡμᾶς τὸ ἐγχείρημα· ὑμεῖς γὰρ τῆς θείας ἠξιωμένοι χάριτος καὶ τὴν αἴγλην ἐκείνην εἰσδεδεγμένοι ἄμεινον ψηφιεῖσθε". οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἐξελθόντες καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐβουλεύοντο· οἱ δὲ τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην οἰκοῦντες ἐστασίαζον, οἱ μὲν τοῦτον, οἱ δὲ ἐκεῖνον προβληθῆναι φιλονεικοῦντες. οἱ μὲν γὰρ τῆς Αὐξεντίου νόσου μετειληχότες τοὺς ὁμόφρονας ἐψηφίζοντο, οἱ δὲ τῆς ὑγιαινούσης μοίρας ὁμογνώμονα πάλιν ἐζήτουν ἔχειν ἡγούμενον. ταύτην Ἀμβρόσιος, ὁ τοῦ ἔθνους τὴν πολιτικὴν ἡγεμονίαν πεπιστευμένος, τὴν στάσιν μαθὼν καὶ δείσας μή τι νεώτερον γένηται, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν σὺν τάχει κατέλαβεν. οἱ δὲ τῆς διαμάχης ἐκείνης παυσάμενοι κοινὴν ἀφῆκαν φωνήν, Ἀμβρόσιον 219 σφίσιν ἐξαιτοῦντες προβληθῆναι ποιμένα. ἔτι δὲ οὗτος ἀμύητος ἦν. ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς προσέταξε παραυτίκα καὶ μυηθῆναι καὶ χειροτονηθῆναι τὸν ἀξιέπαινον ἄνδρα· ᾔδει γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάσης μὲν στάθμης εὐθυτέραν οὖσαν τὴν γνώμην, παντὸς δὲ κανόνος ἀκρι βεστέρας τὰς ψήφους.