ABSTRACT
The period of time that concerns us in this book, at least to the degree that it provided the setting for the life and work of Ambrose of Milan, is the final quarter of the fourth century, when, as Bishop of Milan, Ambrose played a dominant role in Western Christianity. Thanks in large part to Ambrose and how he approached the issues that he faced, it was a time of decisive importance for the West. But it was, quite apart from Ambrose, a time with its own characteristics, and if we are to make any sense of Ambrose we must first try to appreciate some of those characteristics. They helped to shape him, and he reflected them.
