Lacrimavi ergo, fateor, etiam ego: elementi autobiografici nel primo libro del De excessu fratris di Ambrogio

The first book of the De excessu fratris is built around three main thematic strands, namely consolation, expression of grief, and praise of the deceased. Alongside Ambrose inserts many personal recollections: these are clearly autobiographical elements. The analysis is conducted according to two themes: the bond between the two brothers and the theme of grief. Four levels of autobiographical writing are recognisable: (1) a psychological one, linked to writing as catharsis; (2) the account of the lives of the two brothers is interpreted in the light of passages from the Bible; (3) Ambrose raises his own grief as an exemplum of how Christians should deal with the loss of a family member; (4) a Christological level, because Ambrose’s personal grief is assimilated to that of Christ.