32. How, I say, couldst thou bear these
things which we are compelled to endure, and perchance (which is more
grievous) to behold virgins ravished, little children torn from the
embrace of their parents and tossed on javelins, the bodies consecrated
to God defiled, and even aged widows polluted? How, I say,
couldst thou endure these things, who even with thy last breath,
forgetful of thyself, yet not without thought for us, didst warn us
concerning the invasion of the barbarians, saying that not in vain
hadst thou said that we ought to flee. Perchance was it because
thou didst see that we were left destitute by thy death, and thou didst
it, not out of weakness of spirit, but from affection, and wast weak
with respect to us, but strong with respect to thyself. For when
thou wast summoned home by the noble man Symmachus thy parent, Symmachus is
called parens of Satyrus here and elsewhere by St.
Ambrose. The title does not imply blood relationship, but
friendship and patronage. because Italy was said to be blazing with
war, because thou wast going into danger, because thou wast likely to
fall amongst enemies, thou didst answer that this was the cause of thy
coming, that thou mightest not fail us in danger, that thou mightest
show thyself a sharer in thy brother’s peril.