#Saint Ambrose

Patristic literature from the 4th–5th centuries offers a wide-ranging interpretation of the resurrection of Lazarus as a symbol of post-baptismal penance, illustrated by the testimonies of Pope Damasus, Saints Gregory of Nazianzus, Ambrose and Jerome, who identify spiritually with Lazarus, and continued by the ecclesiastical exegesis of Chromatius of Aquileia and Peter Chrysologus, who link the miracle at Bethany to repentance, forgiveness and the joy of the general resurrection.

This article examines funerary practices in Greco-Roman antiquity and their transformation within Christianity, exploring themes such as the etymology and theology of the term κοιμητήριον, the use of wreaths at graves, commemorative feasts of the Parentalia type, and the concept of refrigerium, as found in the writings of Tertullian, Saint Cyprian, Blessed Augustine and Saint John Chrysostom.