2. A descendant of Benjamin resident at Jenisalem, and father of Shimcah or Shimean, of the family of king Saul, but in what degree of relationship is not clear (1 Chron. viii, 32 ; ix, 37, 38). B.C. perhaps cir. 53G.
Miknei'ah (Heb. Mihieya'hu, W^jp^, possession I of Jehorah ; Sept. Mowi'i'n or I\Ia/cf j'lac), a Levitical door-keeper tif the Temple and harper in the time of David (1 Chron. xv, 18, 21). B.C. 1014.
Mikron. See Micronivs.
Mikvaoth. See Talmud.
Mil'alai (Heb. Milalatf, "Vi^, eloquent; Sept. omits; Vulg. J/(//«/«i), one of the Levitical musicians who made the circuit of the newly-completed walls of Jerusalem after tlie exile (Neli. xii,3G). B.C. 44G.
Milan, one of the large cities of Italy, capital of Lombardy, situated on the KiverOlona, contains a pop- ulation of 242,457. It is a very ancient city, and is noted in ecclesiastical historj' as the seat of several im- portant Church councils. Milan (Lat. Mediolamtni) was originally a town or village of the Insubrian (Jauls. It was conquered by the Konians 222 B.C., received the Latin franchise about 89 B.C., and the full Koman fran- chise 49 B.C, L'nder the Komans it became a conspic- uous centre of wealth and civic inlluence ; its inhaliitants were noted for their reliued manners and literary tastes,
MILAN
251
MILAN
and the public buildings for their beauty and elegance. In the beginning of the 4th century it was selected as the residence of the imperial court by Maximian. Mi- lan was sacked by the Huns (under Attila) in 452 ; by the Goths (under the brother of Vitiges) in 539 ; and passed to the Longobards and Franks previous to its subjection by the German Empire. After 961, it was long governed by dukes in the name of the emperors. The feuds of the Guelphs and Ghibellines distracted Milan, like all the other Italian cities. Supreme power became eventually vested in the Ghibelline Visconti, by whom the ascendency of Milan was extended over the whole of Lombardy. From 1545 to 1714, Milan sub- mitted to the successive predominance of France and Austria. Under Bonaparte, it was declared the capital of the Cisalpine republic, of the Italian republic, and, finally, of the kingdom of Italy. In 1815, Milan was restored to Austria, and continued the capital of the Austro-Italian kingdom until the annexation of Lom- bardv to Piedmont, in 1859, bv the peace of Villafranca. MILAN, ARCHBISHOPRIC OF. We have no trust- worthy information as to its early history. There is a vague tradition that Barnabas (q. v.), the colaborer of the apostle Paul, established the Christian Church at Milan, and was the first bishop. This account lacks support, and scarcely deserves notice. But though of no histor- ical value, the legend is significant in regard to the posi- tion which the archbishopric of Milan held in the con- troversies between the Oriental and Occidental church- es. It has been aptly remarked by Reuchlin that, "just as Barnabas was the connecting link between Paul and the other apostles, so the Church of jNIilan attempted to reconcile the Greek and Roman opinions." The first bishop of Milan, of whom we have any historical knowl- edge, is Auxentius (q. v.), A.D. 355-374. He was the leader of the Arians in the Western churches. When the orthodox bishops, at a provincial synod held at Rome in 369, condemned Arianism, they did not dare to pronounce the anathema against Auxentius, because they knew him to be protected by the emperor Valen- tinian I, Although they were at last prevailed upon by Athauasius to pronounce against Auxentius in their synodal epistle to the lUyrians, Auxentius maintained himself in his see until his death. But the divisions thus created in the Church by the Arian heresy (q. v.) rendered the election of a successor to Auxentius no easy matter. The contest was carried on between Cath- olics and Arians with such violence that Ambrose, who was the consular prefect of Liguria and ^Emilia, was obliged to proceed himself to the church to exhort the people to order. At the close of his speech the whole assembly. Catholics and Arians, with one voice demand- ed him for their bishop, and he was constrained to ac- cept the proffered honor. Ambrose devoted himself to his work with great zeal, and soon acquired great influ- ence both with the people and the emperor Valentinian. He opposed the Arians from the very beginning of his episcopacy, and in 382 presided at an episcopal synod at Aquileia, at which the Arian bishops Palladius and Se- cundianus were deposed. Ambrose died at IMilan, April 4, 397. All succeeding archbishops and bishops were in like manner elected by the people, the Church of Milan not being subject to the Roman bishop until the days of Gregory the Great (q. v.). After the overthrow of the Gothic kingdom, the archbishops of iNIilan, owing to the religious differences and the feeling of enmity which existed between the people and their conquerors, the Lombards (q. v.), resided at Geneva. But when, in 653, Aribert, the son of duke Garduald, was chosen king of the Lombards, matters changed. " Rex Heribertus," says Dollinger, " pins et catholicus, Arianorum abolevit hajresem et Christianam fidem fecit crescere." The Lombards now became enthusiastic churchmen, and the archbishop returned to Milan. But although the arch- bishop of Milan was henceforth considered the first bishop of the kingdom, crowning the kings with the so- called iron a-own, and obtaining increasing power, he