‘Before Man’s fall, the Rose was born / (S. Ambrose sayes) without the Thorn’. Rose and Thorns as a Conceptual Metaphor?

In Basil of Caesarea’s Greek Hexameron, nine homilies commenting on the opening lines of the Book of Genesis, and in Ambrose of Milan’s Latin translation of that work (preached by the bishop around 386–387 AD), the roses in Paradise have no thorns. However, thorns are allegedly added after the original sin (see Genesis 3:18). Ambrose elaborates on Basil’s text, stating that the addition of thorns is to remind human beings that earthly joys always come with the ‘sting’ of sorrow. This image can be defined as a symbol, an allegory, or a (literary) metaphor. The writer argues that applying Conceptual Metaphor Theory to this image can provide a deeper understanding of it. As a matter of fact, viewing the image within the framework of the broad, widespread and conventional conceptual metaphor ‘humans are plants’ highlights its effectiveness. This shows that the two preachers exploit it to convey a Christian perspective on human life and the joys of life, whether sinful or innocent, to their audience.