There is very little online about Peter, so once again I am almost utterly dependent upon John F. Fink and his handy book on the Doctors.
He was born in 406 in the town of Imola. He grew up there, was educated there, and ordained deacon there. When he was 27 years old he was appointed Bishop of Ravenna, by Pope Sixtus III. He stayed there until just before his death in 450.
At that time Ravenna was enjoying being a royal city since the Emperor had moved the court out of Rome to avoid the smörgåsbord of barbarians sacking the city.
Peter was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIII in 1729, because of the many sermons he wrote. They were short, and highly effective. The term Chrysologus means "golden-worded" and by all accounts he was. His sermons were short because he did not want to bore his listeners. Oh, would that more modern preachers would learn that lesson!
From Sermon on the Incarnation.
Why then, man, are you so worthless in your own eyes and yet so precious to God? Why render yourself such dishonor when you are honored by him? Why do you ask how you were created and so not seek to know why you were made? Was not this entire visible universe made for your dwelling? . . . [The creator] has made you in his image that you might in your person make the invisible Creator present on earth.
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