A hermit from the East, Almachius (or Telemachus) traveled to Rome in 404 to put an end to the circus games. He threw himself into the arena to separate the gladiators and was massacred on the orders of the prefect Alypius. His sacrifice prompted Emperor Honorius to abolish gladiatorial combat permanently.
Guided reading
5 reading sections
SAINT ALMACHIUS, MARTYR IN ROME (404).
Source and context
Introduction mentioning the martyrdom within the College and citing the work of Mgr Gerbet on Christian Rome.
There were indeed martyrs in the College; there was at that moment a martyr from the College itself.
(Mgr Gerbet, Esquisse de Rome chrétienne.)
The mission to Rome
Driven by the Holy Spirit, the hermit Telemachus left the East for Rome in 404, during the reign of Honorius.
He is also called S aint Telemachus saint Télémaque Solitary from the East who came to Rome to put an end to gladiator combat. , which means he who puts an end to combat. Driven by the Holy Spirit, this hermit from the East one day left his desert and made his way to the city of Rome. He felt drawn there by a great work to be accomplished. It was during the reign of Honorius, in 404. He arrived in the great city on the first of January. The Romans, according to custom, were celebrating the beginning of the new year with noisy festivities. And also according to the custom that had not been able to be abolished by the decrees of Constantine, Constantius, Julian, and Theodosius. Alypius, prefect of the city at that time, was charming the Romans with the spectacle that this people loved most: gladiator fights. At the sight of human blood flowing in torre nts in these saint Almaque Solitary from the East who came to Rome to put an end to gladiator combat. barbaric games, Saint Almachius was seized with great sorrow. He thought that the voluntary sacrifice of a martyr was needed to deliver the world from such a diabolical and inveterate custom. He did not hesitate for an instant to throw himself between the gladiators who were fighting, to separate them, crying out: "Today is the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord; renounce the superstitious worship of idols and abstain from offering impure sacrifices"; immediately, and by the order of Alypius, who was a spectator, he was knocked to the ground and torn to pieces. But according to a beautiful saying pronounced in our day in the midst of another no less barbaric slaughter, his blood was the last to be shed in the arena; for the Emperor Honorius took the occasion of this holy and glorious death to abolish the horrible gladiator fights forever. The world has always been delivered from its greatest calamities by the blood of the righteous.
Martyrdom in the arena
Seized with grief at the sight of gladiatorial combat, Almachius intervenes and dies under the blows ordered by the prefect Alypius.
— Saint Telemachus is depicted in pilgrim's attire, his chest pierced by a sword.
Abolition of the games
The saint's sacrifice leads Emperor Honorius to definitively ban gladiator combat.
He is also called Saint Telemachus, which means he who puts an end to combat. Driven by the Holy Spirit, this hermit from the East one day left his desert and made his way toward the city of Rome. He felt drawn there by a great work to be accomplished. It was under the reign of Honorius, in 404. He arrived in the great city on the first of January. The Romans, according to custom, were celebrating the beginning of the new year with noisy festivities. And also according to the custom that had not been able to be abolished by the decrees of Constantine, Constantius, Julian, and Theodosius. Alypius, prefect of the city at that time, was charming the Romans with the spectacle that this people loved best, with gladiator combats. At the sight of human blood flowing in torrents in these barbaric games, Saint Almachius was seized with great sorrow. He thought that the voluntary sacrifice of a martyr was needed to deliver the world from such a diabolical and inveterate custom. He did not hesitate for an instant to throw himself between the gladiators who were fighting, in order to separate them, crying out: "Today is the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord; renounce the superstitious worship of idols and abstain from offering impure sacrifices"; immediately and by the order of Alypius, who was a spectator, he was knocked to the ground and torn to pieces. But according to a beautiful saying pronounced in our days in the midst of another slaughter no less barbaric, his blood was the last shed in the arena; for Emperor Honorius took the occasion of this holy and glorious death to abolish the horrible gladiator combats forever. The world has always been delivered from its greatest calamities by the blood of the just.
Iconography
Traditional depiction of the saint in pilgrim attire with the attribute of his martyrdom, a sword.
— Saint Telemachus is depicted in pilgrim attire, with his chest pierced by a sword.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Departure from the desert in the East under the impulse of the Holy Spirit
- Arrival in Rome on January 1, 404
- Intervened in the arena to separate the gladiators
- Put to death by order of the prefect Alipius
- Definitive abolition of gladiator combats by Emperor Honorius following his death
Quotes
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Today is the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord; renounce the superstitious worship of idols and abstain from offering impure sacrifices
Words of Saint Almachius in the arena