Who is St. Telemachus? and why does he matter today?

St. Telemachus - 4th Century Monk from Asia Minor. Martyred around 401 AD in Rome.

One of the unfortunate side effects of many Protestant upbringings is a certain distance from our Catholic brothers and sisters, sometimes leading to a loss of connection with parts of the church’s shared history. One of these stories has been coming up a lot in discussions recently, and the more I ask, the more I find that very few are aware of it. So today, I want to share the story of St. Telemachus and the lessons his life has for us today.

ST. TELEMACHUS 

Very little is known about the background of this 4th-century Byzantine monk, but what we do know about him is the situation surrounding his martyrdom and the legacy that followed it.

Roman Games

Roman entertainment centered around the Gladiator games. A Colosseum full of spectators that came to watch bloodshed. Whether it was slaves, beasts, or warriors, the star of the show was death. St. Augustine called the games “an intoxicating, cruel, and inhuman pleasure. Many leaders over the 400 years of the games considered finding pleasure in the games a cause for church discipline or even for refusing membership. These games were the highlight of the empire, that is, until one day, an unknown monk from Asia Minor showed up to the games.

The End of the Games

In the midst of the battle, Telemachus left his seat, left the stands, and entered into the arena unarmed and unarmored. Pleading with the fighters to stop the bloodshed and pleading with the crowd to stop demanding it. For a moment, the crowd and fights grew silent, as this monk pleaded for the people to repent from their violent desires and seek peace. What happened next is debated, but what we do know is that the crowd turned on Telemachus, and he was executed there in the arena. Either by a gladiator’s blade or from stoning from the crowd. But either way, the blood of this martyr spoke louder than the cries for bloodshed of the empire. The people were convicted and began to lose their desire to attend the games. This catches the attention of the emperor himself. The emperor, either due to his own conviction or to appease the shift in the culture, banning the games from the empire.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO US?

This is a story of a massive change in the structure of Roman society, yet it is mostly unknown outside of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Churches, in which Telemachus is honored with sainthood. But this story has enormous applications and lessons for us in our own culture, which is obsessed with violence, death, and bloodshed. In an empire that gloried in violence and bloodshed, Telemachus responded not with weapons but with sacrifice. 

We hear over and over again about how nonviolence cannot stop evil. How war and capital punishment are necessary and divinely inspired. How God delights in the death of evildoers and that true Christians should celebrate and even participate in those acts. But the story of St. Telemachus shows us something different. That when we practice what Jesus taught and put ourselves in the gap to preach true peace, then change can actually take place. Even if we suffer or never see it for ourselves.

As we continue through more wars, rumors of wars, mass killings, and state executions, may we as a church remember this forgotten example of how Jesus has called us to be. May we be the peacemakers, and be recognized as the children of God, even in our own demise. St. Telemachus did not end the games with power, influence, or violence, but with witness and sacrifice.

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This post was written by Andrew Fouts. The founder and main content creator for Ministry Misfits. He also serves as one of the directors and writers for KFM Broadcasting Network.

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