CONCERNING ST. ALMACHUS OR TELEMACHUS, MARTYR, AT ROME.
About the year of Christ 394.
CommentaryAlmachius or Telemachus, Martyr at Rome (St.)
From various authors.
[1] On the Kalends of January, Almachius or Telemachus shed his blood for the glory of Christ: concerning whom the Roman Martyrology states: "At Rome, of St. Almachius the Martyr, [St. Almachius or Telemachus, rebuking the pagans on the January Kalends, was killed.] who, by order of Alipius the Prefect of the City, when he said, 'Today is the Octave of the Lord's day, cease from the superstitions of idols and from polluted sacrifices,' was killed by the gladiators." Nearly all the other Martyrologies have the same. Bede adds, and Peter de Natalibus book 2, chapter 3, that he was seized for this reason and killed by gladiators. The old Roman Martyrology: "At Rome, of St. Almachius, beheaded under Alipius the Prefect of the City." The manuscript Martyrology of St. Jerome: "The feast of Corona, who, by order of Asclepius the Prefect of the City, when he said, 'Today is the Octave of the God of heaven, cease from the superstitions of these idols and from polluted sacrifices,' was killed by the gladiators for this reason."
[2] Theodoret narrates the event thus in book 5 of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 26: Honorius, having gained the sovereignty of Europe, abolished the gladiatorial combats which had formerly been customary at Rome, moved by the following occasion. He came from the East to Rome. A certain Telemachus, pursuing the monastic life, journeyed from the East and for this reason hastened to Rome. And while that wicked spectacle was being presented, he himself entered the stadium and, descending to the gladiators, strove to stop the mutual combat between them. Thereupon the spectators of the cruel slaughter, inflamed with anger and He was stoned to death. driven to fury by the demon who took pleasure in that shedding of blood, overwhelmed the author of peace with stones. When the admirable Emperor learned of this, he enrolled Telemachus in the number of invincible Martyrs; He is enrolled among the number of Martyrs. and completely abolished that cruel type of spectacle. So says Theodoret. It appears, therefore, that the holy Martyr was first attacked with stones by the spectators, and perhaps also by the gladiators, then seized by order of the Prefect to quell the tumult of the people, and soon thereafter, without a hearing, handed over again to the gladiators to be killed.
[3] Peter Galesinius and Philip Ferrarius assign these events to the time of Diocletian, since they do not believe that under the most devout Emperor Honorius the Prefecture of the City would have been entrusted to a pagan. But how many pagans and heretics held great offices even afterward? They deny that the worship of idols was then flourishing. It was not, however, so completely extinguished that games in the profane manner were not still held.
[4] As for this Alipius (who is called Asclepius by some, Asclippius by others; Who this Alipius, Prefect of the City, was. Alypius by Palladius, Galesinius, and Ferrarius; Alippius by Ado; Olympius by Bellinus and Maurolycus), Baronius considers him to have been Faltonius Probus Alipius, the brother of Q. Clodius Hermogenianus, who after serving as Prefect of Egypt seems to have been recalled to a better life through the meeting with John the Anchorite, as is clear from chapter 23 of the Lausiac History: and therefore Baronius considers these events to have taken place under Theodosius rather than Honorius.