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Saint '''Telemachus''', also '''Almachius''' (†404 AD) was an [[Asceticism|ascetic]] who came to Rome from the East and was [[martyr|martyred]] by stoning after trying to stop a gladiator fight in a Roman amphitheatre.<ref group="note">Although the site of Telemachus' martyrdom is often given as being the [[w:Colosseum|Colosseum]] in Rome, [[w:Theodoret|Theodoret]] does not actually specify where it happened, saying merely that it happened in "the stadium".</ref> The Christian Emperor [[w:Honorius (emperor)I of Rome|Honorius]] was impressed by the monk's martyrdom and took the occassion to issue an historic ban on all gladiator fights.<ref group="note">The last known gladiator fight in Rome was on [[January 1]], 404 AD, so this is usually given as the date of Telemachus' martyrdom.</ref>
The story is found in the writings of [[w:Theodoret|Theodoret of Cyrus]], Bishop of [[w:Cyrrhus|Cyrrhus]], Syria,<ref name=THEODORET>[[w:Theodoret|Theodoret of Cyrus]]. ''[http://dcoi.org/03d/0393-0466,_Theodoretus_Cyrrhi_Episcopus,_Historia_ecclesiastica_%5BSchaff%5D,_EN.pdf Chapter XXVI.—Of Honorius the emperor and Telemachus the monk].'' '''The Ecclesiastical History. Book V: Chapter XXVI.''' In: Philip Schaff (1819-1893) (Ed.). NPNF (V2-03). p.264.</ref> and is further mentioned in the martyrologies of [[Bede]], [[w:Ado (archbishop)|Ado]], and [[w:Martyrology of Usuard|Usuard]], which add that St. Almachius was put to death at Rome for boldly opposing the pagan rites that were practiced on the [[Circumcision of our Lord|Octave of our Lord’s nativity]]."<ref>Rev. [[w:Alban Butler|Alban Butler]] (1711–73). ''[http://www.bartleby.com/210/1/014.html St. Almachus, or Telemachus, Martyr].'' The Lives of the Saints. Volume I: January. 1866. (Bartleby.com).</ref> Telemachus' [[feast day]] is observed on [[January 1]] / January 14.<ref>[http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm January 1]. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.</ref><ref>[http://www.breviary.net/martyrology/mart01/mart0101.htm January 1]. The Roman Martyrology.</ref>