Olympius the Tribune

Holy Martyr Olympius the Tribune was a Roman tribune who believed in Christ and was burned alive, in the time of the emperor Valerian, around the year 257, together with his wife and son.

The story belongs to the life of the Holy Hieromartyr Stephen, pope of Rome, who suffered in 257 under Valerian. Saint Stephen held the see of Rome between 253 and 257 and fought zealously against the heresy of Novatus, who taught that those returning from heresies should not be received. Hiding in the time of persecution, he baptised many pagans, among them the military tribune Nemesius, who came to Christ after the saint healed his daughter, Lucilla. Nemesius, ordained deacon, and his daughter were put to the sword. Their steward, Symphronius, brought by the tribune Olympius to the temple of Mars for torture, melted a golden idol by prayer, after which the tribune, with his wife Exuperia and his son Theodulus, believed and was baptised. All were burned alive. Their remains were buried by Pope Stephen.

At the same time the pope's twelve clerics were beheaded: Bonus, Faustus, Maurus, Primitivus, Calumniosus, John, Exuperantius, Cyril, Theodore, Basil, Castellus, Honoratus and Tertullinus, converted by Saint Stephen. At last Saint Stephen was brought to the emperor Valerian, who condemned him to be put to the sword in the temple of Mars, but, through the saint's prayers, the greater part of the temple collapsed, and the soldiers fled. The saint hid in the catacombs, in the burial place of Saint Lucina, where he was killed by the soldiers who came, while he was teaching the Christians.

Their memory is kept on 15 August, in the new style.