In the name of Christ, stop

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In the name of Christ, stop

During the fourth century, St. Telmachus visited Rome. As he arrived, had followed the crown into the Colliseum and watched as the gladiators came out and fought each other to the death. The crowd cheered and rejoiced.

He was horrified by what he saw, aand down the steps, crawled over the wall and jumped into the arena. He stood between the two gladiators and cried out "In the name of Christ, stop!". The crowd laughed and applauded. One of the gladiators tried to push him aside, but he got up again and cried, "In the name of Christ, stop!". The crowd shifted from amused to annoyed, and began to cheer for the gladiators to kill the man.

One of the gladiators drew his sword and thrust it through St. Telemachus. As he lay dying on the floor, he cried out one last time "In the name of Christ, stop".

History tells us, that the crowd dispersed, the gladiators laid down their arms, and that was the last tournament ever held in the great arena in Rome. One man, whose purpose in life was to stand up and SHOW to the world, "this isn't what life is about, there is a better way". While the world tells us to go, to move, to constantly strive for success, who now tells us "In the name of Christ, stop"
 
It appears that the story has changed a little. From traveling the internet no doubt. Below is the story as told from, the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation
Chapter 19. Arcadius and Honorius (AD 395–423)

Link is below for this page.


Telemachus, then, who was an eastern monk, was greatly shocked that Christians should take pleasure in these savage sports, and when he heard of the great games which were preparing, he resolved to bear his witness against them. For this purpose, therefore, he went all the way to Rome, and got into the amphitheatre, close to the arena (as the place where the gladiators fought was called); and when 95the fight had begun, he leaped over the barrier which separated him from the arena, rushed in between the gladiators, and tried to part them. The people who crowded the vast building grew furious at being baulked of their amusement; they shouted out with rage, and threw stones, or whatever else they could lay their hands on, at Telemachus, so that he was soon pelted to death. But when they saw him lying dead, their anger suddenly cooled, and they were struck with horror at the crime of which they had been guilty, although they had never thought of the wickedness of feasting their eyes on the bloodshed of gladiators. The emperor said that the death of Telemachus was really a martyrdom, and proposed to do away with the shows of gladiators, and the people, who were now filled with sorrow and shame, agreed to give up their cruel diversions. So the life of the brave monk was not thrown away, since it was the means of saving the lives of many, and of preserving multitudes from the sin of sacrificing their fellowmen for their sport.

Christian Classics Ethereal Library
 
There you go, spoiling my story with the truth.

But, to be honest, those were my own words, based on what I remembered hearing, so I guess the odds of me getting it exactly right were pretty slim.
 
Hey… you were close. And the end result of it all being shut down was the most important part.
But seriously… would I ever do something like that? Today it would be like going into the Hells Angels clubhouse and telling them to stop. :eek: I might not walk out alive.
 
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