Telemachus

Saint Telemachus , also Almachius (†404 AD) was an ascetic who came to Rome from the East and was martyred by stoning after trying to stop a gladiator fight in a Roman amphitheatre. The Christian Emperor Honorius was impressed by the monk's martyrdom and took the occassion to issue an historic ban on all gladiator fights.
The story is found in the writings of Theodoret of Cyrus , Bishop of Cyrrhus , Syria, and is further mentioned in the martyrologies of Bede , Ado , and Usuard , which add that St. Almachius was put to death at Rome for boldly opposing the pagan rites that were practiced on the Octave of our Lord’s nativity ." Telemachus' feast day is observed on January 1 / January 14.