Historians do not agree with the Christian tradition that the colosseum or gladiator games ended by an act of Telemachus.

Saint Telemachus, a fifth-century monk who lived in a monastery in Asia or modern day Turkey, who is said to have felt God calling him to Rome. When he got to Rome, people were running about the city in great confusion. He had arrived on a day when the gladiators were going to fight both other gladiators and animals in the amphitheater. Everyone was heading to the amphitheater to watch the entertainment.

Telemachus walked into the colosseum and sat down among 80,000 people who cheered as the gladiators came out proclaiming, "'Hail Caesar! We die to the glory of Caesar." Telemachus got up out of his seat, ran down the steps, climbed over the wall, walked out to the center of the amphitheater, and stood between two large gladiators. Putting his hands up, he meekly cried out, "In the name of Christ, stop!" The crowd laughed and jeered. One of the gladiators slapped Telemachus in the stomach with his sword and sent him spinning off into the dust.

Telemachus got up and again stood between the two huge gladiators. He repeated, "In the name of Christ, stop." This time the crowd chanted "Run him through!" One of the gladiators took his sword and ran it through Telemachus's stomach. He fell into the dust and the sand turned red as blood ran out of him. One last time, Telemachus weakly cried out, "'In the name of Christ, stop." He died on the amphitheater floor on January 1, 404.

The crowd grew silent, and emptied out of the colosseum. According to ancient Christian records, thanks to Saint Telemachus, this was the last gladiatorial contest in the history of the Roman Empire. Because of Telemachus' death, three days later, the Emperor by decree ended the Games.

The story is found in the writings of Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus (393-457 A.D.).

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