Saint Hypatius of Bithynia

Hypatius of Bithynia left home at 19 to become a hermit, then founded a monastery near the city of Chalcedon, in modern-day Tunisia. In the year 434, the local Roman prefect announced plans to reestablish the Olympic games there. Hypatius cried when he heard the news.

The Olympics, once held in honor of Zeus, had been officially secularized, and were being used more for political propaganda and popular entertainment. Regardless, Hypatius worried this new idolatry would set back his efforts to covert Bithynia’s pagans. He’d already chopped down and burned their sacred trees. This demanded escalation.

With a band of 20 monks, Hypatius marched on Chalcedon to stop the games from ever starting. He threatened to rip the prefect from his podium and kill him, if necessary — and it worked. The prefect fled, and the Olympics were canceled.

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