On This Day
Saint Telemachus (also Almachus[1] or Almachius) was a monk who, according to the Church historian Theodoret,[2] tried to stop a gladiatorial fight in a Roman amphitheatre, and was stoned to death by the crowd. The Christian Emperor Honorius, however, was impressed by the monk’s martyrdom and it spurred him to issue a historic ban on gladiatorial fights. Frederick George Holweck gives the year of his death as 391.[3] The last known gladiatorial fight in Rome was on 1 January 404 AD.
Background
He is described as being an ascetic who came to Rome from the East. The story is found in the writings of Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus, Syria.
Although the site of Telemachus’ martyrdom is often given as being the Colosseum in Rome, Theodoret does not actually specify where it happened, saying merely that it happened in “the stadium”.
Later retellings of the story have differed from Theodoret’s in a number of details. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs claims that Telemachus was first stabbed to death by a gladiator, but that the sight of his death “turned the hearts of the people”.[4] In the version of the story told by Ronald Reagan in 1984, the entire crowd left in silence.[5]
There is also an alternate form of the story, in which Telemachus stood up in the amphitheatre and told the assembly to stop worshipping idols and offering sacrifices to the gods. Upon hearing this statement, the prefect of the city is said by this source to have ordered the gladiators to kill Telemachus, and they promptly did so.[6]
Born On This Day
1839 – Ouida, English-Italian author and activist (d. 1908)[140]
Ouida (/ˈwiːdə/; 1 January 1839[1] – 25 January 1908) was the pseudonym of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée). During her career, Ouida wrote more than 40 novels, as well as short stories, children’s books and essays. Moderately successful, she lived a life of luxury, entertaining many of the literary figures of the day. Under Two Flags, one of her most famous novels, described the British in Algeria. It expressed sympathy for the French colonists—with whom Ouida deeply identified—and, to some extent, the Arabs. The novel was adapted for the stage, and was filmed six times. Her novel A Dog of Flanders is considered a children’s classic in much of Asia.[2] The American author Jack London cited her novel Signa as one of the reasons for his literary success. Her lavish lifestyle eventually led her to penury, and her works were put up for auction to pay her debts. She died in Italy from pneumonia. Soon after her death, her friends organized a public subscription in Bury St Edmunds, where they had a fountain for horses and dogs installed in her name.
FYI
By Ron Charles, The Washington Post Book Club: Book Club: My 10 favorite novels of the year, and Winnie-the-Pooh finally runs free
By Katy Waldman, The New Yorker Interview: What Lois Lowry Remembers Lowry, who has lost a sister and a son, has spent decades writing about the pains of memory. Literature, she says, is “a way that we rehearse life.”
By Louis Chude-Sokei, AFAR: The Next Time You Travel, Try a Soundwalk
By Francesca Gino, Gareth Cook, Scientific American: Sarcasm Spurs Creative Thinking Although snarky comments can cause conflict, a little verbal irony also stimulates new ideas.
Chris Hladczuck: subreddit r/LifeProTips, of “tips that improve your life in one way or another,
BBC podcast: In Our Time
Recipes
By Kizmet Byrd, Taste of Home: 50 One-Skillet Meals for Busy Nights
RecipeTinEats
- Introducing Jaffle! June 10, 2026Meet Jaffle! Future Chief Taste Tester. Son of a Dozer friend. A little bundle of golden, fluffy joy! 48 hours of instant happiness I didn’t expect to get a new puppy so soon after saying goodbye to Dozer. To be honest, I wasn’t sure when I’d be ready. And I had it in my head... […]Nagi
- Vegetable Tian June 5, 2026Meet Vegetable Tian – a colourful Provençal vegetable bake that I absolutely love! It’s full of beautiful colours, Mediterranean vibes, and looks as good as it tastes. Serve it as a side dish or enjoy it as a vegetarian main. Let’s go! Vegetable Tian I’ve been a ratatouille guy for as long as I can... […]Chef JB (RecipeTin)
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 10 June 10, 2026Picture of the day Hills of České Středohoří (Central Bohemian Highlands): Malý Křižák, Křižák, Brník, Srdov, Milá
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 9 June 9, 2026Picture of the day Ringed kingfisher flying with freshly caught fish in Mato Grosso, Brazil
E-book Deals:
The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!
Mystery & Thriller Most Wanted
Book Blogs & Websites:
Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?