Born in 366 in Constantinople to the Senator Secunda was
to become a deaconess.
At eighteen she married a prefect of the city. One of
the gifts she received was a letter of advice written in
verse to her by St. Gregory Nazianzius. Unfortunately she was
widowed in less than two years. As she was an attractive, young,
extremely wealthy widow,Emperor Theodosius tried to get her to
marry his cousin, Elpida. Olympidia wrote the Emperor a letter
in which she said: "If God willed me to live in a married
state, He would not have taken my husband whom I dearly
loved."
The odosius was angered by her reply and took action
against her. He named administrators to take charge of her
immense wealth until she was thirty years old.
However, when she was 25, she was able to persuade the emperor
to return control of her assets to her. She had begun to
give her whole life to works of Christianity from the time of
her widowhood. With the return of her money she increased her
charitable giving. She gave to churches and monasteries,
to homes for the homeless, to alleviate suffering in prisons,
and to homes for exiles.
Soon, she was besieged by requests and many took
advantage of her kindnesses even some of those whom she had
already helped. Saint John Chrysostom, who was impressed
by her charity felt need to write to her highly instructive
letters warning her to be more discriminating in her
benefactions. These letters survive.
As for herself, she lived an austere lifestyle with other
deaconesses. She renounced earthly pleasures and gave most
of her time over to prayer and charitable works.
She had been ordained a deaconess earlier by the bishop of
Constantinople. Among her other duties, he consulted
her on matters concerning the church.
She served Saint John Chrysostom as she would a father and
ultimately she was one of the few faithful who remained loyal
to him when he endured his banishments from Constantinople.
She had to endure severe persecutions starting with rumors and
finally exile for supporting his cause and refusing to recognize
the intruded successor to Saint John Chrysostom at the Cathedral.
She was charged with conspiring to burn the cathedral, she was
heavily fined and from that time matters became almost
intolerable. the enemies of Saint John became her enemies. She
didn't have anyone to turn to for advice, solace, or protection.
Her properties and wealth were ultimately seized, she was robbed
and everything she had left was confiscated.
Her last days were spent in a monastery which she had founded,
but even here she did not escape harassment. She died in 408 at
42 years of age.
Saint Olympiada or Olympias: