When we study the Reformation and later periods, we often have the privilege of learning about Christian women through their own words. The women of the church in the first few centuries, however, are more often a mystery to us, glimpsed primarily through the writings of others. One such woman is the fourth-century deaconess, Olympia (or Olympias), who carried on a lively correspondence with the prominent bishop and renowned preacher, John Chrysostom. Olympia was the bishop’s trusted confidante, and he in turn encouraged her through periods of persecution, ill health, and depression.
Olympia was born in the 360s, into a prominent family of Greek descent. Her father, a high-ranking figure in the Roman Empire, died when Olympia was young, so she was brought up by a devoutly Christian uncle, Procopius. Procopius was close friends with the famous theologian of the Trinity, Gregory of Nazianzus, who himself became a father figure to the young woman. Thus, Olympia grew up knowledgeable in the Scriptures and theology, and she enjoyed the esteem and mentorship of some of the most significant figures in the history of the church.
Widowed following a brief marriage, Olympia chose to spend the rest of her life devoting her considerable inheritance to the service of the church. She gave generous gifts of money and land to the church in Greece, Turkey, and Syria and was patroness of an orphanage and a hospital. Little is known of her later years, except that she became an ardent supporter of John Chrysostom, even when, due to complicated political intrigues, he was ousted from his church in Constantinople. After Chrysostom was exiled to the wilderness of Armenia…
Read the full article at: https://rcus.org/article/women-in-church-history-olympia/
