Ablabius

Flavius Ablabius or Ablavius (; fl. 4th century AD, died 338) was a high official of the Roman Empire and contemporary of Emperor Constantine I (r. 306–337). and tutor to his son, Constantius II.

Family and early life Ablabius was a Greek from the island of Crete and a man of humble birth. When his mother was pregnant with him, she allegedly received a prophecy from an Egyptian astrologer about him, that she would almost have borne an emperor. Ablabius was at birth a pagan who converted later to Christianity and became one of the officials of the Roman governor of Crete. and during his political career, he was based at Antioch. Ablabius convinced Constantine that the failure of grain supplies to arrive at Constantinople had been caused by the magical arts of the pagan sage Sopater of Apamea, who had verbally attacked the emperor and Ablabius for their dissolute behavior. Constantine followed the advice of Ablabius and had Sopater put to death. In 333, Constantine addressed a letter to Ablabius which is still preserved, in which he decreed that each party in a trial could appeal to a bishop's judgment. A son, Seleucus. Through Seleucus, Ablabius would have further descendants. In particular, he would be the paternal grandfather of Saint Olympias the Deaconess.