Olympas is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Olympas was a Christian living in Rome in the first century, mentioned by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. Paul names him in Romans 16:15, within a long list of greetings sent to believers in the Roman church. The verse reads: “Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.” Olympas appears in the company of Philologus, Julia, Nereus, Nereus’s sister, and a wider group simply called “all the saints which are with them.”
The setting is Paul’s closing section of Romans, where he greets numerous individuals and house groups by name. This shows that Olympas was known to Paul, or at least known by reputation among the believers Paul was addressing. He was likely a member of the Roman church, part of a circle of Christians who gathered together—perhaps in a household—since the greeting includes “all the saints which are with them.” The wording suggests Olympas belonged to a specific fellowship or assembly of believers rather than being an isolated Christian.
Scripture says nothing further about Olympas: no deeds, no words, no biographical details are recorded. He did not write, travel, or perform any act noted in the text. What Scripture says of him is simply that he was among the saints greeted by Paul, counted worthy of a personal salutation in an inspired letter. His inclusion in Romans 16 places him among the ordinary faithful of the early church—known to God, named by an apostle, and counted among the saints.
The Name
The name Olympas is Greek in form, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text itself. It appears to be a shortened or familiar form related to names built on the Greek root connected with Olympus, the mountain regarded in Greek tradition as the home of the gods. Some suggest it may be a contraction of a longer name such as Olympiodorus or a similar compound, but this is inference rather than established fact. Because Scripture gives no interpretation of the name and no certain etymology is preserved, its precise meaning should be regarded as uncertain rather than asserted.
A Closing Thought
Olympas never speaks, never acts, and never appears again in Scripture. Yet Paul took care to greet him by name. That is a quiet comfort: God’s Word records not only the great apostles and prophets but also the ordinary saints whose lives are hidden from history. Olympas was known to Paul, known to his fellow believers, and above all known to God. Most of us will live without fame or record, but faithfulness does not require an audience. To be named among the saints, and to be greeted in the Lord, is honor enough.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Romans 16:15 — Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.