Onesimus (died 68 AD) was Bishop of Byzantium from 54 to 68 AD. He was the subject of the Epistle to Philemon, in which Paul the Apostle convince Saint Philemon to receive his former slave Onesimus back as a brother and not as a slave. Onesimus went on to become a bishop, and he was martyred in 68 AD.
Biography[]
Onesimus was born in Roman Anatolia to a Greek family, and he was a slave owned by Philemon of Colossae during the 1st century AD. He followed his master in converting to Christianity after Paul the Apostle visited his household, but, when Paul was imprisoned in 64 AD, Onesimus - who had been accused of theft - ran away from his master and came to Paul at his prison. Paul then wrote an epistle to Philemon on Onesimus' behalf, having Onesimus return to his master with a letter asking Philemon to forgive his slave and to treat him as a brother and not a slave. Onesimus went on to become Bishop of Byzantium, serving until his martyrdom in Rome in 68 AD; he was imprisoned and then beheaded.