Olbianos 3 was strategos of the Armeniakoi in 821, when the rebellion of Thomas the Slav (Thomas 7) broke out; he and Katakylas 1 (commander of the Opsikion) were the only thematic heads in Anatolia who remained loyal to the emperor Michael II (Michael 10): Theoph. Cont. II 11 (pp. 53-54) (Ὀλβιανοῦ τοῦ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν), sc. στρατηγοῦντος), Zon. XV 22. 35-36 (τοῦ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν (sc. θέματος) ὁ Ὀλβιανὸς δὲ τὴν στρατηγίδα τούτου εἶχεν ἀρχήν), Genesius II 2 (τοῦ τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν στρατηγοῦντος). With his troops he surprised Konstantios 1 (Thomas 7's adopted son) in an ambush in the district of Asia and killed him, sending his severed head to Michael 10: Theoph. Cont. II 13 (p. 56), Zon. XV 22. 36. He defeated pseudo-Konstantios and captured him, cutting off his head and sending it to the emperor Michael 10; called ὁ γενναῖος Ὀλβιανός: Genesius II 5. When Thomas 7 began to threaten Constantinople, Olbianos 3 and Katakylas 1 assembled what forces they could in Asia to help the emperor to defend the city: Theoph. Cont. II 14 (p. 57) (late 821). He and Katakylas 1 were present in Constantinople during the siege by Thomas 7 and led sallies against the rebel forces: Theoph. Cont. II 16 (p. 64). Accompanied by their own troops (μετὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ταγμάτων) they joined Michael 10 and his army and inflicted a decisive defeat on Thomas 7, ending his rebellion: Theoph. Cont. II 18 (p. 67).

Patrikios; addressee of a letter from Theodore the Stoudite (Theodoros 15) in 823, urging him to use moderation in the exercise of his office (possibly an allusion to his dealings with former supporters of the rebel Thomas 7); he had sent a message to Theodoros 15 via Georgios 222 (notarios); he is styled τῆς πανευφήμου καὶ διαβοήτου ὑμῶν ὑπεροχῆς (p. 816, line 3) and addressed as σέ τὸν πανεύφημον καὶ ἐπιπόθητον ἡμῶν δεσπότην (p. 817, lines 32-33): Theod. Stud., Ep. 541, pp. 816-818 (addressed Ὀλβιανῷ πατρικίῳ). He was one of the heroes of that time (with Christophoros 51 and Katakylas 1): Genesius II 3. His protonotarios was Stephanos 129: Sabas, Vita Ioannicii 35 (τοῦ στρατηγοῦ Ὀλβιανοῦ νοτάριος γεγονώς), Petrus, Vita Ioannicii 64 (ὅ ποτε γεγονώς πρωτονοτάριος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ Ὀλβιανοῦ).

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