Olympios 1 was cubicularius and exarchus; sent by the emperor Constans II (Konstans 1) to Italy "ad regendam omnem Italiam" in 649 (at the same time as the Lateran Council met, in October 649); he was instructed to obtain the assent of the Italian clergy to the imperial Typos imposing monotheletism, using the army of Rome and Ravenna if necessary: Lib. Pont. 76. 4. He found Rome still full of the bishops, priests and clergy after the Council; with the aid of the army he tried to carry out his orders for a long time ("per plurimum tempus"), but had no success; force having failed he tried cunning and ordered one of his attendants (Anonymus 235) ("suo spatario; spatarium Olympii exarchi") to assassinate pope Martin (Martinos 6) while the latter was giving communion to the exarch, but Martinos 6 was miraculously saved: Lib. Pont. 76. 5-6. Seeing his efforts to be all in vain and observing allegedly that Martinos 6 enjoyed divine protection, he revealed his secret orders to Martinos 6 and they made peace; Olympios 1 ("Olympius exarchus") then assembled an army and went on an expedition against the Arabs ("gentem Saracenorum") in Sicily; his army suffered a major defeat "for their sins" ("peccato faciente") and Olympios 1 subsequently fell ill and died: Lib. Pont. 76. 7. His successor was Theodoros Calliopas (Theodoros 163). Pope Martinos 6 was accused of involvement in the revolt of Olympios 1: Commemoratio 593C, 594AB. One of his notarii, Andreas 56, gave evidence to that effect at the trial of Martinos 6 in 654: Commemoratio 593C. Possibly to be identified with Anonymus 655.

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