Ampliatus

Ampliatus was a believer in Rome whom Paul greeted by name in the letter to the Romans. With the warm designation 'my beloved in the Lord', Paul expressed a close personal and spiritual bond with Ampliatus, suggesting that the two knew each other beforehand – perhaps from another city in the Roman Empire, since Paul had not yet visited Rome when the letter was written. The name Ampliatus occurred very frequently among slaves and freedmen in the imperial households, which may offer a clue about his social background. In the Domitilla catacombs in Rome, a richly decorated burial chamber from the end of the first century bearing this name has been found, a discovery that has fascinated scholars, even though a definite connection to the biblical Ampliatus cannot be proven. Ampliatus' presence in Paul's list of greetings testifies to the diverse composition of the early church, where social divisions were overcome in fellowship with Christ.