ON S. PUBLIUS, MARTYR, SECOND BISHOP OF ATHENS.
Beginning of the second century.
CommentaryPublius, Bishop of Athens, Martyr (S.)
[1] At Athens, on the twelfth before the Kalends of February, is celebrated the feast of S. Publius the Bishop: who, after S. Dionysius the Areopagite, nobly governed the Church of the Athenians; and, shining forth with outstanding virtues The feast of S. Publius. and learning, was gloriously crowned with martyrdom for Christ. So Usuard, the Roman Martyrology, Bellinus, and others. Ado: Likewise at Athens, of B. Publius the Bishop, crowned with martyrdom for Christ. But in his booklet On the Feasts of the Apostles, etc.: On the twelfth before the Kalends of February, the feast of S. Publius, Bishop of Athens: who, as Chief of the island of Malta or Militene, when he had hospitably received the blessed Apostle Paul, sailing to Rome under guard, and entertained him for three days, as the blessed Luke relates, it happened that the father of Publius himself lay sick with fevers and dysentery. Acts 28:7. When the blessed Apostle entered to see him and laid hands on him and prayed, he healed him. Afterwards the blessed Apostle, having ordained this Publius, who had attached himself to him, as Bishop, directed him to preach: who subsequently governed the Church of the Athenians nobly, and, shining forth with outstanding virtues and learning, was gloriously crowned with martyrdom for Christ. For first Dionysius, then this Publius presided at Athens. Notker, Maurolycus, Canisius, various editions of Usuard, and very many manuscripts report the same in other words. Peter de Natalibus, book 2, chapter 109, and the Vulgate Bede on 18 January, on which day others also record him, as we have noted there.
[2] Whether he is the same man converted on the island of Malta by S. Paul. But Baronius in his Notes on the Martyrology seems to doubt whether Publius of Malta is the same as the Bishop of Athens. "It has been the opinion of some," he says, "that this was the same Publius whose father Paul healed of dysentery on Malta (as related in Acts of the Apostles, chapter 28); and this is what Ado professes in his Martyrology." He repeats the same in other words in volume 1 of the Annals, at the year 58, number 173. Our Peter Halloix, in his Notes on chapters 1 and 3 of the life of S. Quadratus, which we shall present on 26 May, strenuously contends that this Publius was different from the Maltese one: first, because Malta had greater need of an instructor than Athens; Publius therefore would not have abandoned it. But what if he was expelled? What if others on Malta were already sufficiently instructed in the mysteries of the faith, especially since S. Paul had stayed there for three months? Second, because the Roman Martyrology does not report this of him. But other sources already cited do report it, and moreover the ancient Roman Martyrology published by our Rosweyde, in which the following is read: "At Athens, of S. Publius the Bishop, who was ordained Bishop by Paul while at Malta." Galesinius reports: "At Athens, of S. Publius, Bishop and Martyr. This Roman citizen, Chief of the island of Malta, disciple of the blessed Apostle Paul, distinguished for his knowledge of divine and human letters, was appointed to succeed S. Dionysius the Areopagite and presided over the Church of the Athenians: and, renowned for the praise of many virtues and of the deeds which he performed by divine power, he underwent martyrdom for the glory of Christ." So report Constantius Felicius, Johannes Basilius Sanctorius, and other learned men.
[3] For our part, we have no ready pronouncement to make; except that when Publius was crowned with martyrdom (which the manuscript Florarium places in the year of Christ 125, the eighth of the Emperor Hadrian; Halloix, under Trajan), the Church of Athens was scattered by great terror, When he was killed. as S. Jerome writes in his book On Ecclesiastical Writers, chapter 19, speaking of Quadratus, who gathered it together again by his faith and industry. This is also attested by Eusebius, book 4, chapter 22, from the letter of S. Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth. In the manuscript of S. Jerome and the Dungal manuscript, both very ancient, Publius is inscribed without mention of his place or office: we understand it, however, as referring to him.