Publius

ON ST. PUBLIUS, ABBOT AT ZEUGMA IN SYRIA.

Fourth Century.

Publius, Abbot in Syria (Saint)

We give the Life of St. Publius the Abbot from Theodoret's Philotheus, or book 9 of the Lives of the Fathers, chapter 5, rendered into Latin by Gentianus Hervetus The Life of St. Publius and collated with another translation by Albericus Longus. An epitome of it is contained in the Menaea of the Greeks and in Maximus Cythereus on this day, his feast, with the following prefixed distich: On the same day, the memory of our Holy Father Publius.

Publius forsakes the material life (that is, the human and mortal life) And obtains the immaterial (that is, free from the combination of body and matter) and rational life.

The same Theodoret mentions St. Publius in Ecclesiastical History, book 4, chapter 26, and Nicephorus in book 11, chapter 14. Rosweyde in the Notes to the Philotheus doubts whether he is the same one whom the Greeks honor on April 4 with St. Plato; he is a different person.

LIFE FROM THEODORET.

Publius, Abbot in Syria (Saint)

From Theodoret.

CHAPTER I.

The spiritual exercises of St. Publius. A double monastery is built.

[1] At the same time there was a certain Publius, both worthy of admiration for his appearance Publius of senatorial rank and endowed with a soul that befitted his appearance, or rather one that showed itself more admirable than his body. He was of senatorial origin and was born in the city at which the famous Xerxes, whose renown is everywhere so celebrated, when waging war against Greece and wishing to transport his army across the Euphrates River, gathered a multitude of ships, joined them to one another, and in this manner having constructed a bridge over the river, called the place Zeugma — that is, Junction — born in the town of Zeugma, and named the city from the event.

[2] Born there and sprung from such a lineage, he occupied a high place that was no more than thirty stadia distant from the city. He gives his possessions to the poor: Having built there a certain small dwelling, he sold everything he had received from his father — house, I say, and estates, and flocks, and garments, and vessels of silver and bronze, and whatever else there was besides. And then, having divided these according to the divine law among those to whom it was fitting, and having freed himself from all earthly care, he took upon himself that one care in place of all others — namely, to serve Him who had called him — and he constantly turned this over in his mind, considering and searching day and night how he might increase it. He shuns idleness, devoted to prayer, For this reason his labor grew daily and became ampler and more intense from day to day, and was sweet and full of pleasure, and banished satiety far away. For no one ever saw him resting for even the smallest part of the day, to psalmody, but prayer succeeded psalmody, psalmody succeeded prayer, and the reading of the divine Scriptures succeeded both; then came the care of visiting guests; then some necessary task was performed. To reading, Entering upon the path of life in these things, to hospitality, and set before those who wished to imitate him as an exemplar of virtue, like a certain singing bird, he gathered many of his kind into these salutary nets.

[3] However, from the beginning he suffered no one to dwell with him, to solitude, but building small cells near the doors, he bade each of those who gathered to live by himself, frequently visiting the cells and searching out to abstinence, whether they had anything stored up beyond what was needed. They say that he would also approach the scale and carefully weigh out the measure of bread; and if ever he found more than had been allotted, he was displeased and called those who had done this gluttons. For he commanded that those who ate and drank should not wait for satiety, but take only as much as sufficed to sustain bodily life. And if he ever saw flour covered with bran, he assailed those who had done this with reproaches, vigils, as men enjoying Sybaritic luxuries. Moreover, coming by night unexpectedly to the door of each one, if he found someone awake and praising God, he departed in silence; but if he perceived someone sleeping, he knocked on the door with his hand and upbraided with his tongue the one who lay there, as one who cared for the body more than was fitting.

[4] Having then considered his labor, certain men of the same mind and judgment He builds a Greek monastery: referred the matter to him, that he should build one dwelling for all. For they said that those who were now scattered would live more exactly and carefully, and that he would be freed from a great part of his anxiety. The most wise man approved the counsel; and having gathered all together and demolished those small cells, and having built one dwelling for those who had been assembled, he asked them to live together and to incite one another — and this one should imitate the gentleness of that one, He illustrates the advantages of the common life by a simile: while that one should temper his gentleness with the zeal of this one; and another, sharing in vigils, should receive the discipline of fasting. For thus, he said, each taking from the other what is lacking, we shall perfect the most complete virtue. For just as in the marketplaces of cities, one man sells bread and another vegetables, one has garments for sale and another is a maker of shoes, and buying from one another what they need, they lead a more pleasant life — so we ought to exchange among ourselves the most precious parts of virtue.

[5] He builds another monastery for Syrians: When those of the same language were thus being trained and contending and praising God in the Greek tongue, the love of this way of life seized also those who used the language of that region; and some, running together, begged that they too might be admitted to their flock and become sharers of his sacred instruction. He granted what they asked, mindful of the Lord's law which He gave to the holy Apostles, saying: Go and teach all nations. And having built another dwelling next to the first, he bade them establish themselves there, and built a kind of divine temple, a temple common to both, into which he ordered both groups to come together at the beginning and end of the day, so that they might offer the evening and morning hymns to God together, divided indeed into two parts, each using its own language, but sending forth the song in alternation. Matthew 28:19. And the form of that institution has endured to the present day, and neither time — which strives mightily to change such things — nor those who succeeded to its governance, have been induced to overthrow anything from the boundaries he laid down; and this though not two or three, but many have undertaken this charge.

CHAPTER II.

Successors in the governance of the monasteries.

[6] For as soon as he had completed his contest and departed from this life, Theotecnus and Aphthonius succeed Publius, and had migrated to that life free from all distress, Theotecnus received the governance of the Greek-speaking community and Aphthonius that of the Syrian, and both were, as it were, living statues and images of his virtue. For they allowed neither those who gathered together nor those who came from outside to have any sense of his death, since they displayed themselves as faithful likenesses of his way of life.

[7] After Theotecnus, Theodotus. But the divine Theotecnus, not having lived long, handed over the governance to Theodotus; Aphthonius, however, continuing to tend the flock and governing by the laws already laid down, remained for a very long time. This Theodotus, who was of Armenian origin, having observed the order of monastic discipline, was at first numbered among those who obeyed the great governor Theotecnus; but after the latter departed, as I said, and he himself received the governance, he adorned it with so many good things that he almost eclipsed the glory of his predecessors by his own renown. Always weeping. For the divine longing so affected him and pierced him with so many and such great darts that day and night he poured forth tears of compunction. He was filled with such great spiritual grace that when he prayed, all the rest kept silence that when he prayed, all who were present fell silent and listened only to those sacred words, considering that hearing itself to be a good prayer. For who would have been so adamantine as not to have his soul softened by those words, uttered so sincerely and from the heart, and to have its hardness and disobedience melted away and brought over to the service of God? After him came another Theotecnus. While he was thus daily increasing his riches and displaying sacred treasures full of such good things, after he had tended the flock for twenty-five years, he was gathered to his fathers, as the divine Scripture says, brought forth in a good old age, having handed the reins to Theotecnus, who was indeed in lineage his brother's son, but in character his brother. Genesis 15:15.

[8] Aphthonius afterward becomes Bishop: Now the divine Aphthonius too, having presided over the choir for more than forty years, received the pontifical see — neither changing his monastic hair-shirt nor his tunic woven from goatskins; he also ate the same foods as before he became bishop. Moreover, although he had received this charge, he simultaneously tends the monastery and lives as a monk: he nonetheless continued to care for that flock, spending many days there — now composing the disputes of those who were quarreling among themselves, now counseling those who had suffered some injury, and sometimes extending divine admonition to his companions. He exercises himself in lowly tasks. And he did each of these things while at the same time mending the garments of his fellow inhabitants, or cleaning lentils, or washing grain, or handling something of that kind. Having thus adorned both the pontificate and increased his virtue, he arrived at the divine port with his cargo.

[9] And what need is there to speak of Theotecnus and Gregory, who followed him? The former gathered every kind of virtue from his youth Gregory succeeds Theotecnus and departed with glory surpassing that of his predecessors; the latter still labors to this day in profound old age as though he were in the flower of youth. For he has continued to refuse the fruit of the vine perpetually, The diet of Publius and his disciples, and partakes neither of vinegar nor of dried grapes, neither of fresh milk nor of curdled; for the great Publius established this way of living. And though they recognize the use of oil in the season of Pentecost, they again refuse to partake of it.

[10] These things I have learned about the great Publius, receiving some of them by report and others from his very disciples whom I saw, in whom I recognized the teacher, and through the athletes I learned to know the trainer. Judging it to be unjust, therefore, Whence Theodoret received this information, and the mark of an envious man, to consign so great a profit to silence, I set forth the narrative for those who were unaware, taking care that they too might receive profit from it, and preparing for myself a gain from the memorial. For I have heard the Lord saying: Why he wrote it. Whosoever shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in heaven; and I know full well that if I shall make their memory among men, they too will be mindful of me before the God of all. Matthew 10:32.