Saint Publius
Publius | |
|---|---|
Statue of Saint Publius next to the Floriana Parish Church, 1811, by Vincenzo Dimech | |
| Bishop of Athens and Bishop of Malta Venerable Hieromartyr | |
| Died | c. 112; or c. 125; or c. 161–180 Athens, Achaea, Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 22 January (Roman Catholic) 13 March (Eastern Orthodox) |
| Attributes | Shown with a lion next to him, episcopal vestments, crozier |
| Patronage | Malta, Floriana; Athens, Greece |
Saint Publius (Maltese: San Publju; Ancient Greek: Πούπλιος), also known as Publius of Malta or Publius of Athens, was an early Christian bishop and saint. He is considered the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens.
Publius is Malta's first canonised saint, who is described in the Book of Acts as the 'chief' or prince of the island (Maltese: il-prinċep tal-gżira). According to Maltese Christian tradition, Publius' conversion led to Malta being the first Christian nation in the West.
He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, with feast days on 13 March and 22 January respectively.