Publius the Hermit

Venerable Publius (also called Poplius) was a Syrian ascetic of the fourth century, from the city of Zeugma on the Euphrates, honoured in the Orthodox Church. The Serbian Church commemorates him on 25 January by the old calendar, which is 7 February by the new. He is said to have died in the year 380. Theodoret of Cyrrhus writes of him in chapter five of his History of the Lovers of God.

He was born at Zeugma on the Euphrates, of a noble and wealthy family that belonged to the council of the city. The Serbian source says he was first a senator, but according to the tradition of the Church he came to know the light of Christ, left the honours of the world and gave his property to the poor.

He gave away all the inheritance from his father: house, estate, flocks, clothing, vessels of silver and bronze, and the rest of his possessions. For his dwelling he chose a hill less than thirty stadia from the city, and built a small hut there, and then began the monastic life. No one ever saw him idle. His rule was prayer, the singing of psalms, prayer again and psalms, the reading of the Holy Scriptures, then care for those who came to him, and lastly the necessary work.

By such a strict life he became an example to others, who began to live beside him, each in his own hut. Publius was a spiritual father to them and guided them sternly. He often visited the huts to see whether anyone was hiding anything beyond what was necessary. He carried scales with him and weighed the pieces of bread carefully. When he found that someone had more than the measure, he grew angry and called him a glutton. Those who ate flour without bran he rebuked for eating the food of the luxurious. At night he made unexpected rounds of the cells. If he found someone awake and praising God, he withdrew in silence. If he found someone asleep, he knocked at the door and rebuked the slack one for serving the body more than needful.

On the advice of like-⁠minded brothers, he pulled down all the cells and made a cenobitic monastery, with a single dwelling for all who had gathered. At first only Greeks lived there, and then local Syrians began to come, whom Publius received and for whom he built another dwelling nearby. He built a church and commanded that both the Greeks and the Syrians should gather at the beginning and at the end of the day, divided into two choirs, and sing the praises of God in turn, in Greek and in Syriac.

After the repose of Publius, the Greek half of the monastery passed to Theoteknos, and the Syrian half to Aphthonius. Theoteknos was followed by Theodotus, and Aphthonius, after forty years of leadership, by Gregory.