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 the Acts of the Apostles, Paul cured Publius' dysentery-afflicted father.

[2] His feast is celebrated on 22 January in the Roman Catholic Church, which places him as the successor of Dionysius the Areopagite, dating his martyrdom to c. 112.

[note 2] Apart from being patron saint of Floriana, Publius is also one of the three patron saints of Malta, along with St. Paul the Apostle and St. Agatha of Sicily.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, however, his feast day is observed on 13 March, and according to an epistle of Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, he is placed as the successor of Narcissus of Athens, dating his martyrdom to the period of the persecution under Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180).