Saint Apostle Patrobas
of the Seventy.
Also known as Patrobus, Patrobos, Parrobus, Patrobulus, Patrobas of Pottole
Apostle Patrobas is numbered among the Seventy Apostles and greeted by Saint Paul in Romans 16:14. Tradition links him to Naples and Puteoli (Pozzuoli) in Italy. The Church remembers him on November 5.
- Feast day
- November 5 (New) · November 18 (Old)
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Troparion of St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy
Tone 3
Holy Apostles Patrobus, Hermes, Linus, Gaius, and Philologus,
entreat the merciful God,
to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.
This troparion is shared by the five apostles commemorated on November 5 and is the form published by the Orthodox Church in America. No troparion addressed to Patrobas alone was confirmed in the sources consulted.
The life of St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy A Companion
of Paul in the Roman Church
Apostle Patrobas is known to the Church chiefly through a single greeting in Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans and through the ancient lists of the Seventy. He is remembered on November 5 alongside Hermas, Linus, Gaius, and Philologus. His life is recorded in only a few lines, yet the faithful honor him as one of the first heralds of Christ.
Early years
No birth date, birthplace, or family background for Apostle Patrobas is recorded in the sources consulted. The only firm information about his early life is that he was counted among the Seventy whom the Lord sent out to preach. Scripture does not describe his conversion or his origins.
In the Church
Patrobas is named in Romans 16:14, where Paul sends greetings to him. Ancient lists attributed to Hippolytus and Dorotheus associate him with the episcopal see of Puteoli. The Lives of the Saints published by the Orthodox Church in America describe him as a bishop of Naples (Neapolis) and of Puteoli, and some accounts call him a bishop of Pottole. These sources describe his role as a bishop, although they do not provide a detailed chronology of his ordination or episcopate.
Later years
The surviving sources do not give a detailed account of Patrobas's death, martyrdom, or miracles. Orthodox tradition portrays the apostles of the Seventy in general as bishops who endured hardships in their missionary work. Patrobas is commemorated with the other apostles of this group, but no specific events of his later years are confirmed in the texts consulted.
Legacy and veneration
Patrobas is venerated in the Orthodox calendar on November 5 with Hermas, Linus, Gaius, and Philologus. He is also included in the Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles on January 4. His name is preserved in the Epistle to the Romans, and the Orthodox liturgical tradition keeps his memory alive through the commemorations of the apostolic company. No church dedicated specifically to him was confirmed in the sources consulted.
Veneration of St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy How the saint's
memory is kept.
- Patronage
- Patron of Naples, Italy (associated see), Pozzuoli (Puteoli), Italy (associated see).
- Iconography
- No distinct iconographic type for Apostle Patrobas was confirmed in the sources consulted. He is typically represented among the Seventy Apostles in group icons, where each apostle is identified by an inscribed name rather than a unique attribute. The Seventy are commonly shown with a scroll and a cross as shared attributes in Western and Eastern depictions. Individual identification relies on inscriptions and the calendar context of the icon.
Frequently asked Questions about
St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy.
- When is the feast day of Apostle Patrobas?
- The Orthodox Church commemorates Apostle Patrobas on November 5, together with Apostles Hermas, Linus, Gaius, and Philologus of the Seventy.
- Who was Apostle Patrobas?
- Patrobas is numbered among the Seventy Apostles and is greeted by Saint Paul in Romans 16:14. Early lists associate him with the see of Puteoli, and the Orthodox Church of America's Lives of the Saints describes him as a bishop of Naples and Puteoli.
- Where did Apostle Patrobas serve as bishop?
- Sources describe him as bishop of Naples (Neapolis) and Puteoli in Italy, although some accounts call the see Pottole, a name for the Neapolitan region.
- Is Apostle Patrobas mentioned in the Bible?
- Yes. He is named once in the New Testament, in Romans 16:14, in a list of people Paul asks the church in Rome to greet.
- Where are the relics of Apostle Patrobas today?
- The sources consulted do not identify the location of any relics of Apostle Patrobas, so no location is stated on this page.
- Does Apostle Patrobas have his own troparion?
- The troparion published by the Orthodox Church in America is shared by the five apostles commemorated on November 5, and no troparion addressed to Patrobas alone was confirmed in the sources consulted.
- What is St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy the patron saint of?
- St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy is the patron saint of Naples, Italy (associated see) and Pozzuoli (Puteoli), Italy (associated see).
Kontakion of St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy
No kontakion addressed to Apostle Patrobas specifically was confirmed in the sources consulted. A kontakion for Apostle Philologus alone is appointed for his commemoration, but it is not a hymn for Patrobas and is therefore not reproduced here.
Prayer to St. Apostle Patrobas of the Seventy
No traditional prayer addressed specifically to Apostle Patrobas was confirmed in the sources consulted, and none has been composed for this page. The faithful may invoke the apostles of the Seventy through the shared troparion above, which asks for their intercession.
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References and further reading
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Apostle_Patrobas
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/November_5
- oca.orghttps://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/11/05/103179-apostle-patrobus-of-the-seventy
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/troparia/2019/11/05/103179-apostles-patrobus-hermes-linus-gaius-and-philologus-of-the-seven
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/01/04/100017-synaxis-of-the-seventy-apostles
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2016/11/holy-apostles-hermas-patrobas-gaius.html
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/01/synaxis-of-holy-seventy-apostles.html
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/89702.html
- biblehub.comhttps://biblehub.com/library/hippolytus/the_extant_works_and_fragments_of_hippolytus/the_same_hippolytus_on_the.htm
- newadvent.orghttps://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0524.htm
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrobas_of_Pottole
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventy_disciples
- en.orthodoxwiki.orghttps://en.orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Apostle_Philologos
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrobus_of_Pottole
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philologus_of_Sinope
- basilica.rohttps://basilica.ro/en/orthodox-calendar-january-4/
- omhksea.orghttps://omhksea.org/archives/3715
- en.orthodoxwiki.orghttps://en.orthodoxwiki.org/Apostle_Hermas
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosipater
- nasscal.comhttps://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/list-of-the-apostles-and-disciples-by-pseudo-hippolytus-of-thebes/
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