Acts 28:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In the spring, when free sailing by sea opened, Paul and his companions reached the shores of Italy at the place called Puteoli. There he found brethren, stayed with them about a week, and set out for Rome. There the faithful met him outside the city at the Three Taverns. At the beginning of his stay, and afterward, Paul enjoyed freedom. Yet a soldier who guarded him lived with him. Only he was not in prison, but rented a house and could have free access to everyone and send letters wherever he wished. Taking advantage of these circumstances, three days after his arrival Paul gathered the Jews. As in other cities, so here also, he wished to begin his preaching with the Jews.

On Malta, Paul with his companions and the other prisoners remained three months, until the stormy season of autumn and the beginning of winter had ended. After sailing became safe, they were put on an Alexandrian ship called the Dioscuri. This was the name of two mythological heroes known in antiquity, the twins Castor and Pollux. On the ship there was either the inscription “Dioscuri” or an image of these heroes. The ship had wintered on the island of Malta. They arrived at Syracuse, a maritime city on the southeastern shore of Sicily. At Syracuse, probably for its own needs, the ship stayed three days. Then it departed and arrived at Rhegium, now Reggio, in southern Italy, opposite the northeastern corner of Sicily.

With the opening of navigation, the centurion Julius placed his prisoners on another Alexandrian ship, the Dioscuri, which also had wintered on the island of Melita and was now heading for Rome. At the beginning of February the ship first made for Syracuse, where it remained three days. Then it sailed to Rhegium, already on the Italian side of the Strait of Messina. From there, with a favorable following wind, the ship quickly reached Puteoli, one of the chief grain-trading ports of Italy. The prisoners had to leave it and continue by land. In such a busy port there proved to be several Christians, who joyfully met the apostle. At their request he spent a week with them. This also serves as clear proof of the centurion’s extraordinary kindness toward the great prisoner. “And afterward we went to Rome.”

The capital of the world was now not far from there, only about two hundred versts.

Having sailed to Syracuse, a maritime city on the southeastern shore of Sicily, eighteen geographical miles, about 125 versts, from Malta, they remained there three days, probably on account of the ship's business.

The journey from Malta to Rome was fairly swift and prosperous, helped especially by a following wind. There was a stop of three days at Syracuse, one day at Rhegium, and seven days at Puteoli at the special request of the Christians there.

Concerning the ship’s name, “Dioscuri,” blessed Theophylact says: “Almost always, especially on Alexandrian ships, it was customary to make such images near the ship’s prow, on the right and left. Since, under the idolatry then prevailing, the Dioscuri were probably depicted on this ship, one concludes from this that the shipmaster was a foreigner and an idolater.” “The Dioscuri were two mythological heroes famous in antiquity, the twins Castor and Pollux. According to the ancients, they were patrons of navigation and protectors from dangers at sea.”