Saints Cosmas and Damian

Cosmas and Damian (Arabic: قُزما ودميان, romanized: Qozma wa Dimyān; Greek: Κοσμᾶς καὶ Δαμιανός; Latin: Cosmas et Damianus; c. 3rd century – c.  287 or 303 AD) were two Arab physicians and early Christian martyrs.[3][4] They practised their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman province of Syria.[5]

Quick facts: Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs, Born, Died... ▼

Saints Cosmas and Damian
Icon of Saints Cosmas (left) and Damian (right)
Martyrs
Born	c. 3rd century AD Arabia
Died	c. 303 or 287 Aegea, Roman province of Cilicia (modern-day Yumurtalık, Adana, Turkey)
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Churches Oriental Orthodox Churches Eastern Catholic Churches
Major shrine	Convent of the Poor Clares in Madrid, Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Rome, and Bitonto, Bari, Italy
Feast	25 September (Canada) 26 September 27 September (pre-1970 General Roman Calendar) 1 November (Eastern Orthodox Church)[1][2]
Attributes	depicted as twins, beheaded, or with medical emblems
Patronage	surgeons, physicians, identical twins, twins, dentists, protectors of children, barbers, pharmacists, veterinarians, orphanages, day-care centers, confectioners, children in house, against hernia, against the plague.

Cosmas and Damian were third century Arabian-born twin brothers who embraced Christianity and practised medicine and surgery without a fee. This led them to being named anargyroi (from the Greek Ἀνάργυροι, 'the silverless' or 'unmercenaries'); by this, they attracted many to the Christian faith.[6] They reputedly cured blindness, fever, paralysis and reportedly expelled a breast serpent. They were arrested by Lysias, governor of Cilicia (modern day Çukurova, Turkey) during the Diocletian persecution because of their faith and fame as healers. Emperor Diocletian was a religious fanatic and favoured the pantheism of the Olympian Gods. He issued a series of edicts that condemned the Christians in his attempt to wipe out Christianity from his empire.[7]