Cosmas of Arabia

Holy Unmercenary Doctor Cosmas of Arabia was a martyr, together with his brother Damian and their brethren in the faith Leontius, Anthimus and Eutropius. The Azbyka page mentions Cosmas in the account of the unmercenary martyrs Cosmas and Damian of Arabia and their brothers. The saints are commemorated on 30 October, in the new style; the page also recalls the day of 17 October.

Cosmas and Damian, natives of Arabia, lived in the time of the unmercenary doctors of Rome. Like them, they learned medical science, but the science helped them little in healing diseases; receiving from God the grace of working miracles, they healed the sicknesses of men in the Name of Christ the Saviour. As soon as the report of their miracles and teaching reached the governor Lysias, he ordered them seized. Brought to Cilicia, they were presented to the governor, who asked them about their faith, names and country and commanded them to sacrifice to idols. Since they refused and boldly confessed their faith in Christ, he had them beaten without mercy and then, bound, thrown into the sea.

The Lord saved them from drowning: an angel loosed their bonds and brought them to dry land entirely unharmed. The governor ascribed this to sorcery and asked them, saying that he wished to follow their teaching, by what spells they had been saved. The martyrs answered that they were Christians, knew no spells and had only the power of Christ, who saves them from all troubles. Angered, the governor shut them in prison, and the next day ordered them thrown into the fire, but the fire lost its natural power and did not touch them. Amazed, but not knowing the One who saved them, the governor prepared new tortures, in vain: he had them hung up and stoned and then shot at with arrows, but the stones and arrows bounced off their bodies as off walls and struck the tormentors. Having no other means, the governor ordered them beheaded. With them three more Christians suffered: Leontius, Anthimus and Eutropius.

The five martyrs who suffered together were buried together. The time of their martyrdom is not known with certainty; only that they suffered at the end of the third century, in the time of Diocletian and Maximian. Their passion is also found in the Lives of the Saints by Saint Dimitry of Rostov.