Damian of Arabia

Holy Unmercenary Physician Damian of Arabia was the brother of Saint Cosmas, with whom he suffered, together with their fellow martyrs Leontius, Anthimus and Eutropius. His commemoration is on 30 October. The Church also honours him on 17 October.

Cosmas and Damian, martyrs and unmercenary physicians, were contemporaries of the unmercenary physicians of Rome. Their homeland was Arabia. Like their namesakes, they practised the science of medicine, but it helped them little in healing diseases. Receiving from God the grace of working wonders, they healed the illnesses of people in the Name of Christ the Saviour. When the news of their wonders and teaching reached the governor Lysias, he at once ordered them brought. Taken to Cilicia, they were presented to the governor. Questioning them about faith, names and homeland, he ordered them to offer sacrifice to the idols. When they would not carry out the order and boldly confessed their faith in Christ, he ordered them beaten without mercy and then, bound, thrown into the sea.

But the Lord saved them from drowning. An angel loosed their bonds and brought them to dry land completely unharmed. This wondrous deliverance was ascribed to sorcery. The governor asked them by what spell they had escaped from the sea, saying that he too wished to follow their teaching. They answered that they were Christians, that they knew no spell, and that they had only the power of Christ, who saves them from all troubles. Angered, the governor would speak no more and ordered them shut in prison. The next day he ordered them thrown into the fire, but the Lord kept them there too: the fire lost its natural power and did not touch them. Amazed, but not knowing Him who saved them, the governor tried other torments, in vain. He had them hung up and ordered stones thrown at them, and then arrows shot, but the stones and arrows leapt from their bodies as from walls and struck the tormentors. Finding no other means, the governor ordered their heads cut off with the sword. With them three other Christians also suffered: Leontius, Anthimus and Eutropius.

The five martyrs were buried together. The time of their suffering is not known for certain; it is sure only that they suffered at the end of the third century, in the time of Diocletian and Maximian.