In the annals of time, where the echoes of faith resound, stand the revered unmercenaries, Cosmas and Damian, born of the same womb and bound by a sacred mission. Their homeland was Mesopotamia, a name once bestowed upon a region of ancient Asia Minor. Though the exact years of their earthly pilgrimage remain shrouded in mystery, they certainly walked this earth no later than the fourth century. Evidence speaks through the ages: in the early fifth century, during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Younger, churches arose in their honour. Furthermore, even the Copts, who parted ways with Orthodoxy after the Council of Chalcedon in 431 AD, venerated them as saints, acknowledging no others who lived after that time.
Their father, a Greek pagan, departed this world while they were yet tender in years. Left to raise her sons alone, their mother Theodotia embraced her Christian faith with renewed fervour and devoted herself entirely to the upbringing of her children. She embodied the true widowhood extolled by Apostle Paul: “Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day” (1 Timothy 5:5). For her piety and devotion, the Holy Church has numbered her among the righteous and commemorates her alongside her sons.
The Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian and their mother Theodota. Fragment of a Byzantine fresco. Mid-13th century. Byzantine Museum in Athens
Imagine, if you will, the nurturing these children received under such a mother’s guidance. From their earliest days, she instilled in them a reverence for God and a love for virtue. As they grew into young men, she entrusted their education to a God-fearing teacher. Here, divine scripture was their foremost study, yet they also learned the healing arts and explored the medicinal properties of herbs and plants.
The Lord blessed their noble intent bestowing upon them the gift of healing and performing miracles. At their touch, ailments fled like shadows before the dawn. The blind, the lame, the paralysed, and the demon-possessed flocked to them. Far from shunning this sacred duty, Cosmas and Damian embraced it wholeheartedly. They sought out the suffering, journeying from city to city, village to village, offering healing to all. No one was turned away — man or woman, rich or poor, young or old.
These holy men sought neither wealth nor fame. Their sole aim was to serve the suffering for the glory of God. They accepted no payment for their labours, refusing even tokens of gratitude. They held fast to the Saviour’s command: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Grace they received freely from God; grace they dispensed freely to others. They asked but one thing from those they healed: to hold firm their faith in Christ and live righteously in Him. Those not yet illuminated by the Gospel’s light, they endeavoured to convert. Thus, they ministered not only to physical ailments but also to the infirmities of the soul.
For this selfless service to humanity, for these wondrous cures of incurable diseases, the Holy Church exalts them as Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers.
Icon of the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian. Tver, second quarter of the 15th century
The miraculous healing prowess of these saintly physicians extended beyond humanity. Animals, too, received their compassionate care. Traversing homes, deserts, and forests, they sought out ailing beasts, restoring them to health. Once, in a desolate wasteland, they stumbled upon a camel, barely clinging to life. With hearts full of mercy, the brothers mended its broken body and set it free, vibrant and renewed.
Acts of kindness filled the lives of these holy unmercenaries. Inseparable, they prayed, journeyed, and healed as one. Having vowed never to accept payment, they remained vigilant, lest one should secretly take a gift from a grateful patient. This promise they kept throughout their lives, until one day, God allowed an exception.
In those days, a woman named Palladia languished under a grievous affliction for years. Finding no relief from any physician and sensing death’s approach, she heard of the holy doctors, healers of every ailment. Trusting in their divine power, she sent for them. The saints answered her plea, and upon entering her home, Palladia was instantly made whole. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she offered them her entire estate and lavish gifts — but the saints accepted nothing.
Determined to show her thankfulness, Palladia made a plan to persuade at least one of them to accept a token. Taking three eggs, she secretly approached Saint Damian, imploring him to accept them in the name of the Holy Trinity. Damian, though reluctant, finally yielded to her pleas, moved by the invocation of God’s name. When Cosmas learned of this, grief consumed him. He decreed that upon their deaths, Damian’s body should not be laid to rest beside his own, for he had broken their sacred vow.
That very night, the Lord appeared to Cosmas. “Why do you grieve over three eggs?” He asked. “They were accepted not for profit, but for the woman’s oath in My name…” (cf. Matthew 5:34). Comforted by this vision, Cosmas kept the matter to himself. After performing countless more wonders, he peacefully departed this life.
Some time later, Saint Damian too was called to his heavenly abode. Those who revered their memory were puzzled. Where should Damian be buried? They recalled Cosmas’s decree and feared to disobey. As they stood in bewildered silence beside Damian’s body, a camel suddenly approached, speaking in a human voice: “Men of God, you who have witnessed so many signs and wonders from Saints Cosmas and Damian — not only you but we beasts, given to you by God for service — I have come as a servant to reveal Cosmas’s secret. Do not separate them, but lay them to rest together.” It was the very camel the saints had once healed. The people gave thanks to the Lord for this miraculous revelation. Placing the holy relics of the unmercenaries together in a single reliquary, they buried them in a place called Fereman (modern-day Dicle, Turkey). According to reliable accounts, both saints departed this world in the prime of their lives.
Icon of Saints Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia
At the site of their interment, a church soon arose. Pilgrims seeking healing flocked from far and wide. A church soon graced the site of their burial, drawing sufferers from far and wide, encircling the sacred site in search of healing. Such was the power of the miracles performed by these holy unmercenaries. Here are but a few of their wondrous deeds.
In Fereman, there dwelt a man named Malchus. On the eve of a lengthy voyage, he brought his wife to the shrine of Saints Cosmas and Damian. “I entrust you to the protection of these holy men,” he declared. “Remain at home until I send a token, one you will undoubtedly recognise as mine.” With these words, they parted.
Sometime later, the devil, disguised as a familiar face, approached Malchus’s wife. He presented the prearranged token and announced, “Your husband has sent me to escort you to him.”
Recognising the sign, she believed him. Yet, she insisted he first swear an oath in the church of the holy unmercenaries to treat her with respect throughout the journey. But what meaning did an oath hold for the devil? His purpose was to erode faith in the saints’ protection.
Upon reaching a desolate wilderness, the fiend thrust the woman from her mount, intent on her demise. In her terror, she cried out, “Saints Cosmas and Damian, deliver me from this peril!”
The saints, ever near to those who call upon them, instantly appeared as two horsemen. The evil spirit, recognising them, fled to a high mountain, hurled himself into a chasm, and vanished. The horsemen gently lifted the woman and carried her safely home. She bowed low, overflowing with gratitude. “Who are you, my saviours?” she implored. “We are Cosmas and Damian,” they replied, “to whom your husband entrusted you before his departure.” With these words, they vanished from sight. Overcome by fear and joy, the woman collapsed to the ground.
Recovering, she hastened to the church of the holy unmercenaries. There, with tears of thankfulness streaming down her face, she recounted her miraculous rescue.
A young man, driven mad by fright, was brought to the church of the holy unmercenaries in the hope of a cure. Days and nights he spent near the church, yet no healing came.
After some time, his father, a pious old man, arrived. The parent’s prayer found favour. The son, who until then had not recognised his father, now knew him. Finally, the saints, invisibly laying their hands upon him, fully restored his sanity. Appearing to the father, they instructed him to return home, praising God.
A man, suffering from a lung ailment that caused him to cough up blood, came to the reliquary of the holy unmercenaries seeking a cure. His condition was so grave that all believed him near death. His wife was even preparing for his burial. Notably, this man had never believed in the saints’ miraculous power and had often spoken blasphemously against the Almighty.
The saints healed him of both afflictions. In a night vision, they admonished him never again to utter blasphemous words and to abstain from meat for a full year. Gladly accepting their counsel, the man adhered to it faithfully. At the saints’ command, the bleeding from his throat ceased, his lungs grew strong, and with boundless joy, he offered thanks before returning home.
On another occasion, a woman bereft of hearing and speech sought solace at the church of the holy unmercenaries. For years, she had endured this affliction, seeking no aid but that of heaven. Persistently, she wept and prayed, beseeching the divine healers to deliver her from her plight. At last, her pleas were answered. Though deaf and mute, she ceaselessly repeated the Trisagion in her heart, and through this prayer, the saints wrought their miracle.
During evening worship in their church, as the Trisagion was sung according to custom, the deaf woman suddenly heard the singers. And she, who had been mute, began to sing. Astonished by this extraordinary miracle, she loudly proclaimed God’s greatness, revealed through the holy unmercenaries.
Even in pagan lands, the saints performed wonders. A heathen man, devoted to the gods Castor and Pollux, fell gravely ill with an unbearable malady. His companions urged him to seek help at the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Heeding their advice, he witnessed countless sick being healed and became convinced of the miraculous power of these holy physicians. With newfound faith, he began to implore their mercy.
The saints appeared to him together. “Friend,” they said, “why have you come to us? Why do you beseech us? You have not come of your own accord, but have been sent by others. We are not Castor and Pollux, but servants of Christ, the immortal King, named Cosmas and Damian. Therefore, if you acknowledge our Lord with faith, you will receive healing from Him.”
The Greek man wracked with unbearable pain, recognised the True God, ceaselessly imploring the saints for mercy, and vowed to embrace the Christian faith. The saints, perceiving the sincerity of his belief, laid their hands upon him, granting him complete deliverance. The healed man fulfilled his vow and received Holy Baptism. Returning home completely restored, he joyfully recounted all the miracles of the holy unmercenaries, the futility of Castor and Pollux, and the superiority of Christian teaching. Many who heard his testimony renounced their old beliefs and embraced Christianity.
Another man, enamoured with public spectacles, suffered from a chest ailment. Finding no relief elsewhere, he eventually turned to the church of the holy unmercenaries. Seeing his sincere devotion, they took pity on him.
The following night, they appeared to him and commanded him to drink a cup of tar. The man disobeyed. The saints appeared a second time, adding another cup to the first. When he again failed to comply, they appeared a third time, commanding him to drink three cups.
His illness was growing worse by the day, yet the man stubbornly refused to heed the saints’ command. Finally, they appeared to him again in a dream, their faces alight with joy. “Friend,” they said, “why do you cry out to us so? If drinking three cups of tar for your healing is so distasteful, then pour them into a single vessel. Wait until nightfall, take it to the mountain, to the site of the spectacles, and bury it there, unseen by anyone. If you do this, you will be healed.”
Eagerly, he followed their instructions. Yet, as buried the vessel, a passerby chanced upon the scene. Suspecting witchcraft, the observer marked the spot and returned with a crowd. Confirming the strange burial, they seized the supposed sorcerer and brought him before the authorities. Under questioning, he told the truth, but they refused to believe him.
Finally, they decreed that if indeed the holy unmercenaries had given such a command, the man should drink the three cups before them all and be healed. The man gladly accepted the vessel, though its contents seemed repulsive, and drank it down in full view of everyone. Immediately, by the power of the holy unmercenaries, he was healed. Rejoicing, he went to their church, offering thanks and recounting how the holy unmercenaries had not only cured his illness and taught him obedience but also freed him from his obsession with public entertainment.
All these miracles were performed by the holy unmercenaries in Mesopotamia, mostly within their church, near their holy relics. Undoubtedly, the grace of the holy unmercenaries’ wonderworking power has also manifested in our homeland. It is not without reason that our ancestors erected so many holy churches in their name.
In our homeland, Saints Cosmas and Damian (of Mesopotamia) are revered as guardians of children. Parents invoke their aid when their offspring begin their educational journey, beseeching the saints to fortify young minds and nurture wisdom.
Certainly, this belief within our people did not arise without cause. It is based partly on their life story and partly on their church service: firstly, their Life recounts how their mother guided them to literacy — a scene often depicted in icons. Moreover, church services praise them as wise healers, “secretly schooled in eloquent words, filled with understanding and wisdom, bestowing knowledge upon all.”
Saints Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia and their Mother Theodota. Byzantine, last quarter of the 14th century. Byzantine Museum of Kastoria, Greece
Troparion to the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia, Tone 8
Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian, visit our infirmities. Freely you have received, freely give to us.
Kontakion to the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia, Tone 2
Having received the grace of healing, you extend health to those in need, O physicians, most glorious wonderworkers. By your visitation, you overthrow the boldness of the enemy, healing the world with miracles.
Prayer to the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia
O glorious wonderworkers, selfless physicians Cosmas and Damian! From your youth, you loved Christ God and wholeheartedly obeyed His commandments. Though you dedicated yourselves to the study of medicine, by virtue of your righteous lives and purity of soul, you received from Christ God not only medical skill but also the boundless grace of healing all manner of illnesses. Moved by love and compassion for the sick, you provide healing not only to people but also to animals, filling the entire world with countless miracles. You heal not only physical ailments but also enlighten souls with faith in Christ, strengthening them in the endurance of suffering, guiding them towards correcting their lives during severe illnesses, and drawing them to Christ through repentance.
Therefore, hear us now, as we fall before your venerable icon. Guide young children, who seek your aid in their studies, through your prayers, so that, emulating your lives, they may acquire not only earthly knowledge but also excel in piety and true faith. Grant healing, through your merciful and miraculous visitation, to those lying on beds of sickness, despairing of human help, who flee to you with warm faith and fervent prayer. Strengthen those who frequently fall ill and succumb to despondency, faintheartedness, and murmuring during severe afflictions, through the grace bestowed upon you by God. Instruct them to understand God's holy and good will concerning them, surrendering themselves and their lives to the will of Christ God.
Soften the hearts of those who, suffering from illness, do not strive to amend their lives, who remain unrepentant in their sins. Call them to repentance, so that, though weak in body, they may remain healthy in soul and become partakers of God's saving grace. Preserve unharmed from prolonged illness, severe and incurable diseases, from bodily weakness, from mental derangement, from deadly plague, and sudden death, the brethren of this holy church entrusted to your holy protection, and all who fervently flee to you. By your all-powerful intercession with God, keep them steadfast in true faith, progressing in piety, diligent in good works, and devoted to prayer, that together with you they may be deemed worthy in the age to come to eternally sing and glorify the all-holy and magnificent name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Magnification to the Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia
We magnify you, O glorious wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian, and we honour your holy memory, guides to the erring, healers of the sick, and companions of the angels.
