Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia, and their mother, Saint Theodotia

Cosmas and Damian were brothers from Asia, raised by their widowed mother Theodotia, a Christian; their father was a pagan. Tradition places them in the 3rd century. They became physicians and took no payment for their cures, which gave them the name “unmercenaries”.

According to their Life, Damian once accepted three eggs from a woman he had healed, because she begged him in the name of the Trinity. Cosmas, grieved, asked before his death that Damian not be buried beside him. When Damian died, the people did not know what to do; then a camel the brothers had once healed is said to have spoken and told them to bury the two together. They were laid in one tomb at the place called Pheremann.