3rd century
Saints Cosmas and Damian of Rome
Brothers and physicians who healed without payment (“unmercenaries”).
Biography
The brothers Cosmas and Damian were physicians in the time of the Roman emperor Carinus, and they treated all who came to them without accepting payment, asking only that people believe in Christ.
When rivals accused them before the emperor of healing through sorcery, they presented themselves before him in person. During the interrogation Carinus's own face became twisted, and the two saints healed him by praying to Christ; the miracle led the emperor and many witnesses to believe, and he sent them home with honours.
Later, according to tradition, the very teacher who had taught them medicine, envious of their fame, lured them to a mountain on the pretext of gathering herbs and killed them by stoning.