Caesarius of Cappadocia - a physician and philosopher of late antiquity. Part I

Against the general background of the scarcity of biographical data on physicians (including Christian physicians) of the Late Roman Empire, the figure of Saint Caesarius of Cappadocia (Nazianzus) - the court physician of four Roman emperors - is of particular interest, being a happy exception to this rule. A comparison of the available data allows us to outline the life path of an ancient physician of that period who belonged to the social elite and at the same time came from a Christian family. In both domestic and foreign literature, there are practically no studies devoted to Caesarius himself, who usually remains in the shadow of his brother, Saint Gregory the Theologian, and his friend, Saint Basil the Great. In this regard, it seems important within the framework of this study to give a portrait of Caesarius of Cappadocia in the context of the era as a doctor, philosopher, politician, representative of the ruling elite and Christian confessor, a saint venerated by the Church. The article examines the history of the Caesarius family in connection with the socio-political and religious specifics of Cappadocia in the 4th century, childhood, and youth, and education of Caesarius, which served as the basis for his further formation and development.