Christian physicians of late antiquity: a portrait in cultural and historical perspectives

Ancient world became the environment where Christian Gospel sounded for the first time, giving to the world many famous Christian saints, who performed the feat of martyrdom. Among them were professional physicians, the first representatives of Roman intellectuals, who entered the group of the adherents of persecuted ancient Church. The approach to the legacy of antiquity in ancient Church was diverse. However the tradition represented by St. Justin the Philosopher and St. Clement of Alexandria facilitated the intellectuals’ coming into the Church, including physicians. The attitude towards physicians, as well as their social status, were different in the Roman world, but everyone from a senator to a commoner longed to see them as compassionate friends and not mercenary craftsmen. And such was the ideal of physicians-philosophers, the best representatives of their profession. Coming into Christian Church meant for the physicians the end of the world outlook crisis, which provoked the professional crisis. There are no detailed biographies of the physicians 200 of the age left, although separate biographical facts are scattered in their lives and martyrdom histories. Exception is made by the biography of St. Caesarius of Cappadocia, which is a part of his graveside oration written by his famous brother St. Gregory the Theologian.