Bishop
Saint Cosmas of Maiuma was raised alongside Saint John of Damascus. Τhe latter’s parents took in the young Christian orphan, who had lost his own parents. They brought him up together with John as part of the same family.
He was educated by a monk who also bore the name Cosmas. As he grew older, he chose to withdraw to the Monastery of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified. There he received the became a monk and devoted himself to a life of piety and ascetic struggle.
During the period of Iconoclasm, Saint Cosmas encouraged Saint John to defend the holy icons. He also composed inspired hymns and canons for the services of the Church, becoming one of the great hymnographers of the Byzantine tradition. Later, he was appointed Bishop of Maiuma, where he labored tirelessly for the spiritual progress of his flock.
Saint Cosmas of Maiuma reposed peacefully in the year 787, having reached a venerable old age.
