Cosmas the Monk

This article is about the 7th-century monk from Sicily. For the 6th-century Byzantine geographer who sailed to India, see Cosmas Indicopleustes. For other people named 'Cosmas', see Cosmas.

Cosmas the Monk (fl. 7th c) was a monk from Sicily (hence also known as Cosmas the Sicilian^[1]), best known as the tutor of John of Damascus^[2] and Cosmas of Maiuma.^[3]

Any knowledge of Cosmas comes from the notably unreliable^[4] tenth-century hagiography of John of Damascus. Apparently, John's father met Cosmas, a Sicilian who knew Greek, on the shores of Italy when the latter was about to be executed.^[1] He was crying loudly and when asked why a monk would cry in the face of death, answered that he was bemoaning the loss of the knowledge he had gathered, "for he knew nearly everything under the sun." In response, John's father (a judge) had him released and appointed him as tutor for his son.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sahas, Daniel C. (1972). John of Damascus on Islam: The "Heresy of the Ishmaelites". Brill. pp. 39-40. ISBN 9789004034952. http://books.google.ca/books?id=pYSl_cyYHssC&pg=PA39. 
2. ^ Fortescue, Adrian (1908). The Greek Fathers. Catholic Truth Society. p. 242. http://books.google.com/books?id=nUZWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA242. 
3. ^ Biedermann, H.M. (1999). "Kosmas v. Majuma". Lexikon des Mittelalters. 5. J.B. Metzler. p. 1458. 
4. ^ "St. John Damascene". Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. 1913. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08459b.htm. Retrieved 19 October 2011. 
5. ^ James, Croake (1892). Curiosities of Christianity. London: Methuen. p. 515. http://books.google.com/books?id=UcFCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA515. 

Persondata
Name	Cosmas the Monk
Alternative names	Cosmas the Sicilian
Short description	Monk, tutor
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death