Andrew of Crete was an 8th-century bishop, theologian, and prolific hymnographer born in Damascus. After reportedly overcoming a childhood speech impediment, he entered the monastic life at the Lavra of Saint Sabbas. He rose through the ecclesiastical ranks, serving as an archdeacon in both Jerusalem and Constantinople before becoming the metropolitan of Gortyna. Though he briefly participated in a council that reversed previous ecumenical decrees, he later returned to orthodoxy, dedicating his remaining years to preaching and composing liturgical music.