Who is San Marco, Mark the Evangelist?
Markos is a Roman name. His Jewish name was John. In the book of Acts, he is referred to as “John called Mark.” Mark most likely came from a wealthy family living in Jerusalem; because they had their own house and servants.
In Christian Mythology, it is the name of Barnabas' cousin and close friend of Peter (Simon), the apostle of Jesus, and gave its name to the second of the canonical gospels that make up the first four chapters of the New Testament.
The Gospel of Mark was written by Mark, based on St. Peter, in the late 60s and early 70s AD. It is believed to be the oldest of the gospels and even to be the source of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It tells the story from John the Baptist to Jesus' ascension into heaven.
Mark the Evangelist also known as John Mark or Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Modern Bible scholars have concluded that the Gospel of Mark was written by an anonymous author rather than by Mark. According to Church tradition, Mark founded the episcopal see of Alexandria, which was one of the five most important sees of early Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and his symbol is the winged lion.
Mark is a young man who escaped while Jesus was being arrested in the garden (Mark 14:51–52) and is thought to be the same person as John Mark in Acts (12:12).
According to legend, Markos was the first bishop of the Egyptian city of Alexandria and was accused of being a sorcerer by the pagans because of the miracles he performed there, and was chained and tortured until death and martyred at a festival held in honor of the god Serapis. St. Mark, whose feast day is celebrated on April 25, is considered the protector of the city of Venice as well as the scribes and notaries.