Thomas Aquinas was born into the noble Aquino family at Roccasecca Castle near Naples. His father was Count Landulf of Aquino, and his mother Theodora was of Norman descent. He was the youngest of several children in this aristocratic household.

At age five, Thomas was sent to the Benedictine abbey at Monte Cassino as an oblate. His family hoped he would become abbot there. He received his early education in Latin, grammar, music, and religious studies.

After Emperor Frederick II expelled the monks from Monte Cassino, Thomas enrolled at the University of Naples. He studied the liberal arts and was introduced to Aristotle's philosophy through his teachers.

Against his family's wishes, Thomas joined the Dominican Order of mendicant friars. The Dominicans were a new order dedicated to preaching and teaching. His family was outraged by this decision.

Thomas's brothers kidnapped him while traveling to Paris and imprisoned him in the family castle for over a year. They tried to dissuade him from joining the Dominicans, even sending a prostitute to tempt him. Thomas remained steadfast.

After his release, Thomas traveled to Paris and then to Cologne to study under Albertus Magnus, the leading Dominican scholar. Classmates called him 'the Dumb Ox' due to his quiet demeanor, but Albertus predicted his greatness.

Thomas was ordained a Catholic priest, dedicating his life to the Church. He combined his intellectual pursuits with his priestly vocation. His preaching and teaching would become legendary.

Thomas returned to the University of Paris as a bachelor to lecture on Peter Lombard's Sentences. This was the standard theological curriculum. He began writing his first commentaries and treatises.

Thomas received his doctorate in theology and became a regent master at the University of Paris. Despite his youth and the secular-mendicant controversy, he earned his chair alongside Bonaventure.

Thomas returned to Italy to serve as preacher general for his order and to teach at various Dominican schools. He taught at Orvieto, Rome, and Viterbo. He began organizing his major theological works.

Pope Urban IV appointed Thomas as papal theologian, a position of great honor and responsibility. He composed the liturgy for the feast of Corpus Christi at the Pope's request.

Thomas completed the Summa contra Gentiles, a philosophical work defending Christianity using reason alone. It was intended as a manual for missionaries to Muslims and Jews. It demonstrated his mastery of Aristotelian philosophy.

Thomas began writing his masterwork, the Summa Theologica, a comprehensive systematic theology for beginners. It would become the most influential theological text in Western Christianity. He worked on it for the rest of his life.

Thomas returned to Paris to combat Averroism and defend the compatibility of faith and reason. He engaged in heated debates with secular masters. His polemical writings from this period were influential.

Thomas was sent to Naples to establish a new Dominican studium generale. He continued writing the Summa Theologica while teaching. His health began to decline from years of intense work.

On December 6, 1273, Thomas had a mystical experience during Mass that changed him. He stopped writing, saying 'All that I have written seems like straw compared to what has been revealed to me.' The Summa remained unfinished.

Pope Gregory X summoned Thomas to the Council of Lyon to help with reunification of Eastern and Western churches. Thomas fell ill during the journey, striking his head on a fallen tree.

Thomas died at the Cistercian abbey of Fossanova on March 7, 1274. He received last rites and reportedly said, 'I receive Thee, the price of my redemption.' He was canonized in 1323 and declared a Doctor of the Church.