BARDESANES, biiede-sii'nez, or BAR DAISAN (son of Daisan—a river) (154-0.223). A Syrian Christian poet and theologian. He was born at Edessa, of a good family, and lived for a time at the court of the Abgars. Our informa tion concerning him is not extensive, and only fragments of his many writings have survived, but we know that he was a very influential figure in the Syrian Church. He died at Edessa in A.D. 223. It was chiefly through his efforts that Christianity was first introduced into Edessa, which soon became an important theological cen tre. He fled into Armenia when Edessa was taken by Caracalla (A.D. 217), but returned soon afterwards. Writers like Eusebius and Jerome refer tri Bardesanes in high terms, although the former represents him as having been for a time a Valentinian Gnostic (see VALENTINUS; GNOSTI CISM). He popularized his views in the form of hymns, 150 in number, which were widely used and which justify us in regarding Barde sanes as one of the fathers of Christian hym nology. It is uncertain how much his son, Har mounts, contributed toward this enrichment of worship. but seine aneient authorities rate his
services very high. Ephraim, the Syrian, an orthodox writer of the Fourth Century, was alarmed at the influence these hymns still ex erted in his day, so he composed others in their place, using Bardesanes as a model, hut inserting nothing that was not strictly Catholic. It is difficult to decide just how far Bardesanes's teachings diverged from orthodoxy. He himself denied the charge of polytheism which was brought against him.
The book of Lows of Countrics—Cureton,Spici legium 8yriacum (London, 1855), and the Ante Nicene Fathers, viii. 723 ff. (New York, 1895)— is not the work of Bardesanes, as some have thought, but comes from one of his school and reflects his views. For the early references to Bardesanes consult: Hamad:, Ceschichte der altchristlichen Litteratur, Vol. 1. (Leipzig, 1893) ; for monographs on Bardesanes (in Ger man). Hahn (1819) ; Slerx (1863) ; and Hilgen feld (1864). Consult in general. Hort, "Bar in Smith and Wace• Dictionary of Chris tian Biography (London, 1887).