Icon of Saint Ephraim the Syrian
Mosaic of St Ephraim the Syrian, Nea Moni of Chios, 11th c. (public domain)

Saint Ephraim the Syrian

c. 306–373 4th c. 1 work

Saint Ephraim the Syrian (c. 306–373) was a fourth-century Syriac deacon, hymnographer, and teacher of the early Church. Writing entirely in Syriac, he became the foremost Christian poet of the patristic age and was later honored as a Doctor of the Church, gaining the byname “Harp of the Holy Spirit” for the abundance and beauty of his sacred verse.

Born at Nisibis in Mesopotamia, he served the Church there as a disciple and deacon under Bishop James of Nisibis. After Nisibis was ceded to Persia in 363 he settled at Edessa, where he taught, ministered to the poor, and organized famine relief; he remained a deacon throughout his life, declining higher office.

His enormous output comprises metrical hymns (madrashe) and verse homilies (memre) on faith, the Nativity, paradise, and the refutation of heresies, alongside biblical commentaries. His penitential prayer, beginning “O Lord and Master of my life,” is recited throughout Great Lent in the Orthodox Church.

He died at Edessa in 373. He is venerated as a saint, and the Orthodox Church commemorates him on 28 January.

Sources: Orthodox Church in America — Venerable Ephraim the Syrian Encyclopædia Britannica — St. Ephraem Syrus

Available works

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Known works

Complete known works in the Clavis catalog — 0 of 18 are in the archive (✓). The catalog is drawn from Wikidata and the Patristic Text Archive, and covers only part of the printed Clavis.

  • De virtutibus et vitiis · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 3908 · not yet in the archive
  • Περὶ φόβου ψυχῶν · not yet in the archive
  • Λόγοι παραινετικοὶ πρὸς τοὺς κατ’ Αἴγυπτον μοναχούς · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 3946 · not yet in the archive
  • Sermo de sacerdotio · not yet in the archive
  • De caritate · not yet in the archive
  • Περὶ ψαλμοῦ · not yet in the archive
  • De oratione · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 3984 · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 4002 · not yet in the archive
  • De paenitentia · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 4014 · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 4015 · not yet in the archive
  • De paenitentia · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 4111 · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 4112 · not yet in the archive
  • CPG 4114 · not yet in the archive

Canon data: Wikidata (CC0) and the Patristic Text Archive / BBAW (CC BY-SA 4.0).