Bardanes 3 was known as "the Turk": Theoph. AM 6295 (ὁ ἐπίκλην Τοῦρκος), Theoph. Cont. I 1 (p. 6) (cited below), Scyl., p. 9 (Τοῦρκος τὴν προσηγορίαν), Genesius I 6 (ᾧ Τοῦρκος ἐπίκλησις), Vita Euthym. Sard. 5 (cited below), Acta Davidis, Symeonis et Georgii 231-232 (ὁ Τοῦρκος), Petrus, Vita Ioannicii 16 (cited below), Zon. XV 14. 9 (ᾡ Τοῦρκος ἦν ἐπίκλησις). Cf. Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, pp. 157, 198, 206. Bardanes 3's name (the Armenian "Vardan") indicates that he was of Armenian origin.

Bardanes 3 was the father of Bryennios 3: Petrus, Vita Ioannicii 16 (τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ Τοῦρκου, τοὔνομα Βρυένης).

Patrikios and domestikos of the Scholai, in 796 Bardanes 3 was sent with Ioannes 17 by the emperor Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) to bring the hegoumenos of Sakkoudion, Platon 1, to Constantinople: Theoph. AM 6288 (Βαρδάνης, ὁ πατρίκιος καὶ στρατηγὸς τῶν ἀνατολικῶν). Presumably identical with the unnamed domestikos of the Scholai who with the unnamed strategos of the Opsikion (se Ioannes 17) was sent by Constantine VI (Konstantinos 8) to the monastery of Theodoros 15 (Theodore the Stoudite) (i.e. Sakkoudion); they inflicted beatings on Theodoros 15 and three other leading monks and exiled Theodoros 15 and ten others to Thessalonike, for their opposition to the emperor's second marriage: Vita B Theod. Stud. 253C-256A. (τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν σχολῶν δομέστικον), Vita C Theod. Stud. 19, p. 268 (ᾧ καὶ τὴν τῶν σχολῶν τάξιν ἐμπεπιστευκὼς ἦν), cf. Theod. Stud., Ep. 2.

On Easter Monday (1 April) 799 Bardanes 3 was one of four patrikioi who led the four white horses drawing the carriage of the empress Eirene 1 in procession from the church of the Holy Apostles; he was at the time strategos of the Thrakesioi (ὑπὸ τεσσάρων πατρικίων κρατουμένου, φημὶ δὴ Βαρδάνου, στρατηγοῦ τῶν Θρᾳκησίων): Theoph. AM 6291 (the other three were Sisinnios 1, Niketas 11 and Konstantinos 16). Described as one of the best known figures, a leading member of the senate and a patrikios, holding office as domestikos of the Scholai of the East (ἀνήρ τις τῶν ἄγαν διαφανῶν ... ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις τῆς συγκλήτου τελῶν, πατρικιότητι τετιμημένος καὶ δομέστικος τυγχάνων τῶν σχολῶν τῆς Ἀνατολῆς; he was in fact strategos of the Anatolikoi, and the title domestikos of the Scholai of the Anatole is anachronistic): Scyl., p. 9.

At the start of the reign of Nikephoros 8 (in 802) Bardanes 3 was sent as monostrategos to govern the five themata of the East, because of his reputation for boldness in war and other high qualities: Theoph. Cont. I 1 (p. 6) (καὶ μονοστράτηγον τὸν Βαρδάνιον, ᾧ Τοῦρκος ἐπίκλην, τῶν πέντε θεμάτων τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν τὴν ἐφορείαν καὶ πρόνοιαν διοικούμενον διά τε τὴν ἐν πολέμοις τόλμαν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἐπανθούσας αὐτῷ ἀρετὰς ἐξαπέσταλκεν). According to Theophanes, in July 803 he was patrikios and strategos of the Anatolikon: Theoph. AM 6295 (cited below), cf. Zon. XV 14.9 (τὸν δὲ πατρίκιον Βαρδάνην καὶ στρατηγὸν τῶν ἀνατολικῶν), 19.4 (Βαρδάνιος ὁ στρατηγὸς καὶ πατρίκιος), Genesius I 6 (a patrikios, he was in command of the east - τοῦ τῆς ἀνατολῆς ἐξηγεῖτο θέματος). He now appointed to his personal bodyguard and staff Leo 15, Michael 10 and Thomas 7, supposedly to help him overcome his enemies and further his imperial dreams: Theoph. Cont. I 1 (pp. 6-7), cf. II 7 (p. 46) (described as the first benefactor of Michael 10), II 11 (p. 52).

He is perhaps to be identified with the unnamed strategos who, on the advice of a close friend who was an Athinganos, took into his service Michael 10 and, perhaps, Leo 15 and then married them both to his daughters: Theoph. Cont. II 5 (pp. 44-45), Genesius II 1 (τῷ τηνικαῦτα στρατηλάτῃ τοῦ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν θέματος), Zon. XV 22. 13-15 (τῷ ταγματάρχῃ) (and see Michael 10). If so, one daughter was perhaps Barka 1, first wife of Leo 15. The other was perhaps Thekla 2, first wife of Michael 10.

Recorded as strategos of the Anatolikon, under whom Thomas the Slav (Thomas 7) served as protostrator: Acta Davidis, Symeonis et Georgii 231, 26-232, 1.

He entertained strong and persistent imperial ambitions but feared the possible outcome if he made the attempt; he therefore visited a monk (Anonymus 57) living in a cave near Philomelion, whose reputation both for virtue and for prophecy had reached his ears; accompanied by his three attendants Leo 15 (his protostrator), Michael 10 and Thomas 7, he approached the cave and went in alone; the monk told him to abandon his hopes, as he would be blinded and lose all his property if he proceeded; downcast he left the cave, but was recalled when the monk noticed the three attendants; he was then told that Leo 15 and Michael 10 would both become emperors and Thomas 7 would be proclaimed but would not gain the throne; this seemed so ridiculous to Bardanes 3 that he no longer took the monk's prophecies seriously: Theoph. Cont. I 2 (pp. 7-8), Scyl., pp. 9-10, Genesius I 6, Zon. XV 19.4-10.

Instead he went away and raised the standard of revolt against the emperor Nikephoros I (Nikephoros 8); the date was 19 July 803 (19 July of the eleventh indiction): Theoph. AM 6295, Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 8). He raised a large army and was proclaimed emperor by four of the themata under his authority; the Armeniakoi alone refused to support him: Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 8) (τὰ ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν τέσσαρα θέματα τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ λόγοις ὑπαγαγών, τῶν Ἀρμενιακῶν χωρὶς (οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπεῖξαν αὐτῷ), τῆς ἐπαναστάσεως ἄρχεται). He had made himself very popular with the troops because once after defeating the Arabs and carrying away a large quantity of booty he distributed it among the men according to merit and not according to rank: Theoph. Cont. I 3 (pp. 8-9). He then marched into Bithynia en route for Nikomedeia; however the emperor Nikephoros 8 sent a warlike and adequate force against him, and when the armies faced one another Bardanes 3 asked for pardon and, withdrawing to Malagina, begged for forgiveness; this was granted with promises of safety: Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 9), Scyl., p. 10, Genesius I 7 (he marched to Bithynia but quickly submitted when Nikephoros 8 marched against him; he asked for pardon and was allowed to withdraw to his own property on the island of Prote - εἰς τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖσε φιλοπονηθέντα ἀγρόν). According to Theophanes, he was proclaimed emperor by the themata of Asia Minor (Βαρδάνες ὁ πατρίκιος καὶ στρατηγὸς τῶν ἀνατολικῶν, ὁ ἐπίκλην Τοῦρκος, ἀνηγορεύθη εἰς βασιλέα ὑπὸ τῶν περατικῶν θεμάτων); he was, according to Theophanes's account, most unwilling but could not escape; he advanced to Chrysopolis and remained for a few days but then, when the city failed to acknowledge him, withdrew to Malagina; there he contacted the emperor Nikephoros 8 and obtained a guarantee of safety for himself and all his followers signed by the emperor, the patriarch and "all the patrikioi": Theoph. AM 6295.

Bardanes 3 then made his way, on 8 September, to Kios in Bithynia (to the monastery of Herakleios, accompanied only by Thomas 7: Theoph. Cont. I 3, p. 9); there he accepted the tonsure, assumed monastic dress and sailed in a boat sent by the emperor to the island of Prote where he had built a monastery (according to Theoph. Cont., the hegoumenos, Anonymus 182, refused his request and he cut his own hair and assumed humble garb before going to Prote, where he owned a handsome property (κτῆμα καλῶς πεπονημένον): Theoph. Cont. I 3, p. 9): Theoph. AM 6295, Theoph. Cont. I 3 (pp. 9-10). On Prote, according to Theophanes Continuatus, he received the monastic habit, took the name of Sabbas and assumed the life of an ascetic, subjecting himself to a life of considerable hardship: Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 10). In breach of the signed agreement the emperor (Nikephoros 8), so Theophanes says, deprived him of his property and took steps to punish all his supporters: Theoph. AM 6295. According to Theophanes Continuatus he gave away his property to the poor after his retreat into a monastery and the tonsuring of his family (cf. below): Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 10).

Probably in late 803 or early 804 the emperor sent agents to the island of Prote where they blinded Bardanes 3, an act which allegedly outraged the patriarch and the senate: Theoph. AM 6296, cf. Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 10) (the agents were from Lykaonia), Scyl., p. 10 (he was exiled to a property which he owned on the island of Prote; shortly afterwards he was attacked there by some Lykaonian troops, possibly sent by the emperor, and blinded), Genesius I 7 (similar to Scylitzes). He thereafter subjected himself to a life of even greater hardship and austerity than before; he was still living when the emperor Leo 15 came to the throne (in 813); husband of Domnika 1, by whom he had sons (Anonymi 6) and a daughter (Anonyma 16); after his withdrawal to a monastery, they apparently all remained in their own home, but Bardanes 3 had them all tonsured and gave his wife the name Athanasia: Theoph. Cont. I 3 (p. 10).

A patrikios (Βαρδάνιος ὁ πατρίκιος), Bardanes 3 rebelled against Nikephoros I (Nikephoros 8) and was defeated after the emperor allegedly resorted to sorcery: Theoph. AM 6303. According to Zonaras he was proclaimed emperor but the sources disagreed whether he was willing or unwilling; he later repented and after obtaining promises of safety became a monk and retired to the island of Prote, where he had founded a monastery; there he was blinded, supposedly by agents of the emperor Nikephoros 8: Zon. XV 14.9.

Bardanes 3 was a patrikios and was associated with Thomas 7 (κολληθείς τινι τῶν πατρικίων - Βαρδάνης οὗτος ἦν ὁ λεχθείς); he accused Thomas 7 of adultery and secured his conviction; he was resented by the emperor Nikephoros I (Nikephoros 8) because of his good qualities (καλοκἀγαθίαν): Genesius II 4. Among those unwillingly caught up in his revolt and later exiled were Euthymios 1, Theophylaktos 37 and Eudoxios 2, bishops respectively of Sardis, Nikomedeia and Amorion: Methodius, Vita Euthym. Sard. 5 (ἡ κατὰ τὸν Τοῦρκον Βαρδάνιον ἀνταρτικὴ τὸ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ ἐπανάστασις).

Bardanes 3 is possibly the owner of several extant seals. 1) Zacos and Veglery 1750B a and b: obv.: (a) cruciform monogram of Θεοτόκε βοήθει, with τω - δου - λω - σου in the corners, (b) cruciform monogram of Θεοτόκε βοήθει, with τω - σω - δ[ου] - λω in the corners; rev.: (a) +Β[α]ρ - δανη πα - τρικιω και - στρατηγω - των ανα - τολικω - ν+, (b) Βα[ρ] - δανη πα - τρικιω και στρατιγω - [τ]ων ανα - τολικ'; the name and titles read: Βαρδάνῃ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν. 2) Zacos and Veglery 1750: obv.: cruciform monogram of Θεοτόκε βοήθει, with τω - σω - δου - λω in the corners; rev.: Βαρ.. - νη πατρικ - βασ' α' σπαθ - αρ' και στρατ - των Αντο - λικων (there is a mark of abbreviation over the first ν of Ανατολικων); the name and titles read: Βαρδάνῃ πατρικίῳ, βασιλικῷ πρωτοσπαθαρίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν. 3) Szemioth-Wasilewski 43: the name and titles read: Βαρδάνῃ πατρικίῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν.

See also Guilland, Recherches I, p. 436, Winkelmann, Quellenstudien, p. 115, Winkelmann, Rangstruktur, p. 83.

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