Letter 122

Isidore of PelusiumAlypius|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: Alypius
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on how tone changes meaning, and a note about a friend's visit.

You seem not to realize that the same word, the same phrase, and the same statement, when spoken with a different tone, sometimes reveals the fruit of reason and sometimes the fruit of anger.

Your friend came here to put a stop to the reproaches directed at him for his petty behavior toward you. He has come because his present friendship with you is dear to him.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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