Letter 1582
Isidore of Pelusium→Cyril Of Alexandria|isidore pelusium
imperial politics
Once the hierarchy used to correct and temper the office of emperor when it stumbled and fell, but now it has fallen beneath it, losing not its own rank, instead possessing ordained men unlike those in our ancestors’ time.[1] Previously when those crowned with a holy office lived the evangelic and apostolic life, naturally the office of emperor stood in awe of the hierarchy, but now it is the hierarchy of the office of emperor. In my opinion, the office of emperor is following its natural course, since it has not intentionally meant to assault the hierarchy, which it reveres like a god, but avenge it of the assaults on it and temper the people not conducting themselves as they should toward it. [1] Note the euphemism for the not so perfect bishops. Comments and corrections are welcome!
Once the hierarchy used to correct and temper the office of emperor when it stumbled and fell, but now it has fallen beneath it, losing not its own rank, instead possessing ordained men unlike those in our ancestors’ time.[1] Previously when those crowned with a holy office lived the evangelic and apostolic life, naturally the office of emperor stood in awe of the hierarchy, but now it is the hierarchy of the office of emperor. In my opinion, the office of emperor is following its natural course, since it has not intentionally meant to assault the hierarchy, which it reveres like a god, but avenge it of the assaults on it and temper the people not conducting themselves as they should toward it. [1] Note the euphemism for the not so perfect bishops. Comments and corrections are welcome!
Ογϑιίδγαπι δ δοιτὴ Ἀσίη Π Το ΓΕ ὕτὸ οπτηῖ- " αυξ δθοιπας δοηγοηῖ!. Νόχας οηα υλπίιηι ἀόθαηνιβ, ροξβάτημβ. Οἱ ἃ απίαι ὉΠ παι αἴδογα- ἴυγ, ουἱ ηἾ ἢοπ ἀσθαίυνΐ ἙὉΟΟΙΥ͂. -- ΡΕΤΒΟ. Ρετϊομίοεξα ἰαθοταμί, φμὶ πιαίς ασέπίες ϑοπὶ υἱάετὶ ομρίμηί. Τὸ ἄδοξα πράττοντα, ἔνδοξον δοχεῖν εἶναι, πολλοῖς μὲν εὐχταῖον σοφοῖς δὲ οὐχ ἐράσμιον. Ἡ γὰρ ἕξωθεν δόξα τὴν ἔνδον ἀδοξίαν νευροῖ" καὶ τὸ δοχεῖν ὑγιαί- νεῖν τοῦ ὄντως ὑγιαίνειν φαντασίαν ἐμποιοῦν, οὐδὲ θεραπείαν προσίεσθαι συγχωρεῖ. ΤΕ". --- Τῇ ἉΥΤΩ. Β οὐριδὶ ᾳυϊάδιν νυἱξο φἰογίοβϑαιη υἱάδγὶ, φυΐ (υγρί8 ρᾶίγαι ; δβϑρίϑηϊθβ ἐοηΐγα ἰά δυθγϑϑηίυγ. Εχίγο οηΐπι σἰοΥία, ἰπίαγηδπι ἙΟΓΓΟΌΟΓΑΙ ἱμηοτὶἶᾶπ), υἱ ρΡογδυδϑῖο ἀ6 ναϊθιυ ηὴ6, ἰδ ηδΥϑ " Ορίπϊοηὸπι οοΥ δδηϊιδιΐβ, συγαίοηθηι, Δρροίογα ποὴ μὲ.- τ ιἰϊ. (ΟΟΥ͂. -- ΕἸΘΕΜ. Βεπὲ φιιὶ ἰαἰμἷϊν, ϑόπε υἱαῖ!. (δὲς ορίει. , , .) Ὥσπερ εἷγε χρὴ ὅλως ἐναδρύνεσθαι, οὐχ ἐπὶ τῷ πράττειν ἁπλῶς ἃ μὴ δεῖ χρὴ σεμνύνεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῷ πράττειν ἃ χρὴ ἔστι γὰρ ἀπραξία πράξεως αἷ- ρετωτέρα. Οὕτω χαὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ἀδοξεῖν ἁπλῶς οὐ χρὴ λυπεῖσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῷ διχαίως ἀδοξεῖν" ἔστι γὰρ ἀδοξία δόξης ἀσφαλεστέρα. τ΄. --- ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΩ. Ὧι δἱ ρἰοειδηύυιῃ Θδὶ, θη ἀὰ ἰΐ8 οπηηΐῃ9 αι ποίδ5 δἷῖ ἀᾷογα, ἤδλι οδιδηϊδιῖο, ἀδ ἰΐ8 ροιίι5 4υ8 δξέδογὰ ορουτίοι, Εϑὶ οηἷπι ορίδηᾶ ἰγΆη4υ ροιΐυς ᾳφυᾶπι πο φ0 ). δὲς 6ἱ ᾿ηοίυπι ΟΠ ἷη0 ἀοϊοηάσπι ἤθη , ἱπ οῸ ἱφηοίυ!η Ορίδηδι πιᾶχίπιθ. Τυιϊΐ8 68ι δηΐαι ἰξηογαγὶ, αυϑλιὰ ἴδιη Ὁ εοἰουτγατὶ, (Ο(ΟΥ.. --- ΤΗΕΟΡΟΞΒΙΟ. ᾿μισιηι ἰἐπιρεταπία αἀυότεμηι [ἰρὶεπάμηι, πόθο υἱὲ ἡμαϊεῖο τόδ ποπάεταπάσ. Ἢ τρυφὴ, ἡ πάσης ἀχολασίας καὶ μήτηρ χαὶ τρο- φὸς, ὅταν «ρχπέζῃ πληθούσῃ, καὶ παντοίοις ὄψοις καὶ ἡδύσμάσι χομώσῃ, τὴν μὲν γεῦσιν τῶν ὁρώντων πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν χινήσῃν τὸν δὲ νοῦν τῶν χρωμένων ἐπιδρίθονσα χρήσασθαΐξ τινα ἀναπεέσῃ, τὸ τηνιχαῦτα ναυάγιον αὐτῷ προξενεῖ, εἰς τὸν βυθὸν τῶν παθῶν καταποντίσασα " φυλάττου τοίνυν ταύτην, χαὶ τὴν αὐτάρχειαν τίμα " εὖ εἰδὼς, ὅτι οὔτε τὸ αἰσχρὸν οἷόν τε ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι τῇ τῶν πραττόντων συμφωνίᾳ κοσμούμενον, κἂν πάντες ῥήτορες καὶ σοφισταὶ συν- αγωνίζωνται- οὔτε τὸ χαλὸν μεταπεσεῖται εἰς τοὐν- αντίον, χἂν εἷς μόνος, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδ᾽ εἷς φαίνηται τούτου ἐραστής. Παρεὶς τοίνυν τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ψῆ- φον, αὐτῆς ἔχου τῆς ἀρετῆς" χαὶ πάντα μὲν ποίει, καὶ μυρίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς τὰ χατὰ σαυτὸν περισχόπει, ὅπως μηδεμία παρὰ σοῦ τοῖς πέλας ἐπιφύηται βλάδη, τῷ πᾶσαν σχανδάλου ῥίζαν ἐχτέμνειν. Εἰ δὲ οὕτω σου διαχειμένου, τινὲς τῶν μηδὲν μὲν ἀγαθὸν πρατ- τόντων, τοῖς δὲ πράττουσι φθονούντων χατηγορῶ- σι (), μὴ δίδου σαυτὸν ἔχδοτον τῇ ἀθυμίᾳ" ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην γενναίως ἔνεγχον τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τὴν προσδο- [υχυ8 ΟΒΙΠΪΒ ἰπ ΘΠ ρΟΓΔΉ ΠηΔ Ρ οϑὶ οἱ πρίτῖχ, αὐ πο ηδἃ γο[ογία, δἱ οὐμηΐ Ρ ΟὈδοο ἀίυθ 60ι!- ἀἰπιδηι18 δυρογυδ, δυδίυπι αυϊάσιῃ ἱπιυδηιίιαι δά δρροιθηύμπη) ἐοοιιπονογί!, υἱδπιΐαπι ὙΘΓῸ τηδῃίοιη ριθαγάνδηδ δὰ υἰοηὐυτ αᾳυθιηρίδιι ἰηάυχογὶϊ, ἰυπς πϑυΐγασίυμη ἰρδὶ ρᾶγαῖΐ, ἰῇ ρτγοίυπάωιι τραϊάγυι ἴδει Ιοπα πε ἀθιμογζοηδ.Ό υχυῦ) ἰἰδαυα ἀδνῖία, οοπίδηίυ5 4υοὰ οϑὶ ( : ρῦοῦθ ρογβρθοῖυμ) μβαυδηβ φυοὰ ἴᾳτρα , θοπύ οἰ οἱ πυηαυδπι ροΕ86, ΘΟὨΒ6Π5ὺ αδι15388 Δφοη πὶ χογηδίυπι), οἰδὶ ΟΥΔίουοϑ Ὁ οπῆθβ δίᾳι.: δορὶ δι ἰδυάδηἀο ἑοη!θηάύδηϊ. : Ὧ66 οι οὑπὶ πηδῖὶο οοηγρηΐ,, οἰδὶ θῃ1 , ἃς Π6 " αυϊάθπι Ὀοηΐ ἃπ 8η8 δίυἀϊοδυδ4 Θχδἰβίδὶ, Μυϊίοτυηι ἰἰ46 νδίο γα ᾽υ588 Ορίηἰοηθ νἱγίυϊὶ ᾿ροὶ μγθᾶβ, ΟΙπηΐδῆυδ δαίδβο, ἴθαυα ἰρουπι σδηίυμι οοπιίοιρίαγα οὐυ , π6 (δὶ ἃ ργοχί πηΐβ οὔνο- ηἶδι (ΔἸ Δπ (, υἱ Οπιποπὶ Οἶἑηβίοπὶθ γααΐσθηι ἐχϑοϊμάλϑ. δὶ υϑγοὸ ( ἰἰὰ αἴξοιυπι δἰ φαΐ δογυπὶ αι ἈΠ Ὀοηὶ δρυη!, δοὰ θόηθ ἀφδηιυβ ἰηνίάοσηι, δΔορυθθηϊ, δΔηϊπευπι πΠ6 ἀδϑροηάθαβ, δ6αὰ ᾿ς ρσ6πε- ΤΟΒδ6 δ γ85 ἱπ πιΐοὶ ἰηδυϊίυη, οορφίιδηδ διαὶ ἰδ Ποἢ ΥΑΒΙΕ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () ΡγῸ κχατηγοροῦσι δΒοῦϊδυπὶ ἰἰάθπὶ χαχηγοροῦσι, οἱ ΥΟΥ8. ρο81 ὅ χρήσαιτο δυφοηΐ ρτξρο- εἰτὸ ἐ. ΡΟΒΞΙΝ. Ρατβοι,. ἀβ. ΧΧΥΛΠΠ. , ΙΒΙΌΟΒΙ ΡΕΓΌΒΙΟΤᾺ υἱἱ τη86] )8410π6, υἱ του εἶ 4π Δ ἰδ ΓΔ. Οη15 ἴπ85 Α λὴν, ἐννοῶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ταύτῃ χρήσαιτο τῇ μηχανῇ ΤΑ Ϊ0η6: ) ΟΥ̓ΟΓίΔΙ, ηἶδὶ οχὶϑι δι η ἰυ88 αἰονὶδ βυιποροῦθ θθΠ) ἰροοβδοῦῖι. ΟΟΟΥ͂ΙΙ. --- ΕΥ̓ΑΝΟΕΙ,Ο. πρὸς τὸ χαταθαλεῖν σου τὴν πεπυργωμένην πολιτείαν, εἰ μὴ ἄχρως αὐτοῦ χαθάψαιτο τῆς σῆς εὐδοχιμήσεως τὸ χλέος. ΤΖ.. -- ΕΥ̓ΑΓ
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Once the hierarchy used to correct and temper the office of emperor when it stumbled and fell, but now it has fallen beneath it, losing not its own rank, instead possessing ordained men unlike those in our ancestors’ time.[1] Previously when those crowned with a holy office lived the evangelic and apostolic life, naturally the office of emperor stood in awe of the hierarchy, but now it is the hierarchy of the office of emperor. In my opinion, the office of emperor is following its natural course, since it has not intentionally meant to assault the hierarchy, which it reveres like a god, but avenge it of the assaults on it and temper the people not conducting themselves as they should toward it. [1] Note the euphemism for the not so perfect bishops. Comments and corrections are welcome!
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.