Letter 1584
Isidore of Pelusium→Zosimus|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person; then to Martinianus, Zosimos, Maron, and Eustathios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Two letters — the first pressing a man to back his fine words with deeds; the second telling four men that a trustworthy witness has been describing their failings to others.
For this reason, O wisest of men, why do you not despise the worthless and embrace the worthy with all your heart — and confirm your words with your deeds? The man who speaks well and acts badly is not wise — he is a counterfeiter. He has the currency of wisdom but not the substance.
To Martinianus, Zosimos, Maron, and Eustathios: Know that a man who champions truth at all times and turns away from slander — whom no one could refute — has recently been holding up your past vileness to public mockery. He is not wrong to do so. A person who always tells the truth about others will eventually tell the truth about you too, and there is nothing unfair in that. The question you should be asking is not how to silence him but how to give him nothing to report.
ἣν αἰτίαν, ὦ σοφώτατε, μὴ τῶν μὲν καταφρονεῖς, τῶν δὲ ἐχθύμως περιέχῃ, καὶ βεδαιοῖς τοῖς ἔργοις τοὺς λόγους ; ΤΙΔ'. -- ΜΑΡΤΙΝΙΑΝΩ, ΖΩΣΙΜΩ, ΜΑΡΩΝΙ, ΕΥ̓ΣΤΑΘΙΩ. Αά ϑοπαπι [τιφόπὶ δαὶ εἰἰηιαίἱοπέπιγιι6 ἱπυϊίαί. Νοβιὶθ νἱγυπὶ νυἱγίυιὶἱ ἴῃ γι ηἷ8 ἀδάϊπ , ἃ δυϊηϊηᾶ “ἰδἰοαϊεοηάϊ δυάαοία ἰοηφα ] 16ηυπὴ, ου ( - πἶυπι οχοορίϊομθ πιλ] , γ08 ΠΌΡΟΓ υἱ ᾿ηργο Γθ- ῬΓΘΒΘἢ . [ ΓΘ Ὑδγθΐβ : ΠΙῸ8 αυΐάθιι ρορογῖϊ ἐμηρτοῦΐι88, δηυγίγαγα ὑ γΓῸ ΘΧβθογ ἢ Ἴσθε, ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀλήθειαν μὲν ἀεὶ πρεσδεύων, χαχηγορίαν δὲ ἀποστρεφόμενος, δὺ οὐδὲ παραγρά- ψασθαί τις δυνηθείη, τὴν ὑμετέραῦ πρώην ἔξεχω- μῴδει () φαυλότητα, λέγων" ὅτι ἐχείνους χαχία μὲν ὥδινε, πονηροὶ δὲ χαὶ ἀτίθασσοι ἐτιθηνήσαντο ΨΑΠΙΕ ΓΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. (90υ) θυο φῷρα ἰδυάκι! οοὐά. ἐξεκωμῴδησε ἰἐρυηὶ ργὸ ἐξεχωμῴδει. ῬΟΘ5ΙΝ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΆΒΌΜ ,. -- ΕΡΙΒΥ. ΟΟΟΧΙΥ. δαίμονες. Πᾶσι. γὰρ ἀγαθοῖς ἀπεχθάνονται χαὶ ἀν- Α ἀπιποηοδ, οὐρεΐθιι γϑγοὸ ἰηνίδὶ δυηῖ Ὀοηΐδ ίδαν δο- θρώποις καὶ πράγμασι. Λυπηρὸν δὲ ἅπαν νομίζουσιν, ὁπόσον ἀρετῆς δόξαν ἡνέγχατο. Κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τῶν εὐσεδῶν νεανιεύονταε, χατὰ δὲ τῶν σπουδαίων κωμάζουσιν, ὑόδρισταὶ ὄντες καὶ ἀτάσθαλοι, χαὶ χόρον τῶν καχῶν οὐχ εἰδότες. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀχούων, οὔτε ἐπιστομίσαι αὐτὸν ἠδυνάμην (πάντες γὰρ οἱ παρόν- τες ὡς ἀληθῆ αὐτὸν ἐχρότουν), οὔτε παντελῆ σιω- πὴν ἤσχησα. ᾿Αλλ’ εἰπὼν αὐτῳ, πιστεύω χαὶ παλιν- ῳδίας σειν ()" οὐ γὰρ οὕτως εἰσὶν ἀνάλγητοι, ὡς ξλέσθαι τοσούτοις ἐμπαρῆναι μέχρι τέλους χαχοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ χαράξαι τὰ γράμματα ταῦτα παρῆλθον. Ὑμεῖς οὖν ἂν εἴητε δίχαιοι ἤδη σχέψασθαι περὶ ἑαυτῶν, ὅπως, εἰ καὶ τῆς χρίσεως ὅμῖν λόγος οὐδεὶς, τὴν τοιαύτην ἀδοξίαν ἀποτρίψησθε. ΤΙΒ'. -- ἙΡΜΗΣΑΝΔΡΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΊΤΈΡΩ. πεηΐναδ φυλαὶ γοῦυ8. Θυϊάαυϊὰ οηΐπι υἱγίυ βο- πιὸ ἰλυύδλῦ!]α, ἰᾳ οτπο ἰτἶδι6 ηδϊυπηαυθ Ορὶ- πδηίΐυγ, ΕΥρᾶ ῥἷ08 γ6ΓῸ ᾿αγθη ον ἀσυοὶ, δὰ νἱγίυ!δ ῬγἾ ἰῃδοίθηί ον δ6 ΖοΓαηὶ : ἰηυδ1 ρογΐηα6 δΔ406 πηρτοδί, φυΐ ὀχδαίυγαγὶ ἢυπαύυδη) ροβοίηϊ. Εχυΐάοπι ἰά ἀδυάΐδηδβ, ἢθ4υ6 εἰδυάδγα ροϊυΐ (θΠ δι ΐαι 4υὶ δάογδη!, υἱ παργδηι νϑγὰ δρρίδυΐίδυαιι), ποαυὸ οημπΐηο ᾽Βηἰπὶ ἰθηυΐ, Υἱἷγοὸ ἀϊχὶ : Ογθὰο οαυΐϊάθηι, δ86ι] ραϊἰηοάϊΐαπι ἰρ81 οληοηΐ, ἰυηθη) Γράυσοηϊ!; πραᾳυθ δηΐηὶ δάθῸ δυηὶ δβιυρίἀΐ, ϑί4ᾳιιδ μοθδῖθ5, υἱ τὴ8 μυὐυδιημοάϊ 8ὰ οχιγοπη πηι . δρὶ γί(απὸ ᾿πμοογογὸ δι ἀεδηΐϊ. [α(ἱτυγ ἰδπάοπι δά [ ἶρ86 ἰπ6 Θχαγαη δ δύῃ δὐὐιοίι . Υο8 ἰρίιυν ἰυδιὶ 5Γι , ἡυης νοῦ δ ἱρβὶ οοηβυ ὁ, αἱ φυὶά Β μυαϊεὶ! γοὐΐβ 6δὶ γϑϊφυαμ, απὸ τϑϑίγϑη ἱβηοιιΐ- πἴϑ ἀκα . (ΟΟΧΙ. --- ΕἈΜΙΘΑΝΌΒΟ ΡΒΆΕΘΒΥΤΕΡΆΟ. δὲ βεία εἰ εἰπιμίαία εοπιεϊδεγαί . Ὁ συναλγεῖν μὲν δοχῶν ταῖς συμφοραῖς, δυνάμε- νος δὲ ἐπανορθοῦν, χαὶ παραιτούμενος, σημεῖον μέ- γιστον χαθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκφέρει, τοῦ μὴ συναλγεῖν, ἀλλὰ χρηστότητα ὑποχρίνεσθαι τῷ μὴ βεδοηθηκέναι. Εἰ γὰρ, φέρε εἰπεῖν, χύριος ὧν τοῦ λῦσαι τὸν τοῦ πέ- νητος λιμὸν, δέον λῦσαι χαὶ ἀπαλλάξαι χἀκχεῖνον συμφορᾶς, καὶ ἑαυτὸν λύπης, συναλγεῖν προσποιεῖ- ται, οὐ φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ὑ ποχρίνεται. ΤΙΓ΄. --- ΙΕΡΑΚΙῚ ΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΏ. Ουΐ οοιηραιΐ ἀοίοηιὶ ἢηρὶ!, εὐπὶ [ο]6Γ6 ἀοίο-« ΓΟΙΒ ροβδὶϊὶ οἱ γοβϑίυβ ο5ῖ, δἰζηυ) τάχ τη ἐΟὨ [ἃ ΘΧ᾿ἶ06 , αιοὰ νοῦ ἤθη εὐηιοἰδδῖ, δρ 4αδδὶ αἱ υ8 ᾿υἀΐοοι ορθιὴ ἤθη δἴδιγο. Θ5Δ, Ὀὶς ἰίδαυα, βὶ ροδϑὶὶ ραυρογὶ ἱπορίδη) δυΐίογγα, οἱ ἰθηθϑίυγ, δι- . οαἰδιηἑίαίαπι δ 4φυθᾶὶ δυϑγίθγθ, Ξ᾽ δὲ Υϑσυ. ὀοϊοΓδιῃ δγίμεογθο, βἰπιυϊδὶ ἰΔη! Π Οοιηραίΐ, που ἷς υιμδηυβ 6δὶ, δ6) ῃυμηδη αι οεἰδοῖοῦ. ΟΟΟΧΊΗ. --- ΠΙΕΒΑΟΙ ΟΙΛΆΙ55. ΥἹΕΟ. δε οἢεϊο )μαϊεῖς. (Οοη. ερὶει. , εἰ Ῥλξίοποηι Ηοῦγ. Ἵμαϊοε.) Πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἣ διὰ βραδύτητα γνώμης ἀνιχνεῦσαι τὸ δίχαιον οὐχ οἷοί τέ εἰσιν, ἣ ἀνιχνεύ- σαντες προδιδόασιν, Ἢ γὰρ ἀνάνδρως φοδηθέντες, ἣ διὰ χαπηλείαν πεπραχότες, ἣ διὰ φιλίαν αἰδεσθέν.- τες, ἣ ὑπ᾽ ἔχθρας ἐρεθισθέντες, τὴν ὀρθὴν οὐ φέρουσι Ψῆφον. Χρὴ οὖν τὸν μέλλοντα διχάσαι πρῶτον μὲν συνέσει χομᾷν, ἵνα μὴ διαλάθῃ τὸ θήραμα" ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἀνδρίᾳ, χαὶ χαθαρότητι, χαὶ διχαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἀμνησιχαχίᾳ χεχοσμῆσθαι, ἵνα μὲ τὸ θηρευθὲν προδοθείη.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person; then to Martinianus, Zosimos, Maron, and Eustathios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Two letters — the first pressing a man to back his fine words with deeds; the second telling four men that a trustworthy witness has been describing their failings to others.
For this reason, O wisest of men, why do you not despise the worthless and embrace the worthy with all your heart — and confirm your words with your deeds? The man who speaks well and acts badly is not wise — he is a counterfeiter. He has the currency of wisdom but not the substance.
To Martinianus, Zosimos, Maron, and Eustathios: Know that a man who champions truth at all times and turns away from slander — whom no one could refute — has recently been holding up your past vileness to public mockery. He is not wrong to do so. A person who always tells the truth about others will eventually tell the truth about you too, and there is nothing unfair in that. The question you should be asking is not how to silence him but how to give him nothing to report.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.