Letter 1621
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: Olympios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore introduces a pilgrim who has been adequately trained at home under a master, and commends him to Olympios's hospitality.
The man bringing this letter to your piety has been well trained — at home, on his own, as if under a master — and has arrived in your region wishing to encounter people whose manner of life matches his own aspirations. He is not traveling for idle reasons.
Receive him as he deserves to be received — which is to say, with the hospitality of someone who recognizes a fellow traveler on the same road. Show him what there is to see among you. There are worse things you can give a serious man than an example of seriousness, and worse things he can give you than the reminder that such a life is possible.
Αεςείεπ, υεἰμιὶ Οἰμπιρὶςὶδ ἀδερτίαἰ γῆι σοπηπιεηάαί. Ουΐ Βλ58 τι ρίοιαιΐ ᾿ΠΠ ἀγα8 τοι, ἀθυπάδ ἀοπ)] ΟἾ ΡΔΓ , ιιὶ ἃ πιλσίϑιγο ὀχογοϊιλίυ8 οἱ υἶγὸϑ Ἔχρα- ΤΙ οηἰ Δηηιι6 ηὐη ὀχ δσιιδηὶ ᾿) υἱγ Ρ 1ΓᾺ ΕυϊηράγαΥΐ,, ἴῃ ὀγόθηθ σΟμ ομ , μγϑοοηὶο Ὁ τῇ σῇ θεοσεδείᾳ προσφέρων τουτὶ τὸ γράμμα, αὑτάρχως οἴχαδε καὶ χαθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ὡς παρὰ πα-- δοτρίδου ἀσκηθεὶς, χαὶ ῥώμην καὶ τέχνην ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀγῶσιν οὐ μιχρὰν συλλεξάμενος, ὥρμῆ- ΘΙγιρίοογα πὶ ςἸ608., δὲ δηΐμὶ δχαγοϊ δίιγυβ ας σεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον, τοῖς κηρύγμασιν ἑαυτὸν ὑπο- Οἰγπιρίοα. υδπιλοῦλθην οβίθηιϊδ ρᾳγὲβ δθγίὼ- "πηυ , , ϑ6Γν8, Π Π εχίγᾶ «ον ἰΔηδη μευ ΐθυβ δ))εγγϑὶ Β00ρ0, ἷῃ ΠΤ δίδΔη8 δΌρΟΓΘίι, 86ι Βρεοίδίυβ θΓ0 Ἢ ΘΟΓΟΙΝΝΙ - «ἰδιμδιίομοπιψῃρ πογθδίυγ. ΘΟΙΥ͂Ι!. --- ΑΘΌΠΕΡΙΟ ΒΟΡΕΙΒΤΑ͂. θέσῳων τοῖς Ὀλυμπιχοῖς, χαὶ τὰ περὶ ψυχῆς Ὀλύμπια ἀγωνισόμενος. Δεέκνυε ποίνων αὑτῷ δι᾽ ὧν πράττεις τοὺς τῶν παλαισμάτων νόμους" ἵνα μῆτε ἐξαγώνιος γενόμενος διαμάρτοι τοῦ σχοποῦ, μήτε εἰς τοὺς ἀγῶνας καταστὰς ἡττηθείη " ἀλλ᾽ εὐδύχιμος ἀποφαν: θεὶς, στεφάνων χαὶ ἀναῤῥήσεων ἀξιωβείῃ. ΥΝΠΗ', - ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ͂Ι. Ἠαγροοταπι τἰιείοτοηι, οὶ ἐμά αρεκίεν εοηιμα! (αζτ, σοπῃποπαάᾳί, Ἡδγροόςγαβ οτγαιίοι ἁγιϊος, πη ΠιΟΙυΙη Βομοδίογυμι ἴῃ. Διο] οβοθηιθυ8 [Ογιηδιογ., δΡβὰ δ8ογδη) ΓΟ φίοδι οχίμηΐθ εϑὲ δἤξδοίυβ, ουϊᾳυὸ δορμίβιο αυϊάδιη τιιοιοτίβηιθ ποίῆθῃ ἀδίμγ, ΛΠ Ὁ ᾿ἈπΊ6ὴ Υδρ οϑί θ ΠΟ5ορ! ἶσα. Εΐο ᾿ἰυνοηυτ ποη 'Λρποχρᾶς, ὁ τρόπων μᾶλλον ἣ λόγων παιδεὺ- τὴς, ὁ τῇ θείᾳ θρησχείᾳ διαφερόντως ἀναχείμενος (ᾧ ὄνομα μὲν Ἦν σοφιστὴς, ὁ δὲ βίος ἐχ φιλοφοφίας ἀκιδδήλου), ὁ μὴ πλῆθος νέων περιιὼν χαὶ θηρεύων, ἀλλ᾽ οὺς ἑώρα δειχνύντας ἀρετῆς σύμθολα ἐγχατα- Δι σορίλι . νη δι ο "θ ., δ ρμοιΐυ5 Β λέγων τῷ χυρῷ " ὁ μὴ ἀφ᾽ ὧν μισθοὺς λήψοιτο τοῦτ Δι οἰεβοθι θδ 4ικοῦῖι δι , . Υἱγίυ ρυθΈΓα Υἱύδι εβἰρινα, δοβῆι6 ἴῃ ἐοίιη ἰορἢ ἢ πὸ τι μιογοούρθιη ἰδ οαρίδι, δμηιαὶ, νογι εἰν [ὉΓ6 δι πιδύνογι!!, δου συ ΓΑΙ - εἰρίθη8, Υἱίδπ πιογοβῆμ ροι( 58ἐ1ηιμ [Ογιμ δι. (μη δέροὶρίοη8 ΠΟ ἀΘΓΓΒΙι. τους ἀγαπῶν, ἀλλ᾽ οὖς ᾧδει σπουδαίους ἐσομένους, τούτων ἐπιμελούμενος, τὸν βίον χατέστρεψΞ. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν παιδευτοῦ χρήζει ἡ πόλις, μήνυσόν τινὰ, χαὶ ἀλύουσα οὐχ ἂν διαμάρτοι. ἰφίιυς Δα στο, ὑγ νοϑιτὰ ἱμιάϊρθδὶ, δἰφηίῆςα, Οἱ ΥΑΒΙ ΒΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΕ. () ΡΙΝΠΟΒορ]οσγιιαὶ μὲ οἱ μη το! βἰοϑογιπὶ ἰ0- υϑΐα πη ΔΌΓΘίιΝ : Δίοπ τόσα ἰπιμόγαγά ἡ μαγθγ8 Ἠοη εἐϊαϊσοτὶ!. δῖ. δοιληῃ. (Ἰἰμν ε8 ΓΙ ΒΆΒΙΟΓΘΗΝ, ὁχ Ατί- βιοίθῖθ [. αἱ Ῥο ἰοῶμ : οὐκ ἔστιν εὖ ἄρξειν ἐὰν μὴ ἀρχθέντα, ἤορέγα πεδεὶί, φμὶ ματότα πϑαοὶ(. Εὶ []- ἄθτγιιδ ποβίθι' 5η . Θρῖδι. . ϑοϊοπία ἀυσαμ Ἰοδ]- λλίονῖβ θδὶ : ἽΔρχε, πρῶτον μαθὼν ἄρχεσθαι. μιρε- γα, δὲ ῥτίμξς ἐμρετίκηι [εγτο αἱάϊεοτὶε. Εἰ Ῥίλια Ἰ . γι δὲ εσφίϑιιε : Ὁ μὴ δουλεύσας, οὐδ᾽ ἂν δεσπό- τῆς Ὑένοιτο ἄξιος ἐπαίνου. ᾿8οογλι05 ἰη ΧΙ Νιοοοίε ; Ἐὰν ἄρχεσθαι μάθωσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἄρ- χξιν δυνήσονται. ἥὶ γρηὶ αἰ ϊεετὶμι,, [αεἰϊε εἰἴαμι αἰϊὲς Ῥοίογμ! ἡπμοτατγέ. ΘΌΝΟΤΤ. ΥΝΘ᾽. --- ΙΣΙΔΏΡΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒΟῸΜ . νΥ.-- ἘΡΙΒΤ. ΟΟΙΧΙ.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: Olympios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore introduces a pilgrim who has been adequately trained at home under a master, and commends him to Olympios's hospitality.
The man bringing this letter to your piety has been well trained — at home, on his own, as if under a master — and has arrived in your region wishing to encounter people whose manner of life matches his own aspirations. He is not traveling for idle reasons.
Receive him as he deserves to be received — which is to say, with the hospitality of someone who recognizes a fellow traveler on the same road. Show him what there is to see among you. There are worse things you can give a serious man than an example of seriousness, and worse things he can give you than the reminder that such a life is possible.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.