Letter 208
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Peter
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the duty to reprimand those who have seized authority they did not legitimately receive — and on how to do it effectively.
The usurper must be reprimanded — not to gratify those who are watching, and not to make a point at his expense, but to give him the one thing that might actually help him: a clear account of what he has done and what it costs.
Effective reprimand is not venting. It is a precise, calm description of the problem and its consequences, delivered by someone whose own standing gives the words authority. The reprimand that comes from anger usually accomplishes nothing except to make the target defensive. The reprimand that comes from genuine concern and evident authority is harder to dismiss.
υϑδυγρϑίθτη ὀχ ιἰπδηἀυπὶ δί : ποαυὸ υἱ ᾿Π|υά δυάϊοη!ϊ, υἱἱὶ αἰ , Π|}} { ἀδύδηϊ, μο- εἰυβ υἱ δὰ ΡΒἰοΒορ δῖ σοηίογδηϊ Υἱῖδη), ἰά ἀϊείυ). Νοὴ επΐαὶ ᾳαΐδ οπμηΐηο οοηνίοἱΐΒ ἱπιροιΐ ΟΡογΙΘὶ γόοῖα γΥἱνϑηῖθθ, Ὑοϊυρίδ οδὶ διηρίθοιοηάᾶ, δε αυἷὰ ἃ ρτγοθὶβ οριΐπ] δοσυδδιῖ ομμηΐηο ὁῃ- εἰν α'., ΡΒ] οδορμδηάυπι ϊ. Ὠ᾽ εἴπ) οηἷπι δὶ, ἤθὴ υἱ νἱγῖυ [υφ᾽αίυγ, δεὰ υἱ π| Θχογοθηῖ Ὠ)] -- σοριΐ ΡΒ] οβορδαδηιυν, ᾿ην᾽ Θηἶπὶ Ορρυξηδῃ ἴδοϊδ ἤθη Γῶγο, υἱ Γαρτο δπἀδηιϊυγ. Ῥγιβίαιὶ ᾿ἰἰδυθ δὶ σοην εἶ οηηΐηο ΟὈποχὶΐ βυηιυ, ἰπἰυδῖ ἰά ρεΓ- Ρειΐ, δυδία οηΐπὶ ΓΟργο βοΐ, σοηνθηΐ! ἱπηργο ἶδ. ΟΟΧΧΣΙ͂Σ. --- ΡΕΤΕΟ. Ητεεοε αμί ἐπ απιϑἱἑοπε, αἱ ῳ ρεγιἱπαοία παεοιπίατ. Ἢ ἐκ φιλαρχίας, οἶμαι, ἢ ἐκ προλήψεως, δύο Β Ἐς ἀοιηἰπαηάϊ ᾿ἰ μ᾽ ἀΐπθ, οἱ ργαδϑυπιρίδ ορί πίοπο, δυσχαταγωνίστων παθῶν, τὰς αἱρέσεις τετέχθαι ()" Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ὑπηχόοις μὴ ἀξιώσαντες εἶναι, οἱ δὲ μετὰ τὸ προληφθῆναι, διδαχθῆναι μὴ χκαταδε- ξάμενοι, νεωτέρας διδασχαλίας σπέρματα καταῦε- θλήχασι, τοῖς χαθεστηχόσιν ἐμμεῖναι μὴ ἀξιώσαντες.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Peter
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the duty to reprimand those who have seized authority they did not legitimately receive — and on how to do it effectively.
The usurper must be reprimanded — not to gratify those who are watching, and not to make a point at his expense, but to give him the one thing that might actually help him: a clear account of what he has done and what it costs.
Effective reprimand is not venting. It is a precise, calm description of the problem and its consequences, delivered by someone whose own standing gives the words authority. The reprimand that comes from anger usually accomplishes nothing except to make the target defensive. The reprimand that comes from genuine concern and evident authority is harder to dismiss.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.