Letter 250
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Ophelius the Grammarian
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the gap between stated intentions and actual deeds — urging examination of what people do rather than what they say they intended.
Look at what people actually do, and consider how far short it falls of what they later claim they intended. The gap between the stated intention and the actual deed is where character actually lives.
This is a more reliable way to evaluate character than listening to what people say about themselves. People are skilled at constructing narratives that make their actions seem more principled than they were. The actions themselves are harder to revise after the fact. Watch the actions.
δϑὶ Γδοία δὰ Ὀγοροίαγα [. ϑοἷαὶ δηΐ ΟΠ ΘΓ δίᾳυς σοησίάσγα ἰδοὺ οογυπὶ υἱ ροδίοα ἀδέίυμ! οἵϊο δίᾳιι ἱξηανὶϑ. ὈΠΥ͂ΤΙ!. --- ΟΡΒΕΙΙΟῸ ΑἸ ΑΜΜΑΤΙΟΟ. Ῥιιοεορὶα μι ἀοβηπίοπάα. (Ρίμίατοῖι. ὃὲὲ ρίαοὶ ἐς ρμδϊίοδ. {ἰθ. ν.) Οὲ μὲν ἄλλοι φιλόσοφοι τέχνην τεχνῶν, χαὶ ἐπι- στήμην ἐπιστημῶν ὡρίσαντο εἶναι τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Πυθαγόρας δὲ, ζῆλον σοφίας. Πλάτων δὲ, χτῆσιν ἐπιστημῶν, Χρύσιππος δὲ, ἐπιτήδευσιν λόγου ὀρθότητος. Καὶ αὐτῶν οὖν τῶν δοχούντων -ἄχρων εἶναι () ὁμοίως ὁριζομένων, ἡμεῖς ἀληθῇ φιλοσοφίαν ὁριζόμεθα., τὴν μηδὲν τῶν ἡχόντων εἰς εὐσέδειαν χαὶ ἀρετὴν παρορῶσαν. ΦΝΘ'. --- ΕΥ̓ΤΟΝΙΩ ΔΙΆΑΚΟΝΩ. ΑΙ ΡΠ Π]ΟΒΟρΡΙ ἅγιαι ἀγίϊυπι, δεϊδημ[λΠ| βεϊδηιί γι ΡΠ] ΟΒορ πὶ ἀσἤηϊογυηϊ. ΡγΓΠΙΆΦΟΓΩΒ ιΐάθδηι βαρ βεἶς διυάϊιυπι ἀϊχὶϊ, ἰμἀθαι ρ ]- ρα ποιπίηϑγὶ. Ρίαιο δαί θη ΓῺ ΡΟ}.), ΟἸιγγϑίρρυ, ἱπάυϑιτίαπ) δθὺ δι Ποῖ γεοίϑ Γᾶ - ιἰοηἷ νοοῖ, ὐπὶ ἰνΐ πόα Θούθιι ἐοἢηΐδηϊ κ- , Γδοῖα " νϑγδιῃ ἀθἤ δ η}. ΡΝ Οϑορ νι, αυ Δ }} παρ ψαὶ δοτυτ, : δὰ νἱγιυίθιη ἀπουηι. ὈΠῚΧ. -- ΕΤΟΝΙΟ ΡΙΑΘΟΟΝΟ. Πηυϊάϊα εφἀεπάμηι. Ππυϊάϊπι ϑομπῖς αἰϊοηὶς ἀοοεαὶ!; δἰ υἱτι { ὁδὶ ατσιπιόηίιπι ἰαυϊάϊα ἰαϑογατο. Εἰ χαὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ σὲ ὁ δὴ χαὶ πάντων σχεδὸν τῶν εὐδοχίμλμων ἁψάμενος φθόνος, παρὰ τῶν οἰχείας τι- θεμένων συμφορὰς τὰς ἑτέρων ἀρετὰς, μᾶλλον: δὲ πλέον ἀχθομένων τοῖς ἑτέρων ἀγαθοῖς, ἣ τοῖς ἑαυ- τῶν χαχοῖς, μὴ ταράττου " ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἡγησάμενος ἀρετῆς εἶναι τεχμήριον, τῇ σαυτοῦ χα- λοχἀγαθίᾳ προστίθει. Οὕτω γὰρ σὺ μὲν ἁοίδιμος εἴης, ἐχεῖνοι δὲ δίχας εἰσπραχθήσονται, ὧν μείζους οὐχ ἂν δυνηθεῖεν δοῦναι. ΦΙΞ". --- ΠΕΤΡΩ. Εποὶ τὸ φυοψια ἰην] δ, φὰς ὕόοποβ ρου Π Ρογβδοηυίίαγ, σοι ἰδία, φυοῦ Υἱ (λυ πὶ ΟσὰΠ} Υἱ για: ἀποὶι ἱποοιμιοιία, ναὶ μοιΐυ δἰϊοτυιη ιναίυν ὕνοηΐβ, π| ργΟργὶΪ. π} , ἴτ ΠΟ] ἴὉ- ματὶ : βιὰ ροιίι {Π|πι νἱγία σογίυ πὶ δίσιυιη οχὶ βιϊπηδη, ἰυὯπὶ δοοοηί δι ρῥτγοὐϊιδίοιη. . θη η ἤδι υἱ οοἰουγογίϑ, ἢ} οοιίτα μαπηδὴὸ ἀθμ., ἢὲς Ζυσληι ἸΠΔ]Γ δοίρθ ΓΒ.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Ophelius the Grammarian
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the gap between stated intentions and actual deeds — urging examination of what people do rather than what they say they intended.
Look at what people actually do, and consider how far short it falls of what they later claim they intended. The gap between the stated intention and the actual deed is where character actually lives.
This is a more reliable way to evaluate character than listening to what people say about themselves. People are skilled at constructing narratives that make their actions seem more principled than they were. The actions themselves are harder to revise after the fact. Watch the actions.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.