Letter 479
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Nemesios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the proper hierarchy of the soul's faculties — reason ruling passion, and both directed toward God — drawing on both philosophical tradition and Christian theology.
The philosophers teach, Nemesios, that the soul has parts, and that its health depends on the right ordering of those parts — reason governing the appetites and passions rather than being governed by them. This much is true and useful. But it is not the complete picture.
Christian understanding adds something essential: the properly ordered soul is not merely the one in which reason governs passion. It is the one in which the whole person — mind and will and desire together — is directed toward God. The orderly soul that is directed toward its own perfection has not yet reached the highest order. The highest order is love — love of God, which orders everything else by giving everything else its proper place in relation to what is most real.
Pursue the ordering of your soul, therefore, not as an end in itself but as preparation for what the ordering is for.
Εἰς τὸ, « ἴΑγθρωπος ὃν τιμῇ ὧν οὐ συνῆκα ().» Τὸ, "Ανθρωπὸς ἐν τιμῇ ὧν οὐ συνῆχε, παρασυν- εὐλήθη τοῖς χτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, χαὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς, οὐ χαταφορικῶς κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ ἱερὰ Γραφὴ ῥη- τορεύουσα, χαὶ τὸ λογικὸν διασύρουσα γένος, εἴρηχεν" ἀλλὰ χαὶ πάνυ πεφεισμένως. Ἐΐ γὰρ τὴν ἀχρίδειαν ἑξετάσοιμεν, οὐ τοῖς χτήνεσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τοῖς Β ἀτιθάσσοις θηρίοις χινδυνεύει ἐοιχέναι. Μᾶλλον δὲ χαὶ ὑπερδάλλει ταῦτα, ὁ τῶν αἰσχρῶν παθῶν ἑραστής. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ὅτι ἔχαστον μὲν τῶν θηρίων ἑνὶ ἐλαττώματι δουλεύει" ὁ δὲ δοχῶν ἄνθρωπος εἶναι, πάνθ᾽ ὁμοῦ συμφορήσας, ποῤῥωτέρω τῆς ἐχείνων ἁλογίας ὁδεύει. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ ὑπερδολῆς εἶναι νομίσῃς τὰ ῥήματα, αὑτὰ τὰ πρά- γματα ἀδεχάστως βασανίσωμεν. Ὅταν γάρ τις σχιρτᾷ μὲν ὡς ταῦρος, λαχτίξῃ δὲ ὡς ὄνος, χρεμε- τίζῃ δὲ ἐπὶ γυναιξὶν, ὡς ἵππος θηλυμανὴς, καὶ γα- στριμαργῇ μὲν ὡς ἄρχτος, πιαίνῃ δὲ τὸ σῶμα ὡς ἡμίονος, μνησιχαχῇ δὲ ὡς χάμηλος, χαὶ ὀργίζηται μὲν ὡς λέων, ἁρπάζῃ ὃὲ ὡς λύχος, πλήττῃ δὲ ὡς σχορπίος, χαὶ ὕπουλος μὲν ὑπάρχῃ ὡς ὅφις, ἰὸν ἰν85 οὐ βϑὶβ, δᾶ συ (Οηβοηίδηθα δυπῖ, ΟρίδΓΟ. Θυδηδοφυίάθδιμ οἰάπὶ ἱ Π ΠῸή ἀἰνί παγη ΓΟΡυπὶ ἰπι6Γ- ΡΓΟ8 Μοβοβ, ὃς ἀϊνίηυ Ρδϑυΐυθ ἰὼ ΠΟΏθυ γ θυ , ροβιυϊαυαμ!, ἤδυιὶ οθεπυαδγυπὶ : γϑγιπὶ Ὠθῃ ΓΘΟΙΟ ρυδιυίϑβδϑηὶ, ἀϊάϊςαεγιηί. ΟΧΧΧΥ͂. -- ΝΕΜΕΒΙΟ. ]η ΜΙυά ; ε« οιπο εἰιπὶ ἰη πομποῦα ἐεδεῖ, πον ἱπιοἰἰοαῖμ. Π :, ΠῺΟοιμο οὐ ἰἢ ΠΌΠΟΤΘ οβ56ῖ, πο ἴηι: οχὶς, σοΟπραγαίυβ οϑἱ ᾿ππ θη ἰηβίρίηιΐ υυ8., οἱ [λεἰτ05 [ , ΠΟ Δα γι Ὁ οἱ νο πο Ὁ δύγνογδυϑ Βοπη ἀδο]ΔΠ , σοηυϑιυθ Γδιίοι ργοάϊ 9ηι ἴῃ - δθοίδηβ, αἰνίηα ϑδεγίριυγα ἀΐχὶ! : γόγυιη δαπιοάνηι ο(ΐδπὶ ρᾶγεα δίᾳιο ἐπα ζεπίεν. Νδαιη δἱ γὸπὶ δεου- ΓΑίὰ Θχϑοία ρεγρρηάδγα να πῆυ8, ὨΟΠ ᾿ψπιοΗ ἀιῃίοχαι, δορὰ αοἰΐαπὶ γος η1 [6τὶ8 ΘΟΙραΡΓὶ ΡΟ886 νἱάοίῃΓ. [π Ὸ οἰΐαπ) θ88 διιραγαῖ, 4φυΐ τ᾿ Γρ᾽ υη] δίοοιίουε πη ἃς ᾿᾿ ἐ ἢ διηδίονγ . Θυούψι τηἷ- Γιπι, Δί4ι6 ἃ ποι ΐηυη Ορί ΐοη6 δ᾽ θυ Θϑϊ, 4ι.- σγὰ υἱὲ [πη Υἱ1 δοῦν : δὲ φυΐ [βοΐ δρθαΐθι θοι, οπληΐ Υἱ . ἰ ὑπ οοηροϑι οἱ αἰ , υἱ γα δογυιη ἰοπιογί(δίθιῃ οἱ Δ1 μγοφγαιυγ. Ας η6 πιὸ Πγρογ")ο] . ἰυᾳιΐὶ ρυῖ68, ΓΟ8 ἱρνᾶ8 ἰμοογγυρία πῆθηῖθ ρεγρθιίϑιινι8. ἅἁθ!. δεν «υἱδρίϑπι υἱ ἰδυγυβ δυρβδι[δι, υἱ δβίηιι5 οϑιοἰιγϑὶ, εἴ ͵581Π Θαυ ἐπ (6Πιλ , αἱ 11Γ5 νογδε δι δίυἀδί, υἱ π 0υ8 ΘΟΓρυ5 δαρίιαὶ, σΑΠπΊ6 ἢ . ᾿Π) υγἱΆγυπ) ΠηθΙπου3πὶ Γοιΐηαί, τα. ἰ60 ὃξ πονηρίας διατηρῇ ὡς ἔχις, χρήματα δὲ, μᾶλλον Ὁ ἰγαβείίυν, υἱ ἰυρυ8 ΓΑΡΙϊ, υἱ Βεογμίυ8 [ΘΓ (, αἱ ΘΟΓΡΘΙ8 ὃὲ ἁμαρτήματα, συνάγῃ ὡς ὁ κάνθαρος τὴν χάνθα- ρον" πῶς δυνήσεταί τις μετὰ ἀνθρώπων τὸν θηριό- φρονα τοῦτον ἀριθμεῖν, οὐχ ὁρῶν ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς ἡμέρον φύσεως τοὺς χαραχτήρας, ἀλλὰ Σχύλλης τινὸς χαὶ Χιμαίρας καὶ Ὕδρας, χατὰ τοὺς ἔξωθεν μύθους, δυσ- ὡδίαν θεώμενος ; Εἰ δὲ φαίης, Τί οὖν ποιητέον ; φήσαιμι, ὅτι τὸ χάτοπτρον τὸ πνθυματιχὸν συνεχῶς μεταχειριστέον" φημὶ δὴ τὰς θείας Γραφὰς (), ἐν αἷς χαὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐστιν ἡ ἱστορία, χαὶ οἱ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τεθέντες σωτηριώδεις νόμοι. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ χάτοπτρον οὐ δείχνυσι τὴν ἀμορφίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ χαὶ μετατίθησιν, ἂν ἐθέλωμεν, εἰς χάλλος ἀμήχανον. ἀοίογηαιθπὶ οδιοηάϊ!, τ γπὶ οἰΐδη), δἷ τϑἰἰπυ5, ἰῇ ἱποομραΓΔ ] αυδπιάδιι δυυάοϊυπ 68ι, πη ργοθ 8ι. νϑηθηι Ὑἱρογὰ » δοῦναί, ορϑϑ ἀδηΐᾳφυσ, ναΐ, υἱ γέοιΐ ἰσψ Γ, Ραοοδιᾶ ουπιυ]δι, υἱ ΒοΔΓΔΙΘυΒ ΒΟΘΓΆΠ6Δ5.: ΠηΟηδμ μᾶςεῖ0 αυϊδρίαπι ἤυπς ! υἱηο δΐπιο ργρι τ , ἔμ Ὁ Ποπλΐη65 γρύθηβαγα ροϊοΓΙ, οὐ ΠΙΠ ἃς ρἰλεῖ ἀμ ὩδίυΓα5 ΠΠΠὉ ΙΘ ΠΙΆ ἴῃ πιΐηΐι6 μεγϑρίεἶα!, γογυπὶ ΟΥ̓ Π ου͵)υπιίλ οἱ ΟὨ ποῦ, δίψιιο Π γένω», Ἰυχίὰ ΘΧΙΘΓΠ88 , [οἰόγαι οογηϑὶ ἢ Ουοσά δὶ : ΓΙ, Ουϊάπαιη ἰρίταν [Δεἰδινάνη δϑι ἢ ΠΠπι Γοδροηιίθϑιν : ϑρὶ γί τ. δρθοῦ ιηι, ἢ. 6δῖ, βδογδ8 δΟΓρίυΓΆ5, ἴῃ υΐθυ5 οἱ ργοῦογυπι υἱγοόγυπὶ ἰιϊβίοτία, δὲ βδί υ8γ6 Ιοζ68 ἃ Ὁ60 ροβίί σοι ἰπθιῖυγ, ρογρϑίυο ἴῃ τηδηΐθυ8 δ θονάυπι . ἢος ομἷπιὶ δβρθοι πη ΠΟ πιυ60 Ρυϊο γα ἱπὶ-. ΨΑΒΜΕ ΓΠΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ͂ϊ. θυ ᾳυϊάδπ) []6Γγ8 υἱάθγί . ροιθγαὶ βεηιθηια, δὐδαυθ πιεϊἰυτὶ ἰδειΙοη6 ἴῃ Ὁ Ο ἰμνοη απ) Ργορομϑη, [ νϑγβίοπθιν οἱ θην θμ θη ΊΘηι οἶδ. ἀρετῇ μὲν χαὶ τρόποις οὐχ αἰσχύνεις ( να] ἑοηιροϑίίε, υι Ῥαγίβ. οὰ., οὐ χαταισχύνεις ) τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν. ἤος 6δι, υἱγίμίς φυϊάθηι αὐ πιυγίϑιι8 ποὺϊἰϊίαίεπι (μαπὶ πη ἀφράεεοτας. εἰ ᾿ο. ορογίεί αἀ΄π8, π
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Nemesios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the proper hierarchy of the soul's faculties — reason ruling passion, and both directed toward God — drawing on both philosophical tradition and Christian theology.
The philosophers teach, Nemesios, that the soul has parts, and that its health depends on the right ordering of those parts — reason governing the appetites and passions rather than being governed by them. This much is true and useful. But it is not the complete picture.
Christian understanding adds something essential: the properly ordered soul is not merely the one in which reason governs passion. It is the one in which the whole person — mind and will and desire together — is directed toward God. The orderly soul that is directed toward its own perfection has not yet reached the highest order. The highest order is love — love of God, which orders everything else by giving everything else its proper place in relation to what is most real.
Pursue the ordering of your soul, therefore, not as an end in itself but as preparation for what the ordering is for.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.