Letter 486
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Arcadios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the unavoidable publicity of the leader's example — those in authority cannot have a private life that contradicts their public teaching without the contradiction becoming visible.
The man in authority, Arcadios, does not have the same privacy available to him that an ordinary person has. Not because his private actions are anyone else's business — in a narrow sense they are not — but because the gap between what he teaches publicly and what he does privately cannot be maintained indefinitely. It shows.
The congregation sees their leader closely. They observe not just the formal gestures of piety but the manner, the small decisions, the way he treats people who cannot benefit him. These observations accumulate into a judgment that is often more accurate than the leader would like.
Live consistently, therefore — not as a performance but as the only sustainable position. The man whose private life matches his public teaching has nothing to conceal and no performance to maintain. He is simply himself. That is the most restful and the most powerful position a leader can occupy.
Οιιοά, 80ὶ ( ἐϊνίπα γε φἴοπα νόγθᾶ Πλθϑηδ σχείας εἰπεῖν ἐδέησεν, ἡττήθημεν, οὐδ᾽ ἀναισχυν- Β (ποτῖν!, παπαυδπι διιραγαιὶ Γυοτγίπι8, π66 ἱπιραάδη- τεῖν ἐδόξαμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἁπάντων χρατοῦμεν καὶ περί- ἐσμὲν τῷ λόγῳ, παντί που δῆλον. Ὅτι δὲ πάντες, οὐχ οἷς λέγομεν, ἀλλ᾽ οἷς πράττομεν προσέχουσι, χαὶ ἀπὸ τούτων φέρουσι τὴν ψῆφον, χαὶ εἰ μὴ φανε- ρῶς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ γνώμην μετ᾽ ἐξουσίας ἀποφαίνον- ται, χαὶ τοῦτο εἰδέναι χρή. Οὐχοῦν χρὴ σύνδρομον τῷ λόγῳ ἔχειν τὸν βίον, χαὶ συμδαίνουσαν τῷ δόγ- ματι τὴν πολιτείαν, ἵνα μὴ, λόγοις νιχῶντες, τοῖς πράγμασιν ἡττώμεθα. ῬΠΑ΄. .--- ΔΙΔΥ͂ΜΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Ἕοικας ἐπιλελῆσθαί μου τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐγὼ δὲ - οὐχ ἐπελαθόμην τῆς πρὸς σὲ διαθέσεως. ἙἘπιλήσο- μαι δὲ, εἰ ἀχριδῶς μάθοιμι ἐχ προνοίας χαὶ σπουδῆς, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐξ ἀπάτης χαὶ περιστάσξως, εἰς τοὺς φίλους πεταρῳνηχέναι. Εἰ μὲν ἀληθῆ ἐστι τὰ ἀπαγγελθέντα, οἶμαί σοι ἀπολογίαν διχαίαν μὴ ὑπολελεῖφθαι. Ζητήσεις μὲν γὰρ ἴσως, οὐχ εὑρήσεις δέ. Εἰ δὲ ψευδῇ, μήννε, ἵν᾽ εἰς ἀπολογίας ἀνάγχην τοὺς χαταμηνύσαντας περι- στήσωμεν (), καὶ ἀποληγουμένους μὲν δεξώμεθα" τοῦτο δὲ μὴ ποιοῦντας τῆς ἑαυτῶν συνουσίας ἐξ- οστραχίσωμεν. ῬΠΙ". -- ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. ( ορίπίοιαπὶ ἐοηιΓχορίπηυβδ, ὙΘΓΙΜῺ ΟΠΠ68 56Γ- Ἰ0η6 ἃς ἀΐερυϊλίίοηα Υἱησϑηλθ, ἃς ρΡιΟΠίᾳοιΒ, οἰ Ποῖ ρατγορίουυπι ο6ι. (Λυοά δυΐθπι ΟΠ Π68 δι , [Δεϊηλι18, ΠΟ ἀϊοίΐπηυ8, δηΐπιηπὶ δόΪἴ- εἴμηί, δίφυθ [ βεηιθηιίδιι [Ἔγδηὶ, ἃς δὶ ὯΟἢ ΔΡΟΡΙα, δηΐηιο βαἰίθ οἱ οοκ διίοπθ, ᾿ἰ ΓΘ ὉΓῸ ΡῬοϊοϑίαιθ ρῥγοηυπιϊδηξ, ἰὰ φυοηθδ βεῖγα ορογῖεὶ. Θιιοοίγοα ουγαηίθπ) ΠΟ 65ῖ, υἱ Υἱίδπι δΟΓΠΊΟΙΪδ οοιΐΐθι)., πΠιυποῦῖ8 ποδιγὶ δἀπιϊ πη διγαι ! ἢ ΘΏ) ἢἀοὶ, φυϑν ργοπιθημγ, οΟηδοηηθδ) ὨΔΌΘΑΠΙΠ, δἰϊοαι!ὶ ϑαγιηο μι νἱησθηί6 , ΓΘΠ8 ΒΙΙρΟΓΘΙΏΏΓ. ΟΙΧΧΧΙ. --- ΠΙΌΥΜΟ ΡΒΕΒΒΥΤΕΒΟ. Μοηάλδίοτνιιπν πθόγιη τ Θπιογίδπι 6ε͵ Υἱά6- ( γἷϑ : ο. διιϊίΐδθιῃ πιθᾶβ ΘΓ6Ὰ (ὁ "εῃαυο θη Οὐ νΐοηθ πιϊηΐηις αἴδοι δι. ΑΠΙοἷαΡ διυίεπι, δἱ Ππ ὰ οορηΐ - ἰυπὶ οἱ ἀχρίογαίυπ) ΠΆθυογο, ( ἀοἀϊία Ορεγὰ ἃς ἀθ ἱηάἀυδιγία, ποη τ] πὶ ΘΡΓΟΙΘ ἐνλνονο δἰ ολεὺ ἰὴ διηΐοο5 (ἀδυδοοϊηαίι πὴ . ΟἸΟΧΧΧΙΙ. --- ΕἸΌΕῚ. Θὶ νογὰ 8ιη1. : λ)ὰ ποβ αἰϊλίδ βηϊ, δ 8η εἰδὶ ᾿ειϑίπὶ Θχουϑδ! ὁ Π6) ΓΘΙΪΟΙ.ΠΊ ΔΓ ΓΓΟΓ. ὕ1χΆ οηἶ (ογίδ886 4ύυδιγα8, ἰἰδυ( (Δ ) ἰηγ θη ΐ65. δὲ διιίΐθιν [Ὁ , [σ βείδπ) : αὐ , 4αυἱ ἢ εἰδιι - Γαμπί, 8ι[ βϑιϊδ(δοθιἱ πού δ λ6 ιν) Δ Π , ἃῖφη ] αι δι [ΔοΐΘ ΒΌΚρΡΙ οἴ ιμΠ8, ΘΔ οαΥΘ : - ΓΘΟΙ δ ἃ ΠΟΒΙΓῸ (ΟΘῖι! : ΠΟΥ̓ΘΆΙΗΙΒ. ΟἸΟΧΧΧΙΙ. -- ΑΤΙΆΝΑΘΙΟ ΡΑΕΒΌΥΓΕΙΝ. Τὸ μὲν διὰ λόγων φιλοσοφεῖν, εὔχολον" τὸ δὲ διὰ Ὁ φργιιοιΐθιιβ ΡΠ Οφορ ιατὶ ργοιηρίιηι 4ο [Λα ] : πραγμάτων, δυσχερές. Διὸ χαὶ τὸ μὲν τῶν ἀχουόν- τῶν οὐ καθιχνεῖται, τὸ δὲ χαθάπτεται. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ γέλωτα χινεῖ, τὸ δὲ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀναστέλλει" χαὶ τὸ μὲν εἰς ὀνείδη, τὸ δὲ εἰς ἐπαίνου: τελευτᾷ, Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐνοχλεῖ, τὸ δὲ δυσωπεῖ τοὺς ἀχούοντας " οὐχ- οὖν οὐ λεχτέον τὰ πραχτέα μόνον, ἀλλὰ χαὶ πρα- χτέον, εἴ γε μὴ. μέλλοιμεν ὀνείδη τε ἕξειν, χαὶ εὖ- θύνας ὑτέξειν. γΟῦυ5 δυίθιη ἀγιίυυηι οἱ ἐΠΠ ι ὁ. Αο ργορίογοα Πυἀ δυϑίιογιὴ πιὸ ρϑμοίγαῖ ; ϑδυϊὲπὶ ροτγβϑιγιζὶι : ΠπΔ απ τίσαμν ᾿πουϑῖ, ἰιος ἱπνδτιΐαην γαδί γί χί : ἰὼ ργοῦγα, ᾿ος. ἰῃ λυ εϑίηῖι. ΠΠπὼὰ ταὐΐο εἰ ηιοϊοδβί,α, ο. ῃυογΘ δι . Π1ογ68 δἰ ει. ουγαη , 4ι5 [- αἶαν δυηῖ ποθὴ πιοΐο ἀἰόδιητς δϑά οἰἰαπὶ [δεΐδ- πι8 : Π6 δἰϊοᾳιΐ εἰ ψγοῦγὰ [ιαθϑϑιμι8 εἰ ρο πᾶ Υ̓ΑΒΙΕ ΓΠΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () Εἰς ἀπο.ϊογίας ἀνάγκην περιστήσωμεν. Βιιίυθ, αὐ εἰδὲ ευ(ἱδ αοἰομΐ πεςοδοίίαἰόηι ααιϑαικιιδ. Μαΐϊην, αὐ διιὶ ἀε[ενἀδηαϊ πϑεςδεαίεηι ααϊσημειξ, ΟἼΧΧΧΙΥ. --- ΤΊΕΟΝΙ ΕΡΙΒΟΟΡΟ. ἢδλιοι φυϊάδην νἱγίιι8 ποη ργδι ἢ , υἱὲ , δα οἰΐδιη οὐτγοιδη ἃς σοί γθιη δὲ συ! δηΐϑιη α΄ο- χη). Τιι γυθγὸ εἰμ πη ἴσα Γα , αἱ ἢ) ὑῃ8Π1 - ᾿ρ5ῖ15 δβραοίο, δὴ τρϑγοσιϊ δῆ] [], Ου ΓΙ Ο51 ἰηη Γ28. Μ δηἶη οἱ ΓΟ65 ΘΟΠϑ.Π πη δε, ΠΟΙ] ΠΠΘΓΟΘι οδιι84 Ὀοηΐ δἰϊχιΐ ἊΠῖοῖι. Νᾷη οἱ γΟΓΘ δῖ. Υἱγίυ δἰ ΔπΠΊΟ γα (ΘΠ ΓΟΓΪ5, βοί ΓΘ8 Ρτγοίδοιο, οἰΐλ δου ηοία πιόγόδια νἰ γι θην ἰρύθμι πιογοδθηι δὲ ΟΟΓΟΠπι Δ6 ( αἱ ΟΥ̓ΠΔΙΏΠΘΙ , πἸοΓ δ θι) ἴῃ δοῖρϑ γα, Οηομ Φε6η αἱ τ ΓοΘ γί . ἀδ πιογόδιϊο πἰ . Δηχὶὸ ἢ ἀγᾷ68, 8ι8μ᾽οἰοινοιν διε οἰ ργαῦθθ5, ἴθ, εἶϑὶ ΙΠ6 Γ068 θ5561, πΠιΡΡΐ) Γἀσϊα γα, [ω͵, νἱγ- υἱοὶ εοἰογο8. βίογυπ),, 4ιοιηούοοιη4ι6 ἀ6 ἰνδς ΓΘ σὐπδυεγΐθ, υἱγίυ θη) , ϑιιληίθ ὃ6 διυ(ἰ0808 οἱ ἰνὶς οἰάτγοδ, ο
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Arcadios
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the unavoidable publicity of the leader's example — those in authority cannot have a private life that contradicts their public teaching without the contradiction becoming visible.
The man in authority, Arcadios, does not have the same privacy available to him that an ordinary person has. Not because his private actions are anyone else's business — in a narrow sense they are not — but because the gap between what he teaches publicly and what he does privately cannot be maintained indefinitely. It shows.
The congregation sees their leader closely. They observe not just the formal gestures of piety but the manner, the small decisions, the way he treats people who cannot benefit him. These observations accumulate into a judgment that is often more accurate than the leader would like.
Live consistently, therefore — not as a performance but as the only sustainable position. The man whose private life matches his public teaching has nothing to conceal and no performance to maintain. He is simply himself. That is the most restful and the most powerful position a leader can occupy.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.