Letter 806

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore writes on matters of wealth.

Wealth is a tool, not a treasure. Use it for others and it becomes eternal; hoard it for yourself and it perishes with you. The only treasure you keep is the treasure you give away. Everything else will be taken from you at death.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.