Letter 85

Isidore of PelusiumAn inquirer; and to Donatus|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An inquirer; and to Martinianus
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore distinguishes true humility from mere low self-esteem, and warns against greed.

The person who is conscious of no good in himself, wise friend, and therefore speaks modestly and is forgiving — or rather, self-aware — is not truly humble. But the person who, after many accomplishments, still thinks humbly of himself — that is the one who truly knows how to be modest.

To Martinianus, on greed: The love of bodily pleasure is sharp but quickly extinguished. The love of money is different — it grows with what it feeds on. The more a greedy person has, the more he wants. Pleasure at least has a natural limit; greed has none.

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

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