Letter 1119
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore writes on matters of conduct.
Character is revealed not by what a person says but by what he does when no one is watching. The test of virtue is consistency. The person who changes his behavior depending on his audience has not acquired virtue — only its imitation.
1κ ἐπί, « Εε ᾿ροοσμίμπι “ἀφ [τὶ σία ἄαγε .".. Ὑἱάονῖ πὰΐ ΐ οἱ ἰοἰρϑιπὶ ἀεοίρογα (χιο αιϊάθαι . [Δ0] ΠΠπ οἵ 5Δ0Γ ϑογίριυγας [ ἃς ροῦρα- τϑῖῃ ἰβίογργοίατγί. Ναπὶ ἢ , « ἀάτα ροσυ!πὶ () [τ εἰ ἀρ, » Δ4 ηυΐ ἰά δοἴυπι [θη], δραοῖλι, ] δὶ 4ᾳυἱ ἀἰϊν[ι Πιχυγίαηί, αἱ τη αυοθαᾳυα Βιοάϊουπ) ῬΓΌΘΓΟ ροδϑυηὶ ἐΐ8, αυἱ ἃ (Δπ οἱ ἢοτθο ηυαϊιαίοαυς, νοοῖ ἰοβιἰδυ8 αυἱυβάδπι, οὐδ᾽ ἰδηιυῦ οι ορριικηδηῖιγ. Νοφυθ Ψ6ΓῸ πηϊγανΐ ἀδθοα, οἱ δἰΐδη) . ηοἱ δαηληι οχ θεῖ, ἤθη δ'ης ργωιο ἰά [Δεἰϑι. Νοη δπΐπὰ ἶρ6Ά ἀδιϊοηΐβ πηδφηϊἀΐη γοὶ μαγνΐ- (Δι6, δ6ιὶ ὁχ δηΐηη! ργοροϑβϑίίο οἰ ΘΟ ΠΟΘ ) δοβι , ᾳυαπύοηυϊόδιιν 6ιἾ8η) Β6ῦπ0 δρριοθοιΐίοπα αἰχθυ8 ἐδηϑ6(ΌΓ. « ἔξοθ 1π, [Π6ῸΠ, ΒΟΥΤΏῸ ποῖ οῦ οϑὶ ἄοηο “. » οἱ πος ἀϊείι ὁδί : ε ράφι δυίδπι βυηϊ ροπδβ υἱγιπὶ 4υ] ρο [δὶ αγαια "": ν ηἰποίγυπι [ - Ἰυπ), αὐ οἱ ἀἄδγ ροϊδδῖ. Νδηὶ οἱ ἰδιιυπὶ 6οὶ [( αυοὰ ἀὀδίυν, ᾳυδηῖὰ οορίὰ (ἰΔηι , τ6π οἰἶδι δηΐπιΐ ργορδηβϑίυ οἱ υοἱυῶὶλβ ηυφγιυγ. ΜῈΠ] δηΐηι τορογίυπίυν, αυἱΐ ἀ6 πηχηᾶ οορία ἀδηί ρᾶθ0ᾶ: οἱ ὁοπίγα τυ] οχὶζυ! [] ἤδη πν0 . Νοηνδ ὀμΐ ἰδ ΠΗ ΒΕ ΓΆ . ΘΟΓΙ ΠῚ : ἀνηῖυν, 4ι1πΔ ἀδοιίπη ἴοι ( ΔηΠ ) διιοηἀΐυν, οἱ ἰπάἀ6 ἰπαἰεῖπν βδυπιυγ. ΘΟ ολυϑᾶ 6δ, δ υἱόυλ αιυοχιο , αι ἀυ0 πεΐπαιϊα ἐμ (1π σακορὶγ οί), οὐὴθοδ οιΐϑηι αυἱ πο ἃ ΟΠδΓΟΌΔΗΙ, ἰοηξο ἱπίογναιο ροϑὶ γο!!αυ . Π ποιηααθ ρᾶγι συ ϊδιη ἀυηίϊαχαὶ (ϑυογυη ὑοποτυπ) οὔδρουδηί ; 'ρ88 ΨΟΓΟ ΟΠΙΠΘΙ δ08π υβιπιϊλπὶ ἀραϊ αν. ΡΙΘ'΄. --- ΗΡΩΝΙ.
◆
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore writes on matters of conduct.
Character is revealed not by what a person says but by what he does when no one is watching. The test of virtue is consistency. The person who changes his behavior depending on his audience has not acquired virtue — only its imitation.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.