Letter 1547
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore expresses joy at hearing of someone's genuine conversion and change of life.
I was extraordinarily glad to hear of your excellent change of heart. And I believe you will quickly shed the disgrace that previously attached itself to you from your wickedness. You will take up the adornment of virtue and earn undying fame — proclaimed here among all who know you, and in the world to come before the One who sees everything.
This is what true change looks like: not only leaving what was wrong behind, but replacing it with something real. A man who ceases from evil has made a start. A man who takes up virtue has arrived.
Οταιϊμίαίιν αὐ ϑοπαπι τευθγδο [γιισοηι. [μογο ἢ. Π6Ρ βυη) ἰἰδιυθ., οορηΐίο Υυἱίϑαι ( ἴῃ μι6 . οομλῃ)υί,, πὶ ἰᾳθ6 ρογϑυδάθο [ὉΓ6 υἱ ἱκιοπηηΐδην Οχ πηδῖ6 δηϊθδοίἃ Υἱίδ οοηιγδοίδηη ἀ6- [, Υἱγιυι ογπδιῃθηίυπὶ Ὀγανΐ δοηυΐγαθ ὁθη- οἰ ἰβαᾳυθ ἀδουβ δοιηρίγηυπὶ ; ἷς φυϊάδη) ἴῃ (οΓΓὶ ἃ ουποί ἰδυύληΐιβ, ἰῃ ]16Γ Ὑ6ΓῸ Υἱίᾶὰ ἃ ϑυϊηιὴ0 ιάϊος οογθηδηάι8. Ἥσθην ὑπερφυῶς, μαθών σου τὴν ἀρίστην με- ταθολήν' χαὶ πιστεύω, ὡς ἀποτρίψῃ μὲν ὡς τάχιστα τὴν ἀδοξίαν, τὴν ἐχ τῆς χαχίας πρώην προσγενομέ- νην" ἀναλήψῃη δὲ τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς χόσμον χαὶ . χλέος ἀοίδιμον ἕξεις, ἐνταῦθα μὲν παρὰ πάντων ἀναχηρντ- τόμενος, ἐχεῖσε δὲ παρὰ τοῦ χριτοῦ στεφανούμενος. ΥΑΙΙΑΣ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ. () Ανο οοὐδ. ἀχοντίζει αὐξοπὶ ργφροβίίο ἐξ. Ῥυβ5ΙΝ.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore expresses joy at hearing of someone's genuine conversion and change of life.
I was extraordinarily glad to hear of your excellent change of heart. And I believe you will quickly shed the disgrace that previously attached itself to you from your wickedness. You will take up the adornment of virtue and earn undying fame — proclaimed here among all who know you, and in the world to come before the One who sees everything.
This is what true change looks like: not only leaving what was wrong behind, but replacing it with something real. A man who ceases from evil has made a start. A man who takes up virtue has arrived.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.