Letter 1639
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person (two letters)
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Two letters to the same person — the first urging him to come back to himself even a little; the second on those who promoted him to priesthood when he was not ready.
Even if, seized by an incurable madness as you are, the sane seem to you to be raving and those who admonish you seem to be babbling nonsense — if you would come back to yourself even a little, you will sing a completely different tune and cast the opposite vote. The madness does not last; the clarity that follows does. Come back to yourself first — then judge.
To the same: Even if the man who gave you the priesthood is partly responsible — he who pushed you forward before you had done the work of preparing yourself — still, you are not without your own responsibility. The one who puts on armor before he has learned to use it is not made blameless by the fact that someone handed it to him.
δε εαάφηι τό. Εἰϑδὶ ρτυάδηΐεβ ἃς πιοάογαιΐ ἱποῦγδθ!!! ἀπιϑηιλ Ἰ ΠΡΟ γπι ᾿πϑαηΐγα ν᾽ ἀδδηίυγ, εἰ ἀδβίρογα ριι68, αυὶ Ἴ] φοιβ τη ἀδηι, θγανὶ ᾿ϑπηθη ρα! πούϊδιη σδηθβ, ογόϑᾳυδ ἰῃ ἐοηπίγαγίαπι ᾿βϑι θη πὶ. ὈΧΧΧΙΙ. --- ΕἸΌΕΜ. Εἰ χαὶ ἀνηχέστῳ σοι μανίᾳ χεχειρωμένῳ μαίνε: σθαί σοι δοχοῦσιν οἱ σωφρονοῦντες, χαὶ παραταίειν οἱ νουθετοῦντες " ἀλλ᾽ εἰ ὀλίγον ἀνενέγχοις, παλιν ῳδίαν ἄσεις, χαὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ψῆφον οἴσεις. ΦΛΒ'. --- ΤῺ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. δε Βιεεῤίο Ρεἰμιεὶὶ ορίεοορο, φιιῖὶ Ζοεῖπιμπι οταϊπαυί!. (μἷδ υεγα εασοτάοε. (διμρτ. ερὶει. εἰ .) Εἰεὶ εἰ 'ρδα, οἱ φυΐ ΘΔεογθοίοπι ογάϊηδν!!, βἰνο ὁ Εἰ χαὶ αὐτὸς ὁ προπιών σοι τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ὁ μὲν προγδηΐ διπάΐο, δἶνα ἀγβθηι οὐγίιι8 οἰρί ἀϊιδι6 Ῥης δπλῖ, " νϑ ἀΐάΐϊ ποιηθη, π6 Γδ πὶ ρθη ἀΐολπ) ; δοι] ἰοᾷθ ϑοτγίριυγαπ), ἴδιο ( Βδοογάοίαπι [δοῖϑί, δηΐπι υ ϑογίριυτγαι ραγοΐ8 Ἰδφὶὕυ8, [οί Π διι5εἰ ρίε8, 4υοι) ἰη εἰ πυβοορίδιί!, ὭΧΧΧΊΙ. --- ΑΝΜΟΝΙΟ ΠΕΟΤΟΒΙ. ὑπὸ ᾿φιλαρχίας, ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ φιλαργυρίας μεθύων, ὁ μὲν ἐπώλησεν, ὁ δὲ ἡἢγόρασε τοὔνομα" οὐ γὰρ ὧν φαίην τὸ πρᾶγμα " ἀλλὰ δὸς σαυτὸν ταῖς ἱεραῖς Γρ1- φαῖς, χαί σε ποιήσουσιν ἱερέα. Ἐὰν γὰρ τοῖς μοις αὐτῶν πεισθείης, ὅπερ οὐ δεόντως ἐδέξω, δεύν' τως μεταχειρίσῃ. ΦΛΙ'. --- ΑΜΜΟΝΙῺ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗ͂. Ῥνιδείαι ἢἷε ἰαὐογατο, μἱ ἰειὶς ΠΟΥΟΉ ΟΥ̓, Ἰπίῳ πιο αεἰϊεϊατὶ, οἰἿ Ῥοεί αἰεγπηι ἐτμεϊατὶ. « ἤέσπνι (αἰο: τῆι υἷπι ρας τ. ν (ΜαΠΠι. χι, ΟἹ» 6λη), ἡπϑιὴ ἰβῆογαβ, μι Ἰσπαγίϑ σα υ58η , οὐ ι8 δε ρασιίογα ροιίι5 οροτία!ι. Θυοὰ οηΐη ἢϊ πο- Εἰ βοιῖογ, οἱ οὐἴο86, ΠΟ πιο60 οογοπᾶ ογοὶ, β6ιὶ εἰ ρῶμδιη δογὶ, Οιοά νθγοὸ οὐπὶ [ἰΔ])ΟΓΘ βυάογα ΒογίιΓ, ὈΓΙΒΊΠΪΟ 6δὲ Θογοπᾶαι ἀἰφηυπι. ᾿σίίαγ ο6άο, ΜΠ . τη ἡρρτγορατγὶ, ἰἴδηο φαΐ ᾿νΐς ἰὴ «(αἰ οἷς νἱ- 1Δπ ἰγδηδίρυῖ, ἢ) ΔΙΊΘΓΟ Ὑ6ΓῸ δοῦ]ο ρου) ρ6η- ἀπ, δη ὩΡογδη ἴῃ ἢὰς 4ηΐ6πὶ νἱἷιϊδ, ροβίθα γ6ΓῸ ΟΟτγοπἃ γϑαϊ πη θη ἢ Η , Ορίπον, πηι . Θ03Γ6 δὶ [ ᾿η)ΐ1 Γῖ8, ἰδοῦ ΠΟη [υφίος, 56ιὶ οἱ ρίο- ΓΔ σοηβααιογὶ5. ὈΧΧΧΙΥ, -- ΠΙΠΥ͂ΜΟ ΡΒΕΘΒΎΤΕΒΟ. ὃς Ζοεὶπιϊ, ορίποτ, ἀδερεγαία (αν «ΓαργΘΙ ΘΠ , αυΐ ἱπηρΙΔ ! 6πὶ 8Πὶ [γα πὶ σομοἰἴα10 (ισίυπὶ οὐγβὰ, αυῶ ἴῃ ρϑΙρΡΟΓΟΒ " ΓΙ σοῦ ἴα ἀΐβηο8, ἱπιπηδηΐ5 6ϑὶ, ἴῃ πγρίυυ ΝΟΓΟ ἱπιριι οπιυϊβδίτηϑ, αι Ἰιοϑί πὶ ἴῃ ΠυπΠΊΟΤῸ [ἃ - μεῖ, φυὶ Ὡ0) δχ δηΐμηὶ ϑι βοιίϑηιϊα, νἱοίο5 δὺ ΨΓΟΧΙΠΙΟ8, ΠΟηῸ6 ὁχ ργαβογρίο ἰαίδηϊ, .) Επ (επιΐμηι βοτὶριὶς ἰά σοηιρτοῦαί. (1π. ερίει. ὅ40.) Λέληθας τούτων ἕνεχα δυσχεραίνων, ἐφ᾽ οἷς ᾿δὲ- σθαι προσῆχον ἦν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ῥάθυμον, ἄπονον χαὶ οὐ μόνον ἀστεφάνωτον, ἀλλὰ χαὶ χολάσεως τνξϊ, Τὸ δὲ μετὰ πόνων καὶ ἱδρώτων βιοῦν, ἀναῤῥήτεον χαὶ στεφάνων αἴτιον, Τίσιν οὖν ἀσμένως χαταριλμῖ: τοῖς τρυφῶτι μὲν ἐνταῦθα, κολασθησομένοις δὲ μετ ταῦτας " ἣ τοῖς ἀθλοῦσι μὲν τῇδε, ἐχεῖσε δὲ στον, σομένοις ; Ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι τούτους. Εἰ δὲ χαὶ αὑτὸν τούτου" ζηλοῖς, μὴ φεῦγε τοὺς πόνους, ἀλλὰ τὸν εὔχλειαν δίωχε.
◆
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person (two letters)
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Two letters to the same person — the first urging him to come back to himself even a little; the second on those who promoted him to priesthood when he was not ready.
Even if, seized by an incurable madness as you are, the sane seem to you to be raving and those who admonish you seem to be babbling nonsense — if you would come back to yourself even a little, you will sing a completely different tune and cast the opposite vote. The madness does not last; the clarity that follows does. Come back to yourself first — then judge.
To the same: Even if the man who gave you the priesthood is partly responsible — he who pushed you forward before you had done the work of preparing yourself — still, you are not without your own responsibility. The one who puts on armor before he has learned to use it is not made blameless by the fact that someone handed it to him.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.