Letter 181

Isidore of PelusiumAn ungrateful person|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Rthoenis the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore rebukes someone whose promised gratitude has entirely vanished, and warns of the practical consequences of ingratitude.

I reproach you sharply for this: the gratitude that was owed has died in you. When you were in need, you gave solemn assurances that you would never forget what was done for you. Those assurances have come to nothing.

Know this: if you fall into difficulty again, you will not find anyone to help you. People who forget kindnesses will necessarily find themselves short of helpers when they need them next. It is not a matter of punishment. It is simply how the world works. Help flows toward those who receive it well. It flows away from those who treat it as their due and then forget it.

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