Letter 448
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Eutocius the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the virtue of discretion — not everything one knows should be said, and the wise man knows the difference between what prudence requires to speak and what it requires to withhold.
That one ought not to disclose everything to everyone is agreed upon by all who have any sense. But what is the greater virtue — to speak when speaking is difficult, or to withhold when withholding is difficult?
Neither reticence nor openness is a virtue in itself. The virtue lies in the judgment: knowing when truth must be spoken regardless of consequence, and knowing when silence serves the one we love better than any word could. A deacon especially must cultivate this discernment, since what is entrusted to him by those who confide in him is not his to display.
Οιυοά πὐυ]ι τοῦυς πιϊεΐπα ἱπάΐβεγθ, δοημπιηὶ οπιηΐπ ἢ) ΘΟηβοη8:ι πηαχίπι ὈΟΠῸΠῚ ,, [ἰᾳιεῖ. Θυυά δυΐδιη ππίΟΓΘΙἢ ργυθγὸ, 4υδιὴ υἱ [ἃ- αὐΠταιῖθυβ ορυϑ ,, τη] ὸ τηδ͵οτίβ ν᾽ γί ἰδ0 δἷι, ἰά φυοι σίγα οοηιγονογβίληιν ε8ῖ, ἃς ργοίπε δ ΟΌΓΔΙ ΠΙΔΧΙ ζΟΡΓΔΙΏΙ15 : ΟΟΓΡΟΥΪΒ, » πὶ ποορϑϑίῖ89 οσίαίϊ Θχιθγηογι πὶ ὈΟΠΟΓ.,. ΗΘ Δ Πππὲ αυΐϊάαπ). ΗΔ. Θπΐπ) Γϑιίΐοπα ᾿ἶὼ 4ηοα ναϑι υδίι ἀγοθη) διιἾ ἢ Π , ( ΘΟΘΙΟΓΙΩῚ δἰ : τοσησ ρϑτιυτγὶ!. Αοἀ [ 4η)θιϑ4 η η1 "ἰπίπιθ ναγὰ Υἱθδηῖ!γ, δἱ πηἰὶ νἱ ἀδιλιγ. Νεηυδ δηΐμ ἰδ ᾿ ἃᾳο, πἱ, φυὰ ἀΐευ, νὸ- γἰιδιῖϊβ ἤάδθιηῃ δρυΐ διιιϊ ᾽ παηςϊβοδηίυγ ( νοϊα! ΟὨΙΟΓ ΡΓΏΙΟΓ υδιἰνλῖυ) ΟρΡυϑ) αυδηὶ αἱ ΦῥὈΡ0 ] 1η6.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Eutocius the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the virtue of discretion — not everything one knows should be said, and the wise man knows the difference between what prudence requires to speak and what it requires to withhold.
That one ought not to disclose everything to everyone is agreed upon by all who have any sense. But what is the greater virtue — to speak when speaking is difficult, or to withhold when withholding is difficult?
Neither reticence nor openness is a virtue in itself. The virtue lies in the judgment: knowing when truth must be spoken regardless of consequence, and knowing when silence serves the one we love better than any word could. A deacon especially must cultivate this discernment, since what is entrusted to him by those who confide in him is not his to display.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.