Letter 465
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Epiphanos the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on envy as a disease that consumes its host — the envious man is harmed more by his envy than the person he envies.
Envy, Epiphanos, is remarkable among the vices for this: it punishes its possessor more reliably than it punishes its target. The man who is envied goes about his business; the man who envies him cannot sleep, cannot eat without bitterness, cannot see another's good fortune without feeling it as a wound.
Envy is the only disease in which the sick man suffers exactly in proportion to the health of others. This makes it self-defeating in a peculiarly elegant way: the more the envied person flourishes, the worse the envious person feels. He has made another's prosperity the measure of his own misery.
The cure is not comparison but conversion — redirecting the energy of envy into genuine pursuit of what one actually values. Ask yourself what you would want if you were not watching what others have. Pursue that.
Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας τί ἔστι τὸ ἑν τῷ ογ’ ψαλμῷ γεγραμμένον, « Σὺ ἑξήρανας ποταμοὺς Ἠθὰμ» (ὅπερ ἂν τοῖς παλαιοῖς Ψαλτηρίοις χείμενον, ἕν τισι τῶν νέων ὡς ἀπερινόητον ἴσως οὐχ ἐνεγράφη διὸ χαί τινες νομίζουσι περιττά τινα χαὶ ἀναπό- ΕΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒῸΌΜ [.]. -- ΕΡΙΩΤ. ΠΧΥῚῚ- θρησχείᾳ νομίζουσι. Στῆθι τοίνυν χαταποντίζων μὴ Α αἰδείονγ, ἰυπι αυΐὰ ἢ8ς ἀθ τὸ ἸΙοφυυηπίυν, ἰυπὶ φυΐϑ ἀοηδίο γϑιθιηΐι, ἰὰ ρ6Ρ νἷιδ [ , 4ὶ δ ἀϊνίπαιη γα] αίοηδα) δοοϑύσπμι, ἴῃ πιγϑιἷ- εἷβ ΒΥ πι00 ἀεί εἰ πηοπίυπι ράγραιὶ ἀγυϊιγδηιυν. θ6- δἷη6 ἰἰλ4116, Ω011] ΙΠ00 ἰυδπὶ δηϊηλπι, βοά οἱΐδηι τη , ργὸ φυΐνυ9 Οἰιτίβίι1ι8 πιοτίθπι ορροιὶ!, ἀδηποόγρεγα. ἀοσία 4ιιουδηὴν ᾿ος πηδλιπὶ το ηιαϊ, οἰμ ἱπηρτουϊιδίοιη ὴ ΧΥῚΪ.. --- ΕΡΙΡΗΑΝΙΟ ὈΙΑΘΟΝΟ. Θυοηΐδην μὲῦ ᾿᾿πἰ6γὰ8 δχ πιὰ δβείβείἰδίυϑ φυϊά- Π8π δἰ ΐβοοῖ ἰά αυοά ρϑι 1Π0Ὸ χχηϊ βογίριυπ) οεοῖ, « Τυ 58ἰοοδϑιῖ Πυνίο9 ΕΙΠΔη » (ᾳυοὰ αι άδπι οὐπὶ ἰμ γυοίογίι. Ῥεα ογ δἰ απ δ[, ἰῃ αυϊδυδάδπι τροθη- ιἰογίθυβ οὐὐϊεῖθυ8, [0γι3586 αἱ 4φυοά ἰπι6 αὶ πιὶοΐ- δεχτα (ἐ17) ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς γεγράφθαι)" ἀντεπι- Β πιὸ ροδδοὶ, μδυάᾳυδηιδιη ἰπϑοερίυπι ὁδὶ, στεῖλαι δίχαιον ἰζήθην' Χῶρος ἦν ἐν τῇ Παλαι- στίνῃ ποταμοῖς χατάῤῥυτος, χαὶ δένδροις χαὶ χαρ- ποῖς χατάχομος, ζώων τε πλήθει χαὶ ἰχθύων εὔθη- ρος. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τὸ θεῖον νεῦμα εὔυδρον χαὶ εὔδενδρον χαὶ εὔθηρον αὐτὸν ὄντα, δι᾽ ἐπιπολάζου- σαν τῶν οἰχητόρων ἀσέδειαν ἐξήρανε" χαὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων θαυμάτων ἀναχηρύττει ὁ μελο- ποιός. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ χρὴ ἀποφαίνεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπο- διδόναι μαρτυρίας (), Ἰώσηππον παραγάγωμεν ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαιολογίαις γράφοντα" ἯΝν δέ τι χωρίον ἀπὸ δύο σχοινίων Ἱεροσολύμων, ὃ χαλεῖται μὲν Ἦθαμ, παραδείσοις τε χαὶ ναμάτων ἑπιῤῥοαῖς δπιτερπέστατον χαὶ πλούσιον, ἐν ᾧ ὁ Σολομῶν συνεχῶς ἐξήει, γυμνασθησόμενος χαὶ θηράσων. Τοῦ μὲν εἶναι χῶρον τοιοῦτον, χαὶ Ἰώσηππον, καὶ τὸν Μελῳδὸν, τὸν θαυμάσαντα ὅτι ἐξηράνθη, προ- ἴσχομαι μάρτυρας (οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐν θαύμασι τὸ ἐξη- ράνθαι αὐτὸν! κατηρίθμει, εἰ μὴ λίαν εὔυδρος ἦν) " τοῦ δὲ ἐξηράνθαι, αὐτὸν τὸν Μελῳδόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ χορείαν τινὰ ἀνελίττων, καὶ διὰ τῆς ὁρωμένης χτίσεως χωρῶν τῷ λόγῳ, χαὶ εἰς τοῦτον τὸν χῶρον ἔφθασεν, Ἑ. ὀραίοις (ἐκεῖσε γὰρ ἐμελῴδει), ἀφ᾽ ων ἔδεσαν, τὴν ἀήττητον τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν ἑρμηνεύων. οἰΐδπὶ ποηλΐπθ ποθι βιραγνδοδηθα αυδάδι, εἰ ηυ15 ἀδπιοποίγαγί ποηυδδηϊ, 58ογὶβ πιὸ τὶς σου ἰπονὶ Δ6Β6 ΓΗ), ἰἀοἶγοο γοϑεγί δου! δὰ ( ἀιχί. ΕΠ δΔη ἰφξίιυν ἰΙοευβ ογαϊ ἴῃ Ῥαϊωϑιΐνα, δεν! ἱγγίχυυδ, δι- 4υ6 Δεθογίλθιι οἱ γος θυ5 θυ ἀδη8, οἱ οὐ ἰηφοπίοδιη δηϊπηδηιϊίυ ἃς ρῥἰδοϊυ τ οορίδιι δ γϑηδηάυιϊ δοροι- ᾿ηοὐπ5. Οιοιΐαπη ἰφίίας αἰνίηα νοϊιπι88 ἰγρίσυυπ θης Ἰοου παοιπογοδυι δίᾳυς δὲ υβηδιϊΐοβοπ Ρογ4φυδπι ρροϑὶίυπι ΟὉ οχυ θογϑηίθπ ἰποοί δ πὴ ἰπὶ- ὑγουϊιδίοα) οχαγοίδοϊϊ, ἰαεἶγοο μος φυοφυθ ὑπ οὐ . πιΐγδου δ νδι68 ὑγοβύϊοδιὶ. Θυοηΐδπ) δυίθιη ρΓῸ- Ὠυη ΓΘ [ ΔΒΒΟΥΟΓΔΓΟ ΠΟῚ ΟΡΟΡΙ͂Οί, ὙΘΡΌ ἰ6- διϊπιοηΐἃ ΔΠεγγα, δοβορίνη ἰπ ᾿ποἀΐυ ργοάυοθηιι5, ἰη Απιϊφααείϑως ᾿νΪ8 γ Ρ υἱθι!6πὶ : Εταϊ δυΐδιν ἰοσυβ8 4ι.8π , ἀυοῦβ ραδϑυθπὶ πα υυ8 δὺ υτῦθ ἨΪΓοβο γπιίδηα ἀϊδβοίίυς, αὐἱ Εἰ δῃο νοολθδίαγ, ὈΓϑ οἱ πογιΐβ, δὰ ἰαἱεῖθυβ ραγαᾷυϑπι διποθηιδ οἱ οορίοϑιι5, δι) αιοπὶ ϑαϊοιμοι,, Ἔσογοϊ (δι οη ἃς Ὑθιιῶ- τἱοη οαυ84, δυυΐδ οοιηιηοαῦδι. Εἰ αυοΐ ἰνΐς ἰοου8 δὐυδιιοῦ! 6β8αὶ, δὲ Ζοβδδρίιυπι, οἱ Ῥφαϊἰϑίδιη., αυΐ Θυπὶ ὀχϑγιι πιΐγαί8 , ργοίεγο. Νοη Θηΐηι δ ης ὁχϑἰσοδιἰοποπ πο Γ πιγδουΐα γοδοιϑυΐπδ6ὶ, πἰδὶ δαι δἀ πηούμπι ἰγγίσιιι8 Θχϑιϊ ἶβδαὶ. Οιοἀ δυ- ἰ6πὶ ὀχδίοςδίυβ [ογῖ ς ᾿ρόυ Ῥθαἰ ἰδῖδι) ἰαδίε δά )6ο. δἰ αυϊάθι. νοῖαϊ ογθπὶ ηυθιπιίδιπ εἰ οἰ0- ΓΟΔΠῚ ΥΟΓΒΔΏ8, ἃ6 Ρ6Γ Γ68 ΟΓΘΔΙ48 δίηυ6 ἰῇ Οὐ ογπὶ δυ: ) οδάθηί68, Β6ΓΙΠΟΠΘ Ὀτοφτγεάϊθιιβ, κι μυπς αυοᾳυδ ἰοουπὶ ρογυεηΐ,, ἨοΌγιἷἶ5. (ΠΠΠ Ἃ δηΐ Ῥβα!ηθ8 σου ἀθ δὺϑ ἰΐ8 γευυβ, οοδι οἱ ῬεΓΡθοῖλ8 μου δηϊ, ἰμν]οίαπι θεῖ ροϊθηϊἰΔπ ΘΧΡΟΠΘΩΒ. . --- ΘΕΟΦΙΛΩ. Ὅτι μὲν τό ἀμύνασθαι ἄδιχον οὐχ ἔστι, συνθή- σομαι" ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲ φιλόσοφον, συνθέσθαι δίχαιος ἂν εἴης. Πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν ῥᾳδίως ἐγίνετο, καὶ ἄνευ πολλῆς περιπετείας, λόγον εἶχέ σου. ὁ λόγος. Εἰ δὲ πρὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος διδόναι δίχας᾽ ὁ ἀπαιτῶν ἑαυτὸν μυρίαις περιπείρῃ συμφοραῖς, ἄμεινον, τὸ μὴ μετὰ τὸ ἠδικῆσθαι, χαὶ ἄλλων χαχῶν πειραθῆναι. ΕἸ δ᾽ αἴνιγμά σοι εἶναι δοχεῖ τὸ ῥηθὲν, σαφὲς αὐτὸ ποιῇ- ΕΧΥ͂ῚῚ. --- ΤΠΕΟΡΗ
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Epiphanos the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on envy as a disease that consumes its host — the envious man is harmed more by his envy than the person he envies.
Envy, Epiphanos, is remarkable among the vices for this: it punishes its possessor more reliably than it punishes its target. The man who is envied goes about his business; the man who envies him cannot sleep, cannot eat without bitterness, cannot see another's good fortune without feeling it as a wound.
Envy is the only disease in which the sick man suffers exactly in proportion to the health of others. This makes it self-defeating in a peculiarly elegant way: the more the envied person flourishes, the worse the envious person feels. He has made another's prosperity the measure of his own misery.
The cure is not comparison but conversion — redirecting the energy of envy into genuine pursuit of what one actually values. Ask yourself what you would want if you were not watching what others have. Pursue that.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.