Letter 466
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Dampetios the Bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore presses a bishop on his responsibility for the spiritually sick in his congregation — a bishop who ignores the sick among his flock has abandoned the most essential part of his calling.
A physician who only treats the healthy is not a physician — he is simply a companion to those who do not need him. The physician's work is with the sick, precisely because they are the ones who cannot help themselves.
You are the physician of souls in your district, Dampetios. The ones who are already virtuous do not require you in the same way. It is the ones who are struggling, failing, sinking — those are the ones who need you most. And they are also the ones it is easiest to neglect, because attending to them is harder, slower, and less gratifying than spending time among the upright.
Do not choose the easier work when the harder one is the one that matters. Seek out the lost. Tend to the sick. That is what shepherds do.
Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας ὅτι Εὐσέδιος ὁ ἐπίσχοπος, οὐ τῷ ἀποστῆναι τῶν συγγνώμης μειζόνων πταισμά- τῶν γνωσιμαχεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῷ δοχεῖν () ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ἀναισχυντεῖ φάσχων " Τίνος ὧν ἐνδεὴς ἐπίπρασχον τὰς χειροτονίας ; ὧν γὰρ εὔξαιτ᾽ ἂν ἕχαστος, εἰ μὴ χαὶ ὑπὲρ εὐχὴν, ἀπολαύω καὶ δόξης χαὶ τιμῆς παρών τις φίλων τῶν μισοπονηρίας ἕνεχεν δια δοήτων, ἔφη" Ὅτι μὲν τῆς ἐπισχοπῆς ἡ λειτουργία, ἧς παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀπέλαυσε, πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν ( ἀνθρώποις εὐχταίων ὅρος, οἶδα χαὶ σύμφημι. Τοῖς δὲ πρὸς χαχίαν ῥέπουσι, χαὶ λήμματος ἡττωμέ- γοις, οὐδέν ἐστιν αὔταρχες. Οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐγίνοντο ἐχ «ὧν ἡγεμόνων τινὲς μοχθηροὶ χαὶ χαχοῦργοι, εἰ ΄ κοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἢρχοῦντο, χαὶ συμμετρεῖσθαι τὰς εὐημερίας ἥδεσαν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οἶμαι πολλάχις γίνεσθαι χαὶ πλείους ἀπὸ τούτων, ἢ τῶν χαταδεεστέρων. “Ὅσῳ γὰρ καὶ ἐπηρμένοι παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰσὶ, χαὶ φλεγμαίνουσι τῷ τύφῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς φρονεῖν ἀξιοῦσι, χαὶ τὸ συμόουλεύεσθαι ὕδριν ἡγοῦνται’ τοσούτῳ χαὶ αὐθάδεια, χαὶ ἐπιθυμία πλειόνων, χαὶ θάρσος τοῦ μηδ᾽ ἂν ἁλῶσι δίχην ὑφέξειν, αὐτοῖς εἰσέρχεται. Γνωσιμαχείτω τοιγαρ- οὖν, καὶ μὴ δοχείτω ἀπιθάνῳ ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Οὐ τοῦάᾶῖ, υἱυς , Γυγβιι) ρορυΐᾶΓΟ8 ἰπίο γ Γίχδῃιοβ δὰ διηὶο ιἶδπῇ σοπιρη δ, ἰάοῖγοο ἃ δοο, ΖΕ εΥριϊογιαι φυΐάθιη δσογυεσίδιον, ρορυϊατίυηι δυΐθηι ϑύογυπι οἰ ϑἰδίογ, ἱπδιϊιυ . ΧΧῚ. -- ΑΜΡΕΤΙΟ ΕΡΙΒΘΟΟΘΡΟ. Ουοηΐδ! ΟΧ [ἰἰογὶ8 (οἷ ἰηιο! οχὶ, Ευδβοδίυπι δρίβοορυηι), Ποὴ ἃ οΥἰἱ ἷθυ8 Οηπὶ γϑηΐὰ αγανίουὶ - θυ δὐροιϊηθηάο Γααιΐυ8 δ᾽ δὲ ΘΟ ΒΌΪ6Γα, τόγαιϊ, ΄υοι ἀείεῃβίοηοπι δ᾽ ᾳυδπὶ ΒΓΕ ρυϊοὶ, ᾿ππρυϊ δι! νου υἱἱ : Ουὐυδηδπι τοὶ ροηυγία ἰἀθο0Γο, υἱ - ΟΓ88 οτάηδιίοπ νοηδηι7 ΘηἾ πὶ ΟρίΔΓα ], Π6 ἀΐεδηι ᾳφυ8 γοίϑ 80ρ6Γϑηι, ἰἷδ ἔγαογ,, ἰο6 , φίοτγία οἱ βοποτὸ : δυὰϊ αυἱὰ ϑπιΐουδ 4ιϊ8πι, ο"» ππργοῦογυπι οὐΐυῦλ Οἰαγυθ οοἰθῦγὶ δ, φυΐ ἰυπὶ δύογαιὶ, ἰοουῖυβ : (υοὰ ηυΐίθπι ορίδοοραῖίυϑ πυηυ8, φυοά ἰμΐφηθ οοηβοουϊυι Θὐϊ, ΘΟΓ ΟΠ ἶυ πὶ πίον μοπιΐηθ5 ὁχορίδηϊυν, νοίυϊ Θχίγοπ) πηοίἃ δἰ1, βοΐ δἰυθ Ὁ. Αἱ ἰΐ8, αυΐ Υἱεΐυπι ρτο- ροηδβὶ φυφβιυΐᾳυο δι άϊΐειΐ δυηϊ, εἰ 84ι115 . Νουα ἐσ ρμγρίοειϊβ οἱ δηι δι! ἰὺ5 ᾿πργυῦΐ ἃς (Δοϊποτγοϑὶ υ οδ586ὶ, ] , αυ85 ργῴθδίο αθδθηΐϊ, ουπίοηϊ! Θββθηϊ, ΓΕῦυ8 δυΐϊδ δϑουηάΐβ πιοάογαγὶ βείγεηϊ. Ὑόγυη) νὶυγο5 εχ ἰβϑι18, 4υϑπὶ 6χ ἱπίογϊ ογί ποι) ΐπεπὶ φεδάι, ἱπηρτοῦοϑ ρόγβρα ἤδγὶ ρου. Νδη) 4α0Ὸ . Ιηΐογθδ οἱ δχοοίβίογαβ δβυηΐὶ, ἰδβίυᾳιι ἰηιυγαοβουῃί, Β ρΓἃ νυΐϊξιι5 δβαιιγο γοϊαπὶ, ΘιἾ8ι ) πη ἷ8 8Γ- Γοζϑηιία, 6ἱ ρ]υγίυπι Γογι τὴ ουρί , οἱ Δυοὶδ, 4υλ, π6 5Ϊ ἷπ βοοίδεο αὐυϊάθπι ἀσργοῃθηβὶ [υστίηϊ, γὰρ ἀπολύεται τὰ ἐγχλήματα, ἀλλὰ χαὶ γέλωτα ἢ). ρΡαδὰπι ἀλίυγοῦ Θὐηἤάσηιϊ, ἰδ δογαπὶ Δι - “Προσοφλισχάνει. πι05 ἱπρτγοάϊμιν. Βοδὶρίβοαὶ ἰσί(υν, π6ὲ ἰπδυ ευΐ- ἄδλη αἰϊφυϊἀ, φυοά δὰ ρυγεδούυπι [Δοῖαιὶ, αἴδγγο υἱάδδίυγ. Νϑῆμα διαὶ οὶ ηΐμα ἀἰ!Πυἱ! : γόγυῖὰ τί ἀϊευ- [0π ἱπϑΌροῦ δ6 ργῶροί. Ο0Β΄. -- ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓῚῸ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ. Μάλιστα μὲν οὐδὲ φύσιν, οὐδ᾽ οὐσίαν οὐσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ ΕΧΧΤῚ. --- 5ΤΆΑΤΕΟΙΟ ΜΟΝΑΟΘΗΟ. Μαχίπιδ αυΐϊάδι! πδς παίυτϑηι, ἢ60 δυ)δίδηικ.8πὶ ΥΑΒΙΒ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ͂. (δ5) Τὰ χαρίσματα τῶν δεχομένων. Ἐδύθπηι 0ὶ φυοηυὸ ἐδι ᾿δἰάογί δεμίοηιϊϊα, οἱ αγοξ. Ναζίμηξθη, οἱ ἉΠογυπ). δίς. Αϑίογίυ8 ἴῃ δχροϑὶ ἰοη6 ράγᾶῦο ( ΠΠΙο ργοάϊψο δρυὰ ΡΙ]οιίυπὶ ἰη Βίδίϊοίἠ.. ρᾷᾳ. : Ἴσον μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὸ ἐπιδάλλον ἑχάστῳ᾽ ἡ δὲ τῶν λαμδανόντων χατὰ τῆν σπουδὴν ἑχάστου διαφορὰ, ἐχείνη χαὶ μεῖζον γαὶ ἔλαττον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, ἣ χαὶ ὅλως σπαθίζει καὶ ἐχδαπανᾷ, εἰς. Ἀιττ. () ΡΙὸ ἀλλὰ τῷ δοχεῖν οο4, αι. [ , ἀλλὰ τῶν δοχεῖν. ἵ6Γ5. ὁ ἐλυϑη τοῦ ἐνδεὴς : ΙῃΔΓζ. ουΔ. Αι. μοίδιὶ, ἐπιδεής, γοΓϑι! ροϑὶ , ρῖῸ εἰ μὴ εοι. ει. Ἰορὶι εἰμί, ΥοΓΒ. . ῥΓῸ τις φίλων “οὐ. ΑΙϊ. Ὠαῦθι τις φίλος, ΡΟΘΒΙΝ, . ΙΒΙ0ΟΆΙ ΡΕΠΌΘΙΟΤΕ δ1θ. βυϊκδίφηεία, 5οὰ φυδι! αἴθοπι ] (4υ , αἱ γ]!- Α ποιότητα ποιότητι (ἢπερ χατὰ τὸν τῶν φιλοσόφων δορθόγυπὶ υϑνῦδ υἱᾶτ, ἤδη Ὠδίιγαπν Νδ »6ῖ, υἱ ἃ8.- λόγον πέφυχε χαὶ συμθαίνειν χαὶ ἀποσυμθδαίνειν. εθάσδγο ἃς γϑοθάδγο ροβϑὶΐ : πᾶπὶ βιιυδίληι πὶ φυα! -ὀ ᾿Ὄχημα γὰρ εἶναι τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς ποιότητος ὁρίζον- (δι158 υϑϑίου!απι δἰδιαυηί : 4ις5 ηἶδὶ ἀχβίδιδι, ται, ἧς μὴ ὑπαρχούσης, ἀνύπαρχτον εἶναι τὴν ποιό- 4υα]ἰδίοπι πηἰηΐπ! Ἔχ βίϑίθγο ρο886 8Δ8βεγιιῃ!) οοπρᾶ-ὀ τητά φασι) παρέδαλεν ἡ Γραφὴ, λέγουσα". « Εἰ ἀλλά- γαΥΐ. ϑογίρίυγο, ] νουϑῖβ υἱδπδ :
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Dampetios the Bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore presses a bishop on his responsibility for the spiritually sick in his congregation — a bishop who ignores the sick among his flock has abandoned the most essential part of his calling.
A physician who only treats the healthy is not a physician — he is simply a companion to those who do not need him. The physician's work is with the sick, precisely because they are the ones who cannot help themselves.
You are the physician of souls in your district, Dampetios. The ones who are already virtuous do not require you in the same way. It is the ones who are struggling, failing, sinking — those are the ones who need you most. And they are also the ones it is easiest to neglect, because attending to them is harder, slower, and less gratifying than spending time among the upright.
Do not choose the easier work when the harder one is the one that matters. Seek out the lost. Tend to the sick. That is what shepherds do.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.