Letter 477
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Athanasios the Presbyter
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on bearing unjust treatment with patience — arguing that the man who endures injustice without retaliation is not weak but possesses a stronger kind of strength.
When someone treats you unjustly, Athanasios, the natural response is to respond in kind. This is understandable. But it is not the response of genuine strength.
The man who has mastered himself does not need to respond to every injustice with a counterblow. He can absorb it, note it accurately for what it is, and move on without his internal equilibrium being disturbed. This is not weakness — it is the mastery of a man who does not allow others to determine what he does with his energy and attention.
The man who cannot endure insult without retaliation has given his enemy the power to control his behavior. Every time the enemy strikes, he pulls the string, and our man dances. The free man does not dance. He chooses his responses rather than having them triggered.
Περὶ χοιλωκχείας. Πυνθάνομαι ὅτι χόλαχες ἐξήρτηνται τῆς σῆς Ὑλώττης, ὀμνύντες μὲν, ὅτι πάντων ἄριστον εἴη, εἰ χαί τι τῶν ἁτοπωτάτων ἕλοιο θαυμάσαι χαχῶν" χαχίζοντες δὲ () ἧ τάχος, εἰ χαὶ αὐτὴν ἐχχαχύ- νοις τὴν ἀρετήν. Εἰ τοίνυν μὴ ἐθέλεις ἡμῖν πεισθῇ- γαι, ἀλλά γε χἂν Ἰσοχράτει πείσθητι, παραινέσαντι μισεῖν τοὺς χολαχεύοντας, ὥσπερ τοὺς ἐξαπατῶντας. ᾿Αμφότεροι γὰρ πιστευθέντες, τοὺς πιστεύσαντας ἀδιχοῦσι. ῬΚΘ'΄. --- ΠΑΥΛΩ. Περὶ ᾿Ιούδα τοῦ προδότου (). Ἕοιχας θαυμάζειν, πῶς τὸν προδότην οὐχ ἕπει- σεν ὁ Χριστὸς, χαλὸν ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν ἀρετὴν, χαΐτοι πολλάχις περὶ ἀρετῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ ἔστιν ὅτε οὐχ ὑπὲρ ταύτης, ἐν συνουσίαις ἀχούσαντα. Ἐγὼ δὲ θαυμάζω, πῶς τὸν ὄρον τῆς αὐτεξουσιότητος ἐπι- στάμενος, περὶ τούτου ἐθαύμασας. Οὑὺ γὰρ βίᾳ χαὶ τυραννίδι, ἀλλὰ πειθοῖ καὶ προσηνείᾳ ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώ- κων σωτηρία χατασχευάζετα!. Διὸ χαὶ τὸ χῦρος ἔχει ἕχαστος τῆς οἰχείας σωτηρίας" ἵνα χαὶ οἱ στεφανούμενοι, χαὶ οἱ τιμωρούμενοι, διχαίως ὑπο- μένοιεν ὅπερ ἧρηνται. ῬΛ', -- ΠΑΜΠΡΕΤΙΩ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Περὶ ἐεημοσύνγης. ἙἘλεήμονα, ὦ φῇλος, ἔχειν χρὴ τὴν ψυχήν. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν πηγὴν τὴν τοιαύτην ἔχων, πάντα ἀναδλύσειε τὰ χαλά. Κἂν χρήματα ἔχῃ, προΐσεται" χἂν ἐν συ!- φοραῖς ἴδῃ τινὰ, χλαύσεται' χἂν ἐκηρεαζομένῳ περι- τύχῃ, χεῖρα ὀρέξει. Καὶ οὐδὲν παραλείψει τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἠχόντων. ΡΛΑ΄. -- ΑΝΤΙΟΧΩ, ᾿Παράθεσις ἀρετης καὶ καχίας. Ἢ καχία χαὶ Θεοῦ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπέστησε, χαὶ ἀλλήλων διέστησε. Ταύτην οὖν προτροπάδην φεύγειν χρὴ. καὶ διώχειν τὴν ἀρετὴν, τὴν χαὶ Θεῷ προσ- ἄγουσαν, χαὶ ἀλλήλοις συνάπτουσαν. ᾿Αρετῆς δὲ χαὶ φιλοσοφίας ὄρος, τὸ μετὰ συνέσφως ἄπλαστον. ΟΧΧΥ͂ΠΙ. -- ΑΤΗΑΝΑΘΙΟ ΡΒΕΘΒΥΤΕΙΙΟ. δε αὐἀμίαιΐοπε. Αἀυϊαίοτεβ ἐσ ἴ8 ἰΐηθυα ροηήδγο δυάΐο, ομηηΐυιη Οριϊπηυπι ,Γ6 ,, οἱ φυΐιὶ οὐδ πὶ ἀυβυΓ- ἀἰδδὶινμνογυπὶ Υἱτίορυπι Ἰδυγα δίψα δι μη ΐγαγὶ ἷ δηΐπηυπὶ ἱπάθχογὶβ: Γυγδβιιη, δὶ υἱγίυ θη) φυοα . ρβ8π) Υἱιυρογϑηθλπι δυβοδρογίβ, δϑιηδιπ 4ι8ι - Ἰογγ πη νἱυρογοιηῖ οἱ ἱπδοοίθν ιν. ΟυοοίΓοᾶ δὶ πο Οὐ ΘΠ ΡΟΓΆΓΘ πἰἶΠ Υἱβ, ἂἃι ᾿βοογὰιὶ δὰ [ πὶ ΟἸν 6Π - Ρογϑ, υΐ υἱ δάἀυϊδίοτεθ᾽ φυδηλι οάσηι , ἃ 4υΐ- υυ5 Φφεεἰρίπιυν, οὐΐο [ν᾽ η , δΔάπιοηαὶ. Νδμηι Ὀ Ϊ- ᾳυς, δὶ Πάδηι πδινοϊβολιίιγ, , ηυἱ ἰμ818 ἤει -- υυδρυηὶ, ἰηὐυγία δἰποίαμι. ΟΥΧΙΧ. ---- ΡΑΌΠΟ. Ῥὲε 7ι4α ρμτοαϊίογτε. Μὶναγὶ υἱάθγρίβ, ἰδείυπὶ κἱΐ, 'ὐ (ἝἸ ΓΙ βιι: . νυοάϊιογοπὶ ενἱηΐπ!θ δὐάυχογί!, υἱ Υἱγίι ΓΘ) Ὀοπδπὶ ΟΧἰδιϊπηγοὶ : ἰθψυθ συ πὶ ( νἱγ- ρΟΡΒῶρΟ, ἱπ ὸῸ Ὠυηᾷᾳιιδι ) ΠΟῸΠ εἰ6 ὁὰ ἦτ ἰρϑίυϑ οΟἸΟ4υ δυάΐδδοι. ἘπῸ ΘΟΙΙΓΆ ΠΪΓΟΓ, .ΟΏ8Π) Ρᾶειυ οὐπὶ ᾿ἰθαγὶ ἁγυϊτὶΐ ἰοζθι ρα γβρθοίδιη [ , νν Γαΐ δάἀπιἰγδιίοπα ἰΘπουτ8. Νόαυο δηΐη νἱ οἱ οὐδοιίοπο, δὰ ραγβηϑϑδίομο ἰοπίϊδίθ, Ποία) οοπιρᾶγαίυν. ἴπ6966 6ι1λπ δι15 ΔΓὈΓγυπὶ Βαθοὶ : υἱ 4υἱ οογομὰ ἀοηϑηίυγ, οἱ 4υΐ : 1οἰ δῇπειυπίυν, ᾿υδι6 αιοὰ οἰορογ!, ροΓ- αἰρίδιϊι, ΟΧΧΧ. --- ΡΑΜΡΒΕΤΙΟ ὈΙΑΘΟΝΟ. δὲ εἰεεηιοεψπα. Αἀ πηΐβογαιῖοι θη) ρΓΟρΘΙΒδ, ὁ Δπιῖϊοο, δηϊπ)πΠὶ ιαυδγο οροῦίοι. Νδην αι οἰ βηοι! [Οπ16πὶ ὨᾶΡυΕὶ, πυϊ!υη Ὀοπὶ ζοηυδ 68ῖ, 4υ0ι ΠΟ ΟΣ δοϑίιΓίδί. ϑῖνθ δηΐπὶ ροοιπὶδ8 Πδθοδὶ, θᾶβ8 ργοίιμ δὶ : δῖ γὸ αἰϊφιιδηι ἰη σα] Δι Υἱάθϑι, Ἰατηθηί λυ : ὀΐνα ἰη φυοηπιρίδαι, ουἱ ἰηἰγία ἰηεγαιυν, ἰηοἰ δὲ, πιδηυιη Ρογγίρει. θοηΐᾳυ ἰδὲ θογυπ), φυς δά ἰρϑυῖ διι - θη , ργφιδγι οι.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Athanasios the Presbyter
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on bearing unjust treatment with patience — arguing that the man who endures injustice without retaliation is not weak but possesses a stronger kind of strength.
When someone treats you unjustly, Athanasios, the natural response is to respond in kind. This is understandable. But it is not the response of genuine strength.
The man who has mastered himself does not need to respond to every injustice with a counterblow. He can absorb it, note it accurately for what it is, and move on without his internal equilibrium being disturbed. This is not weakness — it is the mastery of a man who does not allow others to determine what he does with his energy and attention.
The man who cannot endure insult without retaliation has given his enemy the power to control his behavior. Every time the enemy strikes, he pulls the string, and our man dances. The free man does not dance. He chooses his responses rather than having them triggered.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.