Letter 490
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Permothenes the Bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: A brief note from Isidore urging the bishop to exercise his authority with both firmness and compassion — the two qualities that most characterize the ideal bishop.
The bishop who is only firm is feared but not loved. The bishop who is only compassionate is loved but not taken seriously. The one who has both — who can be firm when firmness is required and compassionate when compassion is required, and who knows which is which — that bishop does what the office demands.
Cultivate both, Permothenes. And cultivate especially the discernment to know when to deploy each.
δε εο μού ἐχίετνϊπαιοτὶ μα αηθοἰϊ8 πιαπαάαίμηι δεῖ: « Εία εὐποιὶδ πιο ἱμοὸμέία ΤἿ. δὶ ᾿ἰ, φυὶ δδογοβαι οὶ βιοογάοι ἡ ἀϊφι δια γύην δύηϊ, ογδουΐϊυτ δι φιιοὰ πο ] γϑοϊγ αιιθαμί, ἱμπ βαιοίδίυ, ταΐ ἰδυογαγα νυἱγιυίοιη ουέγθ, νΟΓΌ ἢ δῦ ἀύδογαὰ Ὀρογίογό, δ86ε1)- εἰληδ υἱ ἰμ1. . : ὁὐ16πη ἀἰν "ἃ ογὰ- ουϊα ραϑ58ΐπι δ ιἰ8ι ρὑγα ἀἰσδηῖ, 4υὲ νἱγίυιιην ΔΙΙΟΓΟ ἤαξγημῇ : ΠΟΙ ΓΆ4Ι6 . Αι ΒΟΓΙΟΠ ὃ δἰΐοσ δγυάϊΐγο οὐδ, ἐχρίοάνηι!, δοαι ἰ51 μΓα» Ἵ ἔσιοοϊ.. ΧΣΙ, ὅ. αξίως, ἀλλὰ γε ἀποχρώντως τὰ χαλὰ ἐπαινέσαντες, τεχμήριον τῆς ἑαυτῶν γνώμης τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ἀξιαφή- γητα ῥεπούσης, χαὶ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνθρώποις ἐγχαταλεέπουσι.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Permothenes the Bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: A brief note from Isidore urging the bishop to exercise his authority with both firmness and compassion — the two qualities that most characterize the ideal bishop.
The bishop who is only firm is feared but not loved. The bishop who is only compassionate is loved but not taken seriously. The one who has both — who can be firm when firmness is required and compassionate when compassion is required, and who knows which is which — that bishop does what the office demands.
Cultivate both, Permothenes. And cultivate especially the discernment to know when to deploy each.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.