Letter 495
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Pamretios the Bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore supports a bishop who is under pressure from powerful interests to compromise his judgment — urging him to hold firm and trust that his integrity is more valuable than their approval.
You are under pressure, Pamretios, and you want to know whether you should give way. Let me tell you plainly: you should not.
The pressure being applied to you comes from people who want something that is not right, and who are using their power to obtain it through you rather than by their own means. If you give way, you will have helped them do what they could not honestly do for themselves. You will have become their instrument.
This is not a small thing. A bishop who can be moved by pressure from the powerful has become, in effect, their tool. He still occupies the chair, but the decisions made from it are no longer his. And the people who needed him to be independent — the weak, the powerless, those without advocates — are now without the advocate they needed.
Hold firm. You are one of the few things standing between these people and a decision that will harm those who cannot protect themselves.
ΝΟ δος ποιμΐῃθ ἱπαϊρηογὶβ (ο σοηβρίους ἱπηργοθο- τυπὶ Οὐϊ[ Δ]Ἰυπιη6 ), φυοά Εὐυδαῦδίαδ, ἱπιρίοἰδιὶς, υἱ βογίρβίβιΐ, ρίθηυβ, ἰιππηδη6 δίαυθ ἱπηρίϑοδ] οιηὶ . ηαυἱ γδοία εἰ ὁχ υἱγίυϊθ υἱνυηῖ, ] Πυπὶ ΓΘΠΒ, αι ᾿,ἷ8. φιΐ υἱεἱθ) Δππρ δοιΠη Π , δηνίοἰ εἶα. Γ00υ9 ἐμἰδ : πος αυοὰ δι Παδοπιϊθυβ, 5ὶ ροουπῖδα ποη δοεἰρίαι, Βο απ ἰηἴογι, δυΐ, π6 ἰδε658δὶ, ἰδηῖ8 δοοίρὶὶ, φυδηίδ, ] Ὀ6 Ια ἱπίυ , ἀϊτῖροτα ( Ροιυΐδθοῖ. Ὑαγιπι ἀὐνίηδπι βοηίθη απ οχϑροοίᾶ. ΔΒ ΟΟΧΧΙΙ, --- ΕἸΠΕ. Θυδηθοφιίάοι ἀΐνίηα ργουϊάθη!ἷα, Ππιϑρίβ ΒΓΟΙ , 4υἱ ροοοδηί, 00ῃ- δρίεἰΐ, πιδφὶϑ ἰρβογυπὶ βαϊυι οοηβυϊ, ἰἀεΐγοο ΓΟΒίο οἱ ᾿υπ8η0 ἰΘηἰ(δι ργβοοηΐο υἱθη8, ΟἰΔιΝὰὶ : « Ρωηἰιοιἰδπὶ δχίῖθ, δρργορίπαυδνὶ γτορηυπὶ οΟ- Ιογυπὶ 5Γ. » Ἡ)υοά δὶ ἰΐ, 4φυΐ ραοοδηί, δὐπιοηϊϊοηοιη [π6 Ομ ΘΙΠΠΘη68 Δ6 ΡΓῸ ἷ Π ] ρυΐλπιο8, ἰδη - ἰ6π ἤδης, δὲ ἱπουγίαιη, ἀδιπηδγιμί, ἰοτί8586 ηυἷ- ἀδη ἴῃ ᾶς ᾳυοᾳι6 νἱῖᾶ, Ῥγογβυβϑ δυίθιη εὐτ Υἱηιὶ - ὁἐδηἀοταπι) δοϑίθρυηι ἰθη!ρυ8 δάνοπογὶ(., ΠΟ Ἶδηι 1ϊ5 ρᾶγοοῖ, 4υὶ δ᾽] ᾿ρϑ8 ράγοαγθ γϑουβάγιπῖ, ΘΓ ΔΟΟΙ δ ἰΐ8, ἃ 4υ » ἱρ5ῖι15 ἰδηϊ188 σοη. - Ρίὰ 66ι, ραᾳπᾶβ οχίροι, Εοαφιιο ϑρθοίαι ἐΠ ὅ56εῖ- Ρίυτα, 4ιοά 6Χ π ἱπ6 χο γα Οὐρὶ : « Τδουΐ, ἢ οἰΐδηὶ Ρ ἰΔοΘΌο, 5ι::1η6 ΕΠΠΟΥΘ "Ὸ δίᾳφυδ ΟΣ βίο 5ἰπ δ, ν ΖΕ ιν 65ῖ δηΐη ηυἱ π0 Π8πΔ δΧ ἰΔηῖ8 ἰδηΐίαια μ1 Π 416Π ΔΟΟΘΡΘΓΊΠΙ, ψόγοι Δ 6ἃ φΓΑνίοΓΕΠΊ δοϑίθγυμ οοοδδίοποιη ἰγάχογυηί, αἰνίπϑΒὸ [υδι Θυρρ! δίψυδ (ΟΓΙ ΘΠ φοπβίγίοιοβ ἰοηστεὶ. ΣΚΙ", --- ΑΛΥΠΙῸ ἘΠΙΣΚΟΠΏ. ΕἸ τὰς τιμωρίας μεγίστας εἶναι τῷ πλήθει τῶν συνειδότων εἰχότως Χρίνομεν (αἱ γὰρ λανθάνουσαι χουφότεραί πως εἶναι πεφύχασιν), ὁποίαν εἰχὸς εἶναι τὴν χόλασιν, ὅταν παρόντων τῶν οὐρανίων δήμων, χαὶ πάτης τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ὁρισθείη ; ΔΙ.((.. ι11, δ᾽ [. χει, ΟΟΧΧΙΙ. -- ΔΕΎΡΙΟ ΕΡΙΒΟΘΡΟ. δὶ φΓΑΥ Π δὰ ριβ πιογί( λυ ςἃ- Π , ΔΓ ΠῈ πη σοηϑεῖ δυπὶ (η8πὶ οσΟι [ - υἱογοθ φιοάδπηπιοίο , 4ι) πὶ ἢΠΠ6 ΟΓῚ - εἰδίυη) ΥὙΘΓΙ . Π , ΟὈΠῚ ρΓΏΒΘΠΙ01 ( - ἰοδιϊυυ8 ρορυ δίψυς ἴῃ οπιμιπι οπηΐυπ) Οὐυ οἱ ὅδρθοιυ οοπϑιἰυείοτ ἢ (ΟΧΧΙΥ͂. -- ΙΘ0ΘΚῸ ΕΡΙΘΟΟΡΟ. ὃε ἰμυϊάϊα. Οἰπὶ ἴῃ π0 αἰΐα γὸ [΄ηα, δὶβμ ὑὈουὶ βρδοί πη Ππαθρυῖο (Υἱρ σσριθε ) ἰδ ἢἷ8 65ὲ ἰην, ἰδῶ, γΕΓῸ ΠῚ ΦΟΟΓΌ4 οἱ ἰγυουΐοηϊα : πὸ Υ6ΓῸ ἰῃ νἱγιυῖα, ἢ085 υοπὶ ΠδΔιΓ8Π ρΓΌρΓΙ6 βου ἃ οδι, σοι ϑοϊδιὶο- "6ΠΔΊ ΡΓΟΥΓΒῸΒ ΟἸΏΠ6Ι ΓΟΒΡαΪ,. ΑΘ: αυϊάσπι ἰην ἷα ἤλετατα, πιο οϑεϊ αυΐάθι ΟΣρΟΥΓβ [ογίαϑϑα [ὑδγὶ!, ἃὶ πη ῥγοἰγιηη δἱ Ἰυση]!θηῖυηι) (πΠ8π ἰἰὰ θτγογρ, υἱ πιοῦίτο ᾿ροὶ ἰηνι ἀδϑῖυγ, νοὶ π66 πὶ υηαιδπηι Π6ς διηΐοἷ8. πη ἷ5 οοηϊί ). Οροτίοι δυίαπὶ τισι, οὐἱ ἐν] ἀδῖαν, ἰηνί τοδη ρα δί6 . ργυάθηιὶ ἈΠΙΠ1Ο ρΘΡίαογγα. ΟΟΧΧΥ, --- ΕἸΌΕΜ. δε εἰιατίίαι6 ἐτφα ἴδέμηι. Ἐχο ᾿ἴ58, αυΐθ8 οαγυη ΓΘΓΌΠῚ), Δά υἱγίυ δὐϊρὶδοσηέϑιῃ ἤογὶ ἰθῦθηι, η ἀδαϑὲ (πὰ ] φυὶρρό, ἰδ πηοίδὶ νἱγιυ δι τραχί πη ὈΟηϊπ), υἱ ΓαγοΓὰ Θεοὶ, 5ἰΔ Δη1, ἰρϑίιϑ ἰάπ6 ἢδιιὰ ΠηΔϑΠᾶπι ΟΠΓΆΙ ποργιη1), ἰιος ἀΐοο, ἱρ808, δὶ πιοὰο υἱγίυ πη βιιδγυπὶ Πι εἶὰ πᾶν ἶ πὸ ηἰϊϑηῖυγ, Ὑδρυπηὶ φυῶ Γδοία οἱ εὐπῇ ἰδ ψογυαὶ, ( ἀἰνίπδηι ορόϊῃ γοίογδηϊ, δὲ ἴ05 ΠΌΓΟ ἢ) ΒΟἴ. ργΟΠίψαιϊιγος , οἱ φἀ νἱγιιεἶς μθ18η ) ρογυθηίιγοβ. Νδιὴ αἰδὶ ἰά φυοὰ Βυμηῦ ΓΟὕΟΓΘ ργοβϑι Δ οδῖ, ῥγρὼδὶ υἱ - γΟΓΒΆΓΪΟ8 Πιϑρίδιηῃ διρογοὶ : ἰδπθη οἱ ἀν᾽ μη Πυπίθη δΔυχ!!ο , Θ᾽ νἱοιϊογίϑιι δο ςαὶ ἱρεὶ ς, ΙΘΙΌΟΕΒΙ ΡΕΞΠΌΘΙΟΤᾺ ΣΚΔ'. --- ΙΣΙΔΟΡΩ ἘΠΙΣΜΔΟΠΏ. ᾿ Περὶ φθόνου. Οὐδὲ ἐπ᾽ ἄλλῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ, [ὦ] ὁμώνυμε, τῶν ὄν των ἣ δοχούντων χαλῶν, πραῦς ὁ φθόνος, ἀλλ᾽ ἄγριος χαὶ ἀργαλέος " ἐπὶ δ᾽ ἀρετῇ, ἧτις χυρίως τὴν τοῦ χαλοῦ χεχλήρωται φύσιν, χαὶ πάμπαν ἀπαραμύθῃη- τος. Τὸ μὲν οὖν μὴ φθονεῖσθαι, ἄλυπον μὲν ἴσως, οὐ μὴν εὐχλεές. Φθόνου γὰρ ἂν ἀξίως πράττειν (), μήτ᾽ ἐμοί ποτς μὴῆτε φίλοις ἐμοῖς συμδαίη. Χρὴ δὲ φθονούμενον, σώφρονι λογισμῶ τὰς τοῦ φθόνου χα- χοηθείας φέρειν. ΣΚΕ,. -- - Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. Περὶ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀγάπης. Ἐγώ φημι τοῖς οἷς οὐδὲν ἐλλείπεται τῶν ὀφειλόν- των πρὸς ἀρετὴν πραχθῆναι " πολλοὶ γὰρ μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστιν, ὁριζόμενοι τὴν ἀρετὴν, οὐ πάνυ φροντίζουσιν αὐτῆς . τούτους, εἰ μὴ τῇ οἰχείᾳ δυνάμει θαῤῥοΐῖεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναφέροιεν πρὸς τὴν θείαν ῥοπὴν τὰ χατορθούμενα, χαὶ τῶν παθῶν περι- ἔσεσθαι, χαὶ εἰς τέλος πάντως ἥξειν ἀρετῆς. Εἰ γὰρ χαὶ τὸ χρατεῖν δίδωσι τῶν ἀντιπάλων τὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ῥώμης κρεῖττον, ὡς μηδὲν ἐμποδὼν εἶναι τῇ τοῦ ἀθλητοῦ προθυμίᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν γε ᾧ τὸ θεῖον
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Pamretios the Bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore supports a bishop who is under pressure from powerful interests to compromise his judgment — urging him to hold firm and trust that his integrity is more valuable than their approval.
You are under pressure, Pamretios, and you want to know whether you should give way. Let me tell you plainly: you should not.
The pressure being applied to you comes from people who want something that is not right, and who are using their power to obtain it through you rather than by their own means. If you give way, you will have helped them do what they could not honestly do for themselves. You will have become their instrument.
This is not a small thing. A bishop who can be moved by pressure from the powerful has become, in effect, their tool. He still occupies the chair, but the decisions made from it are no longer his. And the people who needed him to be independent — the weak, the powerless, those without advocates — are now without the advocate they needed.
Hold firm. You are one of the few things standing between these people and a decision that will harm those who cannot protect themselves.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.