Letter 497
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Dionysios the Presbyter
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore uses the image of light to describe the life of virtue — those who live rightly become lights that illuminate the communities they inhabit.
There is a reason, Dionysios, that those who live virtuously are described in scripture as lights. Light is not self-referential — it does not illuminate itself. Its value is entirely in what it makes visible to others. The sun does not benefit from its own rays; the world does.
The man who lives virtuously and who is genuinely formed by the life of faith becomes, without intending it, a point of reference for those around him. People know where he stands. They know that his judgment can be trusted, that his word can be relied upon, that his care for others is genuine. And this knowledge does something in the community: it makes certain things possible that would otherwise not be possible. Trust is the medium in which everything valuable grows.
Be the light, Dionysios. Not for the reputation — the reputation is beside the point. For what you make possible in the people around you.
ὋὉ [μὲν] μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ, ὦ σοφὲ, συνειδὼς ἀγαθὸν, μετριολογῶν, συγγνώμων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπιγνώμων, οὗ ταπεινόφρων ἐστίν. Ὁ δὲ μετὰ πολλὰ χατορθύματα ταπεινοφρονῶν, οὗτός ἐστι χυρίως ὁ μετριάζειν εἰδώς. ΣΛΙΓ". -- ΜΑΡΤΙΝΙΑΝΩ. Περὶ φιλαργυρίας. Τὸν μὲν τῶν σωμάτων ἕρωτα, ἅτε δριμὺν μὲν ὄντα, ταχέως δὲ σδεννύμενον, διὰ τοῦτο οἱ ζωγράφοι σὺν λαμπάσι καὶ πτέρυξι γράφουσιν, ὅτι ποτὲ μὲν ὦ ὑπεχχαίει τὰ πάθη χαπνίζων, ποτὲ δὲ διὰ χόρον ἀφίπταται. Τὸν δὲ τῶν χρημάτων οὐδεὶς οὔτε πλάσαι, οὔτε γράψαι ἐτόλμησε, τάχα μὲν ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲ ἔρως; ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ μανία ἀνήχεστος " τάχα δὲ ἐπειδὴ οὔτε πλασθῆναι, ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε γραφῆναι αὐτὸν οἷόν τε. Οὔτε γὰρ πεντήχοντα μόνον ἔχει χεφαλὰ;, χατὰ τὴν μυ- θευομένην ὕδραν, δι' ὧν τῇ ἁπληρώτῳ γαστρὶ τὴν τροφὴν παραπέμπει. Οὐδὲ χατὰ τὸ ἀχόρταστον τέρας διάχειται, οὐδὲ χατὰ "τὸν Βριαρέω ἑκατὸν χερσὶ μόναις ὥπλισται. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲ πτερὰ ἔχει, χόρον γὲθ οὐχ οἷδε, πλησμονὴν οὐχ ἐπίσταται. Πῶς οὖν τις τοιοῦτο τέρας ἣ πλάσαι, ἣ γράψαι δυνηθῇ, ᾧ χαὶ τὸ τῆς Σχύλλης παραθαλλόμενον ἐπιστεύθη ἅν, χαίΐίτοι ἄπιστον ὄν; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ὁ λόγος παντὸς μὲν χρώ- μᾶτος ἐναργέστερός ἐστι, παντὸς δὲ κηροῦ εὐπλα- στότερος (β5), ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ἧ, ὑπογράψαι τοῦτον πειράσεται ()" τῆς μὲν ἀκριδείας ἐφιχέσθαι ἀδυ- νατῶν, τὴν δὲ θηριόμορφον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀτερπῆ τοῖς ἑαλωχόσι στηλιτεύων μανίαν. Ἑμοὶ γὰρ δοχεῖ οὗ ΥΑΒΙΑ͂ ΚΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ͂. () Οὐδ᾽ εἰ δόχα μὲν γλώσσας, δέκα δὲ στόματα ἔχοι. Μαιηϊ[εδι" ἐπ᾿ δι0 Ποιμογὶ, φυθηι οἱ ΥἹγμὶ υ8 Ἔχργοϑϑὶϊ ᾽ν ΥἹ εἰ ν᾽ ἱ ΟΡΟΓΙΝ : Νοη, πεῖ εἰ ἰἱπσμα εὐπιμπε εἰπί ογπφιῈ οέπι πὶ, Οπιπὶα μαπατιιπι ρότομγτεγα ποπεῖπα ροϑέοηι. Ὦιττ. () Οἴεεγο ργοομο βωγαδοχοτμπι : « Ν᾿ ! υδὶ ἴδ ἱπογοά , αυοῦ πολ] ἀϊςόπάο ἢδι ργουδυῖΐϊο ; μἢ τδην ᾿ογγι ἀυμ, ᾿8πὶ βου! πὶ, φιοἀ ποθὴ 5ρί6η- ἀθαϊ οΓαϊΐουθ οἱ ἰΔ). Θχοοίεϊυγ. ν λι1τ. () Ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ἧ, ὑπογράψαι τοῦτον πει- ράσεται. Β. Ο. τηνἴδι οΓιΐδιι ΡΟΓΒΟΙ8ΠῚ ἰῃ ΡΓΙ ΠΊΔΙ , ΡΓῸ ἢ ἰοᾷθι8 ὦ, εἴ ρτῸ πειράσεται, πειράσομαι. ὕγ8- ἰδοιϊο [οτγὶ ροιεδὶ, φυϑγυμι ργὶοῦ δ ογδιοηδιη γὸ- (ἐγίυγ, δἰιθγα δ δυείυγοπὶ βῖνα ογδίογεπι. ὕεγυπι- ( η ῥγίογ, ἰ( 6δὶ οάΐι. Ῥαγὶβ., πὶ παϑοῖο υοιμοῦο γϑιιυδβίίον υἱάδιυγ; υἱ : ὁΧ Γα ἱπδηϊπιϑῖλ [Δοὶδὶ δι δίῃ χατὰ προσωποποιῖαν. [ν». ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒΕΝΜ .. Π. --- ΕΡΙΞΤ. ΟΟΧΧΧΗΙΙ. παιδὶ ἑοιχέναι" οὗ γὰρ ἕρως ἐστὶ, μανία δὲ σαφής "Α νιϑιηίδηδπι ἰῃμδαιΐδη! , 4υἱ δαριΐ 80υπὶ, ἰηνο- ἀλλὰ γυναιχὶ (χαὶ τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς τε ἀνοίας αὐτῆς χαὶ πῆς μοχθηρίας ἕστω τεχμήριον) θηριομόρφῳ τινὶ, καὶ πὺρ πνεούσῃ (), μυρίας μὲν ἔχεις ἀντὶ τριχῶν ἐπὶ τῆς χεφαλῇς ἐχούσῃ διὰ παντὸς συριττούσας, χαὶ θανατηφόρον ἰὸν ἐρευγομένας " μυρίας δὲ χεῖρας ὄνυξι χομώσας, δι᾽ ὧν τοὺς μὲν σπαράττει, τοὺς δὲ χατατοξεύει, παρ᾽ ὧν δ᾽ ἀφαρπάζει () χρήματα" μυρία δὲ στόματα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπειλεῖ μόνον, οὐδὲ συχοφαντεῖ, ἀλλὰ χαὶ χολαχεύει, καὶ δουλοπρεπῶς διαλέγεται, χαὶ ἐπιορχεῖ, καὶ μυρίας ἐπινοεῖ προ- φάσεις, αἱτχρῶν χερδῶν ἕνεχα. Καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει οὗ χατὰ φύσιν ὁρῶντας, οὐδ᾽ αἰδουμένους τινὰ, οὐ φίλον, οὐχ ἀδελφὸν, οὐ συγγενῆ, οὐχ εὐεργέτην, ἀλλὰ τραχὺ, χαὶ δριμὺ, χαὶ ὠμὸν, καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον, καὶ πυρῶδες βλέποντας. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ὁρᾷ φύσιν, οὐδὲ συνίησιν, ὅτι πολλάχις μυρία χινή- σασα, εἰς τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὰ χρήματα παρέπεμψε χεῖρα:. Διὸ μυρίας προσετρίψατο τῷ ἁλόντι τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀχοὰς δὲ τοσοῦτον πεφραγμένας, ὡς μήθ᾽ ἱχεσιῶν, μήτε στεναγμῶν, μήτ᾽ ὁλοφυρμῶν, μήτε χαχηγοριῶν ἐπαχούειν. Τοσοῦτον δ᾽ ἀπέχει τοῦ πτερὰ ἔχειν, ἃ τὸν χόρον δηλοῖ, ὅτι οὐδὲ πόδας αὐτῇ σω- φρονῶν ἄν τις ἀπονέμοι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἷδε βαδίζειν, οὐδὲ μεταχινεῖσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁλόντος, ἀλλὰ χατὰ πάν- των τὰς χεῖρας πέμπουσα, σιδήρου παντὸς χαὶ μολύδδου βαρυτέρα οὖσα ἐγχάθηται, πάντα μὲν δεχομένη, καὶ πάντας ληϊζομένη, οὐδέποτε δὲ πλη- ρουμένη, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν λαμθανομένων, ὕλην ὑπεχχαύματος ἔχουσα, χαὶ τὴν τελευτὴν τῶν λη- φθέντων, ἀρχὴν τῶν ληφθησομένων ποιουμένη. Τίς οὖν τοιαύτῃ μανίᾳ δριμυτάτῃ καὶ ἀχορέστῳ, χαὶ μυρίας ἁμαρτίας χαὶ χαχηγορίας, ἀδοξίας τε χαὶ ἀχολασίας προστριδομένῃ ἁλοίη ἄν; τίς ἂν ἕλοιτο ἐνταῦθα μὲν ζῇν οὕτως ἀθλίως, ματτιζόμενος νύ- χτωρ τὸ χαὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν, καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐχ εἰδὼς, οὐδ᾽ ὕπνον, ἐχεῖσε δὲ ἀρχὴν τῶν τιμωριῶν ληψόμε- νος ; Τί
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Dionysios the Presbyter
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore uses the image of light to describe the life of virtue — those who live rightly become lights that illuminate the communities they inhabit.
There is a reason, Dionysios, that those who live virtuously are described in scripture as lights. Light is not self-referential — it does not illuminate itself. Its value is entirely in what it makes visible to others. The sun does not benefit from its own rays; the world does.
The man who lives virtuously and who is genuinely formed by the life of faith becomes, without intending it, a point of reference for those around him. People know where he stands. They know that his judgment can be trusted, that his word can be relied upon, that his care for others is genuine. And this knowledge does something in the community: it makes certain things possible that would otherwise not be possible. Trust is the medium in which everything valuable grows.
Be the light, Dionysios. Not for the reputation — the reputation is beside the point. For what you make possible in the people around you.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.