Letter 50
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed monk
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore rebukes a monk who admires Athens more than Christ.
You are wrong to admire Athens — the Stoa, the Peripatetic school, and all that Attic pretension — you who once spent your days studying their empty rhetoric. You have renounced the things of earth and been commanded to love nothing here below. If then you have been raised with Christ, set your mind on things above, where he is. Those who see your humble garment but hear your boastful tongue find philosophy only in your appearance — and what they actually see is vanity of mind and arrogance of speech. They blaspheme our holy faith because of you. Control your tongue. Let your life, not your learning, do the talking.
Περὶ κενοδοξίας, καὶ ἐγχρατείας γλώσσης. Οὐ χαλῶς τὰς ᾿Αθήνας θαυμάζεις, καὶ Στοὰν, χαὶ Περίπατον, χαὶ ᾿Αττιχὴν φαντασίαν, οἷς διὰ μάθησιν φλυαρίας πάλαι προσεχαρτέρεις, ὁ τὰ γήϊνα περι- φρονήσας, χαὶ μηδὲν ἀγαπᾷν τῶν ἐνταῦθα χέχελεν - σμένος. Εἰ συνηγέρθης οὖν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἄνω φρόνει, οὗ ἐστιν αὐτός. Οἱ γὰρ τὴν εὐτελῆ ἐσήΐιτά εἐβι. Νδιν φυΐ ν]]ετῃ τυδιη νϑϑιθ ἃς. μ]]οβορ μι Ὦ σου ὁρῶντες, χαὶ φιλοσοφίαν ἐν μόνῳ σχήματί τ0:] ἢ) Ἰνωυλυ δ᾽ἴατι σὐμπορίείυν!, πν6 . Δι ομν μος Ὑογεϊ το ὧς ἰἰδυ ἀγγοσϑη αι, δὐνοιθυβ εἰδνὶ- " ἢ1:. ) ΓΟΙ ίοπο! μη μίωδ οἱ ον ] γος Ὁ προσοῦσαν, περπερείαν ([) δὲ γνώμης, χαὶ γλώσ- σὴς ἀλαζονείαν, χατὰ τῆς θειοτάτης; θρησχείας βλασφημοῦσι. ΥΑΠΙ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΕ. () Ῥτὸ αιωνιου εοἄ. ΑἸ!. δογ ᾽ αἰωνίας. [1εἐἰδπῃ γεΓὲ. ΠΡ ῬΓῸ οὔτε ἴῃ ᾿ηλγκῖ6 ΡΟηὶὶ οὐδέ. ΥοΓδ. εἰ1. ργὸ λόγου οἱ φόθον εοἰἱ. αι. θ49 οἱ ΑΙΙ. λόγῳ εἰ ἰρριῖ, Ῥυσ85ΙΝ. () Ρεὸ πάθωμεν εοοὐι]. Υλι. , ΑἸι. οἱ Βίοτι. Ιεριηι πάθω. . () Θεοσεδείας "ῃ θεοσεδὲς πγυΐίληϊ οοἀὰ. αι. ει ΑΙΔ. 1ομν ν γϑ. . μοι) παρέχεται ᾿ἰόχιηῖ,, 56ιὶ παρέσχετο. () νέο νόγβιι ρθι. Ἰεφίίυγ πολλοῖς, ἴπ ΑΙτ. ποι ἐοιμρᾶγεῖ, [ () Οομ. ΑΙι. οὐμ! ἰῶτα δἰμιρ!ϊ ἱ δογὶθῖι περ- περίαν, . ἘΡΙΒΤΟΙΑΕΙΝ .. ΣΚΗ͂΄. --- ΣΩΡΑΝΝΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. Περὶ τῆς ἀγίας κοιγωγίας. Κοινωνία χέχληται ἡ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων μετά- ληψις, διὰ τὸ τὴν πρὸς Χριστὸν ἡμῖν χαρίζεσθα, ἕνωσιν, χαὶ χοινωνοὺς ἡμᾶς τῆς αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν βασι- λείας.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed monk
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore rebukes a monk who admires Athens more than Christ.
You are wrong to admire Athens — the Stoa, the Peripatetic school, and all that Attic pretension — you who once spent your days studying their empty rhetoric. You have renounced the things of earth and been commanded to love nothing here below. If then you have been raised with Christ, set your mind on things above, where he is. Those who see your humble garment but hear your boastful tongue find philosophy only in your appearance — and what they actually see is vanity of mind and arrogance of speech. They blaspheme our holy faith because of you. Control your tongue. Let your life, not your learning, do the talking.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.