Letter 503
Isidore of Pelusium→Two quarreling friends|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Hedid and Dorotheos, civic leaders
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore addresses two men in civic leadership jointly, urging them that the administration of public affairs is a form of stewardship answerable to God, not merely to public opinion.
The affairs of the city that have been placed in your hands, Hedid and Dorotheos, are not your private possession. They are a trust — held for the citizens you serve, and ultimately answerable to the one who ordered human society and placed authority within it.
This means two things practically. First, that the standards you apply must be genuinely just — not adjusted by political calculation or by the interests of those who have influence over you. Second, that when you act well, the credit belongs not only to you but to what has been given to you — the office, the law, the order that makes civic life possible at all.
Administer what you have been given with integrity, both of you. And support each other in doing so. Two men committed to the same honest standard can resist pressures that would overwhelm one alone.
Περὶ παραθέσεως ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας. Ἐγὼ φίλος μὲν ὑμῶν εἶναι ὁμολογῶ, καλούμενος δὲ εἰς συμμαχίαν παρ’ ἑχάστου ὑμῶν, οὐχ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως νῦν διεστῶτος χαὶ πολεμοῦντος θατέρου, οὐχ ἥξω᾽ οὐ τὸ εὖ ποιῆσαι τὸν ἕτερον φεύγων, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὁπότερον χαχῶς (). Εἰ δ᾽ ὅπερ χρὴ ποιήσετε, χαὶ Βαχ ἢυς νϑηΐ!. Ουοὐ 5Ϊἷ ἰξπόγωσγα πηραὶ, 4ι0ι - , οι Δη)) ναὶ (γι 581π αυδηι πηϑχί! ΟἰάΓι ἢ ὡς σοηῃδρίουυ! , ΘΧΘΙΏρ ἢῸς ἀδοίΆγαγα ).. τ δηἴπι αἰπὰ ϑδογιοἴαπι, . αἰίᾶτα,, [ ᾿Πγοΐα δι . ἰοοι5., αἰαὶ (μγμἴδιηα., Αἰ) (ογιῖμν, Αἰ δοηδίυβ (ΠΠ4 δηΐ Ἰἰοουῃ ἰη αιθιῃ οοσαμὶ, β' συ! οαῖ: [ υθ πὶ Υἷἱγοβ ατΐ ΟΟη . ἰΠΘι1 » 4υ05 οἱ ρογίου μη δἱ ΡΟ γι )), ΘΟ δὴν ἤγοιὸ ἀδ ἰδρῖο οἱ Εδο βιδιυδηἀυπὶι . Θυοι δ᾽ τι8 δὶς φυΐϊάδπ) ἰηιο! ]Πχὶβϑα ἀἶοσδί, Πυὰ ὁχ πη ἀΐϑοιϊ, αυοὰ Δροκίοϊογαιη ἰοπηρογα., οὐπὶ Εςοἰοδἷα 6ἱ βρὶ τὶ - ἰυ4 8ι15 αται δ υ ἀἀγοὶ, οἱ γ1 ΘρΙΠ6ΟΓΘ6 ΔΜΠ - Γαί, ἢ. θη ρ] Θγδηῖ : δὶ ΠΟϑίΓἃ (ΘΙ ρδϑί [ ( - ΡΪα ρίυς αυᾶπὶ ρᾶγ δῖ θχόγηδία διη , ΕΟ] ϑἰα , " αυϊά φγανί5 6Ἰολτ., σΟη οἾ8. σαν . ᾿ΠπΠΟΘΘϑ! 0Γ. Ερο γὑθγο, δὶ μι οριΐο ἀδγδίιγ, ἰΘπρογίθυδ [ 6η ῳ ἰ 4αΐθυ5 θα ρα 4υ! θη πο ρΡαγἰὸ ΟΥ̓ δῖ ογάηϊ, Εσο]Θοία ϑυίοιη αἰνί ὃς. ΘΟ ." δΓΔ( εἰπεῖ οἱ γοάϊπη!α ογαὶ,, ἥυδλη ᾿ΐ5 ΠΟΘΙΓΙ5.. ἴῃ 4υ ἰοπιρ!]ὰ αυϊἀαπ) Οἱη σΘηΟΓὶ ἡ ᾿ΠἈΓΙΠΟΥ ΟΟἱο ϑίαια δὴ, Εἰς δυΐθιη 5ρ᾽Γὶ- . σγαι πὰ οἱ νου . (ΟΧΙ,ΥΊ1. -- ΕἸΌΕΜ. ΖΕ αν οὐ ἴῃ τ ᾶχῖ ἈΓΘΗΠΊΘΗ , υἱ Οιἰλιη δὶ . ογαςοΠ ΠῚ) ᾿ΑὈΘῖ, ἃ δι: 8ςθρί88 Ιη416- τα ἀϊφξηϊίαιθ Δ , δἰ 10Γ65 ργορίογοα πδιάᾳυλ- αυδ1 δῖ ἰ θ6 δοουβδοηῖ, νογυιη οἱ ροιίι8 ῃ νϑηΐδη θυ δηι, δὶ Γογυπ ραϑίαγι τηδϑηϊ υἀ δι λυ δι οὐ! οδυβϑη γοίδγθη!ος. ΟΟΧΙΥΠ]. -- ΕΠ ΕΤ ὈΟΒΟΤΗ͂ΕΟ ΒΕΜΡΙ8Ι,.- ΟσΑΜ ΟΕΒΕΝΤΙΒυΝ. ἢ ευἰαιἰυπο υἱγί μι οἱ υἱΠ . ἔξο δινίσιι ον θη πιθ νΟϑίΓ1 ΘΟΠἤΙΘΟΡ.. ΔῸ αἱγοιια νδδίγιιπ) ( " απ ς ἰὰτπἰ βεῖο ἀ6 6Δι158, 16Γ Δ[γὸ ἢ Ο51 Ο( ἀ αἱ που. θ6 Ἰδοοιοιδῖθι Δόρίτι158. ΙΠἰ νο- ηἶδι ; πο 4υοι ἀἰἰόγαπι ᾿υνᾶγα ἀοίυρίαιη, . η6 ΥΑΠΙΑ ΠΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΘ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ. (() Κακῶς. Β. -. ρ]επίυ5 ἃς πιεϊϊι5 χαχῶσαι δε- διώς, ἰὰ ἰφάετο πιειιιδιι8. ἘΔυ] ἰΟΙ1016 ἃ " Υἶβ56 σοι νἱ θῖν Β1 , ἱπεεγργειδιίοηα ουὰ Πλιτῖο , ΙΒΙΏΟΒΙ ΡΕΓΌΞΒΙΟΤᾺῈ δἰιεγυιγυ πιο ]ΐφυο «[ὲεϊαι". Αἱ ], [ ᾳυο Α ἀποθέμενοι τὴν ἄσπονδον μάχην εἰς εἰρήνην βλέψε- ορογίοι, [θοροῦ εἶ8, δίψα διγοο βϑϑηὰ ρυζηϑ δὐ͵δοίἃ ρδοθαι γ0 Οἷ ΟΟυ ρΓΟρΡΟϑιιογὶ , Ὑθηΐϑιη : ἤθη υἱ Δἰιογυϊγὶ δάνογθυβ ἃ] Γι Π) δι ρροίί [ἐγδπ), 8δ6ι) υἱ δΔοιῦοδ ΓυΓβυπὶ δην οἰ τ125 πόχι! ὀδν οΐδη,. ΟΟΧΗΙΣ. --- ΡΑΙΓΑΡΙΟ. ιν πῖ58. ΟΓΔΟυ π6α οου] Οὔνογιθγθ, Π66 Γαρυ- ϑπϑγο οροτίοϊ : ΥΘΥγὺπὶ ρΓἰυΒηαυ πη), αυϊὰ [Δοϊοηάιιπη δἷ1ι, δυμἰογίπηυδ, Π08 ἰάὰ [ΔοίυΓΟ8 ΡΟ! οοτγὶ, Νδη) 4υοῦ ουβ 5ἷϊ, αυΐ ογδοιΐα δάδι, ἰβιιιὰ οἱ οοηιϊγαάϊ - εἰἰοηδῆϊ ΘὨηΘ τ ὉΓΟΟῸΪ ρ6 , οἱ οὐδοαϊδηςτδηι οΙἢ- ")6η) ρογδυϑϑίοποπι οἴοῖϊ!. Ναπὶ φυΐ, ἰὰ φυοῦ πο- υ ] σοηάμπεϊ!, δρρτίτηθ ηοΥΪξ, ἢΐο οἱ Ιο4ι6η8, οἱ ἰορ68 ἰδ , ἰάθη ρΓοΟΐδαίο , οι] ᾿)) δ ίυΓγ. (ΟΙ. -- ΖΕΝΟΝΙ ΡΒΕΒΒΥΤΕΒΟ. (ογροῦιπι εοφηδῖίο οὐπὶ ΤΠοΓυ πὶ ᾿ργορίπαιιϑι8 π1 ποάο δοπιρᾶγδηάἃ . θυ Δ) οῦ ΓΘ δὶ [ ο[- ΓΙ βϑὲιΐ ορίϑοορ! Πεγποφθηΐθδ ραιγυδίθιη σνοσθιῃ, ΕἸ] δ ΓΑ ΠΟΘ Ρ ; δ᾽ αἰ ποθγιιπὶ Οἰδαὶ ρα! υη, θυ γί οδυ88 ρυκίογα ΔΓ οἷα. Θ. δ ἢ δὲ ἰι μΓ- βίαι εἰ δϑί ιηἰἱ υἱγὶ υθϑί ἢ653: Υἱά οί αγὶβ, οἱ [, Θυ ΜΊ, 4υἱ ἰρϑυπὶ ᾿ ΠΔιι18 δ᾽, δαγοσίυηι ργοδίδῃ- ον νἱγυτὴ γοι . . (ΟΙ!. --- ΡΕΤΒΟ. Ὀμη0 ἰνος (Ο 4ιομϑμηι ἴ6 ΠΟπλΐ ΠΌΠΟΙ ρΘη,, .υἱ υἱγίυτ5. τηδ γί τι δι π ἴῃ [ ἀχὶ- διἴπ , οἷν ἢ ΟΠ) δά αἰνί πὶ ργράϊοϑιϊοσηαπι - θο ΠῚ η ΔΟσοϑϑογὶηΐ, Π᾿ ΠῚ ΓΙ ΠῚ Οἱ ΒΟΓΠΊΟΠΘΉΙ διιοίοτίιαια ἃς ρἰθιθπ), οἱ ργ ἰσ ΠῈ ΠΊΟΓΘΒ. ΑἸιοσα ἢ) Θηἶ ἢ Δ 16ΓἾ1 ΠΟΤΥΙ . Δ. ΓΟΌΌΓ ΟΓαΐ, ἢἰπ ῖ- τυ δΒ6Γ), αὐ “ἰζηι5 ογὶ, οἱ νἱῖᾶ βεῦπιο- ἤθε σΟηΓιηΔη5. ΝΟΙΙ δ ἢ) ργἀϊοδηίαβ, (λεοϊθθδηι ( ο4υΪ δηΐη γ᾽ ἀἸ οὐ [ 556η . Ποηηι1 - ΕἸ ποϑίγα ΘΙ .: ΗἾΠ1] ΔΟΘΓΌ ἐΐσογα νὸ- ) νϑγυι ὁ βγυθηί οι ἀἴαᾳ σοπβοηϊλ 8ῃ) ΒΟΓΠΊΟΩΪ γιδι ργῳῦσδι68, ΒΟπιΐ δι ρεθαηι. Ουοείγοδ οἰἶδαι Οἰνγ ϑί0 .., σαπὶ ἢΠΠπἀ Θχρογαίιν Δ θΟγοῖ, - πο ηΘπ δοιΐοπβ Οχρογιθη, πδησθη Οἱ ἰηι " : οὐ αυϊόπι , ηυἱ δὺ Δειοηΐ ἰηδρὶγὸ- γ΄, Υἱν. οἱ δόῦθηι δίαυβ οἰϊβεθοθπ) : ἴῃ οιμηΐ ρεῖυϑ νἱγίυτ] ἃς Ρ]ΠΟϑορ ἢ ἷ σοιιθῦα, ( ΡΘῈΓ ορογᾷ, ἴθηὶ 06Γ βΒογηο θη ογυ ἐ Υ]ῖ, ἀὐνί ᾳΓἃ - εἰϊ5 σΟΟγΏΑΥ : δίᾳυδ ἰἰ4 ἀδηλυπ δι ποιμί μη) δὺ- οσυρίτν διμδῖ1. ΠῚ ἃ ϑιΐπὴ ρογβρθεοι ϑϑιθσπι .. ) γοῦν εἰς
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk at Pelusium
To: Hedid and Dorotheos, civic leaders
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore addresses two men in civic leadership jointly, urging them that the administration of public affairs is a form of stewardship answerable to God, not merely to public opinion.
The affairs of the city that have been placed in your hands, Hedid and Dorotheos, are not your private possession. They are a trust — held for the citizens you serve, and ultimately answerable to the one who ordered human society and placed authority within it.
This means two things practically. First, that the standards you apply must be genuinely just — not adjusted by political calculation or by the interests of those who have influence over you. Second, that when you act well, the credit belongs not only to you but to what has been given to you — the office, the law, the order that makes civic life possible at all.
Administer what you have been given with integrity, both of you. And support each other in doing so. Two men committed to the same honest standard can resist pressures that would overwhelm one alone.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.