Letter 70

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed elder
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore sharply rebukes an old man who shelters dissolute young people.

That an old man in his declining years should shelter young men who are sunk in debauchery surpasses every form of outrage. Your behavior makes it obvious that you are sick with the philosophy of Epicurus — you cannot control your own inclinations, so you confirm his doctrines by your actions. Keep yourself, then — keep yourself away from the holy altar, lest a thunderbolt descend upon your head.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.