Letter 75

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person of authority
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore warns against the danger of flatterers.

I hear that flatterers hang on your every word, swearing that everything you do is excellent — even if what you choose to admire is the worst possible folly. They condemn just as quickly if you happen to criticize even virtue itself. If you will not listen to me, at least listen to Isocrates, who advised that the surest test of a person's judgment is the company they keep. Flatterers are not friends — they are mirrors that show you only what you want to see. And a mirror that lies is the most dangerous possession in the world.

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