Saint Isidore of Pelusium

Isidore of Pelusium (Ancient Greek: Ἰσίδωρος ὁ Πηλουσιώτης, d. c.450) was born in Egypt to a prominent Alexandrian family. He became an ascetic, and moved to a mountain near the city of Pelusium, in the tradition of the Desert Fathers. Isidore is known to us for his letters, written to Cyril of Alexandria, Theodosius II, and a host of others. A collection of 2,000 letters was made in antiquity at the "Sleepless" monastery in Constantinople, and this has come down to us through a number of manuscripts, with each letter numbered and in order. The letters are mostly very short extracts, a sentence or two in length. Further unpublished letters exist in Syriac translation. Some of the letters are of considerable interest for the exegesis of the Greek Bible. He is revered as a saint, whose feast day is February 4. Isidore of Pelusium lived during the fourth and fifth centuries. He was a native of Alexandria, and a relative of Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria. He was an only child. His parents taught him the books of the church and the Greek language, in which he excelled. He was also ascetic and humble. When he learned that the people of Alexandria and the bishops wanted to make him the Patriarch of Alexandria, he took flight by night to Pelusium and became a monk in a monastery there. He soon became known for his exactitude in the observance of the rule and for his austerities. A passage in his voluminous correspondence affords reason to believe that he held the office of abbot. Following the example of John Chrysostom, whom he had managed to see and hear during a trip to Constantinople, Isidore devoted himself primarily to Christian preaching. Yet he writes in one letter, "It is more important to be proficient in good works than in golden-tongued preaching". His friendship with John Chrysostom resulted in his support of John when he was persecuted by the empress Eudoxia and Pope Theophilus.