Isidore of Pelusium

Isidore of Pelusium (or Pelusiota), ST., an ecclesiastical writer, was born at Alexandria about the year 370. He spent his life in the neighborhood of Pelusium, in a monastery of which he was abbot, and where he practiced strict asceticism. He was a great admirer of St. Chrysostom, of whom, according to some, he-was a pupil, and whom he defended against the attacks of the patriarchs of Alexandria, Theophilus and Cyril. In the controversy waged by Cyril against Nestorius, Isidorus Pelusiota favored the Cyrillian party, his counsels of moderation contrasting greatly with the passion and ambition of Cyril. He was a firm adherent to the doctrines of the Greek Church, and vigorously opposed all heretical inroads. Of his writings, which "discuss, with learning, piety, judgment, and moderation, nearly all the theological and practical questions of his age," there remain to us yet a collection of his-letters, forming five volumes, though they are probably not all (there are more than 2000 of them) his own. These letters treat almost all on the interpretation of Scripture. The first three volumes were published, with a Latin translation and notes, by J. de Billy (Paris, 1585, fol.), and reprinted, together with the fourth volume, by Conrad Rittershausen (Heidelb. 1605, fol.), and the fifth by the Jesuit Schott (Antw. 1623, 8vo). A complete, though rather faulty edition was finally published at Paris in 1638, folio, and in Migne's edition of the fathers, vol. 58 (Paris, 1860). See Photius, Bibliotheca (cod. 228, 232); Schröckh, Christlichen Kirchengesch. 17:520, 529; Heumann, Dissertatio de Isidoro Pelusiota ejusque epistolis (Göttingen, 1737, 4to); Fabricius, Bibliotheca Grceca, 10:480, 494; H. A. Niemeyer, De Isid. Pel. vita, scriptis et doctrina (Halle, 1825); Tillemont, Mem. Ecclesiastiques, vol. 15; Du Pin, Nouv. Bibl. des aut. eccles. 4, 5 sq.; Ceillier, Fist. des aut. sac. 13, 600 sq.; Neander, Kirchengesch. 2, 2, 361 sq.; Schaff; Ch. Hist. 3, 941; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 7, 85; Hoefer, Nouv. Biogr. Géneralé, 26, 57.