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2 Maccabees 4

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1 ὁ δὲ προειρημένος Σιμων ὁ τῶν χρημάτων καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐνδείκτης γεγονὼς ἐκακολόγει τὸν Ονιαν ὡς αὐτός τε εἴη τὸν Ἡλιόδωρον ἐπισεσεικὼς καὶ τῶν κακῶν δημιουργὸς καθεστηκώς 2 καὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὸν κηδεμόνα τῶν ὁμοεθνῶν καὶ ζηλωτὴν τῶν νόμων ἐπίβουλον τῶν πραγμάτων ἐτόλμα λέγειν 3 τῆς δὲ ἔχθρας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προβαινούσης ὥστε καὶ διά τινος τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σιμωνος δεδοκιμασμένων φόνους συντελεῖσθαι 4 συνορῶν ὁ Ονιας τὸ χαλεπὸν τῆς φιλονεικίας καὶ Ἀπολλώνιον Μενεσθέως τὸν Κοίλης Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης στρατηγὸν συναύξοντα τὴν κακίαν τοῦ Σιμωνος 5 πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα διεκομίσθη οὐ γινόμενος τῶν πολιτῶν κατήγορος τὸ δὲ σύμφορον κοινῇ καὶ κα{T'} ἰδίαν παντὶ τῷ πλήθει σκοπῶν 6 ἑώρα γὰρ ἄνευ βασιλικῆς προνοίας ἀδύνατον εἶναι τυχεῖν εἰρήνης ἔτι τὰ πράγματα καὶ τὸν Σιμωνα παῦλαν οὐ λημψόμενον τῆς ἀνοίας

1 And now, what must Simon do, the same that had drawn men’s eyes to his country with stories of treasure, but fall to slandering Onias? Onias it was, by his way of it, had egged Heliodorus on,[1] and been the author of the mischief. 2 So true a patriot, that well loved his race, well guarded the divine law, and he must be branded with the name of traitor! 3 The feud grew worse, till at last there were murders done, and Simon’s faction answerable for it. 4 Here was the public peace much endangered; here was Apollonius, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenice, adding fuel to the flame of Simon’s malice;[2] what marvel if Onias had recourse to the king? 5 Little enough it liked him to bring an ill name on his fellow-citizens; yet common good of the Jewish folk he must needs have in mind; 6 how should quiet times return, or Simon’s madness be cooled, unless the king took order in the matter?

1 Simon autem prædictus, pecuniarum et patriæ delator, male loquebatur de Onia, tamquam ipse Heliodorum instigasset ad hæc, et ipse fuisset incentor malorum: 2 provisoremque civitatis, ac defensorem gentis suæ, et æmulatorem legis Dei, audebat insidiatorem regni dicere. 3 Sed cum inimicitiæ in tantum procederent ut etiam per quosdam Simonis necessarios homicidia fierent, 4 considerans Onias periculum contentionis, et Apollonium insanire, utpote ducem Cœlesyriæ et Phœnicis, ad augendam malitiam Simonis ad regem se contulit, 5 non ut civium accusator, sed communem utilitatem apud semetipsum universæ multitudinis considerans. 6 Videbat enim sine regali providentia impossibile esse pacem rebus dari, nec Simonem posse cessare a stultitia sua.

7 μεταλλάξαντος δὲ τὸν βίον Σελεύκου καὶ παραλαβόντος τὴν βασιλείαν Ἀντιόχου τοῦ προσαγορευθέντος Ἐπιφανοῦς ὑπενόθευσεν Ἰάσων ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ονιου τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην 8 ἐπαγγειλάμενος τῷ βασιλεῖ δ{I'} ἐντεύξεως ἀργυρίου τάλαντα ἑξήκοντα πρὸς τοῖς τριακοσίοις καὶ προσόδου τινὸς ἄλλης τάλαντα ὀγδοήκοντα 9 πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ὑπισχνεῖτο καὶ ἕτερα διαγράφειν πεντήκοντα πρὸς τοῖς ἑκατόν ἐὰν ἐπιχωρηθῇ διὰ τῆς ἐξουσίας αὐτοῦ γυμνάσιον καὶ ἐφηβεῖον αὐτῷ συστήσασθαι καὶ τοὺς ἐν Ιεροσολύμοις Ἀντιοχεῖς ἀναγράψαι 10 ἐπινεύσαντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς κρατήσας εὐθέως πρὸς τὸν Ἑλληνικὸν χαρακτῆρα τοὺς ὁμοφύλους μετέστησε 11 καὶ τὰ κείμενα τοῖς Ιουδαίοις φιλάνθρωπα βασιλικὰ διὰ Ιωάννου τοῦ πατρὸς Εὐπολέμου τοῦ ποιησαμένου τὴν πρεσβείαν ὑπὲρ φιλίας καὶ συμμαχίας πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους παρώσας καὶ τὰς μὲν νομίμους καταλύων πολιτείας παρανόμους ἐθισμοὺς ἐκαίνιζεν 12 ἀσμένως γὰρ ὑ{P'} αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκρόπολιν γυμνάσιον καθίδρυσεν καὶ τοὺς κρατίστους τῶν ἐφήβων ὑποτάσσων ὑπὸ πέτασον ἤγαγεν

7 But king Seleucus was done with life now, and the throne passed to Antiochus, called the Illustrious. And here was a brother Onias had, called Jason, that coveted the office of high priest. 8 This Jason went to the new king, and made him an offer of three hundred and sixty talents of silver out of its revenue, besides eighty from other incomings. 9 Let leave be granted him to set up a game-place for the training of youth, and enrol the men of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch, he would give his bond for a hundred and fifty more. 10 To this the king assented; high priest he became, and straightway set about perverting his fellow-countrymen to the Gentile way of living. 11 Till now, the Jews had followed their own customs, by grace of a royal privilege; it was John that won it for them, father of that Eupolemus, who afterwards went in embassage to Rome, to make a treaty of alliance. But Jason would abrogate these customs; common right should be none, and great wrong should find acceptance instead. 12 This game-place of his he did not scruple to set up in the very shadow of the Citadel, and debauch[3] all that was noblest of Judaea’s youth.

7 Sed post Seleuci vitæ excessum, cum suscepisset regnum Antiochus, qui Nobilis appellabatur, ambiebat Jason frater Oniæ summum sacerdotium: 8 adito rege, promittens ei argenti talenta trecenta sexaginta, et ex redditibus aliis talenta octoginta, 9 super hæc promittebat et alia centum quinquaginta, si potestati ejus concederetur, gymnasium et ephebiam sibi constituere, et eos qui in Jerosolymis erant, Antiochenos scribere. 10 Quod cum rex annuisset, et obtinuisset principatum, statim ad gentilem ritum contribules suos transferre cœpit, 11 et amotis his quæ humanitatis causa Judæis a regibus fuerant constituta per Joannem patrem Eupolemi, qui apud Romanos de amicitia et societate functus est legatione legitima, civium jura destituens, prava instituta sanciebat. 12 Etenim ausus est sub ipsa arce gymnasium constituere, et optimos quosque epheborum in lupanaribus ponere.

13 ἦν {D'} οὕτως ἀκμή τις Ἑλληνισμοῦ καὶ πρόσβασις ἀλλοφυλισμοῦ διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ οὐκ ἀρχιερέως Ἰάσωνος ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἀναγνείαν 14 ὥστε μηκέτι περὶ τὰς τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου λειτουργίας προθύμους εἶναι τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν νεὼ καταφρονοῦντες καὶ τῶν θυσιῶν ἀμελοῦντες ἔσπευδον μετέχειν τῆς ἐν παλαίστρῃ παρανόμου χορηγίας μετὰ τὴν τοῦ δίσκου πρόσκλησιν 15 καὶ τὰς μὲν πατρῴους τιμὰς ἐν οὐδενὶ τιθέμενοι τὰς δὲ Ἑλληνικὰς δόξας καλλίστας ἡγούμενοι 16 ὧν καὶ χάριν περιέσχεν αὐτοὺς χαλεπὴ περίστασις καὶ ὧν ἐζήλουν τὰς ἀγωγὰς καὶ κα{Q'} ἅπαν ἤθελον ἐξομοιοῦσθαι τούτους πολεμίους καὶ τιμωρητὰς ἔσχον 17 ἀσεβεῖν γὰρ εἰς τοὺς θείους νόμους οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ὁ ἀκόλουθος καιρὸς δηλώσει 18 ἀγομένου δὲ πενταετηρικοῦ ἀγῶνος ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως παρόντος 19 ἀπέστειλεν Ἰάσων ὁ μιαρὸς θεωροὺς ὡς ἀπὸ Ιεροσολύμων Ἀντιοχεῖς ὄντας παρακομίζοντας ἀργυρίου δραχμὰς τριακοσίας εἰς τὴν τοῦ Ἡρακλέους θυσίαν ἃς καὶ ἠξίωσαν οἱ παρακομίσαντες μὴ χρῆσθαι εἰς θυσίαν διὰ τὸ μὴ καθήκειν εἰς ἑτέραν δὲ καταθέσθαι δαπάνην 20 ἔπεσε μὲν οὖν ταῦτα διὰ μὲν τὸν ἀποστείλαντα εἰς τὴν τοῦ Ἡρακλέους θυσίαν ἕνεκεν δὲ τῶν παρακομιζόντων εἰς τὰς τῶν τριηρέων κατασκευάς

13 Mischief in the bud, think you, when such alien Gentile ways came in? Nay, here was flower and fruit of it; and all through the unexampled villainy of one man, this Jason, that high priest was none, but rather an arch-traitor. 14 Why, the priests themselves had no more stomach for serving the altar; temple scorned, and sacrifice unheeded, off they went to the wrestling-ground, there to enter their names and win unhallowed prizes, soon as ever the first quoit was thrown! 15 What glory their fathers had handed down to them! And fame such as the Greeks covet was all their ambition now. 16 Alas, here was a perilous contest awaiting them; Greek fashions they would follow, and Greeks would be, that ere long should have Greeks for their enemies, ay, and conquerors. 17 There is no breaking God’s laws without paying the price; time will show that. 18 When the quinquennial games were being held at Tyre, in the king’s presence, 19 this vile Jason it was sent some of his wretches[4] with a gift of three hundred silver pieces to do honour to Hercules. True it is, the bearers of them asked they should not be spent on sacrifice, but on some other need that was more befitting; 20 yet Jason’s meaning was, Hercules should have them, and if they went to the building of the fleet, it was thanks to Jason’s envoys.

13 Erat autem hoc non initium, sed incrementum quoddam, et profectus gentilis et alienigenæ conversationis, propter impii et non sacerdotis Jasonis nefarium, et inauditum scelus: 14 ita ut sacerdotes jam non circa altaris officia dediti essent, sed contempto templo et sacrificiis neglectis, festinarent participes fieri palæstræ et præbitionis ejus injustæ, et in exercitiis disci. 15 Et patrios quidem honores nihil habentes, græcas glorias optimas arbitrabantur: 16 quarum gratia periculosa eos contentio habebat, et eorum instituta æmulabantur, ac per omnia his consimiles esse cupiebant, quos hoste et peremptores habuerant. 17 In leges enim divinas impie agere impune non cedit: sed hoc tempus sequens declarabit. 18 Cum autem quinquennalis agon Tyri celebraretur, et rex præsens esset, 19 misit Jason facinorosus ab Jerosolymis viros peccatores, portantes argenti didrachmas trecentas in sacrificum Herculis: quas postulaverunt hi qui asportaverant ne in sacrificiis erogarentur, quia non oporteret, sed in alios sumptus eas deputari. 20 Sed hæ oblatæ sunt quidem ab eo qui miserat in sacrificium Herculis: propter præsentes autem datæ sunt in fabricam navium triremium.

21 ἀποσταλέντος δὲ εἰς Αἴγυπτον Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Μενεσθέως διὰ τὰ πρωτοκλίσια τοῦ Φιλομήτορος βασιλέως μεταλαβὼν Ἀντίοχος ἀλλότριον αὐτὸν τῶν αὐτοῦ γεγονέναι πραγμάτων τῆς κα{Q'} αὑτὸν ἀσφαλείας ἐφρόντιζεν ὅθεν εἰς Ιοππην παραγενόμενος κατήντησεν εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα 22 μεγαλομερῶς δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰάσωνος καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀποδεχθεὶς μετὰ δᾳδουχίας καὶ βοῶν εἰσεδέχθη εἶ{Q'} οὕτως εἰς τὴν Φοινίκην κατεστρατοπέδευσεν

21 Afterwards, Apollonius the son of Menestheus was despatched to Egypt, for the enthroning of king Ptolemy Philometor. Well Antiochus knew that he was disaffected towards the royal policy, and there was his own safety to be considered … He passed on to Joppe, and so to Jerusalem,[5] 22 where Jason and the whole city welcomed him in state, with carrying of torches and great huzza’ing. And so he led his army back to Phoenice.

21 Misso autem in Ægyptum Apollonio Mnesthei filio propter primates Ptolemæi Philometoris regis, cum cognovisset Antiochus alienum se a negotiis regni effectum, propriis utilitatibus consulens, profectus inde venit Joppen, et inde Jerosolymam. 22 Et magnifice ab Jasone et civitate susceptus, cum facularum luminibus et laudibus ingressus est: et inde in Phœnicen exercitum convertit.

23 μετὰ δὲ τριετῆ χρόνον ἀπέστειλεν Ἰάσων Μενέλαον τὸν τοῦ προσημαινομένου Σιμωνος ἀδελφὸν παρακομίζοντα τὰ χρήματα τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ περὶ πραγμάτων ἀναγκαίων ὑπομνηματισμοὺς τελέσοντα 24 ὁ δὲ συσταθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ δοξάσας αὐτὸν τῷ προσώπῳ τῆς ἐξουσίας εἰς ἑαυτὸν κατήντησεν τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ὑπερβαλὼν τὸν Ἰάσωνα τάλαντα ἀργυρίου τριακόσια 25 λαβὼν δὲ τὰς βασιλικὰς ἐντολὰς παρεγένετο τῆς μὲν ἀρχιερωσύνης οὐδὲν ἄξιον φέρων θυμοὺς δὲ ὠμοῦ τυράννου καὶ θηρὸς βαρβάρου ὀργὰς ἔχων 26 καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἰάσων ὁ τὸν ἴδιον ἀδελφὸν ὑπονοθεύσας ὑπονοθευθεὶς ὑ{F'} ἑτέρου φυγὰς εἰς τὴν Αμμανῖτιν χώραν συνήλαστο 27 ὁ δὲ Μενέλαος τῆς μὲν ἀρχῆς ἐκράτει τῶν δὲ ἐπηγγελμένων τῷ βασιλεῖ χρημάτων οὐδὲν εὐτάκτει 28 ποιουμένου δὲ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν Σωστράτου τοῦ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ἐπάρχου πρὸς τοῦτον γὰρ ἦν ἡ τῶν διαφόρων πρᾶξις δ{I'} ἣν αἰτίαν οἱ δύο ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως προσεκλήθησαν 29 καὶ ὁ μὲν Μενέλαος ἀπέλιπεν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης διάδοχον Λυσίμαχον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφόν Σώστρατος δὲ Κράτητα τὸν ἐπὶ τῶν Κυπρίων

23 Three years later, Jason would send to the king certain moneys, together with a report on affairs of moment; and for this errand he chose Menelaus, brother to that Simon we have before mentioned. 24 Access thus gained to the king’s person, Menelaus was careful to flatter his self-conceit; then, outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver, diverted the high-priestly succession to himself. 25 Back he came to Jerusalem, with the royal warrant to maintain him, yet all unworthy, with a tyrant’s cruel heart, more wild beast than high priest. 26 Thus was Jason supplanted, that had supplanted his own brother, and was driven to take refuge in the Ammonite country; 27 as for Menelaus, he got the office he coveted, but never a penny paid the king of all he had promised, however urgent Sostratus might be, that was in command of the citadel. 28 For all exaction of tribute this fellow was answerable; and so it fell out that both of them were summoned to court, 29 Menelaus leaving his high priesthood to his own brother, Lysimachus, and for Sostratus … he became governor of Cyprus.[6]

23 Et post triennii tempus, misit Jason Menelaum supradicti Simonis fratrem portantem pecunias regi, et de negotiis necessariis responsa perlaturum. 24 At ille commendatus regi, cum magnificasset faciem potestatis ejus, in semetipsum retorsit summum sacerdotium, superponens Jasoni talenta argenti trecenta. 25 Acceptisque a rege mandatis, venit, nihil quidem habens dignum sacerdotio: animos vero crudelis tyranni, et feræ beluæ iram gerens. 26 Et Jason quidem, qui proprium fratrem captivaverat, ipse deceptus profugus in Ammanitem expulsus est regionem. 27 Menelaus autem principatum quidem obtinuit: de pecuniis vero regi promissis, nihil agebat, cum exactionem faceret Sostratus, qui arci erat præpositus, 28 nam ad hunc exactio vectigalium pertinebant: quam ob causam utrique ad regem sunt evocati. 29 Et Menelaus amotus est a sacerdotio, succedente Lysimacho fratre suo: Sostratus autem prælatus est Cypriis.

30 τοιούτων δὲ συνεστηκότων συνέβη Ταρσεῖς καὶ Μαλλώτας στασιάζειν διὰ τὸ Ἀντιοχίδι τῇ παλλακῇ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν δωρεᾷ δεδόσθαι 31 θᾶττον οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἧκεν καταστεῖλαι τὰ πράγματα καταλιπὼν τὸν διαδεχόμενον Ἀνδρόνικον τῶν ἐν ἀξιώματι κειμένων 32 νομίσας δὲ ὁ Μενέλαος εἰληφέναι καιρὸν εὐφυῆ χρυσώματά τινα τῶν τοῦ ἱεροῦ νοσφισάμενος ἐχαρίσατο τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ καὶ ἕτερα ἐτύγχανεν πεπρακὼς εἴς τε Τύρον καὶ τὰς κύκλῳ πόλεις 33 ἃ καὶ σαφῶς ἐπεγνωκὼς ὁ Ονιας ἀπήλεγχεν ἀποκεχωρηκὼς εἰς ἄσυλον τόπον ἐπὶ Δάφνης τῆς πρὸς Ἀντιόχειαν κειμένης 34 ὅθεν ὁ Μενέλαος λαβὼν ἰδίᾳ τὸν Ἀνδρόνικον παρεκάλει χειρώσασθαι τὸν Ονιαν ὁ δὲ παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Ονιαν καὶ πεισθεὶς ἐπὶ δόλῳ καὶ δεξιασθεὶς με{Q'} ὅρκων δοὺς δεξιάν καίπερ ἐν ὑποψίᾳ κείμενος ἔπεισεν ἐκ τοῦ ἀσύλου προελθεῖν ὃν καὶ παραχρῆμα παρέκλεισεν οὐκ αἰδεσθεὶς τὸ δίκαιον 35 δ{I'} ἣν αἰτίαν οὐ μόνον Ιουδαῖοι πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἐδείναζον καὶ ἐδυσφόρουν ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκῳ φόνῳ 36 τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἐπανελθόντος ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ Κιλικίαν τόπων ἐνετύγχανον οἱ κατὰ πόλιν Ιουδαῖοι συμμισοπονηρούντων καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὑπὲρ τοῦ παρὰ λόγον τὸν Ονιαν ἀπεκτονῆσθαι 37 ψυχικῶς οὖν ὁ Ἀντίοχος ἐπιλυπηθεὶς καὶ τραπεὶς ἐπὶ ἔλεος καὶ δακρύσας διὰ τὴν τοῦ μετηλλαχότος σωφροσύνην καὶ πολλὴν εὐταξίαν 38 καὶ πυρωθεὶς τοῖς θυμοῖς παραχρῆμα τὴν τοῦ Ἀνδρονίκου πορφύραν περιελόμενος καὶ τοὺς χιτῶνας περιρρήξας περιαγαγὼν κα{Q'} ὅλην τὴν πόλιν ἐ{P'} αὐτὸν τὸν τόπον οὗπερ τὸν Ονιαν ἠσέβησεν ἐκεῖ τὸν μιαιφόνον ἀπεκόσμησεν τοῦ κυρίου τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῷ κόλασιν ἀποδόντος

30 It befell at this very time that the men of Tharsus and Mallus made an insurrection; so little it liked them that a gift should be made of their cities to Antiochis, the king’s paramour. 31 Post-haste the king went off to appease them, leaving one of his courtiers, Andronicus, to be viceroy. 32 Here was Menelaus’ opportunity; he had gold ornaments with him, that he had stolen out of the temple, and now, giving some of these as a present to Andronicus, he sold the rest at Tyre and other cities in the neighbourhood. 33 Of these doings, one man had clear proof, and thereupon denounced him: Onias, that had now taken refuge in Daphne sanctuary, close by Antioch. 34 What did Menelaus? He gained the ear of Andronicus and demanded that Onias should pay for it with his life. So the viceroy himself paid Onias a visit, swore friendship and overcame his suspicions; then, when he had left sanctuary, without scruple of conscience put him to death. 35 Here was great matter of indignation, and not among the Jews only; the very heathen took it amiss, so great a man should meet so unworthy an end. 36 No sooner was the king back from Cilicia than the citizens of Antioch, Jew and Gentile both, assailed him with complaints about the murder of an innocent man; 37 whereat Antiochus himself was heartily grieved, ay, and moved to tears of pity, such memories he had of Onias’ well-ordered, honourable life. 38 Anon he fell into a rage, stripped Andronicus of his purple, and would have him led away all through the streets, till he reached the very spot where he had lifted his impious hand against Onias. There the sacrilegious wretch perished, by the divine vengeance worthily requited.

30 Et cum hæc agerentur, contigit Tharsenses et Mallotas seditionem movere, eo quod Antiochidi regis concubinæ dono essent dati. 31 Festinanter itaque rex venit sedare illos, relicto suffecto uno ex comitibus suis Andronico. 32 Ratus autem Menelaus accepisse se tempus opportunum, aurea quædam vasa e templo furatus donavit Andronico, et alia vendiderat Tyri, et per vicinas civitates. 33 Quod cum certissime cognovisset Onias, arguebat eum, ipse in loco tuto se continens Antiochiæ secus Daphnem. 34 Unde Menelaus accedens ad Andronicum, rogabat ut Oniam interficeret. Qui cum venisset ad Oniam, et datis dextris cum jurejurando (quamvis esset ei suspectus) suasisset de asylo procedere, statim eum peremit, non veritus justitiam. 35 Ob quam causam non solum Judæi, sed aliæ quoque nationes indignabantur, et moleste ferebant de nece tanti viri injusta. 36 Sed regressum regem de Ciliciæ locis adierunt Judæi apud Antiochiam, simul et Græci, conquerentes de iniqua nece Oniæ. 37 Contristatus itaque animo Antiochus propter Oniam, et flexus ad misericordiam, lacrimas fudit, recordatus defuncti sobrietatem et modestiam: 38 accensisque animis Andronicum purpura exutum, per totam civitatem jubet circumduci: et in eodem loco in quo in Oniam impietatem commiserat, sacrilegum vita privari, Domino illi condignam retribuente pœnam.

39 γενομένων δὲ πολλῶν ἱεροσυλημάτων κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Λυσιμάχου μετὰ τῆς τοῦ Μενελάου γνώμης καὶ διαδοθείσης ἔξω τῆς φήμης ἐπισυνήχθη τὸ πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὸν Λυσίμαχον χρυσωμάτων ἤδη πολλῶν διενηνεγμένων 40 ἐπεγειρομένων δὲ τῶν ὄχλων καὶ ταῖς ὀργαῖς διεμπιπλαμένων καθοπλίσας ὁ Λυσίμαχος πρὸς τρισχιλίους κατήρξατο χειρῶν ἀδίκων προηγησαμένου τινὸς Αυρανου προβεβηκότος τὴν ἡλικίαν οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ τὴν ἄνοιαν 41 συνιδόντες δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τοῦ Λυσιμάχου συναρπάσαντες οἱ μὲν πέτρους οἱ δὲ ξύλων πάχη τινὲς δὲ ἐκ τῆς παρακειμένης σποδοῦ δρασσόμενοι φύρδην ἐνετίνασσον εἰς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Λυσίμαχον 42 δ{I'} ἣν αἰτίαν πολλοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν τραυματίας ἐποίησαν τινὰς δὲ καὶ κατέβαλον πάντας δὲ εἰς φυγὴν συνήλασαν αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ἱερόσυλον παρὰ τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον ἐχειρώσαντο

39 Meanwhile, word had gone abroad at Jerusalem, how Lysimachus was ever robbing the temple, by Menelaus’ contrivance. Great store of gold was lost already; but now there was a rising of the common folk against Lysimachus, 40 whose numbers and their rage increasing, he was fain to put some three thousand men under arms, with one Tyrannus at their head, that was far gone in years, and no less in folly. Lysimachus it was that first resorted to violence; 41 but the rabble, when they saw what he would be at, caught up stones or stout clubs for the attack, and some of them pelted him with cinders. 42 When they had wounded some of his retinue, and felled others to earth, the rest took to their heels; and there, close beside the treasury, this robber of the temple was done to death.

39 Multis autem sacrilegiis in templo a Lysimacho commissis Menelai consilio, et divulgata fama, congregata est multitudo adversum Lysimachum multo jam auro exportato. 40 Turbis autem insurgentibus, et animis ira repletis, Lysimachus armatis fere tribus millibus iniquis manibus uti cœpit, duce quodam tyranno, ætate pariter et dementia provecto. 41 Sed ut intellexerunt conatum Lysimachi, alii lapides, alii fustes validos arripuere: quidam vero cinerem in Lysimachum jecere. 42 Et multi quidem vulnerati, quidam autem et prostrati, omnes vero in fugam conversi sunt: ipsum etiam sacrilegum secus ærarium interfecerunt.

43 περὶ δὲ τούτων ἐνέστη κρίσις πρὸς τὸν Μενέλαον 44 καταντήσαντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Τύρον ἐ{P'} αὐτοῦ τὴν δικαιολογίαν ἐποιήσαντο οἱ πεμφθέντες τρεῖς ἄνδρες ὑπὸ τῆς γερουσίας 45 ἤδη δὲ λελειμμένος ὁ Μενέλαος ἐπηγγείλατο χρήματα ἱκανὰ τῷ Πτολεμαίῳ Δορυμένους πρὸς τὸ πεῖσαι τὸν βασιλέα 46 ὅθεν ἀπολαβὼν ὁ Πτολεμαῖος εἴς τι περίστυλον ὡς ἀναψύξοντα τὸν βασιλέα μετέθηκεν 47 καὶ τὸν μὲν τῆς ὅλης κακίας αἴτιον Μενέλαον ἀπέλυσεν τῶν κατηγορημένων τοῖς δὲ ταλαιπώροις οἵτινες εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ Σκυθῶν ἔλεγον ἀπελύθησαν ἀκατάγνωστοι τούτοις θάνατον ἐπέκρινεν 48 ταχέως οὖν τὴν ἄδικον ζημίαν ὑπέσχον οἱ περὶ πόλεως καὶ δήμων καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν σκευῶν προηγορήσαντες 49 δ{I'} ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ Τύριοι μισοπονηρήσαντες τὰ πρὸς τὴν κηδείαν αὐτῶν μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἐχορήγησαν 50 ὁ δὲ Μενέλαος διὰ τὰς τῶν κρατούντων πλεονεξίας ἔμενεν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ ἐπιφυόμενος τῇ κακίᾳ μέγας τῶν πολιτῶν ἐπίβουλος καθεστώς

43 And next, they must implead Menelaus himself on the same charge. 44 Three envoys from the council of elders brought the whole matter before the king, when he visited Tyre, 45 and Menelaus was as good as lost. What did he? With the promise of a great bribe he secured the good word of Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes;[7] 46 Ptolemy it was waylaid the king, as he rested from the heat in a covered walk of his, and put him from his purpose. 47 So now Menelaus, that was at the root of all the mischief, must go scot free, and his unhappy accusers, that might have cleared themselves easily enough before a court of bloodthirsty Scythians,[8] with their lives must pay for it. 48 Here were men come to plead for their own city, their own people, their own temple treasures, and must they be hurried off to undeserved punishment? 49 Even the Tyrians thought shame of it, and in princely fashion gave them burial. 50 So, through the avarice of the great, throve Menelaus still, and his wickedness went from bad to worse, to his countrymen’s undoing.

43 De his ergo cœpit judicium adversus Menelaum agitari. 44 Et cum venisset rex Tyrum, ad ipsum negotium detulerunt missi tres viri a senioribus. 45 Et cum superaretur Menelaus, promisit Ptolemæo multas pecunias dare ad suadendum regi. 46 Itaque Ptolemæus in quodam atrio positum quasi refrigerandi gratia regem adiit, et deduxit a sententia: 47 et Menelaum quidem universæ malitiæ reum criminibus absolvit: miseros autem qui, etiamsi apud Scythas causam dixissent, innocentes judicarentur, hos morte damnavit. 48 Cito ergo injustam pœnam dederunt, qui pro civitate, et populo, et sacris vasis causam prosecuti sunt. 49 Quam ob rem Tyrii quoque indignati, erga sepulturam eorum liberalissimi extiterunt. 50 Menelaus autem, propter eorum qui in potentia erant avaritiam, permanebat in potestate, crescens in malitia ad insidias civium.

[1] ‘Egged Heliodorus on’; some think the word used in the Greek has a quite different meaning from the usual, and that Onias was accused of having attacked Heliodorus with violence (cf. 3.32).

[2] v. 4. ‘Adding fuel to the flame of Simon’s malice’; literally, ‘raving to increase Simon’s malice’, but this curious phrase is probably due to a copyist’s mistake.

[3] ‘Debauch’; the Latin says he exposed them in brothels, but the obscure phrase used in the Greek, ‘he brought them under the hat’ is usually interpreted as meaning that he encouraged them to wear the broad-brimmed Greek petasus as a symbol of devotion to Hermes, the patron deity of athletics.

[4] ‘Wretches’; the word found in our Latin text is probably a copyist’s error for ‘supplicators’, i.e. religious representatives.

[5] This sentence, in the original, is of unexampled obscurity. It runs, ‘And when Apollonius son of Menestheus had been sent to Egypt for the enthroning of king Ptolemy Philometor, Antiochus, realizing that he (who?) was estranged from his (whose?) past deeds, felt anxious for his own safety. And for that reason (what reason? Or perhaps, ‘from that place’, but what place?) he (who?) came to Joppe, and then rounded up at Jerusalem’. It seems possible that the text has been inaccurately transmitted.

[6] According to the Greek text, Sostratus left his own office in charge of Crates, ‘who was (afterwards?) over the Cyprians’. The island of Cyprus belonged at this time to Egypt, and only came into the Seleucid empire some years later.

[7] v. 45. The words ‘son of Dorymenes’ appear in the Greek text, but not in the Latin; they are inserted here to distinguish this Ptolemy (cf. I Mac. 3.38) from the king of Egypt mentioned in verse 21 above.

[8] ‘Scythians’, a barbarous race then inhabiting Russia.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd