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| 1 με{T'} οὐ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς γέροντα Ἀθηναῖον ἀναγκάζειν τοὺς Ιουδαίους μεταβαίνειν ἀπὸ τῶν πατρίων νόμων καὶ τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ νόμοις μὴ πολιτεύεσθαι 2 μολῦναι δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐν Ιεροσολύμοις νεὼ καὶ προσονομάσαι Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου καὶ τὸν ἐν Γαριζιν καθὼς ἐτύγχανον οἱ τὸν τόπον οἰκοῦντες Διὸς Ξενίου 3 χαλεπὴ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις ἦν δυσχερὴς ἡ ἐπίτασις τῆς κακίας 4 τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἱερὸν ἀσωτίας καὶ κώμων ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπεπληροῦτο ῥᾳθυμούντων με{Q'} ἑταιρῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς περιβόλοις γυναιξὶ πλησιαζόντων ἔτι δὲ τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα ἔνδον εἰσφερόντων 5 τὸ δὲ θυσιαστήριον τοῖς ἀποδιεσταλμένοις ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων ἀθεμίτοις ἐπεπλήρωτο 6 ἦν {D'} οὔτε σαββατίζειν οὔτε πατρῴους ἑορτὰς διαφυλάττειν οὔτε ἁπλῶς Ιουδαῖον ὁμολογεῖν εἶναι 7 ἤγοντο δὲ μετὰ πικρᾶς ἀνάγκης εἰς τὴν κατὰ μῆνα τοῦ βασιλέως γενέθλιον ἡμέραν ἐπὶ σπλαγχνισμόν γενομένης δὲ Διονυσίων ἑορτῆς ἠναγκάζοντο κισσοὺς ἔχοντες πομπεύειν τῷ Διονύσῳ 8 ψήφισμα δὲ ἐξέπεσεν εἰς τὰς ἀστυγείτονας Ἑλληνίδας πόλεις Πτολεμαίου ὑποθεμένου τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγωγὴν κατὰ τῶν Ιουδαίων ἄγειν καὶ σπλαγχνίζειν 9 τοὺς δὲ μὴ προαιρουμένους μεταβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὰ ἑλληνικὰ κατασφάζειν παρῆν οὖν ὁρᾶν τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ταλαιπωρίαν 10 δύο γὰρ γυναῖκες ἀνήχθησαν περιτετμηκυῖαι τὰ τέκνα τούτων δὲ ἐκ τῶν μαστῶν κρεμάσαντες τὰ βρέφη καὶ δημοσίᾳ περιαγαγόντες αὐτὰς τὴν πόλιν κατὰ τοῦ τείχους ἐκρήμνισαν 11 ἕτεροι δὲ πλησίον συνδραμόντες εἰς τὰ σπήλαια λεληθότως ἄγειν τὴν ἑβδομάδα μηνυθέντες τῷ Φιλίππῳ συνεφλογίσθησαν διὰ τὸ εὐλαβῶς ἔχειν βοηθῆσαι ἑαυτοῖς κατὰ τὴν δόξαν τῆς σεμνοτάτης ἡμέρας | 1 Not long after, the king despatched one of the senators at Antioch, with orders he should compel the Jewish people, custom of their fathers and law of their God to forsake. 2 The temple at Jerusalem must be profaned, and dedicated now to Jupiter Olympius; as for the temple on Garizim, the Samaritans were to call it, as well they might,[1] after Jupiter the god of strangers. 3 What a storm of troubles broke then upon the commonwealth, most grievous to be borne! 4 All riot and revelry the temple became, once the Gentiles had it; here was dallying with harlots, and women making their way into the sacred precincts, and bringing in of things abominable; 5 with forbidden meats, to the law’s injury, the very altar groaned. 6 Sabbath none would observe, nor keep holiday his fathers kept; even the name of Jew was disclaimed. 7 Instead, they went to sacrifice on the king’s birthday, though it were ruefully and under duress; and when the feast of Liber came round, make procession they must in Liber’s honour, garlanded with ivy each one. 8 And now, among all the neighbouring cities, a decree went out, wherein the Ptolemies[2] were the prime movers; all alike should constrain the Jews to do sacrifice, 9 and those that would not fall in with Gentile ways, with their lives must pay for it. Here were sights to be seen most pitiable. 10 Two mothers there were, denounced for the circumcision of their own sons; what, think you, befell them? Both must be driven through the streets, with the children hung about their breasts, and cast headlong from the battlements! 11 At another time, Philip had information that certain Jews were meeting in caves near at hand, to keep the sabbath there without remark. Not one of these would lift a hand to help himself, so great care they had of the day’s observance, and all were burned to death. |
1 Sed non post multum temporis, misit rex senem quemdam Antiochenum, qui compelleret Judæos ut se transferrent a patriis et Dei legibus: 2 contaminare etiam quod in Jerosolymis erat templum, et cognominare Jovis Olympii: et in Garizim, prout erant hi qui locum inhabitabant, Jovis hospitalis. 3 Pessima autem et universis gravis erat malorum incursio: 4 nam templum luxuria et comessationibus gentium erat plenum, et scortantium cum meretricibus: sacratisque ædibus mulieres se ultro ingerebant, intro ferentes ea quæ non licebat. 5 Altare etiam plenum erat illicitis, quæ legibus prohibebantur. 6 Neque autem sabbata custodiebantur, neque dies solemnes patrii servabantur, nec simpliciter Judæum se esse quisquam confitebatur. 7 Ducebantur autem cum amara necessitate in die natalis regis ad sacrificia: et cum Liberi sacra celebrarentur, cogebantur hedera coronati Libero circuire. 8 Decretum autem exiit in proximas gentilium civitates, suggerentibus Ptolemæis, ut pari modo et ipsi adversus Judæos agerent, ut sacrificarent: 9 eos autem qui nollent transire ad instituta gentium, interficerent: erat ergo videre miseriam. 10 Duæ enim mulieres delatæ sunt natos suos circumcidisse: quas, infantibus ad ubera suspensis, cum publice per civitatem circumduxissent, per muros præcipitaverunt. 11 Alii vero, ad proximas coëuntes speluncas, et latenter sabbati diem celebrantes, cum indicati essent Philippo, flammis succensi sunt, eo quod verebantur propter religionem et observantiam manu sibimet auxilium ferre. |
| 12 παρακαλῶ οὖν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῇδε τῇ βίβλῳ μὴ συστέλλεσθαι διὰ τὰς συμφοράς λογίζεσθαι δὲ τὰς τιμωρίας μὴ πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἀλλὰ πρὸς παιδείαν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν εἶναι 13 καὶ γὰρ τὸ μὴ πολὺν χρόνον ἐᾶσθαι τοὺς δυσσεβοῦντας ἀλ{L'} εὐθέως περιπίπτειν ἐπιτίμοις μεγάλης εὐεργεσίας σημεῖόν ἐστιν 14 οὐ γὰρ καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἀναμένει μακροθυμῶν ὁ δεσπότης μέχρι τοῦ καταντήσαντας αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἐκπλήρωσιν ἁμαρτιῶν κολάσαι οὕτως καὶ ἐ{F'} ἡμῶν ἔκρινεν εἶναι 15 ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τέλος ἀφικομένων ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὕστερον ἡμᾶς ἐκδικᾷ 16 διόπερ οὐδέποτε μὲν τὸν ἔλεον ἀ{F'} ἡμῶν ἀφίστησιν παιδεύων δὲ μετὰ συμφορᾶς οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαόν 17 πλὴν ἕως ὑπομνήσεως ταῦ{Q'} ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω δ{I'} ὀλίγων {D'} ἐλευστέον ἐπὶ τὴν διήγησιν | 12 Reader, by these tales of ill fortune be not too much dismayed; bethink thee, all this came about for the punishment of our race, not for its undoing. 13 A mark of signal favour it is, when the Lord is quick to chastise, nor lets the sinner sin on unreproved. 14 See how he deals with other nations, waiting patiently to take full toll when the hour comes for judgement! 15 Not so with us; for our guilt he will not delay reckoning, and claim strict vengeance at last. 16 Towards us, his mercy is inalienable; chastise us he will with adversity, but forsake us never. 17 So much, reader, for thy warning; and now go we back to our history. | 12 Obsecro autem eos qui hunc librum lecturi sunt, ne abhorrescant propter adversos casus: sed reputent ea quæ acciderunt, non ad interitum, sed ad correptionem esse generis nostri. 13 Etenim multo tempore non sinere peccatoribus ex sententia agere, sed statim ultiones adhibere, magni beneficii est indicium. 14 Non enim, sicut in aliis nationibus, Dominus patienter exspectat, ut eas cum judicii dies advenerit, in plenitudine peccatorum puniat: 15 ita et in nobis statuit ut, peccatis nostris in finem devolutis, ita demum in nos vindicet. 16 Propter quod numquam quidem a nobis misericordiam suam amovet: corripiens vero in adversis, populum suum non dereliquit. 17 Sed hæc nobis ad commonitionem legentium dicta sint paucis. Jam enim veniendum est ad narrationem. |
| 18 Ελεάζαρός τις τῶν πρωτευόντων γραμματέων ἀνὴρ ἤδη προβεβηκὼς τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν πρόσοψιν τοῦ προσώπου κάλλιστος ἀναχανὼν ἠναγκάζετο φαγεῖν ὕειον κρέας 19 ὁ δὲ τὸν με{T'} εὐκλείας θάνατον μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν μετὰ μύσους βίον ἀναδεξάμενος αὐθαιρέτως ἐπὶ τὸ τύμπανον προσῆγεν 20 προπτύσας δὲ κα{Q'} ὃν ἔδει τρόπον προσέρχεσθαι τοὺς ὑπομένοντας ἀμύνασθαι ὧν οὐ θέμις γεύσασθαι διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ζῆν φιλοστοργίαν 21 οἱ δὲ πρὸς τῷ παρανόμῳ σπλαγχνισμῷ τεταγμένοι διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν χρόνων πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα γνῶσιν ἀπολαβόντες αὐτὸν κα{T'} ἰδίαν παρεκάλουν ἐνέγκαντα κρέα οἷς καθῆκον αὐτῷ χρᾶσθαι δ{I'} αὐτοῦ παρασκευασθέντα ὑποκριθῆναι δὲ ὡς ἐσθίοντα τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως προστεταγμένα τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς θυσίας κρεῶν 22 ἵνα τοῦτο πράξας ἀπολυθῇ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς φιλίαν τύχῃ φιλανθρωπίας 23 ὁ δὲ λογισμὸν ἀστεῖον ἀναλαβὼν καὶ ἄξιον τῆς ἡλικίας καὶ τῆς τοῦ γήρως ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπικτήτου καὶ ἐπιφανοῦς πολιᾶς καὶ τῆς ἐκ παιδὸς καλλίστης ἀναστροφῆς μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ θεοκτίστου νομοθεσίας ἀκολούθως ἀπεφήνατο ταχέως λέγων προπέμπειν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην 24 οὐ γὰρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡλικίας ἄξιόν ἐστιν ὑποκριθῆναι ἵνα πολλοὶ τῶν νέων ὑπολαβόντες Ελεαζαρον τὸν ἐνενηκονταετῆ μεταβεβηκέναι εἰς ἀλλοφυλισμὸν 25 καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὑπόκρισιν καὶ διὰ τὸ μικρὸν καὶ ἀκαριαῖον ζῆν πλανηθῶσιν δ{I'} ἐμέ καὶ μύσος καὶ κηλῖδα τοῦ γήρως κατακτήσωμαι 26 εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐξελοῦμαι τὴν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τιμωρίαν ἀλλὰ τὰς τοῦ παντοκράτορος χεῖρας οὔτε ζῶν οὔτε ἀποθανὼν ἐκφεύξομαι 27 διόπερ ἀνδρείως μὲν νῦν διαλλάξας τὸν βίον τοῦ μὲν γήρως ἄξιος φανήσομαι 28 τοῖς δὲ νέοις ὑπόδειγμα γενναῖον καταλελοιπὼς εἰς τὸ προθύμως καὶ γενναίως ὑπὲρ τῶν σεμνῶν καὶ ἁγίων νόμων ἀπευθανατίζειν τοσαῦτα δὲ εἰπὼν ἐπὶ τὸ τύμπανον εὐθέως ἦλθεν 29 τῶν δὲ ἀγόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν μικρῷ πρότερον εὐμένειαν εἰς δυσμένειαν μεταβαλόντων διὰ τὸ τοὺς προειρημένους λόγους ὡς αὐτοὶ διελάμβανον ἀπόνοιαν εἶναι 30 μέλλων δὲ ταῖς πληγαῖς τελευτᾶν ἀναστενάξας εἶπεν τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ τὴν ἁγίαν γνῶσιν ἔχοντι φανερόν ἐστιν ὅτι δυνάμενος ἀπολυθῆναι τοῦ θανάτου σκληρὰς ὑποφέρω κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἀλγηδόνας μαστιγούμενος κατὰ ψυχὴν δὲ ἡδέως διὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ φόβον ταῦτα πάσχω 31 καὶ οὗτος οὖν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον μετήλλαξεν οὐ μόνον τοῖς νέοις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς πλείστοις τοῦ ἔθνους τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θάνατον ὑπόδειγμα γενναιότητος καὶ μνημόσυνον ἀρετῆς καταλιπών | 18 Here was Eleazar, one of the chief scribes, a man of great age and of noble features, being required to eat swine’s flesh; but though they held his mouth open they could not force him to eat. 19 He would rather die gloriously than live defiled; on he went, of his own accord, to the place of torture, 20 scanning every step of the path that lay before him. He must endure all in patience, rather than taste, for love of life, the forbidden meat. 21 Old friends among the bystanders, out of misplaced kindness, took him aside and urged him to let meat of some other kind be brought, which he could taste without scruple; he could pretend to have obeyed the king’s will by eating the sacrilegious food, 22 and his life should no longer be forfeit. Such kind offices old friendship claimed; 23 but he thought rather of the reverence that was due to his great age, of his venerable grey hairs, of a life blamelessly lived from childhood onwards. True to the precepts of God’s holy law, he answered that they would do better to send him to his grave and have done with it. 24 It does not suit my time of life, said he, to play a part. What of many that stand here, younger than myself, who would think that Eleazar, at the age of ninety, had turned Gentile? 25 To gain a brief hour of this perishable life, shall I play a trick on them, shall I disgrace this hoary head of mine and bring down a curse on it? 26 Man’s sentence here I may avoid if I will, but God’s almighty hand, living or dead, escape I may not. 27 Let me take leave of life with a good grace, as best suits my years, 28 bequeathing to men younger than myself an example of courage; meeting, with ready resolve, an honourable death, for the sake of laws holy and august as ours are. And so without more ado he was led away to his torturing; 29 his executioners were in a rage, that but now had been gentle with him; pride, they would have it, spoke here. 30 And this was the last sigh he uttered, as he lay there dying under the lash, Lord, in thy holy wisdom this thou well knowest; I might have had life if I would, yet never a cruel pang my body endures, but my soul suffers it gladly for thy reverence. 31 Thus he died, not only to those younger men he spoke of, but to our whole race, leaving the pattern of a brave and honourable death. | 18 Igitur Eleazarus, unus de primoribus scribarum, vir ætate provectus, et vultu decorus, aperto ore hians compellebatur carnem porcinam manducare. 19 At ille gloriosissimam mortem magis quam odibilem vitam complectens, voluntarie præibat ad supplicium. 20 Intuens autem quemadmodum oporteret accedere, patienter sustinens, destinavit non admittere illicita propter vitæ amorem. 21 Hi autem qui astabant, iniqua miseratione commoti propter antiquam viri amicitiam, tollentes eum secreto rogabant afferri carnes quibus vesci ei licebat, ut simularetur manducasse sicut rex imperaverat de sacrificii carnibus, 22 ut hoc facto, a morte liberaretur: et propter veterem viri amicitiam, hanc in eo faciebant humanitatem. 23 At ille cogitare cœpit ætatis ac senectutis suæ eminentiam dignam, et ingenitæ nobilitatis canitiem, atque a puero optimæ conversationis actus: et secundum sanctæ et a Deo conditæ legis constituta, respondit cito, dicens præmitti se velle in infernum. 24 Non enim ætati nostræ dignum est, inquit, fingere: ut multi adolescentium, arbitrantes Eleazarum nonaginta annorum transisse ad vitam alienigenarum, 25 et ipsi propter meam simulationem, et propter modicum corruptibilis vitæ tempus decipiantur, et per hoc maculam atque execrationem meæ senectuti conquiram. 26 Nam etsi in præsenti tempore suppliciis hominum eripiar, sed manum Omnipotentis nec vivus, nec defunctus, effugiam. 27 Quam ob rem fortiter vita excedendo, senectute quidem dignus apparebo: 28 adolescentibus autem exemplum forte relinquam, si prompto animo ac fortiter pro gravissimis ac sanctissimis legibus honesta morte perfungar. His dictis, confestim ad supplicium trahebatur. 29 Hi autem qui eum ducebant, et paulo ante fuerant mitiores, in iram conversi sunt propter sermones ab eo dictos, quos illi per arrogantiam prolatos arbitrabantur. 30 Sed cum plagis perimeretur, ingemuit, et dixit: Domine, qui habes sanctam scientiam, manifeste tu scis quia cum a morte possem liberari, duros corporis sustineo dolores: secundum animam vero propter timorem tuum libenter hæc patior. 31 Et iste quidem hoc modo vita decessit, non solum juvenibus, sed et universæ genti memoriam mortis suæ ad exemplum virtutis et fortitudinis derelinquens. |
[1] ‘As well they might’; literally, ‘according as they were’. The author seems to be taunting the Samaritans with their Gentile origin. But the Greek might mean ‘according as they gained their request’; Josephus alleges that the Samaritans themselves asked leave of the king to re-dedicate their temple.
[2] ‘The Ptolemies’; the Greek has ‘Ptolemy’, cf. note on 4.45.
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
