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1 Maccabees 8

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1 καὶ ἤκουσεν Ιουδας τὸ ὄνομα τῶν Ῥωμαίων ὅτι εἰσὶν δυνατοὶ ἰσχύι καὶ αὐτοὶ εὐδοκοῦσιν ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς προστιθεμένοις αὐτοῖς καὶ ὅσοι ἂν προσέλθωσιν αὐτοῖς ἱστῶσιν αὐτοῖς φιλίαν καὶ ὅτι εἰσὶ δυνατοὶ ἰσχύι 2 καὶ διηγήσαντο αὐτῷ τοὺς πολέμους αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς ἀνδραγαθίας ἃς ποιοῦσιν ἐν τοῖς Γαλάταις καὶ ὅτι κατεκράτησαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ φόρον 3 καὶ ὅσα ἐποίησαν ἐν χώρᾳ Σπανίας τοῦ κατακρατῆσαι τῶν μετάλλων τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου τοῦ ἐκεῖ 4 καὶ κατεκράτησαν τοῦ τόπου παντὸς τῇ βουλῇ αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ ὁ τόπος ἦν ἀπέχων μακρὰν ἀ{P'} αὐτῶν σφόδρα καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἐπελθόντων ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς ἀ{P'} ἄκρου τῆς γῆς ἕως συνέτριψαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἐν αὐτοῖς πληγὴν μεγάλην καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι διδόασιν αὐτοῖς φόρον κα{T'} ἐνιαυτόν 5 καὶ τὸν Φίλιππον καὶ τὸν Περσέα Κιτιέων βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἐπηρμένους ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς συνέτριψαν αὐτοὺς ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ κατεκράτησαν αὐτῶν 6 καὶ Ἀντίοχον τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα τῆς Ἀσίας τὸν πορευθέντα ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἔχοντα ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἐλέφαντας καὶ ἵππον καὶ ἅρματα καὶ δύναμιν πολλὴν σφόδρα καὶ συνετρίβη ὑ{P'} αὐτῶν 7 καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν ζῶντα καὶ ἔστησαν αὐτοῖς διδόναι αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας με{T'} αὐτὸν φόρον μέγαν καὶ διδόναι ὅμηρα καὶ διαστολὴν 8 καὶ χώραν τὴν Ἰνδικὴν καὶ Μηδίαν καὶ Λυδίαν ἀπὸ τῶν καλλίστων χωρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ λαβόντες αὐτὰς πα{R'} αὐτοῦ ἔδωκαν αὐτὰς Εὐμένει τῷ βασιλεῖ 9 καὶ ὅτι οἱ ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἐξᾶραι αὐτούς 10 καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπέστειλαν ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς στρατηγὸν ἕνα καὶ ἐπολέμησαν πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ ἔπεσον ἐξ αὐτῶν τραυματίαι πολλοί καὶ ᾐχμαλώτισαν τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπρονόμευσαν αὐτοὺς καὶ κατεκράτησαν τῆς γῆς καὶ καθεῖλον τὰ ὀχυρώματα αὐτῶν καὶ κατεδουλώσαντο αὐτοὺς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης

1 Judas had heard tell of the Romans, and their renown. Here was a powerful nation, that would entertain overtures none the less from such as craved their friendship, plighting their word faithfully. A powerful nation indeed; 2 what battles they had fought, what exploits achieved yonder among the Galatians, their conquered vassals now! 3 In Spain, too, they had done great feats of arms; and at last, by policy and patient striving, won over the whole country, made themselves masters of all the silver and gold that was mined there. 4 Came peoples from far away, kings from the furthest corners of earth, to offer battle, they were overwhelmed and signally defeated; those nearer at hand were content to pay yearly tribute. 5 Had they not crushed and conquered Philip, and Perseus king of the Greeks, and all others that had levied war upon them? 6 And what of Antiochus the Great, that ruled all Asia, and came against them with a hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen and chariots, and a great array besides? The Romans overcame him, 7 caught him alive, and demanded both from him and from his heirs rich tribute, and hostages, with other conditions of surrender; 8 took away from him India, Media, and Lydia, that were his most cherished provinces, and gave them to king Eumenes instead. 9 Later, word came that the men of Hellas were for marching in and making an end of them; what was the issue of it? 10 One of the Roman generals was sent out to engage them; fell many in battle, wives and children were carried off into exile, goods plundered, the land conquered, its fortresses destroyed, and they are slaves to this day.

1 Et audivit Judas nomen Romanorum, quia sunt potentes viribus, et acquiescunt ad omnia quæ postulantur ab eis, et quicumque accesserunt ad eos, statuerunt cum eis amicitias: et quia sunt potentes viribus. 2 Et audierunt prælia eorum, et virtutes bonas, quas fecerunt in Galatia, quia obtinuerunt eos, et duxerunt sub tributum: 3 et quanta fecerunt in regione Hispaniæ, et quod in potestatem redegerunt metalla argenti et auri, quæ illic sunt, et possederunt omnem locum consilio suo, et patientia: 4 locaque quæ longe erant valde ab eis, et reges, qui supervenerant eis ab extremis terræ, contriverunt, et percusserunt eos plaga magna: ceteri autem dant eis tributum omnibus annis. 5 Et Philippum et Persen Ceteorum regem, et ceteros qui adversum eos arma tulerant, contriverunt in bello, et obtinuerunt eos: 6 et Antiochum magnum regem Asiæ, qui eis pugnam intulerat habens centum viginti elephantos, et equitatum, et currus, et exercitum magnum valde, contritum ab eis: 7 et quia ceperunt eum vivum, et statuerunt ei ut daret ipse, et qui regnarent post ipsum, tributum magnum, et daret obsides, et constitutum, 8 et regionem Indorum, et Medos, et Lydos, de optimis regionibus eorum: et acceptas eas ab eis, dederunt Eumeni regi, 9 et quia qui erant apud Helladam, voluerunt ire, et tollere eos: et innotuit sermo his, 10 et miserunt ad eos ducem unum, et pugnaverunt contra illos, et ceciderunt ex eis multi, et captivas duxerunt uxores eorum et filios, et diripuerunt eos, et terram eorum possederunt, et destruxerunt muros eorum, et in servitutem illos redegerunt usque in hunc diem:

11 καὶ τὰς ἐπιλοίπους βασιλείας καὶ τὰς νήσους ὅσοι ποτὲ ἀντέστησαν αὐτοῖς κατέφθειραν καὶ ἐδούλωσαν αὐτούς μετὰ δὲ τῶν φίλων αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπαναπαυομένων αὐτοῖς συνετήρησαν φιλίαν 12 καὶ κατεκράτησαν τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἐγγὺς καὶ τῶν μακράν καὶ ὅσοι ἤκουον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐφοβοῦντο ἀ{P'} αὐτῶν 13 οἷς {D'} ἂν βούλωνται βοηθεῖν καὶ βασιλεύειν βασιλεύουσιν οὓς {D'} ἂν βούλωνται μεθιστῶσιν καὶ ὑψώθησαν σφόδρα

11 So it was with all the kingdoms and islands that defied their will; the Romans crushed them and took their lands away. 12 But to their friends, that would live at peace with them, they were ever good friends in return. Kingdoms both far and near became their vassals, nor any that heard their name but feared it; 13 helped they any man to a throne, the throne was his; their good will lost, his throne was lost too; so high was their renown.

11 et residua regna, et insulas, quæ aliquando restiterant illis, exterminaverunt, et in potestatem redegerunt. 12 Cum amicis autem suis, et qui in ipsis requiem habebant, conservaverunt amicitiam, et obtinuerunt regna, quæ erant proxima, et quæ erant longe: quia quicumque audiebant nomen eorum, timebant eos: 13 quibus vero vellent auxilio esse ut regnarent, regnabant: quos autem vellent, regno deturbabant: et exaltati sunt valde.

14 καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τούτοις οὐκ ἐπέθεντο αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς διάδημα οὐδὲ περιεβάλοντο πορφύραν ὥστε ἁδρυνθῆναι ἐν αὐτῇ 15 καὶ βουλευτήριον ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ κα{Q'} ἡμέραν ἐβουλεύοντο τριακόσιοι καὶ εἴκοσι βουλευόμενοι διὰ παντὸς περὶ τοῦ πλήθους τοῦ εὐκοσμεῖν αὐτούς 16 καὶ πιστεύουσιν ἑνὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἄρχειν αὐτῶν κα{T'} ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ κυριεύειν πάσης τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν καὶ πάντες ἀκούουσιν τοῦ ἑνός καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν φθόνος οὐδὲ ζῆλος ἐν αὐτοῖς

14 Yet, with all this, was never one of them that wore crown, or went clad in purple for his own aggrandizement. 15 A senate-house they would have, where a council of three hundred and twenty met day by day, providing ever for the good estate of the commonalty; 16 and every year they would entrust one man with the rule and governance of their whole country, the rest obeying him, without any debate or contention moved.[1]

14 Et in omnibus istis nemo portabat diadema, nec induebatur purpura, ut magnificaretur in ea. 15 Et quia curiam fecerunt sibi, et quotidie consulebant trecentos viginti consilium agentes semper de multitudine, ut quæ digna sunt, gerant: 16 et committunt uni homini magistratum suum per singulos annos dominari universæ terræ suæ, et omnes obediunt uni, et non est invidia, neque zelus inter eos.

17 καὶ ἐπελέξατο Ιουδας τὸν Εὐπόλεμον υἱὸν Ιωαννου τοῦ Ακκως καὶ Ἰάσονα υἱὸν Ελεαζαρου καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς Ῥώμην στῆσαι φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν 18 καὶ τοῦ ἆραι τὸν ζυγὸν ἀ{P'} αὐτῶν ὅτι εἶδον τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν Ἑλλήνων καταδουλουμένους τὸν Ισραηλ δουλείᾳ 19 καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς Ῥώμην καὶ ἡ ὁδὸς πολλὴ σφόδρα καὶ εἰσήλθοσαν εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπον 20 Ιουδας ὁ καὶ Μακκαβαῖος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Ιουδαίων ἀπέστειλαν ἡμᾶς πρὸς ὑμᾶς στῆσαι με{Q'} ὑμῶν συμμαχίαν καὶ εἰρήνην καὶ γραφῆναι ἡμᾶς συμμάχους καὶ φίλους ὑμῶν 21 καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν 22 καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἧς ἀντέγραψαν ἐπὶ δέλτοις χαλκαῖς καὶ ἀπέστειλαν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ εἶναι πα{R'} αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ μνημόσυνον εἰρήνης καὶ συμμαχίας 23 καλῶς γένοιτο Ῥωμαίοις καὶ τῷ ἔθνει Ιουδαίων ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ξηρᾶς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ ῥομφαία καὶ ἐχθρὸς μακρυνθείη ἀ{P'} αὐτῶν 24 ἐὰν δὲ ἐνστῇ πόλεμος Ῥώμῃ προτέρᾳ ἢ πᾶσιν τοῖς συμμάχοις αὐτῶν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κυριείᾳ αὐτῶν 25 συμμαχήσει τὸ ἔθνος τῶν Ιουδαίων ὡς ἂν ὁ καιρὸς ὑπογράφῃ αὐτοῖς καρδίᾳ πλήρει 26 καὶ τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν οὐ δώσουσιν οὐδὲ ἐπαρκέσουσιν σῖτον ὅπλα ἀργύριον πλοῖα ὡς ἔδοξεν Ῥώμῃ καὶ φυλάξονται τὰ φυλάγματα αὐτῶν οὐθὲν λαβόντες 27 κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ ἐὰν ἔθνει Ιουδαίων συμβῇ προτέροις πόλεμος συμμαχήσουσιν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ἐκ ψυχῆς ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς ὁ καιρὸς ὑπογράφῃ 28 καὶ τοῖς συμμαχοῦσιν οὐ δοθήσεται σῖτος ὅπλα ἀργύριον πλοῖα ὡς ἔδοξεν Ῥώμῃ καὶ φυλάξονται τὰ φυλάγματα ταῦτα καὶ οὐ μετὰ δόλου 29 κατὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους οὕτως ἔστησαν Ῥωμαῖοι τῷ δήμῳ τῶν Ιουδαίων 30 ἐὰν δὲ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους βουλεύσωνται οὗτοι καὶ οὗτοι προσθεῖναι ἢ ἀφελεῖν ποιήσονται ἐξ αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν καὶ ὃ ἂν προσθῶσιν ἢ ἀφέλωσιν ἔσται κύρια 31 καὶ περὶ τῶν κακῶν ὧν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δημήτριος συντελεῖται εἰς αὐτούς ἐγράψαμεν αὐτῷ λέγοντες διὰ τί ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγόν σου ἐπὶ τοὺς φίλους ἡμῶν τοὺς συμμάχους Ιουδαίους 32 ἐὰν οὖν ἔτι ἐντύχωσιν κατὰ σοῦ ποιήσομεν αὐτοῖς τὴν κρίσιν καὶ πολεμήσομέν σε διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ διὰ τῆς ξηρᾶς

17 So now Judas made choice of two envoys, Eupolemus, son of John, son of Jacob, and Jason, son of Eleazar; to Rome they should go, and there make a treaty of good will and alliance. 18 Rome’s task it should be to rid them of the Grecian yoke; from the Greeks it was plain they could expect nothing better than grinding slavery. 19 So, after long journeying, to Rome they came, and were admitted to the senate house, where they gave their message as follows: 20 We have been sent to you by Judas Machabaeus and his brethren, and by our countrymen at large, to make a treaty of alliance with you; fain would they be enrolled among your confederates and friends. 21 This proposition liked the Romans well; 22 and they wrote back to the Jews on tablets of bronze, that should be kept in Jerusalem to serve them for a memorial of treaty and alliance made, to this effect: 23 Well speed they at all times, the Roman and the Jewish peoples, by sea and land alike; far removed from either be alarm of war, assault of the enemy! 24 Yet if war befall, and threaten the Romans first, or any ally of theirs in any part of their dominions, 25 such aid the Jewish people shall give as the occasion demands, ungrudgingly. 26 For the needs of the enemy they shall nothing find or furnish, be it corn, or arms, or money, or ships, according to the agreement made at Rome; and they shall observe these undertakings with no thought of their own advantage. 27 In like manner, if the Jews be first threatened, it shall be for the Romans to give aid as the occasion demands, most willingly; 28 providing neither corn nor arms, money nor ships, to any that take part against them, according to the agreement made at Rome;[2] and they shall observe these undertakings honourably. 29 Upon these terms the Romans and the Jewish people are agreed; 30 if hereafter it should be the will of both parties[3] to enlarge or to restrict them, they may do so at their discretion, and such enlargement or restriction shall have force accordingly. 31 As for the wrong done by king Demetrius, we have sent him warning, What meanest thou, to burden with so heavy a yoke the Jewish people, our friends and allies? 32 Let them complain of thee once more, and we will surely give them redress, by land and sea levying war against thee.

17 Et elegit Judas Eupolemum filium Joannis filii Jacob, et Jasonem filium Eleazari, et misit eos Romam constituere cum illis amicitiam et societatem: 18 et ut auferrent ab eis jugum Græcorum, quia viderunt quod in servitutem premerent regnum Israël. 19 Et abierunt Romam viam multam valde, et introierunt curiam, et dixerunt: 20 Judas Machabæus, et fratres ejus, et populus Judæorum, miserunt nos ad vos statuere vobiscum societatem et pacem, et conscribere nos socios et amicos vestros. 21 Et placuit sermo in conspectu eorum. 22 Et hoc rescriptum est quod rescripserunt in tabulis æreis, et miserunt in Jerusalem, ut esset apud eos ibi memoriale pacis et societatis: 23 Bene sit Romanis, et genti Judæorum, in mari et in terra in æternum: gladiusque et hostis procul sit ab eis. 24 Quod si institerit bellum Romanis prius, aut omnibus sociis eorum in omni dominatione eorum, 25 auxilium feret gens Judæorum, prout tempus dictaverit, corde pleno: 26 et præliantibus non dabunt, neque subministrabunt triticum, arma, pecuniam, naves, sicut placuit Romanis: et custodient mandata eorum, nihil ab eis accipientes. 27 Similiter autem et si genti Judæorum prius acciderit bellum, adjuvabunt Romani ex animo, prout eis tempus permiserit: 28 et adjuvantibus non dabitur triticum, arma, pecunia, naves, sicut placuit Romanis: et custodient mandata eorum absque dolo: 29 secundum hæc verba constituerunt Romani populo Judæorum. 30 Quod si post hæc verba hi aut illi addere aut demere ad hæc aliquid voluerint, facient ex proposito suo: et quæcumque addiderint, vel dempserint, rata erunt. 31 Sed et de malis, quæ Demetrius rex fecit in eos, scripsimus ei, dicentes: Quare gravasti jugum tuum super amicos nostros, et socios Judæos? 32 si ergo iterum adierint nos, adversum te faciemus illis judicium, et pugnabimus tecum mari terraque.

[1] These verses record only the impression which had reached Judas; it is not necessarily accurate in all points.

[2] The Latin has, ‘according to the agreement made by the Romans’.

[3] ‘Both parties’; according to the Latin version, ‘either party’, but such a stipulation would make the whole treaty ineffectual.

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