Apo

1 About the same time Antiochus prepared his second voyage into Egypt:

2 And then it happened, that through all the city, for the space almost of forty days, there were seen horsemen running in the air, in cloth of gold, and armed with lances, like a band of soldiers,

3 And troops of horsemen in array, encountering and running one against another, with shaking of shields, and multitude of pikes, and drawing of swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden ornaments, and harness of all sorts.

4 Wherefore every man prayed that that apparition might turn to good.

5 Now when there was gone forth a false rumour, as though Antiochus had been dead, Jason took at the least a thousand men, and suddenly made an assault upon the city; and they that were upon the walls being put back, and the city at length taken, Menelaus fled into the castle:

6 But Jason slew his own citizens without mercy, not considering that to get the day of them of his own nation would be a most unhappy day for him; but thinking they had been his enemies, and not his countrymen, whom he conquered.

7 Howbeit for all this he obtained not the principality, but at the last received shame for the reward of his treason, and fled again into the country of the Ammonites.

8 In the end therefore he had an unhappy return, being accused before Aretas the king of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued of all men, hated as a forsaker of the laws, and being had in abomination as an open enemy of his country and countrymen, he was cast out into Egypt.

9 Thus he that had driven many out of their country perished in a strange land, retiring to the Lacedemonians, and thinking there to find succour by reason of his kindred:

10 And he that had cast out many unburied had none to mourn for him, nor any solemn funerals at all, nor sepulchre with his fathers.

11 Now when this that was done came to the king's car, he thought that Judea had revolted: whereupon removing out of Egypt in a furious mind, he took the city by force of arms,

12 And commanded his men of war not to spare such as they met, and to slay such as went up upon the houses.

13 Thus there was killing of young and old, making away of men, women, and children, slaying of virgins and infants.

14 And there were destroyed within the space of three whole days fourscore thousand, whereof forty thousand were slain in the conflict; and no fewer sold than slain.

15 Yet was he not content with this, but presumed to go into the most holy temple of all the world; Menelaus, that traitor to the laws, and to his own country, being his guide:

16 And taking the holy vessels with polluted hands, and with profane hands pulling down the things that were dedicated by other kings to the augmentation and glory and honour of the place, he gave them away.

17 And so haughty was Antiochus in mind, that he considered not that the Lord was angry for a while for the sins of them that dwelt in the city, and therefore his eye was not upon the place.

18 For had they not been formerly wrapped in many sins, this man, as soon as he had come, had forthwith been scourged, and put back from his presumption, as Heliodorus was, whom Seleucus the king sent to view the treasury.

19 Nevertheless God did not choose the people for the place's sake, but the place far the people's sake.

20 And therefore the place itself, that was partaker with them of the adversity that happened to the nation, did afterward communicate in the benefits sent from the Lord: and as it was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty, so again, the great Lord being reconciled, it was set up with all glory.

21 So when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents, he departed in all haste unto Antiochia, weening in his pride to make the land navigable, and the sea passable by foot: such was the haughtiness of his mind.

22 And he left governors to vex the nation: at Jerusalem, Philip, for his country a Phrygian, and for manners more barbarous than he that set him there;

23 And at Garizim, Andronicus; and besides, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest bare an heavy hand over the citizens, having a malicious mind against his countrymen the Jews.

24 He sent also that detestable ringleader Apollonius with an army of two and twenty thousand, commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age, and to sell the women and the younger sort:

25 Who coming to Jerusalem, and pretending peace, did forbear till the holy day of the sabbath, when taking the Jews keeping holy day, he commanded his men to arm themselves.

26 And so he slew all them that were gone to the celebrating of the sabbath, and running through the city with weapons slew great multitudes.

27 But Judas Maccabeus with nine others, or thereabout, withdrew himself into the wilderness, and lived in the mountains after the manner of beasts, with his company, who fed on herbs continually, lest they should be partakers of the pollution.

Sep

1 περὶ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον τὴν δευτέραν ἔφοδον ὁ Ἀντίοχος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐστείλατο

2 συνέβη δὲ καθ᾽ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν σχεδὸν ἐφ᾽ ἡμέρας τεσσαράκοντα φαίνεσθαι διὰ τῶν ἀέρων τρέχοντας ἱππεῖς διαχρύσους στολὰς ἔχοντας καὶ λόγχας σπειρηδὸν ἐξωπλισμένους καὶ μαχαιρῶν σπασμοὺς

3 καὶ ἴλας ἵππων διατεταγμένας καὶ προσβολὰς γινομένας καὶ καταδρομὰς ἑκατέρων καὶ ἀσπίδων κινήσεις καὶ καμάκων πλήθη καὶ βελῶν βολὰς καὶ χρυσέων κόσμων ἐκλάμψεις καὶ παντοίους θωρακισμούς

4 διὸ πάντες ἠξίουν ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθῷ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν γεγενῆσθαι

5 γενομένης δὲ λαλιᾶς ψευδοῦς ὡς μετηλλαχότος Ἀντιόχου τὸν βίον παραλαβὼν ὁ Ἰάσων οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν χιλίων αἰφνιδίως ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν συνετελέσατο ἐπίθεσιν τῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ τείχει συνελασθέντων καὶ τέλος ἤδη καταλαμβανομένης τῆς πόλεως ὁ Μενέλαος εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἐφυγάδευσεν

6 ὁ δὲ Ἰάσων ἐποιεῖτο σφαγὰς τῶν πολιτῶν τῶν ἰδίων ἀφειδῶς οὐ συννοῶν τὴν εἰς τοὺς συγγενεῖς εὐημερίαν δυσημερίαν εἶναι τὴν μεγίστην δοκῶν δὲ πολεμίων καὶ οὐχ ὁμοεθνῶν τρόπαια καταβάλλεσθαι

7 τῆς μὲν ἀρχῆς οὐκ ἐκράτησεν τὸ δὲ τέλος τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς αἰσχύνην λαβὼν φυγὰς πάλιν εἰς τὴν Αμμανῖτιν ἀπῆλθεν

8 πέρας οὖν κακῆς καταστροφῆς ἔτυχεν ἐγκληθεὶς πρὸς Ἀρέταν τὸν τῶν Ἀράβων τύραννον πόλιν ἐκ πόλεως φεύγων διωκόμενος ὑπὸ πάντων στυγούμενος ὡς τῶν νόμων ἀποστάτης καὶ βδελυσσόμενος ὡς πατρίδος καὶ πολιτῶν δήμιος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐξεβράσθη

9 καὶ ὁ συχνοὺς τῆς πατρίδος ἀποξενώσας ἐπὶ ξένης ἀπώλετο πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀναχθεὶς ὡς διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν τευξόμενος σκέπης

10 καὶ ὁ πλῆθος ἀτάφων ἐκρίψας ἀπένθητος ἐγενήθη καὶ κηδείας οὐδ᾽ ἡστινοσοῦν οὔτε πατρῴου τάφου μετέσχεν

11 προσπεσόντων δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ τῶν γεγονότων διέλαβεν ἀποστατεῖν τὴν Ιουδαίαν ὅθεν ἀναζεύξας ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τεθηριωμένος τῇ ψυχῇ ἔλαβεν τὴν μὲν πόλιν δοριάλωτον

12 καὶ ἐκέλευσεν τοῖς στρατιώταις κόπτειν ἀφειδῶς τοὺς ἐμπίπτοντας καὶ τοὺς εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ἀναβαίνοντας κατασφάζειν

13 ἐγίνετο δὲ νέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων ἀναίρεσις ἀνήβων τε καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων ἀφανισμός παρθένων τε καὶ νηπίων σφαγαί

14 ὀκτὼ δὲ μυριάδες ἐν ταῖς πάσαις ἡμέραις τρισὶν κατεφθάρησαν τέσσαρες μὲν ἐν χειρῶν νομαῖς οὐχ ἧττον δὲ τῶν ἐσφαγμένων ἐπράθησαν

15 οὐκ ἀρκεσθεὶς δὲ τούτοις κατετόλμησεν εἰς τὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς ἁγιώτατον ἱερὸν εἰσελθεῖν ὁδηγὸν ἔχων τὸν Μενέλαον τὸν καὶ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς πατρίδος προδότην γεγονότα

16 καὶ ταῖς μιαραῖς χερσὶν τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη λαμβάνων καὶ τὰ ὑπ᾽ ἄλλων βασιλέων ἀνατεθέντα πρὸς αὔξησιν καὶ δόξαν τοῦ τόπου καὶ τιμὴν ταῖς βεβήλοις χερσὶν συσσύρων

17 καὶ ἐμετεωρίζετο τὴν διάνοιαν ὁ Ἀντίοχος οὐ συνορῶν ὅτι διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῶν τὴν πόλιν οἰκούντων ἀπώργισται βραχέως ὁ δεσπότης διὸ γέγονεν περὶ τὸν τόπον παρόρασις

18 εἰ δὲ μὴ συνέβη προσενέχεσθαι πολλοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν καθάπερ ἦν ὁ Ἡλιόδωρος ὁ πεμφθεὶς ὑπὸ Σελεύκου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τοῦ γαζοφυλακίου οὗτος προαχθεὶς παραχρῆμα μαστιγωθεὶς ἀνετράπη τοῦ θράσους

19 ἀλλ᾽ οὐ διὰ τὸν τόπον τὸ ἔθνος ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἔθνος τὸν τόπον ὁ κύριος ἐξελέξατο

20 διόπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τόπος συμμετασχὼν τῶν τοῦ ἔθνους δυσπετημάτων γενομένων ὕστερον εὐεργετημάτων ἐκοινώνησεν καὶ ὁ καταλειφθεὶς ἐν τῇ τοῦ παντοκράτορος ὀργῇ πάλιν ἐν τῇ τοῦ μεγάλου δεσπότου καταλλαγῇ μετὰ πάσης δόξης ἐπανωρθώθη

21 ὁ γοῦν Ἀντίοχος ὀκτακόσια πρὸς τοῖς χιλίοις ἀπενεγκάμενος ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τάλαντα θᾶττον εἰς τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἐχωρίσθη οἰόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τὴν μὲν γῆν πλωτὴν καὶ τὸ πέλαγος πορευτὸν θέσθαι διὰ τὸν μετεωρισμὸν τῆς καρδίας

22 κατέλιπεν δὲ καὶ ἐπιστάτας τοῦ κακοῦν τὸ γένος ἐν μὲν Ιεροσολύμοις Φίλιππον τὸ μὲν γένος Φρύγα τὸν δὲ τρόπον βαρβαρώτερον ἔχοντα τοῦ καταστήσαντος

23 ἐν δὲ Γαριζιν Ἀνδρόνικον πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Μενέλαον ὃς χείριστα τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερῄρετο τοῖς πολίταις ἀπεχθῆ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας Ιουδαίους ἔχων διάθεσιν

24 ἔπεμψεν δὲ τὸν Μυσάρχην Ἀπολλώνιον μετὰ στρατεύματος δισμυρίους δὲ πρὸς τοῖς δισχιλίοις προστάξας τοὺς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ πάντας κατασφάξαι τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας καὶ τοὺς νεωτέρους πωλεῖν

25 οὗτος δὲ παραγενόμενος εἰς Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ τὸν εἰρηνικὸν ὑποκριθεὶς ἐπέσχεν ἕως τῆς ἁγίας ἡμέρας τοῦ σαββάτου καὶ λαβὼν ἀργοῦντας τοὺς Ιουδαίους τοῖς ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐξοπλησίαν παρήγγειλεν

26 καὶ τοὺς ἐξελθόντας πάντας ἐπὶ τὴν θεωρίαν συνεξεκέντησεν καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν σὺν τοῖς ὅπλοις εἰσδραμὼν ἱκανὰ κατέστρωσεν πλήθη

27 Ιουδας δὲ ὁ καὶ Μακκαβαῖος δέκατός που γενηθεὶς καὶ ἀναχωρήσας εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θηρίων τρόπον ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν διέζη σὺν τοῖς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν χορτώδη τροφὴν σιτούμενοι διετέλουν πρὸς τὸ μὴ μετασχεῖν τοῦ μολυσμοῦ

Vul

1 Eodem tempore, Antiochus secundam profectionem paravit in Ægyptum.

2 Contigit autem per universam Jerosolymorum civitatem videri diebus quadraginta per aëra equites discurrentes, auratas stolas habentes et hastis, quasi cohortes armatos:

3 et cursus equorum per ordines digestos, et congressiones fieri cominus, et scutorum motus, et galeatorum multitudinem gladiis districtis, et telorum jactus, et aureorum armorum splendorem, omnisque generis loricarum.

4 Quapropter omnes rogabant in bonum monstra converti.

5 Sed cum falsus rumor exisset, tamquam vita excessisset Antiochus, assumptis Jason non minus mille viris, repente agressus est civitatem: et civibus ad murum convolantibus ad ultimum apprehensa civitate, Menelaus fugit in arcem:

6 Jason vero non parcebat in cæde civibus suis, nec cogitabat prosperitatem adversum cognatos malum esse maximum, arbitrans hostium et non civium se trophæa capturum.

7 Et principatum quidem non obtinuit, finem vero insidiarum suarum confusionem accepit, et profugus iterum abiit in Ammanitem.

8 Ad ultimum, in exitium sui conclusus ab Areta Arabum tyranno fugiens de civitate in civitatem, omnibus odiosus, ut refuga legum et execrabilis, ut patriæ et civium hostis, in Ægyptum extrusus est:

9 et qui multos de patria sua expulerat, peregre periit, Lacedæmonas profectus, quasi pro cognatione ibi refugium habiturus:

10 et qui insepultos multos abjecerat, ipse et illamentatus et insepultus abjicitur, sepultura neque peregrina usus, neque patrio sepulchro participans.

11 His itaque gestis, suspicatus est rex societatem deserturos Judæos: et ob hoc profectus ex Ægypto efferatis animis, civitatem quidem armis cepit.

12 Jussit autem militibus interficere, nec parcere occursantibus, et per domos ascendentes trucidare.

13 Fiebant ergo cædes juvenum ac seniorum, et mulierum et natorum exterminia, virginumque et parvulorum neces.

14 Erant autem toto triduo octoginta millia interfecti, quadraginta millia vincti, non minus autem venundati.

15 Sed nec ista sufficiunt: ausus est etiam intrare templum universa terra sanctius, Menelao ductore, qui legum et patriæ fuit proditor:

16 et scelestis manibus sumens sancta vasa, quæ ab aliis regibus et civitatibus erant posita ad ornatum loci, et gloriam, contrectabat indigne, et contaminabat.

17 Ita alienatus mente Antiochus, non considerabat quod propter peccata habitantium civitatem, modicum Deus fuerat iratus: propter quod et accidit circa locum despectio:

18 alioquin nisi contigisset eos multis peccatis esse involutos, sicut Heliodorus, qui missus est a Seleuco rege ad expoliandum ærarium, etiam hic statim adveniens flagellatus, et repulsus utique fuisset ab audacia.

19 Verum non propter locum, gentem: sed propter gentem, locum Deus elegit.

20 Ideoque et ipse locus particeps factus est populi malorum: postea autem fiet socius bonorum, et qui derelictus in ira Dei omnipotentis est, iterum in magni Domini reconciliatione cum summa gloria exaltabitur.

21 Igitur Antiochus mille et octingentis ablatis de templo talentis, velociter Antiochiam regressus est, existimans se præ superbia terram ad navigandum, pelagus vero ad iter agendum deducturum propter mentis elationem.

22 Reliquit autem et præpositos ad affligendam gentem: Jerosolymis quidem Philippum genere Phrygem, moribus crudeliorem eo ipso a quo constitutus est:

23 in Garizim autem Andronicum et Menelaum, qui gravius quam ceteri imminebant civibus.

24 Cumque appositus esset contra Judæos, misit odiosum principem Apollonium cum exercitu viginti et duobus millibus, præcipiens ei omnes perfectæ ætatis interficere, mulieres ac juvenes vendere.

25 Qui cum venisset Jerosolymam, pacem simulans, quievit usque ad diem sanctum sabbati: et tunc feriatis Judæis arma capere suis præcepit.

26 Omnesque qui ad spectaculum processerant, trucidavit: et civitatem cum armatis discurrens, ingentem multitudinem peremit.

27 Judas autem Machabæus, qui decimus fuerat, secesserat in desertum locum, ibique inter feras vitam in montibus cum suis agebat: et fœni cibo vescentes, demorabantur, ne participes essent coinquinationis.