1 Maccabees 15

1Then Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the high priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all the nation.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἀντίοχος υἱὸς Δημητρίου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιστολὰς ἀπὸ τῶν νήσων τῆς θαλάσσης Σιμωνι ἱερεῖ καὶ ἐθνάρχῃ τῶν Ιουδαίων καὶ παντὶ τῷ ἔθνει

2It contained the following: 'Antiochus the King to Simon, high priest and ethnarch, and the nation of the Jews, greetings.

καὶ ἦσαν περιέχουσαι τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος Σίμωνι ἱερεῖ μεγάλῳ καὶ ἐθνάρχῃ καὶ ἔθνει Ιουδαίων χαίρειν

3Since certain troublemakers gained the mastery over the kingdom of our fathers, I wish to lay claim to the kingdom so I can establish it as it was before. I have recruited a multitude of troops and prepared war ships.

ἐπεί τινες λοιμοὶ κατεκράτησαν τῆς βασιλείας τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν βούλομαι δὲ ἀντιποιήσασθαι τῆς βασιλείας ὅπως ἀποκαταστήσω αὐτὴν ὡς ἦν τὸ πρότερον ἐξενολόγησα δὲ πλῆθος δυνάμεων καὶ κατεσκεύασα πλοῖα πολεμικά

4I plan to go throughout the nation, that I may pursue those who laid our country to ruin and desolated many of its cities.

βούλομαι δὲ ἐκβῆναι κατὰ τὴν χώραν ὅπως μετέλθω τοὺς κατεφθαρκότας τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἠρημωκότας πόλεις πολλὰς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου

5Now therefore, I validate your tax remissions, which the kings before me forgave you, and whatever other payments they remitted for you.

νῦν οὖν ἵστημί σοι πάντα τὰ ἀφέματα ἃ ἀφῆκάν σοι οἱ πρὸ ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα δόματα ἀφῆκάν σοι

6I also authorize you to make your own coinage as money for your nation,

καὶ ἐπέτρεψά σοι ποιῆσαι κόμμα ἴδιον νόμισμα τῇ χώρᾳ σου

7and allow Jerusalem and the sanctuary to be free. All the weapons you prepared and the fortresses you built, which you seized, let them remain with you.

Ιερουσαλημ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἅγια εἶναι ἐλεύθερα καὶ πάντα τὰ ὅπλα ὅσα κατεσκεύασας καὶ τὰ ὀχυρώματα ἃ ᾠκοδόμησας ὧν κρατεῖς μενέτω σοι

8Every money you owe the royal treasury, as well as future debts, let them be remitted from now on and for all time.

καὶ πᾶν ὀφείλημα βασιλικὸν καὶ τὰ ἐσόμενα βασιλικὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἀφιέσθω σοι

9As soon as we regain control of our kingdom, we will honor you and your nation and the temple with great glory, that your glory may be evident in all the earth.'

ὡς δ᾿ ἂν κρατήσωμεν τῆς βασιλείας ἡμῶν δοξάσομέν σε καὶ τὸ ἔθνος σου καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν δόξῃ μεγάλῃ ὥστε φανερὰν γενέσθαι τὴν δόξαν ὑμῶν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ

10In the one hundred seventy-fourth year, King Antiochus went to the land of his fathers and all his soldiers went with him. Few sided with Trypho.

ἔτους τετάρτου καὶ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ ἐξῆλθεν Ἀντίοχος εἰς τὴν γῆν τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ καὶ συνῆλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις ὥστε ὀλίγους εἶναι σὺν Τρύφωνι

11When Antiochus went after him, he fled to Dora by sea,

καὶ ἐδίωξεν αὐτὸν Ἀντίοχος καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Δωρα φεύγων τὴν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης

12for he knew that calamity had come upon him. His armies deserted him.

ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι ἐπισυνῆκται ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν τὰ κακά καὶ ἀφῆκαν αὐτὸν αἱ δυνάμεις

13Then Antiochus set up camp opposite Dora with one hundred and twenty thousand fighting men and eight thousand cavalry.

καὶ παρενέβαλεν Ἀντίοχος ἐπὶ Δωρα καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ δώδεκα μυριάδες ἀνδρῶν πολεμιστῶν καὶ ὀκτακισχιλία ἵππος

14He encircled the city, and the ships joined the battle from the sea. So he pressed hard against the city by land and sea and did not allow anyone to leave or enter.

καὶ ἐκύκλωσεν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὰ πλοῖα ἀπὸ θαλάσσης συνῆψαν καὶ ἔθλιβε τὴν πόλιν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ οὐκ εἴασεν οὐδένα ἐκπορεύεσθαι οὐδὲ εἰσπορεύεσθαι

15Then Numenius and his men came from Rome with letters to the kings and their countries, in which the following was contained:

καὶ ἦλθεν Νουμήνιος καὶ οἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐκ Ῥώμης ἔχοντες ἐπιστολὰς τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν καὶ ταῖς χώραις ἐν αἷς ἐγέγραπτο τάδε

16'Lucius, the Roman consul, to Ptolemy the king, greetings.

Λεύκιος ὕπατος Ῥωμαίων Πτολεμαίῳ βασιλεῖ χαίρειν

17The ambassadors of the Jews came to us as friends and allies to renew their longstanding friendship and alliance. They were sent from Simon, the high priest, and by the Jewish people,

οἱ πρεσβευταὶ τῶν Ιουδαίων ἦλθον πρὸς ἡμᾶς φίλοι ἡμῶν καὶ σύμμαχοι ἀνανεούμενοι τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν ἀπεσταλμένοι ἀπὸ Σιμωνος τοῦ ἀρχιερέως καὶ τοῦ δήμου τῶν Ιουδαίων

18and brought a gold shield of a thousand minas.

ἤνεγκαν δὲ ἀσπίδα χρυσῆν ἀπὸ μνῶν χιλίων

19Therefore it pleased us to write the kings and their countries, that they not seek to hurt them or wage war against them and their cities and country, or form alignments with those who fight them.

ἤρεσεν οὖν ἡμῖν γράψαι τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν καὶ ταῖς χώραις ὅπως μὴ ἐκζητήσωσιν αὐτοῖς κακὰ καὶ μὴ πολεμήσωσιν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν καὶ ἵνα μὴ συμμαχῶσιν τοῖς πολεμοῦσιν πρὸς αὐτούς

20It seems right to accept the shield from them.

ἔδοξεν δὲ ἡμῖν δέξασθαι τὴν ἀσπίδα παρ᾿ αὐτῶν

21If therefore any troublemakers have escaped from their country to you, give them over to Simon the high priest, that he might prosecute them according to their law.'

εἴ τινες οὖν λοιμοὶ διαπεφεύγασιν ἐκ τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς παράδοτε αὐτοὺς Σιμωνι τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ ὅπως ἐκδικήσῃ αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὸν νόμον αὐτῶν

22The consul wrote identical letters to King Demetrius, and to Attalus, Ariarathes, and Arsaces,

καὶ ταὐτὰ ἔγραψεν Δημητρίῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ Ἀττάλῳ καὶ Ἀριαράθῃ καὶ Ἀρσάκῃ

23and to all the nations, to Sampsames, and the Spartans, and to Delos, Myndos, Sieyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Arados, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene.

καὶ εἰς πάσας τὰς χώρας καὶ Σαμψάμῃ καὶ Σπαρτιάταις καὶ εἰς Δῆλον καὶ εἰς Μύνδον καὶ εἰς Σικυῶνα καὶ εἰς τὴν Καρίαν καὶ εἰς Σάμον καὶ εἰς τὴν Παμφυλίαν καὶ εἰς Λυκίαν καὶ εἰς Ἁλικαρνασσὸν καὶ εἰς Ῥόδον καὶ εἰς Φασηλίδα καὶ εἰς Κῶ καὶ εἰς Σίδην καὶ εἰς Ἄραδον καὶ Γόρτυναν καὶ Κνίδον καὶ Κύπρον καὶ Κυρήνην

24They also sent a copy to Simon the high priest.

τὸ δὲ ἀντίγραφον τούτων ἔγραψαν Σιμωνι τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ

25Meanwhile, King Antiochus besieged Dora a second time, repeatedly launching his forces against it and building engines of war. He put Trypho in confinement, so he could neither go out or go in.

ἀντίοχος δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρενέβαλεν ἐπὶ Δωρα ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ προσάγων διὰ παντὸς αὐτῇ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ μηχανὰς ποιούμενος καὶ συνέκλεισεν τὸν Τρύφωνα τοῦ ἐκπορεύεσθαι καὶ εἰσπορεύεσθαι

26Then Simon sent Antiochus two thousand chosen men as allies, along with silver, gold, and considerable weaponry.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτῷ Σιμων δισχιλίους ἄνδρας ἐκλεκτοὺς συμμαχῆσαι αὐτῷ καὶ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον καὶ σκεύη ἱκανά

27But Antiochus decided not to accept these things; he broke all the former agreements he had made with Simon, becoming estranged from him.

καὶ οὐκ ἠβούλετο αὐτὰ δέξασθαι ἀλλὰ ἠθέτησεν πάντα ὅσα συνέθετο αὐτῷ τὸ πρότερον καὶ ἠλλοτριοῦτο αὐτῷ

28Then he sent Athenobius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, 'You control Joppa, Gazara, and the citadel in Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom.

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἀθηνόβιον ἕνα τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ κοινολογησόμενον αὐτῷ λέγων ὑμεῖς κατακρατεῖτε τῆς Ιοππης καὶ Γαζαρων καὶ τῆς ἄκρας τῆς ἐν Ιερουσαλημ πόλεις τῆς βασιλείας μου

29You desolated their territory and caused great damage in the land; and you rule over many places in my kingdom.

τὰ ὅρια αὐτῶν ἠρημώσατε καὶ ἐποιήσατε πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐκυριεύσατε τόπων πολλῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου

30Now therefore, give back the cities you took and the taxes from the places you rule outside the boundaries of Judea.

νῦν οὖν παράδοτε τὰς πόλεις ἃς κατελάβεσθε καὶ τοὺς φόρους τῶν τόπων ὧν κατεκυριεύσατε ἐκτὸς τῶν ὁρίων τῆς Ιουδαίας

31Otherwise, give me five hundred talents of silver for them, as well as five hundred talents more for the destruction you caused and for the tribute of the cities; or else we will wage war and defeat you.'

εἰ δὲ μή δότε ἀντ᾿ αὐτῶν πεντακόσια τάλαντα ἀργυρίου καὶ τῆς καταφθορᾶς ἧς κατεφθάρκατε καὶ τῶν φόρων τῶν πόλεων ἄλλα τάλαντα πεντακόσια εἰ δὲ μή παραγενόμενοι ἐκπολεμήσομεν ὑμᾶς

32When Athenobius, the friend of the king, entered Jerusalem and saw the glory of Simon and the sideboard plated with gold and silver, a magnificent display, he stood amazed. Then he reported the words of the king to him.

καὶ ἦλθεν Ἀθηνόβιος ὁ φίλος τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ εἶδεν τὴν δόξαν Σιμωνος καὶ κυλικεῖον μετὰ χρυσωμάτων καὶ ἀργυρωμάτων καὶ παράστασιν ἱκανὴν καὶ ἐξίστατο καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ βασιλέως

33Thus Simon answered and said to him, 'We have not taken any foreign land, nor have we captured foreign property, but only the inheritance of our fathers, which years ago was seized unjustly by our adversaries.

καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς Σιμων εἶπεν αὐτῷ οὔτε γῆν ἀλλοτρίαν εἰλήφαμεν οὔτε ἀλλοτρίων κεκρατήκαμεν ἀλλὰ τῆς κληρονομίας τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ὑπὸ δὲ ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν ἀκρίτως ἔν τινι καιρῷ κατεκρατήθη

34But now that we have occasion, we are holding firmly to the inheritance of our fathers.

ἡμεῖς δὲ καιρὸν ἔχοντες ἀντεχόμεθα τῆς κληρονομίας τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν

35And as for Joppa and Gazara, which you want, their people were causing great damage to our people and our country. For them we will give you one hundred talents.'

περὶ δὲ Ιοππης καὶ Γαζαρων ὧν αἰτεῖς αὗται ἐποίουν ἐν τῷ λαῷ πληγὴν μεγάλην καὶ τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν τούτων δώσομεν τάλαντα ἑκατόν

36Athenobius said not a word in reply, but returned to the king in anger. When he relayed to him these words, plus Simon's splendor and everything he witnessed, the king was extremely enraged.

καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ λόγον ἀπέστρεψεν δὲ μετὰ θυμοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ τὴν δόξαν Σιμωνος καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶδεν καὶ ὠργίσθη ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀργὴν μεγάλην

37Now Trypho had boarded a ship and escaped to Orthosia.

τρύφων δὲ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον ἔφυγεν εἰς Ὀρθωσίαν

38So the king made Cendebeus his commander-in-chief of the seacoast and gave him infantry soldiers and cavalry.

καὶ κατέστησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Κενδεβαῖον ἐπιστράτηγον τῆς παραλίας καὶ δυνάμεις πεζικὰς καὶ ἱππικὰς ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ

39He then ordered him to encamp opposite Judea, and further ordered him to build Kedron and strengthen its gates, and to wage war against the people. But the king himself pursued Trypho.

καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ παρεμβάλλειν κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς Ιουδαίας καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ οἰκοδομῆσαι τὴν Κεδρων καὶ ὀχυρῶσαι τὰς πύλας καὶ ὅπως πολεμῇ τὸν λαόν ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐδίωκε τὸν Τρύφωνα

40When Cendebeus arrived in Jamnia, he began to harass the people. He also invaded Judea, took people captive, and killed them.

καὶ παρεγενήθη Κενδεβαῖος εἰς Ιάμνειαν καὶ ἤρξατο τοῦ ἐρεθίζειν τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἐμβατεύειν εἰς τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζειν τὸν λαὸν καὶ φονεύειν

41Then he built up Kedron and stationed cavalry and soldiers there, so they could march through the roads of Judea, making roads as the king commanded him.

καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν τὴν Κεδρων καὶ ἀπέταξεν ἐκεῖ ἱππεῖς καὶ δυνάμεις ὅπως ἐκπορευόμενοι ἐξοδεύωσιν τὰς ὁδοὺς τῆς Ιουδαίας καθὰ συνέταξεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς