367. So the king took this army, and marched hastily out of Antioch, with Lysias, who had the command of the whole, and came to Idumea, and thence went up to the city Bethsnra, a city that was strong, and not to be taken without great difficulty. He set about this city, and besieged it. And while the inhabitants of Bethsura courageously opposed him, and sallied out upon him, and burnt his engines of war, a great deal of time was spent in the siege. But when Judas heard of the king’s coming, he raised the siege of the citadel, and met the king, and pitched his camp in certain straits, at a place called Bethzachriah, at the distance of seventy furlongs from the enemy; but the king soon drew his forces from Bethsura, and brought them to those straits. And as soon as it was day, he put his men in battle-array, and made his elephants follow one another through the narrow passes, because they could not be set sideways by one another. Now round about every elephant there were a thousand footmen, and five hundred horsemen. The elephants also had high towers [upon their backs], and archers [in them]. And he also made the rest of his army to go up the mountains, and put his friends before the rest; and gave orders for the army to shout aloud, and so he attacked the enemy. He also exposed to sight their golden and brazen shields, so that a glorious splendor was sent from them; and when they shouted the mountains echoed again. When Judas saw this, he was not terrified, but received the enemy with great courage, and slew about six hundred of the first ranks. But when his brother Eleazar, whom they called Auran, saw the tallest of all the elephants armed with royal breastplates, and supposed that the king was upon him, he attacked him with great quickness and bravery. He also slew many of those that were about the elephant, and scattered the rest, and then went under the belly of the elephant, and smote him, and slew him; so the elephant fell upon Eleazar, and by his weight crushed him to death. And thus did this man come to his end, when he had first courageously destroyed manyof his enemies.
367. Ταύτην οὖν ἀναλαβὼν τὴν δύναμιν ἐξώρμησεν ἐκ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας μετὰ Λυσίου πάσης τῆς στρατιᾶς ἔχοντος τὴν ἡγεμονίαν. καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Βηθσοῦραν ἀναβαίνει πόλιν σφόδρα ἐχυρὰν καὶ δυσάλωτον καὶ περικαθίσας ἐπολιόρκει τὴν πόλιν. ἰσχυρῶς δὲ ἀντεχόντων τῶν Βηθσουραίων καὶ τὴν παρασκευὴν αὐτοῦ τῶν μηχανημάτων ἐμπρησάντων, ἐπεξῆλθον γὰρ αὐτῷ, χρόνος ἐτρίβετο πολὺς περὶ τὴν πολιορκίαν. Ἰούδας δὲ τὴν ἔφοδον τοῦ βασιλέως ἀκούσας ἀφίσταται μὲν τοῦ τὴν ἄκραν πολιορκεῖν, ἀπαντήσας δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ βάλλεται στρατόπεδον ἐπὶ τῶν στενῶν ἔν τινι τόπῳ Βεθζαχαρίᾳ λεγομένῳ σταδίους ἀπέχοντι τῶν πολεμίων ἑβδομήκοντα. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὁρμήσας ἀπὸ τῆς Βεθσούρας ἤγαγε τὴν δύναμιν ἐπὶ τὰ στενὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἰούδα στρατόπεδον, ἅμʼ ἡμέρᾳ δὲ πρὸς μάχην διέτασσε τὴν στρατιάν. τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἐλέφαντας ἐποίησεν ἀλλήλοις ἕπεσθαι διὰ τὴν στενοχωρίαν οὐ δυναμένων αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πλάτος τετάχθαι, εἰς δὲ κύκλον ἐλέφαντος ἑκάστου συμπροῇσαν πεζοὶ μὲν χίλιοι, ἱππεῖς δὲ πεντακόσιοι· ἔφερον δὲ οἱ ἐλέφαντες πύργους τε ὑψηλοὺς καὶ τοξότας· τὴν δὲ λοιπὴν δύναμιν ἑκατέρωθεν ἐποίησεν ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη φίλους αὐτῆς προτάξας. κελεύσας δὲ ἀλαλάξαι τὴν στρατιὰν προσβάλλει τοῖς πολεμίοις, γυμνώσας τάς τε χρυσᾶς καὶ χαλκᾶς ἀσπίδας, ὥστε αὐγὴν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἀφίεσθαι λαμπράν· συνεπήχει δὲ τὰ ὄρη κεκραγότων αὐτῶν. ταῦτα ὁρῶν ὁ Ἰούδας οὐ κατεπλάγη, δεξάμενος δὲ γενναίως τοὺς πολεμίους τῶν προδρόμων περὶ ἑξακοσίους ἀναιρεῖ. Ἐλεάζαρος δʼ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, ὃν Αὐρὸν ἐκάλουν, ἰδὼν τὸν ὑψηλότατον τῶν ἐλεφάντων ὡπλισμένον θώραξι βασιλικοῖς καὶ νομίζων ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν βασιλέα εἶναι παρεβάλετο σφόδρα εὐκαρδίως ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὁρμήσας, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν περὶ τὸν ἐλέφαντα κτείνας τοὺς ἄλλους διεσκέδασεν, ὑποδὺς δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν γαστέρα καὶ πλήξας ἀπέκτεινε τὸν ἐλέφαντα. ὁ δʼ ἐπικατενεχθεὶς τῷ Ἐλεαζάρῳ διαφθείρει τὸν ἄνδρα ὑπὸ τοῦ βάρους. καὶ οὗτος μὲν εὐψύχως πολλοὺς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀπολέσας τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ τὸν βίον κατέστρεψεν.
375. But Judas, seeing the strength of the enemy, retired to Jerusalem, and prepared to endure a siege. As for Antiochus, he sent part of his army to Bethsura, to besiege it, and with the rest of his army he came against Jerusalem; but the inhabitants of Bethsura were terrified at his strength; and seeing that their provisions grew scarce,. they delivered themselves up on the security of oaths that they should suffer no hard treatment from the king. And when Antiochus had thus taken the city, he did them no other harm than sending them out naked. He also placed a garrison of his own in the city. But as for the temple of Jerusalem, he lay at its siege a long time, while they within bravely defended it; for what engines soever the king set against them, they set other engines again to oppose them. But then their provisions failed them; what fruits of the ground they had laid up were spent and the land being not ploughed that year, continued unsowed, because it was the seventh year, on which, by our laws, we are obliged to let it lay uncultivated. And withal, so many of the besieged ran away for want of necessaries, that but a few only were left in the temple.
375. Ὁ δὲ Ἰούδας ὁρῶν τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἰσχὺν ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ πρὸς πολιορκίαν παρεσκευάζετο· Ἀντίοχος δὲ τὸ μέν τι τῆς στρατιᾶς εἰς Βεθσοῦραν ἔπεμψεν πολεμήσων αὐτήν, τῷ δὲ λοιπῷ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτὸς ἧκεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. οἱ μὲν οὖν Βεθσουρῖται τὴν ἰσχὺν καταπλαγέντες καὶ σπανίζοντα βλέποντες τὰ ἐπιτήδεια παραδιδόασιν ἑαυτοὺς ὅρκους λαβόντες ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν πείσεσθαι κακὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως. Ἀντίοχος δὲ λαβὼν τὴν πόλιν ἄλλο μὲν αὐτοὺς οὐδὲν διέθηκεν, μόνον δὲ γυμνοὺς ἐξέβαλεν, φρουρὰν δὲ κατέστησεν ἰδίαν ἐν τῇ πόλει. πολλῷ δὲ χρόνῳ τὸ ἱερὸν πολιορκῶν τὸ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσεκαθέζετο καρτερῶς τῶν ἔνδοθεν ἀμυνομένων· πρὸς ἕκαστον γὰρ ὧν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἔστησε μηχάνημα κἀκεῖνοι πάλιν ἀντεμηχανῶντο. τροφὴ δʼ αὐτοὺς ἐπιλελοίπει, τοῦ μὲν ὄντος ἀπανηλωμένου καρποῦ, τῆς δὲ γῆς ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἔτει μὴ γεωργημένης, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ εἶναι τὸ ἕβδομον ἔτος, καθʼ ὃ νόμος ἡμῖν ἀργὴν ἐᾶν τὴν χώραν, ἀσπόρου μεμενηκυίας. πολλοὶ τοιγαροῦν τῶν πολιορκουμένων ἀπεδίδρασκον διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπορίαν, ὡς ὀλίγους ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καταλειφθῆναι.
379. And these happened to be the circumstances of such as were besieged in the temple. But then, because Lysias, the general of the army, and Antiochus the king, were informed that Philip was coming upon them out of Persia, and was endeavoring to get the management of public affairs to himself, they came into these sentiments, to leave the siege, and to make haste to go against Philip; yet did they resolve not to let this be known to the soldiers or to the officers: but the king commanded Lysias to speak openly to the soldiers and the officers, without saying a word about the business of Philip; and to intimate to them that the siege would be very long; that the place was very strong; that they were already in want of provisions; that many affairs of the kingdom wanted regulation; and that it was much better to make a league with the besieged, and to become friends to their whole nation, by permitting them to observe the laws of their fathers, while they broke out into this war only because they were deprived of them, and so to depart home. When Lysias had discoursed thus to them, both the army and the officers were pleased with this resolution.
379. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν πολιορκουμένοις ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοιαῦτα συνέβαινεν εἶναι τὰ πράγματα. Λυσίας δὲ ὁ στρατηγὸς καὶ ὁ βασιλεύς, ἐπεὶ Φίλιππος αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Περσίδος ἥκων ἐδηλώθη [καὶ] τὰ πράγματα εἰς αὐτὸν κατασκευάζειν, εἶχον μὲν ὥστε τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀφέντες ὁρμᾶν ἐπὶ τὸν Φίλιππον, οὐ μὴν τοῦτο ποιῆσαι φανερὸν τοῖς στρατιώταις καὶ τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν ἔγνωσαν, ἀλλʼ ἐκέλευσεν τὸν Λυσίαν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν ἐν κοινῷ διαλεχθῆναι μηδὲν μὲν τῶν περὶ Φίλιππον ἐμφανίζοντα, τὴν δὲ πολιορκίαν ὅτι χρονιωτάτη γένοιτʼ ἂν δηλοῦντα, καὶ τὴν ὀχυρότητα τοῦ χωρίου, καὶ ὅτι τὰ τῆς τροφῆς αὐτοῖς ἤδη ἐπιλείποι, καὶ ὡς πολλὰ δεῖ καταστῆσαι τῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ πραγμάτων, καὶ ὡς δοκεῖ πολὺ κρεῖττον εἶναι σπονδὰς ποιησαμένους πρὸς τοὺς πολιορκουμένους καὶ φιλίαν πρὸς ὅλον αὐτῶν τὸ ἔθνος ἐπιτρέψαντας αὐτοῖς χρῆσθαι τοῖς πατρίοις νόμοις, ὧν ἀφαιρεθέντες νῦν ἐξεπολεμώθησαν, χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα. ταῦτα τοῦ Λυσίου φήσαντος ἠρέσθη τό τε στράτευμα καὶ οἱ ἡγεμόνες τῇ γνώμῃ.
382. Accordingly the king sent to Judas, and to those that were besieged with them, and promised to give them peace, and to permit them to make use of, and live according to, the laws of their fathers; and they gladly received his proposals; and when they had gained security upon oath for their performance, they went out of the temple. But when Antiochus came into it, and saw how strong the place was, he broke his oaths, and ordered his army that was there to pluck down the walls to the ground; and when he had so done, he returned to Antioch. He also carried with him Onias the high priest, who was also called Menelaus; for Lysias advised the king to slay Menelaus, if he would have the Jews be quiet, and cause him no further disturbance, for that this man was the origin of all the mischief the Jews had done them, by persuading his father to compel the Jews to leave the religion of their fathers. So the king sent Menelaus to Berea, a city of Syria, and there had him put to death, when he had been high priest ten years. He had been a wicked and an impious man; and, in order to get the government to himself, had compelled his nation to transgress their own laws. After the death of Menelaus, Alcimus, who was also called Jacimus, was made high priest. But when king Antiochus found that Philip had already possessed himself of the government, he made war against him, and subdued him, and took him, and slew him. Now as to Onias, the son of the high priest, who, as we before informed you, was left a child when his father died, when he saw that the king had slain his uncle Menelaus, and given the high priesthood to Alcimus, who was not of the high priest stock, but was induced by Lysias to translate that dignity from his family to another house, he fled to Ptolemy, king of Egypt; and when he found he was in great esteem with him, and with his wife Cleopatra, he desired and obtained a place in the Nomus of Heliopolis, wherein he built a temple like to that at Jerusalem; of which therefore we shall hereafter give an account, in a place more proper for it.
382. Καὶ πέμψας ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ πολιορκουμένους εἰρήνην τε ἐπηγγείλατο καὶ συγχωρεῖν τοῖς πατρίοις νόμοις χρωμένους ζῆν. οἱ δὲ ἀσμένως δεξάμενοι τοὺς λόγους λαβόντες ὅρκους τε καὶ πίστεις ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ. εἰσελθὼν δὲ Ἀντίοχος εἰς αὐτὸ καὶ θεασάμενος ὀχυρὸν οὕτως τὸ χωρίον παρέβη τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ κελεύει τὴν δύναμιν παραστᾶσαν καθελεῖν τὸ τεῖχος εἰς ἔδαφος. καὶ ταῦτα ποιήσας ἀνέστρεψεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἐπαγόμενος Ὀνίαν τὸν ἀρχιερέα, ὃς καὶ Μενέλαος ἐκαλεῖτο. Λυσίας γὰρ συνεβούλευσεν τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸν Μενέλαον ἀνελεῖν, εἰ βούλεται τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἠρεμεῖν καὶ μηδὲν ἐνοχλεῖν αὐτῷ· τοῦτον γὰρ ἄρξαι τῶν κακῶν πείσαντʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν πατέρα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀναγκάσαι τὴν πάτριον θρησκείαν καταλιπεῖν. πέμψας οὖν τὸν Μενέλαον ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς Βέροιαν τῆς Συρίας διέφθειρεν ἀρχιερατεύσαντα μὲν ἔτη δέκα, πονηρὸν δὲ γενόμενον καὶ ἀσεβῆ καὶ ἵνα αὐτὸς ἄρχῃ τὸ ἔθνος ἀναγκάσαντα τοὺς ἰδίους παραβῆναι νόμους. ἀρχιερεὺς δὲ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὸν Μενελάου θάνατον Ἄλκιμος ὁ καὶ Ἰάκιμος κληθείς. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος ὁρῶν ἤδη τὸν Φίλιππον κρατοῦντα τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπολέμει πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὸν ὑποχείριον ἀπέκτεινεν. ὁ δὲ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως υἱὸς Ὀνίας, ὃν προείπομεν ἔτι παῖδα τελευτήσαντος ἀφίεσθαι τοῦ πατρός, ἰδὼν ὅτι τὸν θεῖον αὐτοῦ Μενέλαον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνελὼν τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην Ἀλκίμῳ δέδωκεν οὐκ ὄντι τῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων γενεᾶς, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ Λυσίου πεισθεὶς μεταθεῖναι τὴν τιμὴν ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς οἰκίας εἰς ἕτερον οἶκον, φεύγει πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Αἰγύπτου βασιλέα. καὶ τιμῆς ἀξιωθεὶς ὑπό τε αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς Κλεοπάτρας λαμβάνει τόπον ἀξιώσας ἐν τῷ νομῷ τῷ Ἡλιοπολίτῃ, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὅμοιον τῷ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ᾠκοδόμησεν ἱερόν. περὶ τούτου μὲν οὖν εὐκαιρότερον ἡμῖν ἔσται διελθεῖν.
389. ABOUT the same time Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, fled away from Rome, and took Tripoli, a city of Syria, and set the diadem on his own head. He also gathered certain mercenary soldiers together, and entered into his kingdom, and was joyfully received by all, who delivered themselves up to him. And when they had taken Autiochus the king, and Lysias, they brought them to him alive; both which were immediately put to death by the command of Demetrius, when Antiochus had reigned two years, as we have already elsewhere related. But there were now many of the wicked Jewish runagates that came together to him, and with them Alcimus the high priest, who accused the whole nation, and particularly Judas and his brethren; and said that they had slain all his friends, and that those in his kingdom that were of his party, and waited for his return, were by them put to death; that these men had ejected them out of their own country, and caused them to be sojourners in a foreign land; and they desired that he would send some one of his own friends, and know from him what mischief Judas’s party had done.
389. Ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν φυγὼν Δημήτριος ἀπὸ Ῥώμης ὁ Σελεύκου υἱὸς καὶ καταλαβόμενος τῆς Συρίας Τρίπολιν περιτίθησιν μὲν ἑαυτῷ διάδημα, συναγαγὼν δέ τινας περὶ αὐτὸν μισθοφόρους εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσῆλθεν, πάντων αὐτὸν ἡδέως προσδεχομένων καὶ παραδιδόντων αὑτούς. συλλαβόντες δὲ καὶ Ἀντίοχον τὸν βασιλέα καὶ Λυσίαν ζῶντας ἀνάγουσιν αὐτῷ. καὶ οὗτοι μὲν κελεύσαντος Δημητρίου παραχρῆμα διεφθάρησαν βασιλεύσαντος Ἀντιόχου ἔτη δύο, καθὼς ἤδη που καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ δεδήλωται. συστραφέντες δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν πολλοὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πονηροὶ καὶ φυγάδες καὶ μετʼ αὐτῶν Ἄλκιμος ὁ ἀρχιερεύς, κατηγόρουν τοῦ ἔθνους παντὸς καὶ Ἰούδα καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, λέγοντες ὡς τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ πάντας ἀπεκτόνασιν καὶ ὅσοι τὰ ἐκείνου φρονοῦντες καὶ περιμένοντες αὐτὸν ὑπῆρχον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τούτους ἀπολωλέκασιν αὐτούς τε τῆς οἰκείας γῆς ἐκβαλόντες ἀλλοτρίας ἐπήλυδας πεποιήκασιν, ἠξίουν τε πέμψαντα τῶν ἰδίων τινὰ φίλων γνῶναι διʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ Ἰούδαν τετολμημένα.
393. At this Demetrius was very angry, and sent Bacchides, a friend of Antiochus Epiphanes, a good man, and one that had been intrusted with all Mesopotamia, and gave him an army, and committed Alcimus the high priest to his care; and gave him charge to slay Judas, and those that were with him. So Bacchides made haste, and went out of Antioch with his army; and when he was come into Judea, he sent to Judas and his brethren, to discourse with them about a league of friendship and peace, for he had a mind to take him by treachery. But Judas did not give credit to him, for he saw that he came with so great an army as men do not bring when they come to make peace, but to make war. However, some of the people acquiesced in what Bacchides caused to be proclaimed; and supposing they should undergo no considerable harm from Alcimus, who was their countryman, they went over to them; and when they had received oaths from both of them, that neither they themselves, nor those of the same sentiments, should come to any harm, they intrusted themselves with them. But Bacchides troubled not himself about the oaths he had taken, but slew threescore of them, although, by not keeping his faith with those that first went over, he deterred all the rest, who had intentions to go over to him, from doing it. But as he was gone out of Jerusalem, and was at the village called Bethzetho, he sent out, and caught many of the deserters, and some of the people also, and slew them all; and enjoined all that lived in the country to submit to Alcimus. So he left him there, with some part of the army, that he might have wherewith to keep the country in obedience and returned to Antioch to king Demetrius.
393. Ὁ δὲ Δημήτριος παροξυνθεὶς ἐκπέμπει Βακχίδην φίλον Ἀντιόχου τοῦ Ἐπιφανοῦς βασιλέως, ἄνδρα χρηστὸν καὶ τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν ἅπασαν πεπιστευμένον, δοὺς αὐτῷ δύναμιν καὶ τὸν ἀρχιερέα παραθέμενος αὐτῷ Ἄλκιμον ἐντειλάμενος ἀποκτεῖναι Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ. ἐξορμήσας δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ὁ Βακχίδης μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ἔπεμψε πρὸς τὸν Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ περὶ φιλίας καὶ εἰρήνης διαλεγόμενος· δόλῳ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐβούλετο λαβεῖν. ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν· ἑώρα γάρ, ὅτι μετὰ στρατιᾶς πάρεστιν τοσαύτης, μεθʼ ὅσης ἐπὶ πόλεμόν τις, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐπʼ εἰρήνην ἔρχεται. τινὲς μέντοι γε τῶν ἐκ τοῦ δήμου προσέχοντες οἷς ὁ Βακχίδης ἐπεκηρυκεύσατο καὶ νομίσαντες οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ Ἀλκίμου πείσεσθαι δεινὸν ὄντος ὁμοφύλου πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀνεχώρησαν, καὶ λαβόντες ὅρκους παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων μήτε αὐτούς τι παθεῖν μήτε τοὺς ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὄντας προαιρέσεως ἐπίστευσαν αὑτοὺς ἐκείνοις. ὁ δὲ Βακχίδης ὀλιγωρήσας τῶν ὅρκων ἑξήκοντα μὲν αὐτῶν ἀπέκτεινεν, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους, ὅσοι διενοοῦντο πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναχωρεῖν, ἐπέστρεψεν τοῖς πρώτοις τὴν πίστιν μὴ φυλάξας. ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἀπελθὼν κατὰ κώμην Βηρζηθὼ λεγομένην ἐγένετο, πέμψας συλλαμβάνει πολλοὺς τῶν αὐτομολούντων καί τινας τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ πάντας ἀποκτείνας προσέταξεν τοῖς ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ πᾶσιν ὑπακούειν Ἀλκίμῳ, καὶ μετὰ στρατιᾶς τινος, ἵνʼ ἔχῃ τηρεῖν τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ, καταλιπὼν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Δημήτριον ὑπέστρεψεν.
398. But Alcimus was desirous to have the dominion more firmly assured to him; and understanding that, if he could bring it about that the multitude should be his friends, he should govern with greater security, he spake kind words to them all, and discoursed to each of them after an agreeable and pleasant manner; by which means he quickly had a great body of men and an army about him, although the greater part of them were of the wicked, and the deserters. With these, whom he used as his servants and soldiers, he went all over the country, and slew all that he could find of Judas’s party. But when Judas saw that Alcimus was already become great, and had destroyed many of the good and holy men of the country, he also went all over the country, and destroyed those that were of the other party. But when Alcimus saw that he was not able to oppose Judas, nor was equal to him in strength, he resolved to apply himself to king Demetrius for his assistance; so he came to Antioch, and irritated him against Judas, and accused him, alleging that he had undergone a great many miseries by his means, and that he would do more mischief unless he were prevented, and brought to punishment, which must be done by sending a powerful force against him.
398. Ἄλκιμος δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ βουλόμενος βεβαιώσασθαι καὶ συνείς, ὅτι κατασκευάσας εὔνουν τὸ πλῆθος ἀσφαλέστερον ἄρξει, χρηστοῖς ἅπαντας ὑπήγετο λόγοις καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἑκάστῳ καὶ χάριν ὁμιλῶν ταχὺ δὴ μάλα χεῖρα πολλὴν καὶ δύναμιν περιεβάλετο· τούτων δʼ ἦσαν οἱ πλείους ἐκ τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ πεφυγαδευμένων, οἷς ὑπηρέταις καὶ στρατιώταις χρώμενος ἐπήρχετο τὴν χώραν καὶ ὅσους ἐν αὐτῇ τὰ Ἰούδα φρονοῦντας ηὕρισκεν ἐφόνευεν. ὁρῶν δὲ τὸν Ἄλκιμον ἤδη μέγαν ὁ Ἰούδας γινόμενον καὶ πολλοὺς διεφθαρκότα τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ ὁσίων τοῦ ἔθνους, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιπορευόμενος τὴν χώραν διέφθειρεν τοὺς ταὐτὰ ἐκείνῳ φρονοῦντας. βλέπων δὲ ἑαυτὸν Ἄλκιμος ἀντέχειν τῷ Ἰούδᾳ μὴ δυνάμενον, ἀλλʼ ἡττώμενον αὐτοῦ τῆς ἰσχύος, ἐπὶ τὴν παρὰ Δημητρίου τοῦ βασιλέως συμμαχίαν ἔγνω τραπέσθαι. παραγενόμενος οὖν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν παρώξυνεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν, κατηγορῶν ὡς πολλὰ μὲν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεπόνθοι κακά, πλείω δὲ γένοιτʼ ἄν, εἰ μὴ προκαταληφθείη καὶ δοίη δίκην δυνάμεως ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἰσχυρᾶς ἀποσταλείσης.
402. So Demetrius, being already of opinion that it would be a thing pernicious to his own affairs to overlook Judas, now he was becoming so great, sent against him Nicanor, the most kind and most faithful of all his friends; for he it was who fled away with him from the city of Rome. He also gave him as many forces as he thought sufficient for him to conquer Judas withal, and bid him not to spare the nation at all. When Nicanor was come to Jerusalem, he did not resolve to fight Judas immediately, but judged it better to get him into his power by treachery; so he sent him a message of peace, and said there was no manner of necessity for them to fight and hazard themselves; and that he would give him his oath that he would do him no harm, for that he only came with some friends, in order to let him know what king Demetrius’s intentions were, and what opinion he had of their nation. When Nicanor had delivered this message, Judas and his brethren complied with him, and suspecting no deceit, they gave him assurances of friendship, and received Nicanor and his army; but while he was saluting Judas, and they were talking together, he gave a certain signal to his own soldiers, upon which they were to seize upon Judas; but he perceived the treachery, and ran back to his own soldiers, and fled away with them. So upon this discovery of his purpose, and of the snares laid for Judas, Nicanor determined to make open war with him, and gathered his army together, and prepared for fighting him; and upon joining battle with him at a certain village called Capharsalama, he beat Judas, and forced him to fly to that citadel which was at Jerusalem.
402. Ὁ δὲ Δημήτριος τοῦτʼ ἤδη καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις αὐτοῦ πράγμασιν ἐπισφαλὲς ἡγησάμενος εἶναι τὸ περιιδεῖν Ἰούδαν ἐν ἰσχύι τοσαύτῃ γενόμενον, ἐκπέμπει Νικάνορα τὸν εὐνούστατον αὐτῷ καὶ πιστότατον τῶν φίλων, οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πόλεως αὐτῷ συμφυγών, καὶ δοὺς δύναμιν ὅσην ὑπέλαβεν ἀρκέσειν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐκέλευσεν μηδεμίαν φειδὼ ποιεῖσθαι τοῦ ἔθνους. ὁ δὲ Νικάνωρ παραγενόμενος εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πολεμεῖν μὲν εὐθὺς οὐ διέγνω τῷ Ἰούδᾳ, δόλῳ δʼ ὑποχείριον λαβεῖν κρίνας προσπέμπει λόγους εἰρηνικοὺς αὐτῷ, μηδεμίαν μὲν ἀνάγκην εἶναι φάσκων πολεμεῖν καὶ κινδυνεύειν, ὅρκους δʼ αὐτῷ διδόναι περὶ τοῦ μηδὲν πείσεσθαι δεινόν· ἥκειν γὰρ μετὰ φίλων ἐπὶ τῷ ποιῆσαι φανερὰν αὐτοῖς τὴν Δημητρίου τοῦ βασιλέως διάνοιαν, ὡς περὶ τοῦ γένους αὐτῶν φρονεῖ. ταῦτα διαπρεσβευσαμένου τοῦ Νικάνορος ὁ Ἰούδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ πεισθέντες καὶ μηδεμίαν ἀπάτην ὑποπτεύσαντες διδόασιν πίστεις αὐτῷ καὶ δέχονται τὸν Νικάνορα μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως. ὁ δὲ ἀσπασάμενος τὸν Ἰούδαν [καὶ] μεταξὺ προσομιλῶν δίδωσι τοῖς οἰκείοις τι σημεῖον, ὅπως συλλάβωσι τὸν Ἰούδαν. ὁ δὲ συνεὶς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐκπηδήσας πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους συνέφυγεν. φανερᾶς δὲ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐνέδρας ὁ Νικάνωρ γενομένης πολεμεῖν ἔκρινεν τῷ Ἰούδᾳ, καὶ συγκροτήσας καὶ παρασκευασάμενος τὰ πρὸς τὴν μάχην συμβάλλει κατά τινα κώμην Καφαρσαλαμὰ καὶ νικήσας ἀναγκάζει τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἄκραν φεύγειν.
406. And when Nicanor came down from the citadel unto the temple, some of the priests and elders met him, and saluted him; and showed him the sacrifices which they offered to God for the king: upon which he blasphemed, and threatened them, that unless the people would deliver up Judas to him, upon his return he would pull clown their temple. And when he had thus threatened them, he departed from Jerusalem. But the priests fell into tears out of grief at what he had said, and besought God to deliver them from their enemies But now for Nicanor, when he was gone out of Jerusalem, and was at a certain village called Bethoron, he there pitched his camp, another army out of Syria having joined him. And Judas pitched his camp at Adasa, another village, which was thirty furlongs distant from Bethoron, having no more than one thousand soldiers. And when he had encouraged them not to be dismayed at the multitude of their enemies, nor to regard how many they were against whom they were going to fight, but to consider who they themselves were, and for what great rewards they hazarded themselves, and to attack the enemy courageously, he led them out to fight, and joining battle with Nicanor, which proved to be a severe one, he overcame the enemy, and slew many of them; and at last Nicanor himself, as he was fighting gloriously, fell: - upon whose fall the army did not stay; but when they had lost their general, they were put to flight, and threw down their arms. Judas also pursued them and slew them, and gave notice by the sound of the trumpets to the neighboring villages that he had conquered the enemy; which, when the inhabitants heard, they put on their armor hastily, and met their enemies in the face as they were running away, and slew them, insomuch that not one of them escaped out of this battle, who were in number nine thousand This victory happened to fall on the thirteenth day of that month which by the Jews is called Adar and by the Macedonians Dystrus; and the Jews thereon celebrate this victory every year, and esteem it as a festival day. After which the Jewish nation were, for a while, free from wars, and enjoyed peace; but afterward they returned into their former state of wars and hazards.
406. Ἔτι δʼ αὐτῷ κατιόντι ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἀπαντήσαντες τῶν ἱερέων τινὲς καὶ πρεσβυτέρων ἠσπάζοντο καὶ τὰς θυσίας ἐπεδείκνυον, ἃς ὑπὲρ τοῦ βασιλέως ἔλεγον ἐπιφέρειν τῷ θεῷ. ὁ δὲ βλασφημήσας αὐτοὺς ἠπείλησεν, εἰ μὴ παραδοίη τὸν Ἰούδαν ὁ λαὸς αὐτῷ, καθαιρήσειν ὅταν ἐπανέλθῃ τὸν ναόν. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτʼ ἀπειλήσας ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, οἱ δʼ ἱερεῖς εἰς δάκρυα διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις λύπην προέπεσον καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἱκέτευον ῥύσασθαι ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων αὐτούς. ὁ δὲ Νικάνωρ, ὡς ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐξελθὼν ἐγένετο κατά τινα κώμην Βηθωρου λεγομένην, αὐτόθι στρατοπεδεύεται προσγενομένης αὐτῷ καὶ ἄλλης ἀπὸ Συρίας δυνάμεως· Ἰούδας δὲ ἐν Ἀδασοῖς ἑτέρᾳ κώμῃ σταδίους ἀπεχούσῃ τριάκοντα τῆς Βηθωροῦ στρατοπεδεύεται δισχιλίους στρατιώτας ἔχων. τούτους παρορμήσας μὴ καταπλαγῆναι τὸ τῶν ἐναντίων πλῆθος, μηδὲ λογίζεσθαι πρὸς πόσους ἀγωνίζεσθαι μέλλουσιν, ἀλλὰ τίνες ὄντες καὶ περὶ οἵων ἐπάθλων κινδυνεύουσιν ἐνθυμουμένους εὐψύχως ὁμόσε χωρῆσαι τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην ἐξάγει, καὶ συμβαλὼν τῷ Νικάνορι καὶ καρτερᾶς τῆς μάχης γενομένης κρατεῖ τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ πολλούς τε αὐτῶν ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ τελευταῖον αὐτὸς ὁ Νικάνωρ λαμπρῶς ἀγωνιζόμενος ἔπεσεν. οὗ πεσόντος οὐδὲ τὸ στράτευμα ἔμεινεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἀπολέσαντες εἰς φυγὴν ἐτράπησαν ῥίψαντες τὰς πανοπλίας. ἐπιδιώκων δὲ ὁ Ἰούδας ἐφόνευσεν καὶ ταῖς σάλπιγξι ταῖς πέριξ κώμαις ἐσήμαινεν, ὅτι νικῴη τοὺς πολεμίους. οἱ δʼ ἐν αὐταῖς ἀκούσαντες ἐξεπήδων ὡπλισμένοι καὶ τοῖς φεύγουσιν ὑπαντῶντες ἔκτεινον αὐτοὺς γενόμενοι κατὰ πρόσωπον, ὥστʼ ἐκ τῆς μάχης ταύτης οὐδεὶς διέφυγεν ὄντων αὐτῶν ἐννακισχιλίων. τὴν δὲ νίκην συνέβη γενέσθαι ταύτην τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ λεγομένου παρὰ μὲν Ἰουδαίοις Ἄδαρ κατὰ δὲ Μακεδόνας Δύστρου. ἄγουσιν δʼ ἐν τούτῳ τὰ νικητήρια κατὰ πᾶν ἔτος καὶ ἑορτὴν νομίζουσι τὴν ἡμέραν. ἐξ ἐκείνου μέντοι τοῦ χρόνου πρὸς ὀλίγον τὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος τῶν πολέμων ἀναπαυσάμενον καὶ εἰρήνης ἀπολαῦον ἔπειτα εἰς ἀγῶνας πάλιν καὶ κινδύνους κατέστη.
413. But now as the high priest Alcimus, was resolving to pull down the wall of the sanctuary, which had been there of old time, and had been built by the holy prophets, he was smitten suddenly by God, and fell down. This stroke made him fall down speechless upon the ground; and undergoing torments for many days, he at length died, when he had been high priest four years. And when he was dead, the people bestowed the high priesthood on Judas; who hearing of the power of the Romans, and that they had conquered in war Galatia, and Iberia, and Carthage, and Libya; and that, besides these, they had subdued Greece, and their kings, Perseus, and Philip, and Antiochus the Great also; he resolved to enter into a league of friendship with them. He therefore sent to Rome some of his friends, Eupolemus the son of John, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and by them desired the Romans that they would assist them, and be their friends, and would write to Demetrius that he would not fight against the Jews. So the senate received the ambassadors that came from Judas to Rome, and discoursed with them about the errand on which they came, and then granted them a league of assistance. They also made a decree concerning it, and sent a copy of it into Judea. It was also laid up in the capitol, and engraven in brass. The decree itself was this: “The decree of the senate concerning a league of assistance and friendship with the nation of the Jews. It shall not be lawful for any that are subject to the Romans to make war with the nation of the Jews, nor to assist those that do so, either by sending them corn, or ships, or money; and if any attack be made upon the Jews, the Romans shall assist them, as far as they are able; and again, if any attack be made upon the Romans, the Jews shall assist them. And if the Jews have a mind to add to, or to take away any thing from, this league of assistance, that shall be done with the common consent of the Romans. And whatsoever addition shall thus be made, it shall be of force.” This decree was written by Eupolemus the son of John, and by Jason the son of Eleazar, when Judas was high priest of the nation, and Simon his brother was general of the army. And this was the first league that the Romans made with the Jews, and was managed after this manner.
413. Τῷ δʼ ἀρχιερεῖ τῷ Ἀλκίμῳ βουληθέντι καθελεῖν τὸ τεῖχος τοῦ ἁγίου παλαιὸν ὂν καὶ κατεσκευασμένον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχαίων προφητῶν, πληγή τις αἰφνίδιος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ προσέπεσεν, ὑφʼ ἧς ἄφωνός τε ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κατηνέχθη καὶ βασανισθεὶς ἐπὶ συχνὰς ἡμέρας ἀπέθανεν ἀρχιερατεύσας ἔτη τέσσαρα. τελευτήσαντος δὲ τούτου τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ὁ λαὸς τῷ Ἰούδᾳ δίδωσιν, ὃς ἀκούσας περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων δυνάμεως καὶ ὅτι καταπεπολεμήκασιν τήν τε Γαλατίαν καὶ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν καὶ Καρχηδόνα τῆς Λιβύης καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὴν Ἑλλάδα κεχείρωνται καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς Περσέα καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ τὸν μέγαν Ἀντίοχον, ἔγνω φιλίαν ποιήσασθαι πρὸς αὐτούς. πέμψας οὖν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τῶν αὐτοῦ φίλων Εὐπόλεμον τὸν Ἰωάννου υἱὸν καὶ Ἰάσονα τὸν Ἐλεαζάρου παρεκάλει διʼ αὐτῶν συμμάχους εἶναι καὶ φίλους, καὶ Δημητρίῳ γράψαι, ὅπως μὴ πολεμῇ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους. ἐλθόντας δὲ εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ Ἰούδα πρεσβευτὰς ἡ σύγκλητος δέχεται καὶ διαλεχθεῖσα περὶ ὧν ἐπέμφθησαν τὴν συμμαχίαν ἐπινεύει. ποιήσασα δὲ περὶ τούτου δόγμα τὸ μὲν ἀντίγραφον εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ἀπέστειλεν, αὐτὸ δʼ εἰς τὸ Καπετώλιον εἰς χαλκᾶς ἐγγράψαντες δέλτους ἀνέθεσαν. ἦν δὲ τοιοῦτον· δόγμα συγκλήτου περὶ συμμαχίας καὶ εὐνοίας τῆς πρὸς τὸ ἔθνος τὸ Ἰουδαίων. μηδένα τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων Ῥωμαίοις πολεμεῖν τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει μηδὲ τοῖς πολεμοῦσι χορηγεῖν ἢ σῖτον ἢ πλοῖα ἢ χρήματα. ἐὰν δὲ ἐπίωσί τινες Ἰουδαίοις, βοηθεῖν Ῥωμαίους αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν, καὶ πάλιν, ἂν τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἐπίωσίν τινες, Ἰουδαίους αὐτοῖς συμμαχεῖν. ἂν δέ τι πρὸς ταύτην τὴν συμμαχίαν θελήσῃ τὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος ἢ προσθεῖναι ἢ ἀφελεῖν, τοῦτο κοινῇ γινέσθω γνώμῃ τοῦ δήμου τοῦ Ῥωμαίων, ὃ δʼ ἂν προστεθῇ τοῦτʼ εἶναι κύριον. ἐγράφη τὸ δόγμα ὑπὸ Εὐπολέμου τοῦ Ἰωάννου παιδὸς καὶ ὑπὸ Ἰάσονος τοῦ Ἐλεαζάρου ἐπʼ ἀρχιερέως μὲν τοῦ ἔθνους Ἰούδα, στρατηγοῦ δὲ Σίμωνος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ. καὶ τὴν μὲν πρώτην Ῥωμαίοις πρὸς Ἰουδαίους φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν οὕτως συνέβη γενέσθαι.
420. BUT when Demetrius was informed of the death of Nicanor, and of the destruction of the army that was with him, he sent Bacchides again with an army into Judea, who marched out of Antioch, and came into Judea, and pitched his camp at Arbela, a city of Galilee; and having besieged and taken those that were there in caves, (for many of the people fled into such places,) he removed, and made all the haste he could to Jerusalem. And when he had learned that Judas had pitched his camp at a certain village whose name was Bethzetho, he led his army against him: they were twenty thousand foot-men, and two thousand horsemen. Now Judas had no more soldiers than one thousand. When these saw the multitude of Bacchides’s men, they were afraid, and left their camp, and fled all away, excepting eight hundred. Now when Judas was deserted by his own soldiers, and the enemy pressed upon him, and gave him no time to gather his army together, he was disposed to fight with Bacchides’s army, though he had but eight hundred men with him; so he exhorted these men to undergo the danger courageously, and encouraged them to attack the enemy. And when they said they were not a body sufficient to fight so great an army, and advised that they should retire now, and save themselves and that when he had gathered his own men together, then he should fall upon the enemy afterwards, his answer was this: “Let not the sun ever see such a thing, that I should show my back to the enemy and although this be the time that will bring me to my end, and I must die in this battle, I will rather stand to it courageously, and bear whatsoever comes upon me, than by now running away bring reproach upon my former great actions, or tarnish their glory.” This was the speech he made to those that remained with him, whereby he encouraged them to attack the enemy.
420. Δημήτριος δʼ ἀπαγγελθείσης αὐτῷ τῆς Νικάνορος τελευτῆς καὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας τοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ. στρατεύματος πάλιν τὸν Βακχίδην μετὰ δυνάμεως εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ἐξέπεμψεν. ὃς ἐκ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ἐξορμήσας καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ἐν Ἀρβήλοις πόλει τῆς Γαλιλαίας στρατοπεδεύεται, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἐκεῖ σπηλαίοις ὄντας, πολλοὶ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὰ συμπεφεύγεσαν, ἐκπολιορκήσας καὶ λαβὼν ἄρας ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα σπουδὴν ἐποιεῖτο. μαθὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰούδαν ἔν τινι κώμῃ Ζηθῶ τοὔνομα κατεστρατοπεδευμένον ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἠπείγετο μετὰ πεζῶν μὲν δισμυρίων, ἱππέων δὲ δισχιλίων· τῷ Ἰούδᾳ δʼ ἦσαν οἱ πάντες χίλιοι. οὗτοι τὸ Βακχίδου πλῆθος θεωρήσαντες ἔδεισαν καὶ τὴν παρεμβολὴν καταλιπόντες ἔφυγον πάντες πλὴν ὀκτακοσίων. Ἰούδας δὲ καταλειφθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων στρατιωτῶν [καὶ] τῶν πολεμίων ἐπικειμένων καὶ μηδένα καιρὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς συλλογὴν τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιτρεπόντων οἷός τʼ ἦν μετὰ τῶν ὀκτακοσίων συμβαλεῖν τοῖς τοῦ Βακχίδου, [καὶ] προτρεπόμενός τε τούτους εὐψύχως ὑφίστασθαι τὸν κίνδυνον παρεκάλει χωρεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην. τῶν δὲ λεγόντων, ὡς οὐκ εἰσὶ πρὸς τοσοῦτο μέγεθος στρατιᾶς ἀξιόμαχοι, συμβουλευόντων δὲ νῦν μὲν ἀναχωρεῖν καὶ σώζειν αὐτούς, αὖθις δὲ συναγαγόντας τοὺς ἰδίους τοῖς ἐχθροῖς συμβαλεῖν, μὴ τοῦτʼ, εἶπεν, ἥλιος ἐπίδοι γενόμενον, ἵνʼ ἐγὼ τὰ νῶτά μου δείξω τοῖς πολεμίοις. ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ τελευτὴν ὁ παρών μοι καιρὸς φέρει καὶ δεῖ πάντως ἀπολέσθαι μαχόμενον, στήσομαι γενναίως πᾶν ὑπομένων τὸ μέλλον ἢ τοῖς ἤδη κατωρθωμένοις καὶ τῇ περὶ αὐτῶν δόξῃ προσβαλῶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς νῦν φυγῆς ὕβριν. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ὑπολειφθέντας παρακαλῶν τοῦ κινδύνου καταφρονήσαντας ὁμόσε χωρῆσαι τοῖς πολεμίοις ἔλεγεν.
426. But Bacchldes drew his army out of their camp, and put them in array for the battle.
426. Ὁ δὲ Βακχίδης ἐξαγαγὼν ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τὴν δύναμιν πρὸς μάχην παρετάσσετο, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἱππεῖς ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν κεράτων ἔταξε, τοὺς δὲ ψιλοὺς καὶ τοξότας προέστησεν πάσης τῆς φάλαγγος, αὐτὸς δʼ ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ.
He set the horsemen on both the wings, and the light soldiers and the archers he placed before the whole army, but he was himself on the right wing.
οὕτως δὲ συντάξας τὴν στρατιὰν ἐπεὶ προσέμιξεν τῷ τῶν πολεμίων στρατοπέδῳ, σημῆναι τὸν σαλπικτὴν ἐκέλευσεν καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἀλαλάξασαν προσιέναι.
And when he had thus put his army in order of battle, and was going to join battle with the enemy, he commanded the trumpeter to give a signal of battle, and the army to make a shout, and to fall on the enemy. And when Judas had done the same, he joined battle with them;
τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ ποιήσας ὁ Ἰούδας συμβάλλει τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ καρτερῶς ἀμφοτέρων ἀγωνιζομένων καὶ τῆς μάχης μέχρι δυσμῶν παρατεινομένης, ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰούδας τὸν Βακχίδην καὶ τὸ κρατερὸν τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ κέρατι τυγχάνον, παραλαβὼν τοὺς εὐψυχοτάτους ὥρμησεν ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος τῆς τάξεως, καὶ προσβαλὼν τοῖς ἐκεῖ διέσπα αὐτῶν τὴν φάλαγγα.ὠσάμενος δʼ εἰς μέσους εἰς φυγὴν ἐβιάσατο αὐτούς, καὶ διώκει μέχρι Ἐζᾶ ὄρους οὕτω λεγομένου. θεασάμενοι δὲ τὴν τροπὴν τῶν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ κέρατι οἱ τὸ εὐώνυμον ἔχοντες ἐκυκλώσαντο τὸν Ἰούδαν διώκοντα καὶ λαμβάνουσι μέσον αὐτὸν κατόπιν γενόμενοι.
and as both sides fought valiantly, and the battle continued till sun-set, Judas saw that Bacehides and the strongest part of the army was in the right wing, and thereupon took the most courageous men with him, and ran upon that part of the army, and fell upon those that were there, and broke their ranks, and drove them into the middle, and forced them to run away, and pursued them as far as to a mountain called Aza: but when those of the left wing saw that the right wing was put to flight, they encompassed Judas, and pursued him, and came behind him, and took him into the middle of their army;
ὁ δὲ φυγεῖν οὐ δυνάμενος, ἀλλὰ περιεσχημένος ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, στὰς ἐμάχετο μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ. πολλοὺς δὲ κτείνας τῶν ἀντιπάλων καὶ κατάκοπος γενόμενος καὶ αὐτὸς ἔπεσεν, ἐπὶ καλοῖς μὲν πρότερον γεγενημένοις, ἐφʼ ὁμοίοις δὲ ὅτε ἀπέθνησκεν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφείς.πεσόντος δὲ Ἰούδα πρὸς μηδένα τὸ λοιπὸν ἀφορᾶν ἔχοντες οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ στρατηγοῦ δὲ τοιούτου στερηθέντες ἔφυγον.λαβόντες δὲ τὸ σῶμα παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ὑπόσπονδον Σίμων καὶ Ἰωνάθης ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα, κομίσαντες εἰς τὴν Μωδεεῖν κώμην, ὅπου καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῶν τέθαπτο, κηδεύουσιν πενθήσαντος ἐπὶ συχνὰς αὐτὸν τοῦ πλήθους ἡμέρας καὶ τιμήσαντος κοινῇ τοῖς νενομισμένοις.
so being not able to fly, but encompassed round about with enemies, he stood still, and he and those that were with him fought;
καὶ τέλος μὲν τοιοῦτον κατέσχεν Ἰούδαν, ἄνδρα γενναῖον καὶ μεγαλοπόλεμον γενόμενον καὶ τῶν τοῦ πατρὸς ἐντολῶν Ματταθίου μνήμονα καὶ πάνθʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν πολιτῶν ἐλευθερίας καὶ δρᾶσαι καὶ παθεῖν ὑποστάντα.
and when he had slain a great many of those that came against him, he at last was himself wounded, and fell and gave up the ghost, and died in a way like to his former famous actions.
τοιοῦτος οὖν τὴν ἀρετὴν ὑπάρξας μέγιστον αὐτοῦ κλέος καὶ μνημεῖον κατέλιπεν, ἐλευθερώσας τὸ ἔθνος καὶ τῆς ὑπὸ Μακεδόσιν ἐξαρπάσας αὐτὸ δουλείας. τὴν δʼ ἀρχιερωσύνην ἔτος τρίτον κατασχὼν ἀπέθανεν. Ὡς Ἰωνάθης ἀδελφὸς ὢν Ἰούδα τελευτήσαντος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν παρέλαβεν.ὡς πολεμήσας Βακχίδην ἠνάγκασεν φιλίαν ποιησάμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς χώρας.
When Judas was dead, those that were with him had no one whom they could regard [as their commander];
ὅτι Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ τοῦ Ἐπιφανοῦς Ἀντιόχου υἱὸς ἐλθὼν εἰς Συρίαν ἐξήνεγκεν πόλεμον πρὸς Δημήτριον.
but when they saw themselves deprived of such a general, they fled.
ὡς Δημήτριος πρεσβευσάμενος πρὸς Ἰωνάθην ποιεῖται συμμαχίαν πρὸς αὐτὸν αὐτόν τε πολλοῖς δωρησάμενος καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν.ὡς Ἀλέξανδρος ταῦτα ἀκούσας καὶ ὑπερβαλὼν τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Δημητρίου καὶ ἀποδείξας Ἰωνάθην ἀρχιερέα συμμαχεῖν ἔπεισεν αὐτῷ.
But Simon and Jonathan, Judas’s brethren, received his dead body by a treaty from the enemy, and carried it to the village of Modin, where their father had been buried, and there buried him;
ἡ Ὀνίου φιλία πρὸς τὸν Φιλομήτορα Πτολεμαῖον κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν γενομένη, καὶ ὡς ᾠκοδόμησεν τὸν Ὀνίου καλούμενον ναὸν πρὸς τὸν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ὄντα.ὅτι Ἀλέξανδρος ἀποθανόντος Δημητρίου σφόδρα ἐτίμησεν Ἰωνάθην.
while the multitude lamented him many days, and performed the usual solemn rites of a funeral to him. And this was the end that Judas came to.
ὡς Δημήτριος ὁ Δημητρίου παῖς πλεύσας εἰς τὴν Συρίαν ἀπὸ Κρήτης καὶ πολεμήσας τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ κρατήσας αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ἐβασίλευσεν φιλίαν πρὸς Ἰωνάθην ποιησάμενος.
He had been a man of valor and a great warrior, and mindful of the commands of their father Matrathins;
ὡς Τρύφων ὁ Ἀπαμεὺς καταπολεμήσας Δημήτριον Ἀντιόχῳ τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρου υἱῷ παρέδωκεν τὴν βασιλείαν ποιησάμενος καὶ αὐτὸς σύμμαχον Ἰωνάθην.
and had undergone all difficulties, both in doing and suffering, for the liberty of his countrymen.
ὡς Δημητρίου ὑπὸ Πάρθων αἰχμαλώτου ληφθέντος παρεσπόνδησεν τὸν Ἰωνάθην καὶ δόλῳ λαβὼν αὐτὸν ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ πόλεμον ἐξήνεγκεν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Σίμωνα.ὡς Σίμωνι τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ τὴν στρατηγίαν ἐνεχείρισεν τὸ ἔθνος καὶ ἀπέδειξεν αὐτὸν ἀρχιερέα.
And when his character was so excellent [while he was alive], he left behind him a glorious reputation and memorial, by gaining freedom for his nation, and delivering them from slavery under the Macedonians.
ὡς ἐπολιόρκησεν ἐν Δώροις Τρύφωνα σύμμαχος γενόμενος Ἀντιόχῳ τῷ Δημητρίου ἀδελφῷ τῷ καὶ Εὐσεβεῖ ἐπικληθέντι.ὡς Τρύφωνος ἀναιρεθέντος Ἀντίοχος ἐπολέμησεν Σίμωνα κἀκεῖνος Κενδεβαῖον τὸν στρατηγὸν αὐτοῦ νικήσας τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐξέβαλεν.
And when he had retained the high priesthood three years, he died.
ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ γαμβροῦ Πτολεμαίου ἐν συμποσίῳ δολοφονηθεὶς ἀπέθανεν, καὶ Πτολεμαῖος δήσας αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτὸς ἐπεχείρησεν κατασχεῖν.
BY what means the nation of the Jews recovered their freedom when they had been brought into slavery by the Macedonians, and what struggles, and how great battles, Judas, the general of their army, ran through, till he was slain as he was fighting for them, hath been related in the foregoing book;
ὡς ὁ νεώτατος τῶν Σίμωνος υἱῶν Ὑρκανὸς φθάσας αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν παραλαβὼν ἐπολιόρκησεν τὸν Πτολεμαῖον εἴς τι φρούριον ἐγκλείσας Δαγὼν καλούμενον.ὡς στρατευσάμενος ἐπὶ Ὑρκανὸν Ἀντίοχος ὁ καλούμενος Εὐσεβὴς καὶ προσκαθίσας τῇ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν πόλει διέλυσε τὴν πολιορκίαν λαβὼν παρὰ Ὑρκανοῦ τάλαντα τριακόσια καὶ συμμαχίαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ φιλίαν συνθέμενος.
but after he was dead, all the wicked, and those that transgressed the laws of their forefathers, sprang up again in Judea, and grew upon them, and distressed them on every side.
Ὑρκανοῦ στρατεία μετὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχου τελευτὴν ἐν Μήδοις ἀποθανόντος ἐπὶ Συρίαν καὶ ὡς πολλὰς πόλεις κατὰ κράτος εἷλεν.φιλία πρὸς Ὑρκανὸν Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Ζαβίνα κληθέντος.ὡς ἡττηθεὶς ὑφ' Ὑρκανοῦ Ἀντίοχος ὁ Κυζικηνὸς ἐξέπεσεν τῆς Ἰουδαίας.ὡς παραλαβὼν Ἀριστόβουλος τὴν ἀρχὴν διάδημα περιέθετο πρῶτος.ὡς τελευτήσαντος Ἀριστοβούλου ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν παραλαβὼν Ἀλέξανδρος ἐστράτευσεν ἐπὶ Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην καὶ Ἀραβίαν καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐχειρώσατο.
A famine also assisted their wickedness, and afflicted the country, till not a few, who by reason of their want of necessaries, and because they were not able to bear up against the miseries that both the famine and their enemies brought upon them, deserted their country, and went to the Macedonians.
Πτολεμαίου τοῦ Λαθούρου πρὸς αὐτὸν μάχη καὶ νίκη.ὡς στρατευσάμενος Δημήτριος ὁ Εὔκαιρος λεγόμενος ἐπὶ Ἀλέξανδρον ἐκράτησεν αὐτοῦ.Ἀντιόχου τοῦ καὶ Διονύσου λεγομένου στρατεία ἐπὶ Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ὡς ἐκράτησεν τῇ μάχῃ.ὡς μετὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τελευτὴν ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρα τὴν βασιλείαν ἔτεσιν ἐννέα κατασχοῦσα καὶ βιώσασα μετὰ εἰρήνης καὶ δόξης ἀπέθανεν.
And now Bacchides gathered those Jews together who had apostatized from the accustomed way of living of their forefathers, and chose to live like their neighbors, and committed the care of the country to them, who also caught the friends of Judas, and those of his party, and delivered them up to Bacchides, who when he had, in the first place, tortured and tormented them at his pleasure, he, by that means, at length killed them.
περιέχει ἡ βίβλος χρόνον ἐτῶν ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ δύο. Τίνα μὲν οὖν τρόπον τὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος καταδουλωσαμένων αὐτὸ τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀνεκτήσατο τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ διʼ ὅσων καὶ πηλίκων ἀγώνων ὁ στρατηγὸς αὐτῶν ἐλθὼν Ἰούδας ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν μαχόμενος, ἐν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης βίβλῳ δεδηλώκαμεν.μετὰ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν τὴν Ἰούδου πᾶν ὅσον ἦν ἔτι τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ παραβεβηκότων τὴν πάτριον πολιτείαν ἐπεφύη τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις καὶ πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς ἀκμάζον ἐκάκου.συνελάμβανε δὲ τῇ τούτων πονηρίᾳ καὶ λιμὸς τὴν χώραν καταλαβών, ὡς πολλοὺς διὰ τὴν σπάνιν τῶν ἀναγκαίων καὶ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τοῖς παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἀπό τε τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν δεινοῖς ἀντέχειν αὐτομολῆσαι πρὸς τοὺς Μακεδόνας.
And when this calamity of the Jews was become so great, as they had never had experience of the like since their return out of Babylon, those that remained of the companions of Judas, seeing that the nation was ready to be destroyed after a miserable manner, came to his brother Jonathan, and desired him that he would imitate his brother, and that care which he took of his countrymen, for whose liberty in general he died also;
Βακχίδης δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τοὺς ἀποστάντας τῆς πατρίου συνηθείας καὶ τὸν κοινὸν βίον προῃρημένους συναθροίσας τούτοις ἐνεχείρισεν τὴν τῆς χώρας ἐπιμέλειαν, οἳ καὶ συλλαμβάνοντες τοὺς Ἰούδου φίλους καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου φρονοῦντας τῷ Βακχίδῃ παρέδοσαν· ὁ δὲ βασανίζων πρῶτον αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν αἰκιζόμενος ἔπειθʼ οὕτως διέφθειρεν.
and that he would not permit the nation to be without a governor, especially in those destructive circumstances wherein it now was.
ταύτης δὲ τῆς συμφορᾶς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τηλικαύτης γενομένης, ἡλίκης οὐκ ἦσαν πεπειραμένοι μετὰ τὴν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον, οἱ περιλειφθέντες τῶν ἑταίρων τῶν Ἰούδου βλέποντες ἀπολλύμενον οἰκτρῶς τὸ ἔθνος προσελθόντες αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ Ἰωνάθῃ μιμεῖσθαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου περὶ τῶν ὁμοφύλων πρόνοιαν ἠξίουν ἀποθανόντος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων ἐλευθερίας, καὶ μὴ περιορᾶν ἀπροστάτητον τὸ ἔθνος μηδʼ ἐν οἷς φθείρεται.
And where Jonathan said that he was ready to die for them, and esteemed no inferior to his brother, he was appointed to be the general of the Jewish army.
ὁ δʼ Ἰωνάθης φήσας ἑτοίμως ἔχειν ἀποθνήσκειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν καὶ νομισθεὶς κατὰ μηδὲν εἶναι χείρων τἀδελφοῦ στρατηγὸς ἀποδείκνυται τῶν Ἰουδαίων.