Apo

1 Now Judas had heard of the the Romans, that they were mighty and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto them;

2 And that they were men of great valour. It was told him also of their wars and noble acts which they had done among the Galatians, and how they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute;

3 And what they had done in the country of Spain, for the winning of the mines of the silver and gold which is there;

4 And that by their policy and patience they had conquered all the place, though it were very far from them; and the kings also that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth, till they had discomfited them, and given them a great overthrow, so that the rest did give them tribute every year:

5 Beside this, how they had discomfited in battle Philip, and Perseus, king of the Citims, with others that lifted up themselves against them, and had overcome them:

6 How also Antiochus the great king of Asia, that came against them in battle, having an hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and chariots, and a very great army, was discomfited by them;

7 And how they took him alive, and covenanted that he and such as reigned after him should pay a great tribute, and give hostages, and that which was agreed upon,

8 And the country of India, and Media and Lydia and of the goodliest countries, which they took of him, and gave to king Eumenes:

9 Moreover how the Grecians had determined to come and destroy them;

10 And that they, having knowledge thereof sent against them a certain captain, and fighting with them slew many of them, and carried away captives their wives and their children, and spoiled them, and took possession of their lands, and pulled down their strong holds, and brought them to be their servants unto this day:

11 It was told him besides, how they destroyed and brought under their dominion all other kingdoms and isles that at any time resisted them;

12 But with their friends and such as relied upon them they kept amity: and that they had conquered kingdoms both far and nigh, insomuch as all that heard of their name were afraid of them:

13 Also that, whom they would help to a kingdom, those reign; and whom again they would, they displace: finally, that they were greatly exalted:

14 Yet for all this none of them wore a crown or was clothed in purple, to be magnified thereby:

15 Moreover how they had made for themselves a senate house, wherein three hundred and twenty men sat in council daily, consulting alway for the people, to the end they might be well ordered:

16 And that they committed their government to one man every year, who ruled over all their country, and that all were obedient to that one, and that there was neither envy nor emmulation among them.

17 In consideration of these things, Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, to make a league of amity and confederacy with them,

18 And to intreat them that they would take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude.

19 They went therefore to Rome, which was a very great journey, and came into the senate, where they spake and said.

20 Judas Maccabeus with his brethren, and the people of the Jews, have sent us unto you, to make a confederacy and peace with you, and that we might be registered your confederates and friends.

21 So that matter pleased the Romans well.

22 And this is the copy of the epistle which the senate wrote back again in tables of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that there they might have by them a memorial of peace and confederacy:

23 Good success be to the Romans, and to the people of the Jews, by sea and by land for ever: the sword also and enemy be far from them,

24 If there come first any war upon the Romans or any of their confederates throughout all their dominion,

25 The people of the Jews shall help them, as the time shall be appointed, with all their heart:

26 Neither shall they give any thing unto them that make war upon them, or aid them with victuals, weapons, money, or ships, as it hath seemed good unto the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants without taking any thing therefore.

27 In the same manner also, if war come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, according as the time shall be appointed them:

28 Neither shall victuals be given to them that take part against them, or weapons, or money, or ships, as it hath seemed good to the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants, and that without deceit.

29 According to these articles did the Romans make a covenant with the people of the Jews.

30 Howbeit if hereafter the one party or the other shall think to meet to add or diminish any thing, they may do it at their pleasures, and whatsoever they shall add or take away shall be ratified.

31 And as touching the evils that Demetrius doeth to the Jews, we have written unto him, saying, Wherefore thou made thy yoke heavy upon our friends and confederates the Jews?

32 If therefore they complain any more against thee, we will do them justice, and fight with thee by sea and by land.

Sep

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 ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν σφόδρα καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἐπελθόντων ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾽ ἄκρου τῆς γῆς ἕως συνέτριψαν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἐν αὐτοῖς πληγὴν μεγάλην καὶ οἱ ἐπίλοιποι διδόασιν αὐτοῖς φόρον κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτόν

5 καὶ τὸν Φίλιππον καὶ τὸν Περσέα Κιτιέων βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς ἐπηρμένους ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς συνέτριψαν αὐτοὺς ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ κατεκράτησαν αὐτῶν

6 καὶ Ἀντίοχον τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα τῆς Ἀσίας τὸν πορευθέντα ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἔχοντα ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι ἐλέφαντας καὶ ἵππον καὶ ἅρματα καὶ δύναμιν πολλὴν σφόδρα καὶ συνετρίβη ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν

7 καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν ζῶντα καὶ ἔστησαν αὐτοῖς διδόναι αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας μετ᾽ 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 παρ᾽ 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 ἐπ᾽ 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

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 ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν

13 οἷς δ᾽ ἂν βούλωνται βοηθεῖν καὶ βασιλεύειν βασιλεύουσιν οὓς δ᾽ ἂν βούλωνται μεθιστῶσιν καὶ ὑψώθησαν σφόδρα

14 καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τούτοις οὐκ ἐπέθεντο αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς διάδημα οὐδὲ περιεβάλοντο πορφύραν ὥστε ἁδρυνθῆναι ἐν αὐτῇ

15 καὶ βουλευτήριον ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἐβουλεύοντο τριακόσιοι καὶ εἴκοσι βουλευόμενοι διὰ παντὸς περὶ τοῦ πλήθους τοῦ εὐκοσμεῖν αὐτούς

16 καὶ πιστεύουσιν ἑνὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἄρχειν αὐτῶν κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ κυριεύειν πάσης τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν καὶ πάντες ἀκούουσιν τοῦ ἑνός καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν φθόνος οὐδὲ ζῆλος ἐν αὐτοῖς

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 ἀπ᾽ 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 μεθ᾽ 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 παρ᾽ 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 ἀπ᾽ 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

Vul

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 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 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 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.