Primus Machabaeorum 15

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Et misit rex Antiochus filius Demetrii epistolas ab insulis maris Simoni sacerdoti, et principi gentis Judæorum, et universæ genti :	1 Antiochus son of King Demetrius addressed a letter from the Mediterranean Isles to Simon, priest andethnarch of the Jews, and to the whole nation;
2 et erant continentes hunc modum : Rex Antiochus Simoni sacerdoti magno, et genti Judæorum salutem.	2 this was how it read: 'King Antiochus to Simon, high priest and ethnarch, and to the Jewish nation,greetings.
3 Quoniam quidem pestilentes obtinuerunt regnum patrum nostrorum, volo autem vendicare regnum, et restituere illud sicut erat antea : et electam feci multitudinem exercitus, et feci naves bellicas.	3 'Whereas certain scoundrels have seized control of the kingdom of our fathers, and I propose to claimback the kingdom so that I may re-establish it as it was before, and whereas I have accordingly recruited verylarge forces and fitted out warships,
4 Volo autem procedere per regionem ut ulciscar in eos, qui corruperunt regionem nostram, et qui desolaverunt civitates multas in regno meo.	4 intending to make a landing in the country and to hunt down the men who have ruined it and laidwaste many towns in my kingdom;
5 Nunc ergo statuo tibi omnes oblationes, quas remiserunt tibi ante me omnes reges, et quæcumque alia dona remiserunt tibi :	5 'I now, therefore, confirm in your favour al remissions of taxes granted to you by the kings mypredecessors, as wel as the waiving of whatever presents they may have conceded.
6 et permitto tibi facere percussuram proprii numismatis in regione tua :	6 I hereby authorise you to mint your own coinage as legal tender for your own country.
7 Jerusalem autem sanctam esse, et liberam : et omnia arma, quæ fabricata sunt, et præsidia, quæ construxisti, quæ tenes, maneant tibi.	7 I declare Jerusalem and the sanctuary to be free; all the arms you have manufactured and thefortresses you have built and now occupy may remain yours.
8 Et omne debitum regis, et quæ futura sunt regi, ex hoc et in totum tempus remittuntur tibi.	8 Al debts to the royal treasury, present or future, are cancel ed henceforth in perpetuity.
9 Cum autem obtinuerimus regnum nostrum, glorificabimus te, et gentem tuam, et templum, gloria magna, ita ut manifestetur gloria vestra in universa terra.	9 Furthermore, when we have won back our kingdom, we shall bestow such great honour on yourself,your nation and the sanctuary as wil make your glory known throughout the world.'
10 Anno centesimo septuagesimo quarto exiit Antiochus in terram patrum suorum, et convenerunt ad eum omnes exercitus, ita ut pauci relicti essent cum Tryphone.	10 Antiochus invaded the land of his ancestors in the year 174 and, since the troops all rallied to him,Trypho was left with few supporters.
11 Et insecutus est eum Antiochus rex, et venit Doram fugiens per maritimam :	11 Antiochus pursued the usurper, who took refuge in Dora on the coast,
12 sciebat enim quod congregata sunt mala in eum, et reliquit eum exercitus :	12 knowing that misfortunes were piling up on him and that his troops had deserted him.
13 et applicuit Antiochus super Doram cum centum viginti millibus virorum belligeratorum, et octo millibus equitum :	13 Antiochus pitched camp outside Dora with a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men and eightthousand cavalry.
14 et circuivit civitatem, et naves a mari accesserunt : et vexabant civitatem a terra et mari, et neminem sinebant ingredi vel egredi.	14 He laid siege to the city while the ships closed in from the sea, so that he had the city under attackfrom land and sea, and al owed no one to go in or come out.
15 Venit autem Numenius, et qui cum eo fuerant, ab urbe Roma, habentes epistolas regibus et regionibus scriptas, in quibus continebantur hæc :	15 Numenius and his companions, meanwhile, arrived from Rome, bringing letters addressed to variouskings and states, in the fol owing terms:
16 Lucius consul Romanorum, Ptolemæo regi salutem.	16 'Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings.
17 Legati Judæorum venerunt ad nos amici nostri, renovantes pristinam amicitiam et societatem, missi a Simone principe sacerdotum et populo Judæorum.	17 'The Jewish ambassadors have come to us as our friends and al ies to renew our original friendshipand alliance in the name of the high priest Simon and the Jewish people.
18 Attulerunt autem et clypeum aureum mnarum mille.	18 They have brought a golden shield worth a thousand mina.
19 Placuit itaque nobis scribere regibus et regionibus, ut non inferant illis mala, neque impugnent eos, et civitates eorum, et regiones eorum : et ut non ferant auxilium pugnantibus adversus eos.	19 Accordingly, we have seen fit to write to various kings and states, warning them neither to molest theJewish people nor to attack either them or their towns or their country, nor to al y themselves with any suchaggressors.
20 Visum autem est nobis accipere ab eis clypeum.	20 We have seen fit to accept the shield from them.
21 Si qui ergo pestilentes refugerunt de regione ipsorum ad vos, tradite eos Simoni principi sacerdotum, ut vindicet in eos secundum legem suam.	21 If, therefore, any scoundrels have fled their country to take refuge with you, hand them over to Simonthe high priest, to be punished by him according to their law.'
22 Hæc eadem scripta sunt Demetrio regi, et Attalo, et Ariarathi, et Arsaci,	22 The consul sent the same letter to King Demetrius, to Attalus, Ariarathes and Arsaces,
23 et in omnes regiones : et Lampsaco, et Spartiatis, et in Delum, et in Myndum, et in Sicyonem, et in Cariam, et in Samum, et in Pamphyliam, et in Lyciam, et in Alicarnassum, et in Coo, et in Siden, et in Aradon, et in Rhodum, et in Phaselidem, et in Gortynam, et Gnidum, et Cyprum, et Cyrenen.	23 and to all states, including Sampsames, the Spartans, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos,Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Arados, Gortyn, Cyprus and Cyrene.
24 Exemplum autem eorum scripserunt Simoni principi sacerdotum, et populo Judæorum.	24 They also drew up a copy for Simon the high priest.
25 Antiochus autem rex applicuit castra in Doram secundo, admovens ei semper manus, et machinas faciens : et conclusit Tryphonem, ne procederet :	25 Antiochus, meanwhile, from his positions on the outskirts of Dora, was continual y throwingdetachments against the town. He constructed siege-engines, and blockaded Trypho, preventing movement inor out.
26 et misit ad eum Simon duo millia virorum electorum in auxilium, et argentum, et aurum, et vasa copiosa :	26 Simon sent him two thousand picked men to support him in the fight, with silver and gold and plentyof equipment.
27 et noluit ea accipere, sed rupit omnia, quæ pactus est cum eo antea, et alienavit se ab eo.	27 But Antiochus would not accept them; instead, he repudiated al his previous agreements with Simonand completely changed his attitude to him.
28 Et misit ad eum Athenobium unum de amicis suis, ut tractaret cum ipso, dicens : Vos tenetis Joppen, et Gazaram, et arcem, quæ est in Jerusalem, civitates regni mei :	28 He sent him Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with him and say, 'You are now occupyingJoppa and Gezer and the Citadel in Jerusalem, which are towns in my kingdom.
29 fines earum desolastis, et fecistis plagam magnam in terra, et dominati estis per loca multa in regno meo.	29 You have laid waste their territory and done immense harm to the country; and you have seizedcontrol of many places properly in my kingdom.
30 Nunc ergo tradite civitates quas occupastis, et tributa locorum in quibus dominati estis extra fines Judææ :	30 Either now surrender the towns you have taken and the taxes from the places you have seizedoutside the frontiers of Judaea,
31 sin autem, date pro illis quingenta talenta argenti, et exterminii, quod exterminastis, et tributorum civitatum alia talenta quingenta : sin autem, veniemus, et expugnabimus vos.	31 or else pay me five hundred talents of silver in compensation for them and for the destruction youhave done, and another five hundred talents for the taxes from the towns; otherwise we shall come and makewar on you.'
32 Et venit Athenobius amicus regis in Jerusalem, et vidit gloriam Simonis, et claritatem in auro, et argento, et apparatum copiosum : et obstupuit, et retulit ei verba regis.	32 When the King's Friend, Athenobius, reached Jerusalem and saw Simon's magnificence, his cabinetof gold and silver plate and the state he kept, he was dumbfounded. He delivered the king's message,
33 Et respondit ei Simon, et dixit ei : Neque alienam terram sumpsimus, neque aliena detinemus : sed hæreditatem patrum nostrorum, quæ injuste ab inimicis nostris aliquo tempore possessa est.	33 but Simon gave him this answer, 'We have not taken foreign territory or any alien property but haveoccupied our ancestral heritage, for some time unjustly wrested from us by our enemies;
34 Nos vero tempus habentes, vindicamus hæreditatem patrum nostrorum.	34 now that we have a favourable opportunity, we are merely recovering our ancestral heritage.
35 Nam de Joppe et Gazara quæ expostulas, ipsi faciebant in populo plagam magnam, et in regione nostra : horum damus talenta centum. Et non respondit ei Athenobius verbum.	35 As regards Joppa and Gezer, which you claim, these were towns that did great harm to our peopleand laid waste our country; we are prepared to give a hundred talents for them.' Without so much as a word inanswer,
36 Reversus autem cum ira ad regem, renuntiavit ei verba ista, et gloriam Simonis, et universa quæ vidit, et iratus est rex ira magna.	36 the envoy went back to the king in a rage and reported on Simon's answer and his magnificence,and on everything he had seen, at which the king fel into a fury.
37 Tryphon autem fugit navi in Orthosiada.	37 Trypho now boarded a ship and escaped to Orthosia.
38 Et constituit rex Cendebæum ducem maritimum, et exercitum peditum et equitum dedit illi.	38 The king appointed Cendebaeus military governor of the coastal region and al otted him a force ofinfantry and cavalry.
39 Et mandavit illi movere castra contra faciem Judææ : et mandavit ei ædificare Gedorem, et obstruere portas civitatis, et debellare populum. Rex autem persequebatur Typhonem.	39 He ordered him to deploy his men facing Judaea, and instructed him to rebuild Kedron and fortify itsgates, and to make war on our people, while the king himself went in pursuit of Trypho.
40 Et pervenit Cendebæus Jamniam, et cœpit irritare plebem, et conculcare Judæam, et captivare populum, et interficere, et ædificare Gedorem.	40 Cendebaeus arrived at Jamnia and began to provoke our people forthwith, invading Judaea, takingprisoners, and massacring.
41 Et collocavit illic equites et exercitum, ut egressi perambularent viam Judææ, sicut constituit ei rex.	41 Having rebuilt Kedron, he stationed cavalry and troops there to make sorties and patrol the roads ofJudaea, as the king had ordered.