Primus Machabaeorum 8

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
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.	1 Now Judas had heard of the reputation of the Romans: how strong they were, and how wel disposedtowards any who made common cause with them, making a treaty of friendship with anyone who approachedthem.
2 Et audierunt prælia eorum, et virtutes bonas, quas fecerunt in Galatia, quia obtinuerunt eos, et duxerunt sub tributum :	2 (And, indeed, they were extremely powerful.) He had been told of their wars and of their prowessamong the Gauls, whom they had conquered and put under tribute;
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 :	3 and of al they had done in the province of Spain to gain possession of the silver and gold mines there,
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.	4 making themselves masters of the whole country by their determination and perseverance, despite itsgreat distance from their own; of the kings who came from the ends of the earth to attack them, only to becrushed by them and overwhelmed with disaster, and of others who paid them annual tribute;
5 Et Philippum et Persen Ceteorum regem, et ceteros qui adversum eos arma tulerant, contriverunt in bello, et obtinuerunt eos :	5 Philip, Perseus king of the Kittim, and others who had dared to make war on them, had been defeatedand reduced to subjection,
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 :	6 while Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who had advanced to attack them with a hundred and twentyelephants, cavalry, chariots and a very large army, had also suffered defeat at their hands;
7 et quia ceperunt eum vivum, et statuerunt ei ut daret ipse, et qui regnarent post ipsum, tributum magnum, et daret obsides, et constitutum,	7 they had taken him alive and imposed on him and his successors, on agreed terms, the payment of anenormous tribute, the surrender of hostages, and the cession
8 et regionem Indorum, et Medos, et Lydos, de optimis regionibus eorum : et acceptas eas ab eis, dederunt Eumeni regi,	8 of the Indian territory, with Media, Lydia, and some of their best provinces, which they took from himand gave to King Eumenes.
9 et quia qui erant apud Helladam, voluerunt ire, et tollere eos : et innotuit sermo his,	9 Judas had also heard how, when the Greeks planned an expedition to destroy the Romans,
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 :	10 the latter had got wind of it and, sending a single general against them, had fought a campaign inwhich they inflicted heavy casualties, carried their women and children away into captivity, pillaged their goods,subdued their country, tore down their fortresses and reduced them to a slavery lasting to the present day;
11 et residua regna, et insulas, quæ aliquando restiterant illis, exterminaverunt, et in potestatem redegerunt.	11 and how they had destroyed and subjugated al the other kingdoms and islands that resisted them.
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 :	12 But where their friends and those who relied on them were concerned, they had always stood by theirfriendship. They had subdued kings far and near, and al who heard their name went in terror of them.
13 quibus vero vellent auxilio esse ut regnarent, regnabant : quos autem vellent, regno deturbabant : et exaltati sunt valde.	13 One man, if they determined to help him and advance him to a throne, would certainly occupy it, whileanother, if they so determined, would find himself deposed; their influence was paramount.
14 Et in omnibus istis nemo portabat diadema, nec induebatur purpura, ut magnificaretur in ea.	14 In spite of al this, no single one of them had assumed a crown or put on the purple for his ownaggrandisement.
15 Et quia curiam fecerunt sibi, et quotidie consulebant trecentos viginti consilium agentes semper de multitudine, ut quæ digna sunt, gerant :	15 They had set up a senate, where three hundred and twenty councillors deliberated daily, constantlydebating how best to regulate public affairs.
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.	16 They entrusted their government to one man for a year at a time, with absolute power over their wholeempire, and this man was obeyed by al without envy or jealousy.
17 Et elegit Judas Eupolemum filium Joannis filii Jacob, et Jasonem filium Eleazari, et misit eos Romam constituere cum illis amicitiam et societatem :	17 Having chosen Eupolemus son of John, of the family of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar, Judas sentthem to Rome to make a treaty of friendship and al iance with these people,
18 et ut auferrent ab eis jugum Græcorum, quia viderunt quod in servitutem premerent regnum Israël.	18 in the hope of being rid of the yoke, for they could see that Greek rule was reducing Israel to slavery.
19 Et abierunt Romam viam multam valde, et introierunt curiam, et dixerunt :	19 The envoys made the lengthy journey to Rome and presented themselves before the Senate withtheir formal proposal:
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.	20 'Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, with the Jewish people, have sent us to you to conclude a treatyof al iance and peace with you, and to enrol ourselves as your al ies and friends.'
21 Et placuit sermo in conspectu eorum.	21 The proposal met with the approval of the senators.
22 Et hoc rescriptum est quod rescripserunt in tabulis æreis, et miserunt in Jerusalem, ut esset apud eos ibi memoriale pacis et societatis :	22 Here is a copy of the rescript which they engraved on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem to be keptthere by the Jews as a record of peace and al iance:
23 Bene sit Romanis, et genti Judæorum, in mari et in terra in æternum : gladiusque et hostis procul sit ab eis.	23 'Good fortune attend the Romans and the Jewish nation by sea and land for ever; may sword orenemy be far from them!
24 Quod si institerit bellum Romanis prius, aut omnibus sociis eorum in omni dominatione eorum,	24 'If war comes first to Rome or any of her al ies throughout her dominions,
25 auxilium feret gens Judæorum, prout tempus dictaverit, corde pleno :	25 the Jewish nation wil take action as her al y, as occasion may require, and do it wholeheartedly.
26 et præliantibus non dabunt, neque subministrabunt triticum, arma, pecuniam, naves, sicut placuit Romanis : et custodient mandata eorum, nihil ab eis accipientes.	26 They wil not give or supply to the enemy any grain, arms, money or ships: thus has Rome decided,and they are to honour their obligations without guarantees.
27 Similiter autem et si genti Judæorum prius acciderit bellum, adjuvabunt Romani ex animo, prout eis tempus permiserit :	27 In the same way, if war comes first to the Jewish nation, the Romans wil support them energetical yas occasion may offer,
28 et adjuvantibus non dabitur triticum, arma, pecunia, naves, sicut placuit Romanis : et custodient mandata eorum absque dolo :	28 and the aggressor wil not be furnished with grain, arms, money or ships: such is the Roman decision,and they wil honour these obligations without treachery.
29 secundum hæc verba constituerunt Romani populo Judæorum.	29 Such are the articles under which the Romans have concluded their treaty with the Jewish people.
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.	30 If, later, either party should decide to make any addition or deletion, they wil be free to do so, and anysuch addition or deletion wil be binding.
31 Sed et de malis, quæ Demetrius rex fecit in eos, scripsimus ei, dicentes : Quare gravasti jugum tuum super amicos nostros, et socios Judæos ?	31 'As regards the wrongs done to them by King Demetrius, we have written to him in these terms: Whyhave you made your yoke lie heavy on our friends and al ies the Jews?
32 si ergo iterum adierint nos, adversum te faciemus illis judicium, et pugnabimus tecum mari terraque.	32 If they appeal against you again, we shal uphold their rights and make war on you by sea and land.'