1 Maccabees 15

NEW JERUSALEM	LXX
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;	1 και απεστειλεν αντιοχος υιος δημητριου του βασιλεως επιστολας απο των νησων της θαλασσης σιμωνι ιερει και εθναρχη των ιουδαιων και παντι τω εθνει
2 this was how it read: 'King Antiochus to Simon, high priest and ethnarch, and to the Jewish nation,greetings.	2 και ησαν περιεχουσαι τον τροπον τουτον βασιλευς αντιοχος σιμωνι ιερει μεγαλω και εθναρχη και εθνει ιουδαιων χαιρειν
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,	3 επει τινες λοιμοι κατεκρατησαν της βασιλειας των πατερων ημων βουλομαι δε αντιποιησασθαι της βασιλειας οπως αποκαταστησω αυτην ως ην το προτερον εξενολογησα δε πληθος δυναμεων και κατεσκευασα πλοια πολεμικα
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;	4 βουλομαι δε εκβηναι κατα την χωραν οπως μετελθω τους κατεφθαρκοτας την χωραν ημων και τους ηρημωκοτας πολεις πολλας εν τη βασιλεια μου
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.	5 νυν ουν ιστημι σοι παντα τα αφεματα α αφηκαν σοι οι προ εμου βασιλεις και οσα αλλα δοματα αφηκαν σοι
6 I hereby authorise you to mint your own coinage as legal tender for your own country.	6 και επετρεψα σοι ποιησαι κομμα ιδιον νομισμα τη χωρα σου
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.	7 ιερουσαλημ δε και τα αγια ειναι ελευθερα και παντα τα οπλα οσα κατεσκευασας και τα οχυρωματα α ωκοδομησας ων κρατεις μενετω σοι
8 Al debts to the royal treasury, present or future, are cancel ed henceforth in perpetuity.	8 και παν οφειλημα βασιλικον και τα εσομενα βασιλικα απο του νυν και εις τον απαντα χρονον αφιεσθω σοι
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.'	9 ως δ' αν κρατησωμεν της βασιλειας ημων δοξασομεν σε και το εθνος σου και το ιερον δοξη μεγαλη ωστε φανεραν γενεσθαι την δοξαν υμων εν παση τη γη
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.	10 ετους τεταρτου και εβδομηκοστου και εκατοστου εξηλθεν αντιοχος εις την γην των πατερων αυτου και συνηλθον προς αυτον πασαι αι δυναμεις ωστε ολιγους ειναι συν τρυφωνι
11 Antiochus pursued the usurper, who took refuge in Dora on the coast,	11 και εδιωξεν αυτον αντιοχος και ηλθεν εις δωρα φευγων την επι θαλασσης
12 knowing that misfortunes were piling up on him and that his troops had deserted him.	12 ηδει γαρ οτι επισυνηκται επ' αυτον τα κακα και αφηκαν αυτον αι δυναμεις
13 Antiochus pitched camp outside Dora with a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men and eightthousand cavalry.	13 και παρενεβαλεν αντιοχος επι δωρα και συν αυτω δωδεκα μυριαδες ανδρων πολεμιστων και οκτακισχιλια ιππος
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.	14 και εκυκλωσεν την πολιν και τα πλοια απο θαλασσης συνηψαν και εθλιβε την πολιν απο της γης και της θαλασσης και ουκ ειασεν ουδενα εκπορευεσθαι ουδε εισπορευεσθαι
15 Numenius and his companions, meanwhile, arrived from Rome, bringing letters addressed to variouskings and states, in the fol owing terms:	15 και ηλθεν νουμηνιος και οι παρ' αυτου εκ ρωμης εχοντες επιστολας τοις βασιλευσιν και ταις χωραις εν αις εγεγραπτο ταδε
16 'Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings.	16 λευκιος υπατος ρωμαιων πτολεμαιω βασιλει χαιρειν
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.	17 οι πρεσβευται των ιουδαιων ηλθον προς ημας φιλοι ημων και συμμαχοι ανανεουμενοι την εξ αρχης φιλιαν και συμμαχιαν απεσταλμενοι απο σιμωνος του αρχιερεως και του δημου των ιουδαιων
18 They have brought a golden shield worth a thousand mina.	18 ηνεγκαν δε ασπιδα χρυσην απο μνων χιλιων
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.	19 ηρεσεν ουν ημιν γραψαι τοις βασιλευσιν και ταις χωραις οπως μη εκζητησωσιν αυτοις κακα και μη πολεμησωσιν αυτους και τας πολεις αυτων και την χωραν αυτων και ινα μη συμμαχωσιν τοις πολεμουσιν προς αυτους
20 We have seen fit to accept the shield from them.	20 εδοξεν δε ημιν δεξασθαι την ασπιδα παρ' αυτων
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.'	21 ει τινες ουν λοιμοι διαπεφευγασιν εκ της χωρας αυτων προς υμας παραδοτε αυτους σιμωνι τω αρχιερει οπως εκδικηση αυτους κατα τον νομον αυτων
22 The consul sent the same letter to King Demetrius, to Attalus, Ariarathes and Arsaces,	22 και ταυτα εγραψεν δημητριω τω βασιλει και ατταλω και αριαραθη και αρσακη
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.	23 και εις πασας τας χωρας και σαμψαμη και σπαρτιαταις και εις δηλον και εις μυνδον και εις σικυωνα και εις την καριαν και εις σαμον και εις την παμφυλιαν και εις λυκιαν και εις αλικαρνασσον και εις ροδον και εις φασηλιδα και εις κω και εις σιδην και εις αραδον και γορτυναν και κνιδον και κυπρον και κυρηνην
24 They also drew up a copy for Simon the high priest.	24 το δε αντιγραφον τουτων εγραψαν σιμωνι τω αρχιερει
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.	25 αντιοχος δε ο βασιλευς παρενεβαλεν επι δωρα εν τη δευτερα προσαγων δια παντος αυτη τας χειρας και μηχανας ποιουμενος και συνεκλεισεν τον τρυφωνα του εκπορευεσθαι και εισπορευεσθαι
26 Simon sent him two thousand picked men to support him in the fight, with silver and gold and plentyof equipment.	26 και απεστειλεν αυτω σιμων δισχιλιους ανδρας εκλεκτους συμμαχησαι αυτω και αργυριον και χρυσιον και σκευη ικανα
27 But Antiochus would not accept them; instead, he repudiated al his previous agreements with Simonand completely changed his attitude to him.	27 και ουκ ηβουλετο αυτα δεξασθαι αλλα ηθετησεν παντα οσα συνεθετο αυτω το προτερον και ηλλοτριουτο αυτω
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.	28 και απεστειλεν προς αυτον αθηνοβιον ενα των φιλων αυτου κοινολογησομενον αυτω λεγων υμεις κατακρατειτε της ιοππης και γαζαρων και της ακρας της εν ιερουσαλημ πολεις της βασιλειας μου
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.	29 τα ορια αυτων ηρημωσατε και εποιησατε πληγην μεγαλην επι της γης και εκυριευσατε τοπων πολλων εν τη βασιλεια μου
30 Either now surrender the towns you have taken and the taxes from the places you have seizedoutside the frontiers of Judaea,	30 νυν ουν παραδοτε τας πολεις ας κατελαβεσθε και τους φορους των τοπων ων κατεκυριευσατε εκτος των οριων της ιουδαιας
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.'	31 ει δε μη δοτε αντ' αυτων πεντακοσια ταλαντα αργυριου και της καταφθορας ης κατεφθαρκατε και των φορων των πολεων αλλα ταλαντα πεντακοσια ει δε μη παραγενομενοι εκπολεμησομεν υμας
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,	32 και ηλθεν αθηνοβιος ο φιλος του βασιλεως εις ιερουσαλημ και ειδεν την δοξαν σιμωνος και κυλικειον μετα χρυσωματων και αργυρωματων και παραστασιν ικανην και εξιστατο και απηγγειλεν αυτω τους λογους του βασιλεως
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;	33 και αποκριθεις σιμων ειπεν αυτω ουτε γην αλλοτριαν ειληφαμεν ουτε αλλοτριων κεκρατηκαμεν αλλα της κληρονομιας των πατερων ημων υπο δε εχθρων ημων ακριτως εν τινι καιρω κατεκρατηθη
34 now that we have a favourable opportunity, we are merely recovering our ancestral heritage.	34 ημεις δε καιρον εχοντες αντεχομεθα της κληρονομιας των πατερων ημων
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,	35 περι δε ιοππης και γαζαρων ων αιτεις αυται εποιουν εν τω λαω πληγην μεγαλην και την χωραν ημων τουτων δωσομεν ταλαντα εκατον
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.	36 και ουκ απεκριθη αυτω λογον απεστρεψεν δε μετα θυμου προς τον βασιλεα και απηγγειλεν αυτω τους λογους τουτους και την δοξαν σιμωνος και παντα οσα ειδεν και ωργισθη ο βασιλευς οργην μεγαλην
37 Trypho now boarded a ship and escaped to Orthosia.	37 τρυφων δε εμβας εις πλοιον εφυγεν εις ορθωσιαν
38 The king appointed Cendebaeus military governor of the coastal region and al otted him a force ofinfantry and cavalry.	38 και κατεστησεν ο βασιλευς τον κενδεβαιον επιστρατηγον της παραλιας και δυναμεις πεζικας και ιππικας εδωκεν αυτω
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.	39 και ενετειλατο αυτω παρεμβαλλειν κατα προσωπον της ιουδαιας και ενετειλατο αυτω οικοδομησαι την κεδρων και οχυρωσαι τας πυλας και οπως πολεμη τον λαον ο δε βασιλευς εδιωκε τον τρυφωνα
40 Cendebaeus arrived at Jamnia and began to provoke our people forthwith, invading Judaea, takingprisoners, and massacring.	40 και παρεγενηθη κενδεβαιος εις ιαμνειαν και ηρξατο του ερεθιζειν τον λαον και εμβατευειν εις την ιουδαιαν και αιχμαλωτιζειν τον λαον και φονευειν
41 Having rebuilt Kedron, he stationed cavalry and troops there to make sorties and patrol the roads ofJudaea, as the king had ordered.	41 και ωκοδομησεν την κεδρων και απεταξεν εκει ιππεις και δυναμεις οπως εκπορευομενοι εξοδευωσιν τας οδους της ιουδαιας καθα συνεταξεν αυτω ο βασιλευς