1
Τὸ δὲ δὴ σφόδρα περιπαθῶς ἐκέλευσεν ἄλλους ἐκ τῆς ἠλικίας τῶν Ἑβραίων ἀγαγεῖν· καὶ εἰ μὲν μιεροφαγήσαιεν, ἀπολύειν φάγοντας· εἰ δὲ ἀντιλέγοιεν, πικρότερον βασανίζειν.
Then, indeed, vehemently swayed with passion, he commanded to bring others of the adult Hebrews, and if they would eat of the unclean thing, to let them go when they had eaten; but if they objected, to torment them more grievously.
2
Ταῦτα διαδεξαμένου τοῦ τυράννου, παρῆσαν ἀγόμενοι μετὰ γηραιᾶς μητρὸς ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ, καλοί τε καὶ αἰδήμονες καὶ γενναῖοι καὶ ἐν παντὶ χαριέντες.
The tyrant having given this charge, seven brethren were brought into his presence, along with their aged mother, handsome, and modest, and wellborn, and altogether comely.
3
Οὓς ἰδὼν ὁ τύραννος καθάπερ ἐν χορῷ περιέχοντας μέσην τὴν μητέρα, ἤσθετο ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, καὶ τῆς εὐπρεπείας ἐκπλαγεὶς καὶ τῆς εὐγενείας προσεμειδίασεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ πλησίον καλέσας, ἔφη,
Whom, when the tyrant beheld, encircling their mother as in a dance, he was pleased at them; and being struck with their becoming and ingenuous mien, smiled upon them, and calling them near, said,
4
Ὦ νεανίαι φιλοφρόνως ἐγὼ καθʼ ἐνὸς ἑκάστου ὑμῶν θαυμάζω τὸ κάλλος· καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τοσούτων ἀδελφῶν ὑπερτιμῶν, οὐ μόνον συμβουλεύω μὴ μανῆναι τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ προβασανισθέντι γέροντι μανίαν·
O youths, with favorable feelings, I admire the beauty of each of you; and greatly honoring so numerous a band of brethren, I not only counsel you not to share the madness of the old man who has been tortured before,
5
ἀλλὰ καὶ παρακαλῶ συνείξαντας τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπολαῦσαι φιλίας· δυναίμην γὰρ ὥσπερ κολάζειν τοὺς ἐπιτάγμασιν, σὕτως καὶ εὐεργετεῖν τοὺς εὐπειθοῦντάς μοι.
but I do beg you to yield, and to enjoy my friendship; for I possess the power, not only of punishing those who disobey my commands, but of doing good to those who obey them.
6
Πιστεύσατε οὖν, καὶ ἀρχὰς ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμῶν πραγμάτων ἡγεμονικὰς λήψεσθε, ἀρνησάμενοι τὸν πάτριον ἡμῶν τῆς πολιτείας θεσμόν·
Put confidence in me, then, and you shall receive places of authority in my government, if you forsake your national ordinance,
7
καὶ μεταλαβόντες Ἑλληνικοῦ βίου, καὶ μεταδιαιτηθέντες ἐντρυφήσατε ταῖς νεότησιν ὑμῶν.
and, conforming to the Greek mode of life, alter your rule, and revel in youth’s delights.
8
Ἐπεὶ ἐὰν ὀργίλως με διάθησθε διὰ τῆς ἀπειθείας ὑμῶν, ἀναγκάσετέ με ἐπὶ δειναῖς κολάσεσιν ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑμῶν διὰ τῶν βασάνων ἀπολέσαι.
For if you provoke me by your disobedience, you will compel me to destroy you, every one, with terrible punishments by tortures.
9
Κατελεήσατε οὖν ἑαυτοὺς, οὕς καὶ ὁ πολέμιος ἔγωγε καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας καὶ τῆς εὐμορφίας οἰκτείρομαι.
Have mercy, then, upon your own selves, whom I, although an enemy, compassionate for your age and comeliness.
10
Οὐ διαλογιεῖσθε τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἀπειθήσασιν πλὴν τοῦ μετὰ στρεβλῶν ἀποθανεῖν ἀπόκειται;
Will you not reason upon this—that if you disobey, there will be nothing left for you but to die in tortures?
11
Ταῦτα δὲ λέγων, ἐκέλευσεν εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν προτεθῆναι τὰ βασανιστήρια, ὅπως καὶ διὰ τοῦ φόβου πείσειεν αὐτοὺς μιεροφαγῆσαι.
Thus speaking, he ordered the instruments of torture to be brought forward, that very fear might prevail upon them to eat unclean meat.
12
Ὡς δὲ τροχούς τε καὶ ἀρθενβόλους στρεβλωτήρια, καὶ τροχαντῆρας καὶ καταπέλτας καὶ λέβητας, τήγανά τε καὶ δακτυλήθρας, καὶ χεῖρας σιδηρᾶς καὶ σφῆνας, καὶ τὰ ζώπυρα τοῦ πυρὸς οἱ δορυφόροι προέθησαν, ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ὁ τύραννος, ἔφη, μειράκια φοβήθητε,
And when the spearman brought forward the wheels, and the racks, and hooks, and catapults, and caldrons, pans, and finger racks, and iron hands, and wedges, and bellows, the tyrant continued:
13
καὶ ἥν σέβεσθε δίκην, ἵλεως ὑμῖν ἔσται διʼ ἀνάγκην παρανομήσασιν.
Fear, young men, and the Righteousness which ye worship will be merciful to you if you err from compulsion.
14
Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐπαγωγὰ, καὶ ὁρῶντες δεινὰ, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντεφιλοσόφῃσαν τῷ τυράννῳ, καὶ διὰ τῆς εὐλογιστίας τὴν τυραννίδα αὐτοῦ κατέλυσαν.
Now they having listened to these words of persuasion, and seeing the fearful instruments, not only were not afraid, but even answered the arguments of the tyrant, and through their good reasoning destroyed his power.
15
Καί τοι λογισώμεθα· εἰ δειλόψυχοί τινες ἦσαν, καὶ ἄνανδροι ἐν αὐτοῖς, ποίοις ἂν ἐχρήσαντο λόγοις; οὐχὶ τούτοις;
Now let us consider the matter: had any of them been weak spirited and cowardly among them, what reasonings would they have employed but such as these?
16
Ὦ τάλανες ἡμεῖς, καὶ λίαν ἀνόητοι· βασιλέως ἡμᾶς παρακαλοῦντος, καὶ ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ φωνοῦντος, μὴ πεισθείημεν αὐτῷ;
O wretched that we are, and exceeding senseless! when the king exhorts us, and calls us to his bounty, should we not obey him?
17
Τί βουλήμασιν κενοῖς ἐαυτοὺς εὐφραίνομεν, καὶ θανατηφόρον ἀπείθειαν τολμῶμεν;
Why do we cheer ourselves with vain counsels, and venture upon a disobedience bringing death?
18
Οὐ φοβησόμεθα, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, τὰ βασανιστήρια, καὶ λογιούμεθα τὰς τῶν βασάνων ἀπειλὰς, καὶ φευξόμεθα τὴν κενοδοξίαν ταύτην καὶ ὀλεθροφόρον ἀλαζονείαν;
Shall we not fear, O brethren, the instruments of torture, and weigh the threatenings of torment, and shun this vainglory and destructive pride?
19
Ἐλεήσωμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἡλικίας, καὶ κατοικτειρήσωμεν τὸ τῆς μητρὸς γῆρας·
Let us have compassion upon our age and relent over the years of our mother.
20
καὶ ἐνθυμηθῶμεν, ὅτι ἀπειθοῦντες τεθνηξόμεθα.
And let us bear in mind that we shall be dying as rebels.
21
Συγγνώσεται δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ ἡ θεία δίκη διʼ ἀνάγκην τὸν βασιλὲα φοβηθεῖσιν.
And Divine Justice will pardon us if we fear the king through necessity.
22
Τί ἐξάγομεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῦ ἡδίστου βίου, καὶ ἐπιστεροῦμεν ἐαυτοὺς τοῦ γλυκέος κόσμου;
Why withdraw ourselves from a most sweet life, and deprive ourselves of this pleasant world?
23
Μὴ βιαζώμεθα τὴν ἀνάγκην, μηδὲ κενοδοξήσωμεν ἐπʼ τῇ ἑαυτῶν στρέβλῃ.
Let us not oppose necessity, nor seek vainglory by our own excruciation.
24
Οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ ναὸς ἑκουσίως ἡμᾶς θανατοῖ φοβηθέντας τὰ βασανιστήρια.
The law itself is not forward to put us to death, if we dread torture.
25
Πόθεν ἡμῖν ἡ τοσαύτη ἐντέηκεν φιλονεικία, καὶ ἡ θανατεφόρος ἀρέσκει καρτερία, παρὸν μετὰ ἀταραξίας χρὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ πεισθέντας;
Whence has such angry zeal taken root in us, and such fatal obstinacy approved itself to us, when we might live unmolested by giving ear to the king?
26
Ἀλλὰ τούτων οὐδὲν εἶπον οἱ νεανίαι βασανίζεσθαι μέλλοντες, οὐδὲ ἐνεθυμήθησαν.
But nothing of this kind did the young men say or think when about to be tortured.
27
Ἦσαν γὰρ περιφρονες τῶν παθῶν, καὶ αὐτηκράτορες τῶν ἀλγηδόνων. Ὥστε ἅμα τῷ παύσασθαι τὸν τύραννον συμβουλεύοντα αὐτοῖς μιεροφαγῆσαι, πάντες διὰ μιᾶς φωνῆς ὁμοῦ, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ψυχῆς, εἶπον,
For they were well aware of the sufferings, and masters of the pains. So that as soon as the tyrant had ceased counseling them to eat the unclean, they altogether with one voice, as from the same heart, said: