1
Ὁ ΔΕ Φιλοπάτωρ μαθὼν παρὰ τῶν ἀνακομισθέντων τὴν γενομένην τῶν ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων τόπων ἀφαίρεσιν ὑπὸ Ἀντιόχου, παραγγείλας ταῖς πάσαις δυνάμεσι πεζικαῖς τε καὶ ἱππικαῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν Ἀρσινόην συμπαραλαβὼν, ἐξώρμησε μέχρι τῶν κατὰ Ῥαφίαν τόπων, ὅπου παρεμβεβλήκεισαν οἱ περὶ Ἀντίοχον.
Now Philopator, on learning from those who came back that Antiochus had made himself master of the places which belonged to himself, sent orders to all his footmen and horsemen, took with him his sister Arsinoe, and marched out as far as the parts of Raphia, where Antiochus and his forces encamped.
2
Θεόδοτος δέ τις ἐκπληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διανοηθεὶς, παραλαβὼν τῶν προϋποτεταγμένων αὐτῷ ὅπλων Πτολεμαϊκῶν τὰ κράτιστα, διεκομίσθη νύκτωρ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Πτολεμαίου σκηνὴν, ὡς μόνος κτεῖναι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ διαλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον.
And one Theodotus, intending to carry out his design, took with him the bravest of the armed men who had been before committed to his trust by Ptolemy, and got through at night to the tent of Ptolemy, to kill him on his own responsibility, and so to end the war.
3
Τοῦτον δὲ διαγαγὼν Δωσίθεος ὁ Δριμύλου λεγόμενος, τὸ γένος Ἰουδαῖος, ὕστερον δὲ μεταβαλὼν τὰ νόμιμα, καὶ τῶν πατρίων δογμάτων ἀπηλλοτριωμένος, ἄσημόν τινα κατέκλινεν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ, ὃν συνέβη κομίσασθαι τὴν ἐκείνου κόλασιν.
But Dositheus, called the son of Drimylus, by birth a Jew, afterward a renegade from the laws and observances of his country, conveyed Ptolemy away, and made an obscure person lie down in his stead in the tent. It befell this man to receive the fate which was meant for the other.
4
Γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον ἐῤῥωμένων τῷ Ἀντιόχῳ, ἱκανῶς ἡ Ἀρσινόη ἐπιπορευσαμένη τὰς δυνάμεις παρεκάλει, μετὰ οἴκτου καὶ δακρύων, τοὺς πλοκάμους λελυμένη, βοηθεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις καὶ γυναιξὶ θαῤῥαλέως, ἐπαγγελλομένη δώσειν νικήσασιν ἑκάστῳ δύο μνᾶς χρυσίου.
A fierce battle then took place; and the men of Antiochus prevailing, Arsinoe continually went up and down the ranks, and with disheveled hair, with tears and entreaties, begged the soldiers to fight manfully for themselves, their children, and wives; and promised that if they proved conquerors, she would give them two minas of gold apiece.
5
Καὶ οὕτω συνέβη τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐν χειρονομίαις διαφθαρῆναι, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ δορυαλώτους συλληφθῆναι
It thus fell out that their enemies were defeated in hand-to-hand encounter, and that many of them were taken prisoners.
6
Κατακρατήσας δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἔκρινε τὰς πλησίον πόλεις ἐπελθὼν παρακαλέσαι.
Having vanquished this attempt, the king then decided to proceed to the neighboring cities, and encourage them.
7
Ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ τοῖς τεμένεσι δωρεὰς ἀπονείμας, εὐθαρσεῖς τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους κατέστησε.
By doing this, and by making donations to their temples, he inspired his subjects with confidence.
8
Τῶν δὲ Ἰουδαίων διαπεμψαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γερουσίας καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοὺς ἀσπασομένους αὐτὸν. Καὶ ξένια κομιοῦντας, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι συγχαρησομένους, συνέβη μᾶλλον αὐτὸν προθυμηθῆναι ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραγενέσθαι.
The Jews also sent some of their council and of their elders to him. The greetings, guest gifts, and congratulations on the past, bestowed by them, filled him with the greater eagerness to visit their city.
9
Διακομισθεὶς δὲ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ θύσας τῷ μεγίστῳ Θεῷ, καὶ χάριτας ἀποδιδοὺς, καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς τι τῷ τόπῳ ποιήσας, καὶ δὴ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν τόπον, καὶ τῇ σπουδαιότητι καὶ εὐπρεπείᾳ καταπλαγείς,
Having arrived at Jerusalem, sacrificed, and offered thank offerings to the Greatest God, and done whatever else was suitable to the sanctity of the place, and entered the inner court,
10
θαυμάσας δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ εὐταξίαν, ἐνεθυμήθη βουλεύσασθαι εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν ναόν.
he was so struck with the exact magnificence of the place, and so wondered at the orderly arrangements of the temple, that he conceived the purpose of entering the sanctuary itself.
11
Τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων μὴ καθήκειν γίνεσθαι τοῦτο, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐξεῖναι εἰσιέναι, μηδὲ πᾶσι τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἢ μονῳ τῷ προηγουμένῳ πάντων ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ τούτῳ ἅπαξ κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν, οὐδαμῶς ἠβούλετο πείθεσθαι.
And when they told him that this was not permissible, none of the nation, no, nor even the priests in general, but only the supreme high priest of all, and he only once in a year, being allowed to go in, he would by no means give way.
12
Τοῦ τε νόμου παραναγνωσθέντος, οὐδαμῶς ἀπέλιπε προφερόμενος ἑαυτὸν, δεῖν εἰσελθεῖν, λέγων, καὶ εἰ ἐκεῖνοι ἐστέρηνται ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς, ἐμὲ οὺ δεῖ.
Then they read the law to him; but he persisted in obtruding himself, exclaiming, that he ought to be allowed: and saying, Be it that they were deprived of this honor, I ought not to be.
13
Καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο, διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν εἰσερχόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς πᾶν τέμενος, οὐθεὶς ἐλώλυσε τῶν παρόντων.
And he put the question, Why, when he entered all temples, none of the priests who were present forbade him?
14
Καί τις ἀπρονοήτως ἔφη κακῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τερατεύεσθαι.
He was thoughtlessly answered by someone, That he did wrong to boast of this.
15
Γενομένου δέ φησι τούτου διά τινα αἰτίαν, οὐχὶ πάντως εἰσελεύσεσθαι καὶ θελόντων αὐτῶν καὶ μή;
Well; since I have done this, said he, be the cause what it may, shall I not enter with or without your consent?
16
Τῶν δὲ ἱερέων ἐν ταῖς ἁγίαις ἐσθήσεσι προπεσόντων, καὶ δεομένων τοῦ μεγίστου Θεοῦ βοηθεῖν τῇ ἐνεστώσῃ ἀνάγκῃ, καί τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ κακῶς ἐπιβαλλομένου μεταθεῖναι, κραυγῆς τε μετὰ δακρύων τὸ ἱερὸν ἐμπλησάνων,
And when the priests fell down in their sacred vestments imploring the Greatest God to come and help in time of need, and to avert the violence of the fierce aggressor, and when they filled the temple with lamentations and tears,
17
οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀπολιπόμενοι, ταραχθέντες ἐξεπήδησαν, ἄδηλον τιθέμενοι τὸ γινόμενον.
then those who had been left behind in the city were scared, and rushed forth, uncertain of the event.
18
Αἵ τε κατάκλειστοι παρθένοι ἐν θαλάμοις σὺν ταῖς τεκούσαις ἐξώρμησαν· καὶ σποδῷ καὶ κόνει τὰς κεφαλὰς πασάμεναι, γόων τε καὶ στεναγμῶν τὰς πλατείας ἐνεπίμπλων.
Virgins, who had been shut up within their chambers, came out with their mothers, scattering dust and ashes on their heads, and filling the streets with outcries.
19
Αἱ δὲ καὶ προσαρτίως ἐσταλμέναι, τοὺς πρὸς ἀπάντησιν διατεταγμένους παστοὺς, καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν αἰδὼ παραλείπουσαι, δρόμον ἄτακτον ἐν τῇ πόλει συνίσταντο.
Women, but recently separated off, left their bridal chambers, left the reserve that befitted them, and ran about the city in a disorderly manner.
20
Τὰ δὲ νεογνὰ τῶν τέκνων, αἵ τε πρὸς τούτοις μητέρες καὶ τιθηνοὶ παραλιποῦσαι ἄλλως καὶ ἄλλως, αἱ μὲν κατʼ οἴκους, αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀγυιὰς ἀνεπιτρέπτως εἰς τὸ πανυπέρτατον ἱερὸν ἠθροίζοντο.
Newborn babes were deserted by the mothers or nurses who waited upon them; some here, some there, in houses, or in fields; these now, with an ardor which could not be checked, swarmed into the Most High temple.
21
Ποικίλη δὲ ἦν τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συλλεγομένων ἡ δέησις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνοσίως ὑπʼ ἐκείνου κατεγχειρουμένοις.
Various were the prayers offered up by those who assembled in this place, on account of the unholy attempt of the king.
22
Σύν τε τούτοις οἱ τῶν πολιτῶν θρασυνθέντες οὐκ ἠνείχοντο τέλεον αὐτοῦ ἐπικειμένου, καὶ τὸ τῆς προθέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐκπληροῦν διανοουμένου.
Along with these there were some of the citizens who took courage, and would not submit to his obstinacy, and his intention of carrying out his purpose.
23
Θωνήσαντες δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα ποιήσασθαι, καὶ θαῤῥαλέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου τελευτᾷν, ἱκανὴν ἐποίησαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τραχύτητα, μόλις τε ὑπό τε τῶν γεραιῶν καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀποτραπέντες ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς δεήσεως ἔστησαν στάσιν.
Calling out to arms, and to die bravely in defense of the law of their fathers, they created a great uproar in the place, and were with difficulty brought back by the aged and the elders to the station of prayer which they had occupied before.
24
Καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος, ὡς ἔμπροσθεν, ἐν τούτοις ἀνεστρέφετο δεόμενον.
During this time the multitude kept on praying.
25
Οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πρεσβύτεροι πολλαχῶς ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀγέρωχον αὐτοῦ νοῦν ἐξιστάνειν τῆς ἐντεθυμημένης βουλῆς.
The elders who surrounded the king strove in many ways to divert his haughty mind from the design which he had formed.
26
Θρασυνθεὶς δὲ καὶ πάντα παραπέμψας, ἤδη καὶ πρόσβασιν ἀποιεῖτο, τέλος ἐπιθήσειν δοκῶν τῷ προειρημένῳ.
He, in his hardened mood, insensible to all persuasion, was going onward, with the view of carrying out this design.
27
Ταῦτʼ οὖν καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντες θεωροῦντες, ἐτράπησαν εἰς τὸ σὺν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν πᾶν κράτος ἔχοντα, τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐπαμῦναι, μὴ περιδόντα τὴν ἄνομον καὶ ὑπερήφανον πρᾶξιν.
Yet even his own officers, when they saw this, joined the Jews in an appeal to Him who has all power, to aid in the present crisis, and not wink at such overweening lawlessness.
28
Ἐκ δὲ τῆς πυκνοτάτης τε καὶ ἐμπόνου τῶν ὄχλων συναγομένης κραυγῆς, ἀνείκαστός τις ἦν βοή.
Such was the frequency and the vehemence of the cry of the assembled crowd, that an indescribable noise ensued.
29
Δοκεῖν γὰρ ἦν μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τείχη καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἔδαφος ἠχεῖν, ἅτε δὴ τῶν πάντων τότε θάνατον ἀλλασσομένων ἀντὶ τῆς τοῦ τόπου βεβηλώσεως.
Not the men only, the very walls and floor seemed to sound forth; all things preferring dissolution rather than to see the place defiled.