1 Maccabees 8

Now Judas had heard reports about the Romans: that they were strong and brave men, that they gladly welcomed everyone who joined them, and that they made friendly agreements with all who came to them.

1Now Judas had heard of the Romans, that they were mighty and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto them;

NoteThis chapter is a summary of what was reported to Judas about Rome, around 161 BC. Rome was then a republic in Italy, across the sea, not yet ruler of the eastern Mediterranean but already the strongest military power in the region. Several details in the report do not match what historians know of Roman history, and the notes below flag where.

2He heard that they were men of great courage. He was also told about their wars and the great deeds they had done among the Gauls, how they had conquered them and forced them to pay tribute.

2And that they were men of great valour. It was told him also of their wars and noble acts which they had done among the Galatians, and how they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute;

NoteThe Greek word behind "Galatians" covers both the Gauls of northern Italy and France and the Galatians, Celtic tribes who had settled in central Asia Minor; Rome fought both, so translators differ. Tribute is a fixed yearly payment owed by a defeated people to its conqueror, part tax and part sign of submission.

3He was also told what they had done in the land of Spain, taking control of the silver and gold mines that are there.

3And what they had done in the country of Spain, for the winning of the mines of the silver and gold which is there;

NoteRome took Spain from Carthage in the war that ended in 201 BC. The silver mines near New Carthage were famous and enormously profitable, and controlling them was one of the prizes of that war.

4And how, by careful planning and patience, they had conquered that whole region, even though it was very far away from them. He heard of the kings who came against them from the farthest parts of the earth, and how the Romans beat them and struck them down hard, so that the rest paid them tribute every year.

4And that by their policy and patience they had conquered all the place, though it were very far from them; and the kings also that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth, till they had discomfited them, and given them a great overthrow, so that the rest did give them tribute every year:

NoteThe "kings from the uttermost part of the earth" are not named. The writer is compressing more than a century of Roman wars into a few lines, probably including the wars against Carthage and its allies.

5Besides this, he heard how they had defeated in battle Philip, and Perseus, king of the Chittim, along with others who raised themselves up against them, and had conquered them.

5Beside this, how they had discomfited in battle Philip, and Perseus, king of the Citims, with others that lifted up themselves against them, and had overcome them:

NotePhilip V of Macedon was defeated by Rome in 197 BC, and his son Perseus in 168 BC, which ended the Macedonian kingdom. "Citims" is Kittim, a word that first meant Cyprus, from its city Kition, and then widened to mean the lands and peoples across the sea to the west; here it stands for Macedonia.

6And how Antiochus, the great king of Asia, who came against them in battle with a hundred and twenty elephants, along with horsemen and chariots and a very large army, was defeated by them.

6How also Antiochus the great king of Asia, that came against them in battle, having an hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and chariots, and a very great army, was discomfited by them;

NoteAntiochus III, called the Great, ruled the Seleucid kingdom from Syria and was defeated by Rome at Magnesia in 190 BC. "Asia" here means Asia Minor, roughly modern Turkey, and the lands of his kingdom, not the continent. Elephants were the heavy weapon of Greek-style armies, trained to charge and break up lines of infantry.

7And how they took him alive, and made an agreement that he and those who ruled after him should pay them a large tribute, hand over hostages, and give up what was agreed on,

7And how they took him alive, and covenanted that he and such as reigned after him should pay a great tribute, and give hostages, and that which was agreed upon,

NoteAntiochus III was not in fact captured; he escaped the battle and died three years later. The terms described belong to the peace treaty of 188 BC, which imposed a vast payment in installments and required hostages: high-ranking relatives sent to live in the victor's city as a guarantee of good behavior, rather than prisoners in the modern sense. One of those hostages was his son, later Antiochus IV, the persecuting king of earlier chapters.

8including the country of India, and Media, and Lydia, and some of their finest lands, which the Romans took from him and gave to King Eumenes.

8And the country of India, and Media and Lydia and of the goodliest countries, which they took of him, and gave to king Eumenes:

NoteIndia and Media were never Rome's to hand over; they lay far beyond anything taken from Antiochus. The names may be a copying error for Ionia and Mysia, districts of western Asia Minor that Rome did award to Eumenes II, king of Pergamum, its ally in that war.

9He also heard how the Greeks had decided to come and destroy the Romans,

9Moreover how the Grecians had determined to come and destroy them;

Note"The Grecians" here means the Achaean League, a confederation of cities in southern Greece. Rome crushed it and destroyed Corinth in 146 BC, which is later than Judas's lifetime; the chapter gathers reports of Roman power loosely rather than in order.

10and how the Romans found out about it and sent a general against them, and in the fighting killed many of them, and carried off their wives and children as prisoners, and plundered them, and took possession of their lands, and pulled down their strongholds, and made them their servants to this day.

10And that they, having knowledge thereof sent against them a certain captain, and fighting with them slew many of them, and carried away captives their wives and their children, and spoiled them, and took possession of their lands, and pulled down their strong holds, and brought them to be their servants unto this day:

Note"Unto this day" is the writer's own day, late in the second century BC, some decades after the events of this chapter.

11He was told besides how they destroyed all the other kingdoms and islands that ever stood against them, and brought them under their rule.

11It was told him besides, how they destroyed and brought under their dominion all other kingdoms and isles that at any time resisted them;

12But with their friends, and with those who leaned on them, they kept friendship. They had conquered kingdoms both far away and near, so that everyone who heard their name was afraid of them.

12But with their friends and such as relied upon them they kept amity: and that they had conquered kingdoms both far and nigh, insomuch as all that heard of their name were afraid of them:

13Also that whoever they want to help to a throne becomes king, and whoever they want, they remove; and that they have risen very high.

13Also that, whom they would help to a kingdom, those reign; and whom again they would, they displace: finally, that they were greatly exalted:

NoteRome really did decide who sat on eastern thrones, confirming some claimants and refusing others. Demetrius, named in verse 31, had taken the Seleucid throne without Roman approval after slipping away from Rome, where he had been held as a hostage.

14Yet for all this, not one of them wore a crown or dressed in purple to make himself look great.

14Yet for all this none of them wore a crown or was clothed in purple, to be magnified thereby:

NotePurple dye came from a shellfish and was ruinously expensive, so purple clothing was the badge of kings in the Greek East. Roman officials wore white with only a purple border, which to eastern eyes looked strikingly unkingly for men with that much power.

15He also heard how they had built themselves a senate house, where three hundred and twenty men sat in council every day, always talking over the affairs of the people, so that the people might be well governed.

15Moreover how they had made for themselves a senate house, wherein three hundred and twenty men sat in council daily, consulting alway for the people, to the end they might be well ordered:

NoteThe Roman senate was a standing council made up chiefly of former officeholders. It numbered about three hundred rather than three hundred and twenty, and it met when summoned rather than every day.

16And how each year they hand their government over to one man, who rules over their whole country; and all of them obey that one man, and there is no envy or rivalry among them.

16And that they committed their government to one man every year, who ruled over all their country, and that all were obedient to that one, and that there was neither envy nor emmulation among them.

NoteRome in fact elected two consuls each year, who held office jointly and could check each other. The report reaching Judas has flattened this into a single ruler appointed annually.

17Taking all this into account, Judas chose Eupolemus son of John, son of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome to make an agreement of friendship and alliance with the Romans,

17In consideration of these things, Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, to make a league of amity and confederacy with them,

NoteAccos is the Greek form of Hakkoz, the name of one of the priestly families, so the envoys were drawn from priestly houses. Eupolemus is probably the same man known as a Jewish historian who wrote in Greek, which would make him a natural choice for a mission to Rome.

18and to ask them to take the yoke off the Jews; for they saw that the kingdom of the Greeks was holding Israel down in slavery.

18And to intreat them that they would take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude.

NoteA yoke is the wooden beam laid across the necks of oxen to harness them to a plow. It was the standard image for foreign domination, tribute and forced labor.

19So they went to Rome, which was a very long journey, and they came into the senate, where they spoke and said:

19They went therefore to Rome, which was a very great journey, and came into the senate, where they spake and said.

NoteRome lay roughly fifteen hundred miles from Jerusalem. The journey meant weeks of sailing and overland travel, and was a serious undertaking for a small nation at war.

20"Judas Maccabeus, with his brothers and the people of the Jews, has sent us to you to make an alliance and peace with you, and to have us written down as your allies and friends."

20Judas Maccabeus with his brethren, and the people of the Jews, have sent us unto you, to make a confederacy and peace with you, and that we might be registered your confederates and friends.

21The Romans were well pleased with this.

21So that matter pleased the Romans well.

22And this is the copy of the letter that the senate wrote back and sent to Jerusalem on bronze tablets, so that they might keep it there as a record of peace and alliance:

22And this is the copy of the epistle which the senate wrote back again in tables of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that there they might have by them a memorial of peace and confederacy:

NoteRome recorded its treaties by engraving them on bronze tablets and displaying them publicly, with a copy sent to the other party. "A memorial" here means a permanent official record, not a monument to the dead.

23"May things go well for the Romans and for the people of the Jews, at sea and on land, forever. May the sword and the enemy stay far from them.

23Good success be to the Romans, and to the people of the Jews, by sea and by land for ever: the sword also and enemy be far from them,

NoteThe good wishes that open the letter are the standard preamble of a Roman treaty of friendship, set before the actual clauses begin.

24If war comes first upon the Romans, or upon any of their allies anywhere in their territory,

24If there come first any war upon the Romans or any of their confederates throughout all their dominion,

25the people of the Jews shall help them with all their heart, as the time calls for.

25The people of the Jews shall help them, as the time shall be appointed, with all their heart:

Note"As the time shall be appointed" means as the circumstances of the moment require. The treaty fixes no number of troops, ships or supplies, which was usual in Roman agreements of this kind.

26They shall not give anything to those who make war on the Romans, nor supply them with food, weapons, money, or ships, as the Romans have decided; and they shall keep their agreements, taking nothing in return.

26Neither shall they give any thing unto them that make war upon them, or aid them with victuals, weapons, money, or ships, as it hath seemed good unto the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants without taking any thing therefore.

27In the same way, if war comes first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, as the time calls for.

27In the same manner also, if war come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, according as the time shall be appointed them:

28And no food shall be given to those who fight against them, nor weapons, nor money, nor ships, as the Romans have decided; and they shall keep these agreements, and do it without deceit.

28Neither shall victuals be given to them that take part against them, or weapons, or money, or ships, as it hath seemed good to the Romans; but they shall keep their covenants, and that without deceit.

29These were the terms on which the Romans made a treaty with the people of the Jews.

29According to these articles did the Romans make a covenant with the people of the Jews.

30But if later on one side or the other decides to meet and add something or take something away, they may do so as they please, and whatever they add or take away shall be binding.

30Howbeit if hereafter the one party or the other shall think to meet to add or diminish any thing, they may do it at their pleasures, and whatsoever they shall add or take away shall be ratified.

31As for the harm that Demetrius is doing to the Jews, we have written to him and said, 'Why have you made your yoke heavy on our friends and allies the Jews?

31And as touching the evils that Demetrius doeth to the Jews, we have written unto him, saying, Wherefore thou made thy yoke heavy upon our friends and confederates the Jews?

NoteDemetrius I ruled the Seleucid kingdom from 162 to 150 BC and was the king Judas was fighting. He had been held in Rome as a hostage, escaped, and seized the throne without Roman consent, which is why a Roman rebuke carried weight. It is not clear whether these last two verses were part of the letter sent to Jerusalem or a separate message quoted alongside it, and the Greek leaves the question open.

32If they bring any more complaints against you, we will see that they get justice, and we will fight against you by sea and by land.'"

32If therefore they complain any more against thee, we will do them justice, and fight with thee by sea and by land.