CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
THE
FOURTH BOOK
OF MACCABEES:
CONTAINING
REFLECTIONS ON RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE: LIKEWISE, AN ACCOUNT OF HELIODORUS’ ATTEMPT TO PLUNDER THE TEMPLE: AND THE HISTORY OF ELEAZAR AND THE SEVEN BRETHREN PERSECUTED EVEN TO DEATH FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO RELIGION.
CHAPTER XI
B.C. 167
The death of the fifth and sixth brothers.
And after this youth also had died, being miserably mangled in torments, the fifth leaped forward, saying; ” I am not about, O tyrant, to beg escape from the torturing which is inflicted on us for virtue’s sake. But of my own accord I have come forward, that having put me also to death, you may owe to heavenly justice a debt of vengeance for still more enormities. O thou hater of virtue, and of humanity! what have we done, that thou destroy us after this merciless manner? Does it seem to you wrong that we venerate the universal Creator, and live according to his most virtuous law? This conduct, surely, deserves honours rather than tortures. [If (at least a) you had ever felt any of the desires of men and had entertained a hope of salvation from God. But lo! Now, being estranged from God, you persecute those who are reverent towards Him.”] While he was uttering these words, the guards having bound him, dragged him to the catapeltae: to which tying him by the knees, and making
these fast with iron fetters, they twisted b his loins upon the wedge of the wheel; on which being wholly disjointed, he curled round the wheel like a scorpion [or snake] and was pulled limb from limb. In this manner, being both hard pressed for breath, and crushed in his body, he said ” Involuntarily, O tyrant, you bestow on us fair favors, giving us opportunity, by more nobly borne sufferings, to exhibit our endurance in defense of the law.” And when he also was dead, the sixth was brought out, a mere youth: who, when the tyrant asked if he would eat and save himself, replied I indeed in age am younger than my brethren, but in purpose of mind I am their equal. For we, having been brought forth and educated in the same manner, ought alike to die in defense of the same cause. So that if you chose to torment us because we eat not unclean food, torment.”
When he had thus spoken, they brought him to the rack: stretched on which, with his limbs strained and his spine disjointed, he was roasted from beneath. And having heated sharp spits, they applied them to his back; and piercing through his sides, they burned away his entrails. But he, while thus tormented, said; “O holy noble trial, to which so many brothers of us being called, to be exercised in sufferings for”
“religion’s sake, have not been overcome! For righteous knowledge c, armed with honour and virtue, O tyrant, is invincible. I shall soon die, and be with my brethren: and so, will you d, O tyrant, shortly, having brought upon yourself a severe avenging fiend. O thou inventor of new torments e and enemy of those who are truly religious, we six youths have demolished thy tyrannic sway. For is it not a demolishing of you, that you have not been able to persuade away our principle, nor to force us to the eating of unclean food? Your fire to us is cold” your catapeltae give no pain: and your violence is powerless. For the guards, not of a tyrant, but of the Divine Law, are our protectors; through this, we retain our principle unsubdued.”
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