The Fourth Book of Maccabees, Chapter 6ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΩΝ Δ′ Ϛ′

τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀντιρρητορεύσαντα ταῖς τοῦ τυράννου παρηγορίαις παραστάντες οἱ δορυφόροι πικρῶς ἔσυραν ἐπὶ τὰ βασανιστήρια τὸν Ελεαζαρον

When in this way he had argued back against the tyrant's appeals, the bodyguards standing by dragged Eleazar harshly to the instruments of torture.

καὶ πρῶτον μὲν περιέδυσαν τὸν γεραιὸν ἐγκοσμούμενον τῇ περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν εὐσχημοσύνῃ

First they stripped the old man, who was clothed in the dignity of piety.

ἔπειτα περιαγκωνίσαντες ἑκατέρωθεν μάστιξιν κατῄκιζον

Then, binding his arms on either side, they were tormenting him with scourges,

πείσθητι ταῖς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐντολαῖς ἑτέρωθεν κήρυκος ἐπιβοῶντος

while a herald from either side shouted, Obey the king's commands.

ὁ δὲ μεγαλόφρων καὶ εὐγενὴς ὡς ἀληθῶς Ελεαζαρος ὥσπερ ἐν ὀνείρῳ βασανιζόμενος κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον μετετρέπετο

But the high-minded and truly noble Eleazar, as though being tortured in a dream, was not turned aside in any way.

ἀλλὰ ὑψηλοὺς ἀνατείνας εἰς οὐρανὸν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπεξαίνετο ταῖς μάστιξιν τὰς σάρκας ὁ γέρων καὶ κατερρεῖτο τῷ αἵματι καὶ τὰ πλευρὰ κατετιτρώσκετο

Instead, lifting his eyes on high toward heaven, the old man's flesh was being torn by the scourges, his blood streamed down, and his sides were being pierced.

καὶ πίπτων εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ φέρειν τὸ σῶμα τὰς ἀλγηδόνας ὀρθὸν εἶχεν καὶ ἀκλινῆ τὸν λογισμόν

And though he fell to the ground because his body could not bear the pains, he kept his reason upright and unbending.

λάξ γέ τοι τῶν πικρῶν τις δορυφόρων εἰς τοὺς κενεῶνας ἐναλλόμενος ἔτυπτεν ὅπως ἐξανίσταιτο πίπτων

Indeed one of the bitter bodyguards leaped upon him and struck him in the flanks with his foot, to make him rise when he had fallen.

ὁ δὲ ὑπέμενε τοὺς πόνους καὶ περιεφρόνει τῆς ἀνάγκης καὶ διεκαρτέρει τοὺς αἰκισμούς

But he endured the pains, disregarded the compulsion, and persisted through the tortures.

καὶ καθάπερ γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς τυπτόμενος ἐνίκα τοὺς βασανίζοντας ὁ γέρων

And like a noble athlete, though he was being struck, the old man conquered those who tortured him.

ἱδρῶν γέ τοι τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ἐπασθμαίνων σφοδρῶς καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῶν τῶν βασανιζόντων ἐθαυμάζετο ἐπὶ τῇ εὐψυχίᾳ

Indeed, as his face sweated and he gasped violently, he was admired even by the torturers themselves for his courage.

ὅθεν τὰ μὲν ἐλεῶντες τὰ τοῦ γήρως αὐτοῦ

Whereupon some, feeling pity for his old age,

τὰ δὲ ἐν συμπαθείᾳ τῆς συνηθείας ὄντες τὰ δὲ ἐν θαυμασμῷ τῆς καρτερίας προσιόντες αὐτῷ τινες τοῦ βασιλέως ἔλεγον

some because of sympathy arising from their acquaintance with him, and some in amazement at his endurance, approached him and said:

τί τοῖς κακοῖς τούτοις σεαυτὸν ἀλογίστως ἀπόλλεις Ελεαζαρ

Why are you irrationally destroying yourself by these evils, Eleazar?

ἡμεῖς μέν τοι τῶν ἡψημένων βρωμάτων παραθήσομεν σὺ δὲ ὑποκρινόμενος τῶν ὑείων ἀπογεύεσθαι σώθητι

We will set lawful cooked meats before you; you can save yourself by pretending to taste the pork.

καὶ ὁ Ελεαζαρος ὥσπερ πικρότερον διὰ τῆς συμβουλίας αἰκισθεὶς ἀνεβόησεν

But Eleazar, as though he had been tortured even more bitterly by this advice, cried out:

μὴ οὕτως κακῶς φρονήσαιμεν οἱ Αβρααμ παῖδες ὥστε μαλακοψυχήσαντας ἀπρεπὲς ἡμῖν δρᾶμα ὑποκρίνασθαι

May we children of Abraham never think so badly as, by becoming soft in soul, to act out an unworthy pretense.

καὶ γὰρ ἀλόγιστον εἰ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ζήσαντες τὸν μέχρι γήρως βίον καὶ τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῷ δόξαν νομίμως φυλάσσοντες νῦν μεταβαλοίμεθα

For it would be irrational if, after having lived our life in truth until old age and lawfully preserved the reputation belonging to it, we should now change.

καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἡμεῖς γενοίμεθα τοῖς νέοις ἀσεβείας τύπος ἵνα παράδειγμα γενώμεθα τῆς μιαροφαγίας

And we ourselves would become to the young a model of impiety, if we became an example of eating defiled food.

αἰσχρὸν δὲ εἰ ἐπιβιώσομεν ὀλίγον χρόνον καὶ τοῦτον καταγελώμενοι πρὸς ἁπάντων ἐπὶ δειλίᾳ

And it would be shameful if we were to survive a little longer and during that time be mocked by everyone for cowardice.

καὶ ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ τυράννου καταφρονηθῶμεν ὡς ἄνανδροι τὸν δὲ θεῖον ἡμῶν νόμον μέχρι θανάτου μὴ προασπίσαιμεν

And if we were despised by the tyrant as unmanly, and did not defend our divine law even unto death.

πρὸς ταῦτα ὑμεῖς μέν ὦ Αβρααμ παῖδες εὐγενῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας τελευτᾶτε

Therefore, children of Abraham, die nobly for the sake of piety.

οἱ δὲ τοῦ τυράννου δορυφόροι τί μέλλετε

But you, bodyguards of the tyrant, why do you delay?

πρὸς τὰς ἀνάγκας οὕτως μεγαλοφρονοῦντα αὐτὸν ἰδόντες καὶ μηδὲ πρὸς τὸν οἰκτιρμὸν αὐτῶν μεταβαλλόμενον ἐπὶ τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸν ἀνῆγον

And when they saw him so high-minded in the face of these necessities and not changing even in response to their pity, they led him to the fire.

ἔνθα διὰ κακοτέχνων ὀργάνων καταφλέγοντες αὐτὸν ὑπερρίπτοσαν καὶ δυσώδεις χυλοὺς εἰς τοὺς μυκτῆρας αὐτοῦ κατέχεον

There, burning him with malicious devices, they kept turning him over and pouring foul-smelling liquids into his nostrils.

ὁ δὲ μέχρι τῶν ὀστέων ἤδη κατακεκαυμένος καὶ μέλλων λιποθυμεῖν ἀνέτεινε τὰ ὄμματα πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπεν

But when he was already burned down to the very bones and was about to faint, he lifted his eyes toward God and said:

σὺ οἶσθα θεέ παρόν μοι σῴζεσθαι βασάνοις καυστικαῖς ἀποθνῄσκω διὰ τὸν νόμον

You know, O God, that though it was possible for me to save myself, I die in burning torments for the sake of the law.

ἵλεως γενοῦ τῷ ἔθνει σου ἀρκεσθεὶς τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δίκῃ

Be merciful to your people, and let our punishment on their behalf suffice for them.

καθάρσιον αὐτῶν ποίησον τὸ ἐμὸν αἷμα καὶ ἀντίψυχον αὐτῶν λαβὲ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν

Make my blood their purification, and take my life in exchange for theirs.

καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ ἱερὸς ἀνὴρ εὐγενῶς ταῖς βασάνοις ἐναπέθανεν καὶ μέχρι τῶν τοῦ θανάτου βασάνων ἀντέστη τῷ λογισμῷ διὰ τὸν νόμον

And after saying these things, the holy man died nobly in the tortures, and even amidst the torments of death he resisted by his reason for the sake of the law.

ὁμολογουμένως οὖν δεσπότης τῶν παθῶν ἐστιν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός

Confessedly, then, pious reason is master of the passions.

εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάθη τοῦ λογισμοῦ κεκρατήκει τούτοις ἂν ἀπέδομεν τὴν τῆς ἐπικρατείας μαρτυρίαν

For if the passions had prevailed over reason, we would have awarded to them the testimony of mastery.

νυνὶ δὲ τοῦ λογισμοῦ τὰ πάθη νικήσαντος αὐτῷ προσηκόντως τὴν τῆς ἡγεμονίας προσνέμομεν ἐξουσίαν

But as reason conquered the passions, we rightly assign to it the authority of leadership.

καὶ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὁμολογεῖν ἡμᾶς τὸ κράτος εἶναι τοῦ λογισμοῦ ὅπου γε καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀλγηδόνων ἐπικρατεῖ ἐπεὶ καὶ γελοῖον

And it is just for us to confess that power belongs to reason, especially where it prevails even over external pains, since otherwise it would be absurd.

καὶ οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀλγηδόνων ἐπιδείκνυμι κεκρατηκέναι τὸν λογισμόν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἡδονῶν κρατεῖν καὶ μηδὲν αὐταῖς ὑπείκειν

And I show that reason has gained mastery not only over pains but also rules over pleasures and yields to them in nothing.