Rome’s Fame

¹Judas had heard of the Romans’ famous reputation, that they were powerful and strong and good to those with whom they held alliances. They promised friendship to any who joined them,

²and they were very powerful. Judas had heard of their battles and their heroic deeds against the Gauls—how they had conquered them and forced them to pay a tribute tax.

³He had also heard of the great things they had done in Spain—how they had gained control of the silver and gold mines there

⁴and taken possession of the whole region by their wisdom and patience, even though Spain was quite far from them. In every part of the world, kings who opposed the Romans had been overthrown with great losses, while others paid them a tribute tax every year.

⁵Philip and Perseus, kings of the Macedonians, and others who had fought against the Romans had been conquered.

⁶The Romans had also defeated Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who had fought against them with 120 elephants and with horsemen, chariots, and a very large army.

⁷The Romans took Antiochus alive and ordered that he and those who would reign after him should pay a large tribute tax and give them hostages.

⁸Antiochus was also forced to give them India, Media, and Lydia. These were then given to King Eumenes.[#8:8 Or Ionia, Mysia, and Lydia.]

⁹The Greeks planned to attack and destroy the Romans,

¹⁰but the Romans heard about it and sent a single general to attack them. In the ensuing battle, many Greeks were killed or wounded, and the Romans took their wives and children captive, carried away their possessions, annexed their territory, tore down their fortresses, and made them their slaves, as they are to this day.

¹¹They destroyed and enslaved all other kingdoms and islands that resisted them.

¹²The Romans have maintained a firm friendship, however, with all their friends and allies.

So the Romans have conquered kingdoms both far and near, and all who have heard of them fear them.

¹³They make kings of anyone they wish, and they depose anyone they wish; in this way, they have become very great.

¹⁴Yet no Roman has ever crowned himself king or displayed his grandeur by wearing purple.

¹⁵They have formed a senate of 320 people, who meet daily to decide what is best for the people and how to govern them.

¹⁶Their government is directed by entrusting one man each year to rule over the whole country. They all obey him, and there is no envy or jealousy among them.

Alliance between the Jews and the Romans

¹⁷Judas chose Eupolemus son of John, son of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar to go to Rome and establish a friendship and an alliance with the Romans.

¹⁸Judas did this so the Jews could get out from under oppression, for it was obvious that the Greeks were reducing Israel to slavery.

¹⁹Eupolemus and Jason traveled to Rome, which was a very long journey. When they arrived, they entered the senate chamber and said,

²⁰“Judas Maccabeus, his brothers, and the Jewish people have sent us to establish an alliance and a peace treaty with you. We want to be formally considered your friends and allies.”

²¹The senate was pleased to accept their proposal.

²²The senate sent a proclamation back to Jerusalem, engraved on bronze tablets so that it might be kept there as a permanent record of their peace treaty and alliance: