4 Maccabees 3

Thomson · Brenton · Greek · public domain

Thomson 1808

Brenton 1851

Greek · Brenton

Thomson—

BrentonThe argument is exceedingly ridiculous: for reasoning does not appear to bear sway over its own affections, but over those of the body,

GreekἘστὶ δὲ κομιδῆ γελοῖος ὁ λογισμός οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παθῶν ὁ λογισμὸς ἐπικρατεῖν φαίνεται, ἀλλὰ τῶν σωματικῶν.

Thomson—

Brentonin such a way as that any one of you may not be able to root out desire, but reasoning will enable you to avoid being enslaved to it.

GreekΟἷον ἐπιθυμίαν τις ὑμῶν οὐ δύναται ἐκκόψαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ δουλωθῆναι τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ δύναται ὁ λογισμὸς παρασχέσθαι.

Thomson—

BrentonOne may not be able to root out anger from the soul, but it is possible to withstand anger.

GreekΘυμόν τις οὐ δύναται ἐκκόψαι ἡμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ τῷ θυμῷ δυνατὸν βοηθῆσαι.

Thomson—

BrentonAny one of you may not be able to eradicate malice, but reasoning has force to work with you to prevent your yielding to malice.

GreekΚακοήθειάν τις ὑμῶν οὐ δύναται ἐκκόψαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ καμφθῆναι τῇ κακοηθείᾀ δυνατὸν ὁ λογισμὸς συμμαχῆσαι.

Thomson—

BrentonFor reasoning is not an eradicator, but an antagonist of the passions.

GreekΟὐ γὰρ ἐκριζωτὴς τῶν παθῶν ὁ λογισμός ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ἀνταγωνιστής.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd this may be more clearly comprehended from the thirst of King David.

GreekἜστιν γοῦν τοῦτο διὰ τῆς Δαυεὶδ τοῦ βασιλέως δίψης σαφέστερον ἐπιλογίσασθαι.

Thomson—

BrentonFor after David had been attacking the Philistines the whole day, he with the soldiers of his nation slew many of them;

GreekἘπεὶ γὰρ διʼ ὅλης ἡμέρας προσβαλὼν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ὁ Δαυὶδ, πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀπέκτεινεν μετὰ τῶν τοῦ ἔθνους στρατιωτῶν·

Thomson—

Brentonthen when evening came, sweating and very weary, he came to the royal tent, about which the entire host of our ancestors was encamped.

Greekτότε δὲ γενομένης ἑσπέρας, ὑδρῶν καὶ σφόδρα κεκμηκὼς, ἐπὶ τὴν βασίλειον σκηνὴν ἦλθεν, περὶ ἣν ὁ πᾶς τῶν προγόνων στρατὸς ἐστρατοπέδευκεν.

Thomson—

BrentonNow all the rest of them were at supper;

GreekΟἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι πάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖπνον ἦσαν.

Thomson—

Brentonbut the king, being very much athirst, although he had numerous springs, could not by their means quench his thirst;

GreekὉ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὡς μάλιστα διψῶν, καίπερ ἀφθόνους ἔχων πηγὰς, οὐκ ἠδύνατο διʼ αὐτῶν ἰάσασθαι τὴν δίψαν·

Thomson—

Brentonbut a certain irrational longing for the water in the enemy's camp grew stronger and fiercer upon him, and consumed him with languish.

Greekἀλλά τις αὐτὸν ἀλόγιστος ἐπιθυμία τοῦ παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ὕδατος ἐπιτείνουσα συνέφρυγεν, καὶ λύουσα κατέφλεγεν.

Thomson—

BrentonWherefore his body-guards being troubled at this longing of the king, two valiant young soldiers, reverencing the desire of the king, put on their panoplies, and taking a pitcher, got over the ramparts of the enemies:

GreekὍθεν τῶν ὑπερασπιστῶν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιθυμία σχετλιαζόντων, δύο νεανίσκοι στρατιῶται καρτεροὶ καταιδεσθέντες τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιθυμίαν, τὰς πανοπλίας καθωπλίσαντο, καὶ κάλπην λαβόντες ὑπερέβησαν τοὺς τῶν πολεμίων χάρακας·

Thomson—

Brentonand unperceived by the guardians of the gate, they went throughout the whole camp of the enemy in quest.

Greekκαὶ λαθόντες τοὺς τῶν πυλῶν ἀκροφύλακας, διεξῄεσαν εὑράμενοι κατὰ πᾶν τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον.

Thomson—

BrentonAnd having boldly discovered the fountain, they filled out of it the draught for the king.

GreekΚαὶ ἀνευράμενοι θαῤῥαλέως τὴν πηγὴν, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐγέμισαν τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ ποτόν.

Thomson—

BrentonBut he, though parched up with thirst, reasoned that a draught reputed of equal value to blood, would be terribly dangerous to his soul.

GreekὉ δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν δίψαν διαπυρούμενος, ἐλογίσατο πάνδεινον εἶναι κίνδυνον τῇ ψυχῇ λογισθὲν ἰσοδύναμον τὸ ποτὸν αἵματι.

Thomson—

BrentonWherefore, setting up reasoning in opposition to his desire, he poured out the draught to God.

GreekὍθεν ἀντιθεὶς τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τὸν λογισμὸν, ἔσπεισεν τὸ πόμα τῷ Θεῷ.

Thomson—

BrentonFor the temperate mind has power to conquer the pressure of the passions, and to quench the fires of excitement,

GreekΔυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ σώφρων νοῦς νικῆσαι τὰς τῶν παθῶν ἀνάγκας, καὶ σβέσαι τὰς τῶν οἴστρων φλεγμονὰς, καὶ τὰς τῶν σωμάτων ἀλγηδόνας καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν οὔσας καταπαλαῖσαι,

Thomson—

Brentonand to wrestle down the pains of the body, however excessive; and, through the excellency of reasoning, to abominate all the assaults of the passions.

Greekκαὶ τῆς καλοκᾳγαθίας τοῦ λογισμοῦ ἀποπτῦσαι πάσας τὰς τῶν παθῶν ἐπικρατείας.

Thomson—

BrentonBut the occasion now invites us to give an illustration of temperate reasoning from history.

GreekἬδη δὲ καὶ ὁ καιρὸς ἡμᾶς καλεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἱστορίας τοῦ σώφρονος λογισμοῦ.

Thomson—

BrentonFor at a time when our fathers were in possession of undisturbed peace through obedience to the law, and were prosperous, so that Seleucus Nicanor, the king of Asia, both assigned them money for divine service, and accepted their form of government,

GreekἘπειδὴ γὰρ βαθεῖαν εἰρήνην διὰ τὴν εὐνομίαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν εἶχον, καὶ ἔπραττον καλῶς, ὥστε καὶ τὸν τῆς Ἀσίας βασιλέα Σέλευκον τὸν Νικάνορα καὶ χρήματα εἰς τὴν ἱερουργίαν αὐτοῖς ἀποφορίσαι, καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν αὐτῶν ἀποδέχεσθαι·

Thomson—

Brentonthen certain persons, bringing in new things contrary to the general unanimity, in various ways fell into calamities.

Greekτότε δή τινες πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν νεωτερίσαντες ὁμόνοιαν, πυλυτρόπως ἐχρήσαντο συμφοραῖς.