Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden maonachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century.

Capitulum tricesimum quintum.

PTHOLOMEUS Philometor reignede in Egipte xxxv. yere. Petrus, capitulo ducentesimo quinto. In whiche tyme Symon

the son of Onias, bischoppe and gouernoure off the temple, redemede þe ordre of prestes of Appollonius gouernoure of Phenicea. Seleucus herenge that sende Eliodorus to destroye that conuencion, whiche commenge in to the temple to spoile hit, ij. yonge men did arise from theire berialles and did slee hym. Neuerthelesse Iosephus semethe to reherse that thei were ij. angelles in the similitude of men. Also hit is redde in the secunde boke of the Machabees that a ferefulle sitter of an hors apperede and caste hym downe, and did not slee hym. Iosephus, libro secundo. Ihesus, the son of Syrac, made that boke Ecclesiasticus abowte þis tyme, whom he namede Pane|rethon. In the thridde yere of this Philometor, Aristobolus, a Iewe, wrote to Ptholomeus the commentaryes of the explana|ciones in to Moyses. Eutropius, libro quarto. Philippe kynge of Macedony dedde, Perseus his son began to rebelle ageyne þe Romanes; whom Emilius consul ouercome, sleenge of the Grekes xxx^ti in a soore batelle. Whiche Emilius sette in a

chariette by hym Perseus willenge to have fallen downe to his feete, and ȝafe to hym a releische of halfe his tribute, com|maundenge the men of Macedony to be of liberte, that hit scholde appere the Romanes to fiȝhte raþer for riȝhte then for money. Trogus, libro vicesimo secundo. Memmius Cato unsadellede [or unhorsed is written in red in the margin.] in that batelle fauȝhte manly on foote, whiche desyrenge to hurte a noble man aduersary to hym lette falle [folio 177b] his swerde, whiche willenge to take hit ageyne defendede hym manly, and returnede to his hoste, the audacite of whom was a grete helpe to the Romanes of the victory. And then Perseus y-taken, and then the realme of Macedony was subiecte to the Romanes; whiche londe hade from Cranaus unto this Perseus xxxv^ti kynges by viij.^e. yere and xxxiiij^ti. Isidorus, libro 6^o.

This Emilius Paulus brouȝte from Grece bokes to Rome firste. After that Iulius Cæsar take that werke to be compilede to Marcus Varro. After that Pamphilius Martir, whom Eusebius writethe to haue hade xxx^ti m^l volumes in his bibelle. After that Origenes precellede alle oþer men afore hym, off the volumes of whom Seynte Ierom rehersethe hym selfe to haue redde vj. m^l. But the grete and noble clerke Seynte Austyn precellede alle other, the werkes of whom may be redde vnnethe of oone man. Anthiocus Epiphanes reignede in Siria and Asia xj. yere. This Anthiocus, beenge as plegge for his fader to the Romanes, herenge of the slawthe and cowardenesse of his broþer, departede secretely from Rome, thauȝhe mony men say that he hade licence of the senate. This Anthiocus schewede hym in the begynnenge as meke and ientylle, wherefore he was callede Epiphanes, as noble other superapparente, whiche reignede after the dethe off Seleucus his brother. This

Epiphanes mariede his sustir to Ptholomeus kynge of Egipte, that he myȝte occupy Egipte thro disseyte; whiche entrenge in to Egipte in a tyme, as to see his broþer and sustyr, causede Ptholomeus the kynge of Egipte to be sleyne at meyte, that he myȝhte occupye Egipte in that wise. But men of Egipte putte hym aweye, after that he hade reignede ij. yere in that londe, wherefore he lade sege to þe cite of Alexandrye. Trogus, libro 34^to. The legates of the Romanes, sende for the [folio 178a] liberacion of men of Egipte, ȝafe metenge to Anthiocus walkenge by the side of the see. To whom they seide, "The senate and peple of Rome commaunde the that þow departe from men of Egipte theire luffers and frendes." Whiche de|sirenge respite for to ȝiffe an answere, Marcus Publicus made a cercle with a rode abowte hym in the sonde, seyenge, "The cenate and peple of Rome commaunde the that þou passe not this cercle vn tille thow ȝiffe an answere." To whom

he seide, "Thauȝhe the Romanes commaunde that, beholde y goe furthe of the cercle;" whiche goenge in to the Iewerye exercisede grete crudelite. Wherefore Onias, the bischop of the Iewes, wente vn to Egipte, whiche obtenynge þe fauor of the kynge, edifiede a temple at Elyopoleos, lyke to þe temple of the Iewes, seyenge hym in that to fullefille the prophecy of Ysay, seyenge, "The alter of Godde schal be in Egipte, and the tytle of hit within the costes of hit." That temple re|meynede þer by cc. and l^ti yere, vn to the tymes of Vespasian, whiche destroyede that temple and cite. Onias þe bischop departenge from Ierusalem un to Egipte, Ihesus and Iohannes, his breþer, made grete debate and stryfe for the bischopryke afore Anthiocus, whiche willenge to please hym declynede to the ryte of gentiles, in so moche that thei toke to þeym the names of Gentiles. Wherefore Ihesus was callede Iason, and Iohannes Menelaus; after the exemple of whom mony men of Israel inducede the rytes of the gentiles makenge in Ierusalem

howses of women ylle disposede, callenge theym Anthiocheni. This seide Anthiocus makenge Iason bischoppe, removede hym and subrogate Menelaus in to þat office, whiche movede Andronicus to sle Iason his brother, in that he folowede Anthiocus to Antiochia to chaunge his purpose; and so Andronicus did sle Iason, wherefore Andronicus was sleyne by Anthiocus. Petrus, 207. The fire of sacrifice, whiche [folio 178b] brente vnder the waters by lxx^ti yere, was extincte after that [The fire of sacrifice was ex|tincte.] Iason hade boȝte that office of Anthiocus. This Anthiochus toke Ierusalem thro the treason of the citesynnes, takenge from hym x. m^l. citesynnes, constreynenge the inhabitatores of hit to ydolatry, sleenge men that wolde not, offrenge flesche of swyne, takenge a weye veselles, pottes, with lawnternes and veyles, and putte an ymage of Iupiter in the temple, prohi|bitenge the sacrifices after the lawe of Moyses. The vij.

brether Machabees were sleyne with theire moder in the tyme of þis Anthiocus. In whiche tyme Matathias, a preste in the cite of Modyn, supportede by the helpe of his v. childer, chalangede the lawes and ȝiȝte [Sic.] of his fader, amonge whom Iudas was callede Machabeus by a figure antonomasia. Petrus, 207. Mathathias tauȝhte the Iewes to fiȝhte on þe Sabbatte day leste the lawe scholde peresche with the peple; whiche dienge after that he hade gouernede theym oon yere, ordeynede Symon his son as fader to cownselle, but Iudas as gouernoure in batelle. Ennius the poete diede thro an infirmite articuler, and was beryede in the towmbe of Scipio. Iudas Machabeus kepede the lawes of his fader by the space of iij. yere, and hurte soore Appollonius, the duke other gouernoure of Samaria, with the swerde of whom Iudas did fiȝhte afterwarde. Anthiochus goen in to Persida for his tributes not paiede, Iudas hade victory of the gouernoures of

Anthiochus, and made clene the temple, and renewede hit. And so the thridde dedicacion of the temple was made under Iudas Machabeus, callede encenia, whiche contynuede after|warde. Petrus, 211^o capitulo. Antiocus causede to flee by men of Persida, herenge his princes to be deuicte in the Iewery, manassede the Iewes; and a disease of his partes interialle toke hym anoon, þat he felle from his chariette and was hurte soore. From whom a grete stynche and as intoller|able [folio 179a] come, wormes comenge from his body, that the savour grevede alle the hoste. Whiche returnede to hym selfe know|legede that he suffrede that peyne for the violacion of the temple. Wherefore he promisede that he wolde be a Iewe, and to delyuer theyme, and make theym like to men of Athenes, seyenge that a mortalle man awe to be subjecte to God; whiche

diede in the mowntes. Anthiocus Eupator, son to Epiphanes, reignede after his fader, whiche gedrede ageyne þe Iewes an hoste of c. m^l foote men, of xx^ti m^l horse men, and of xxxij^ti elephauntes, to whom thei schewede the juse of grapes to make theym scharpe in batelle.