4 Maccabees 14
And more that this, they even urged them on to this ill-treatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love.
Προσέτι καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν αἰκισμὸν ἐποτρύνοντες, ὡς μὴ μόνον τῶν ἀλγηδόνων περιφρονῆσαι αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν φιλαδελφίας παθῶν κρατῆσαι.
O reasonings more royal than a king, and freer than freemen!
ὦ βασιλέως λογισμοὶ βασιλικώτεροι καὶ ἐλευθέρων ἐλευθερώτεροι.
Sacred and harmonius concert of the seven brethern as concerning piety!
ὦ ἱερᾶς καὶ εὐαρμόστου περὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφῶν συμφωνίας.
None of the seven youths turned cowardly, or shrank back from death.
οὐδεὶς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ μειρακίων ἐδειλίασεν οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν θάνατον ὤκνησεν,
But all of them, as though running the road to immortality, hastened on to death through tortures.
ἀλλὰ πάντες ὥσπερ ἐπ’ ἀθανασίας ὁδὸν τρέχοντες, ἐπὶ τὸν διὰ τῶν βασάνων θάνατον ἔσπευδον.
For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed unto death for religion’s sake, as through the immortal soul of religion.
καθάπερ γὰρ χεῖρες καὶ πόδες συμφώνως τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφηγήμασιν κινοῦνται, οὕτως οἱ ἱεροὶ μείρακες ἐκεῖνοι ὡς ὑπὸ ψυχῆς μιᾶς τῆς ἀθανάτου τῆς εὐσεβείας κινούμενοι πρὸς τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς συνεφώνησαν θάνατον.
O holy seven of harmonious brethren! for as the seven days of creation, about religion,
ὦ πανάγιε συμφώνων ἀδελφῶν ἑβδομάς· καθάπερ γὰρ ἑπτὰ τῆς κοσμοποιΐας ἡμέραι περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν,
so the youths, circling around the number seven, annulled the fear of torments.
οὕτως περὶ τὴν ἑβδομάδα χορεύοντες οἱ μείρακες ἐκύκλουν τὸν τῶν βασάνων φόβον καταλύοντες.
We now shudder at the recital of the affliction of those young men; but they not only beheld, and not only heard the immediate execution of the threat, but undergoing it, persevered; and that through the pains of fire.
νῦν ἡμεῖς ἀκούοντες τὴν θλῖψιν τῶν νεανιῶν ἐκείνων φρίττομεν· οἱ δὲ οὐ μόνον ὁρῶντες, ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ μόνον ἀκούοντες τὸν παραχρῆμα ἀπειλῆς λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσχοντες ἐνεκαρτέρουν, καὶ τοῦτο ταῖς διὰ πυρὸς ὀδύναις·
And what could be more painful? for the power of fire, being sharp and quick, speedily dissolved their bodies.
ὧν τί ἂν γένοιτο ἐπαλγέστερον; ὀξεῖα γὰρ καὶ σύντομος ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς οὖσα δύναμις ταχέως διέλυε τά σώματα. -
And think it not wonderful that reasoning bore rule over those men in their torments, when even a woman’s mind despised more manifold pains.
Καὶ μὴ θαυμαστὸν ἡγεῖσθε, εἰ ὁ λογισμὸς περιεκράτησε τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων ἐν ταῖς βασάνοις, ὅπου γε καὶ γυναικὸς νοῦς πολυτροπωτέρων ὑπερεφρόνησεν ἀλγηδόνων·
For the mother of those seven youths endured the rackings of each of her children.
ἡ μήτηρ γὰρ τῶν ἑπτὰ νεανίσκων ἐκείνων ὑπήνεγκε τὰς ἐφ’ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν τέκνων στρέβλας.
And consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection,
θεωρεῖτε δὲ πῶς πολύπλοκός ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλοτεκνίας στοργὴ ἕλκουσα πάντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν σπλάγχνων συμπάθειαν,
where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men.
ὅπου γε καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα ὁμοίαν τὴν εἰς τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν γεννώμενα συμπάθειαν καὶ στοργὴν ἔχει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.
The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses, defend their fledglings.
καὶ γὰρ τῶν πετεινῶν τὰ μὲν ἥμερα κατὰ τὰς οἰκίας ὀροφοιτοῦντα προασπίζει τῶν νεοσσῶν,
Others build their nests, and hatch their young, in the tops of mountains and in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep off the intruder.
τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὰς κορυφὰς ὀρέων καὶ φαράγγων ἀπορρῶγας καὶ δένδρων ὀπὰς καὶ τὰς τούτων ἄκρας ἐννοσσοποιησάμενα ἀποτίκτει καὶ τὸν προσιόντα κωλύει·
And if not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able.
εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ δύναιντο κωλύειν, περιϊπτάμενα κυκλόθεν αὐτῶν ἀλγοῦντα τῇ στοργῇ, ἀνακαλούμενα τῇ ἰδίᾳ φωνῇ, καθ’ ὃν δύναται τρόπον βοηθεῖ τοῖς τέκνοις.
But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shewn by irrational animals?
καὶ τί δεῖ τὴν διὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων ἐπιδεικνύναι τὴν πρὸς τὰ τέκνα συμπάθειαν;
The very bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach; and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even unto death.
ὅπου γε καὶ μέλισσαι περὶ τὸν τῆς κηρογονίας καιρὸν ἐπαμύνονται τοὺς προσιόντας καὶ καθάπερ σιδήρῳ τῷ κέντρῳ πλήσσουσι τοὺς προσιόντας τῇ νοσσιᾷ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπαμύνουσιν ἕως θανάτου;
But sympathy with her children did not turn aside the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham.
ἀλλ’ οὐχὶ τὴν τοῦ ῾Αβραὰμ ὁμόψυχον τῶν νεανιῶν μητέρα μετεκίνησε συμπάθεια τῶν τέκνων.