1 Maccabees 8
Judas heard of the Romans' power and their willingness to form alliances with those who agree with them. The Romans had conquered many lands, including Galatia and Spain, and had defeated powerful kings, such as Antiochus and Philip. Judas chose Eupolemus and Jason to go to Rome to form an alliance with the Romans, hoping to gain their help in freeing the kingdom of Israel from Greek oppression. The Romans agreed to the alliance, promising mutual aid in times of war and establishing a treaty that would be ratified by both parties.
And Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are powerful and strong, and that they willingly agree to all things that are asked of them; and that, whoever was agreeable to them, they established a friendship with them, and so they are powerful and resourcefulAnd they heard of their battles, and the successful works that they had accomplished in Galatia, how they had subdued them and brought them under tributeand what great things they had accomplished in the region of Spain, and that they had driven under their power the mines of silver and gold which are there, and that they had obtained possession of the entire place by their counsel and patienceand that they had overcome places that were very far from them, and kings, who came against them from the ends of the earth, and had crushed them and struck them with a great scourging, while the rest pay tribute to them every yearand that they had defeated in battle Philip, and Perses the king of the Ceteans, and the others who had taken up arms against them, and had crushed them in warfare and subdued themand how Antiochus, the great king of Asia, who brought a fight against them, having one hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and swift chariots, and a very great army, was crushed by themand how they had captured him alive and had decreed to him that both he and those who would reign after him would pay a great tribute, and that he should provide hostages bound to an agreementand that regions from the Indians, and from the Medes, and from the Lydians, from among their best regions, with those whom they had taken from them, they gave to king EumenesAnd those who were in Greece wanted to go out and defeat them, but they became aware of this planAnd so they sent one general to them, and he fought against them, and many of them fell, and they led into captivity their wives, and their sons, and they despoiled them and took possession of their land, and they destroyed their walls and drove them into servitude, even to this dayAnd the remaining kingdoms and islands, which at any time had resisted them, they destroyed and drove under their powerBut with their friends, and with those who remained at peace with them, they maintained friendship and conquered kingdoms: those that were near, and those that were far off. For all those who heard of their name were afraid of themIn fact, whomever they wanted to help become ruler, these reigned, but whomever they wanted, they deposed from the kingdom. And they were greatly exaltedAnd of all these, none wore a diadem or was clothed in purple, to be magnified in thisAnd also, they had made themselves a senate house, and they consulted daily with three hundred and twenty men, continually acting as a counsel for the multitude, so that they would do the things that were rightAnd they commit their government to one man each year, to rule over their entire land, and they all obey this one, and there is no envy or jealousy among themAnd so Judas chose Eupolemus, the son of John, the son of Jacob, and Jason, the son of Eleazar, and he sent them to Rome to make an agreement of friendship and an alliance with themand so that they would take away from them the yoke of the Grecians, for they saw that they oppressed the kingdom of Israel with servitudeAnd they went to Rome, a very long journey, and they entered the senate house, and they said"Judas Maccabeus, and his brothers, and the people of the Jews, have sent us to you to establish with you an alliance and peace, and so that we may be registered among your associates and friends.And the word was pleasing in their sightAnd this is a copy of the writing, which they rewrote on tablets of brass and sent to Jerusalem, so that it would be with them in that place as a memorial of the peace and alliance"May all be well with the Romans and with the nation of the Jews, at sea and on land, forever, and may sword and enemy be far away from themBut if a war is instituted against the Romans first, or against any of their allies in all their dominionsthe nation of the Jews will bring help to them, just as the situation shall direct, whole-heartedlyAnd those who do battle, they need not provide with supplies of wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, just as it seems good to the Romans, and they shall obey their orders, while taking nothing from themBut in like manner also, if war will have fallen upon the nation of the Jews first, the Romans shall help them willingly, just as the situation permits themAnd those who give assistance will not be provided with wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, just as it seems good to the Romans. And they shall obey their orders without deceitAccording to these words, the Romans have made an agreement with the people of the JewsAnd, if after these words, one or another would want to add anything to, or take anything from these, they may do as they propose. And whatever they add or take away, it shall be ratifiedMoreover, concerning the evils that king Demetrius did to them, we have written to him, saying, ‘Why have you made your yoke heavy upon our friends and allies, the JewsIf, therefore, they come again to us against you, we will render judgment for them, and we will make war against you by sea and by land.’
Share this chapter