out. 18 But he said, “Even if you take away the organ of speech, God still hears the silent. 19 Behold, my tongue is extended, cut it off; for in spite of that you won’t silence our reasoning. 20 We gladly lose our limbs on behalf of God. 21 But God will speedily find you, since you cut off the tongue, the instrument of divine melody.”
11
1 When he had died, disfigured in his torments, the fifth leapt forward, and said, 2 “I don’t intend, O tyrant, to get excused from the torment which is on behalf of virtue. 3 But I have come of my own accord, that by my death you may owe heavenly vengeance and punishment for more crimes. 4 O you hater of virtue and of men, what have we done that you thus revel in our blood? 5 Does it seem evil to you that we worship the Founder of all things, and live according to his surpassing law? 6 But this is worthy of honours, not torments, 7 if you had been capable of the higher feelings of men, and possessed the hope of salvation from God. 8 Behold now, being alien from God, you make war against those who are religious towards God.”
9 As he said this, the spearbearers bound him and drew him to the rack, 10 to which binding him at his knees, and fastening them with iron fetters, they bent down his loins upon the wedge of the wheel; and his body was then dismembered, scorpion-fashion. 11 With his breath thus confined, and his body strangled, he said, 12 “A great favour you bestow upon us, O tyrant, by enabling us to manifest our adherence to the law by means of nobler sufferings.”
13 He also being dead, the sixth, quite a youth, was brought out. On the tyrant asking him whether he would eat and be delivered, he said, 14 “I am indeed younger than my brothers, but in understanding I am as old; 15 for having been born and reared to the same end. We are bound to die also on behalf of the same cause. 16 So that if you think it is proper to torment us for not eating the unclean, then torment!”
17 As he said this, they brought him to the wheel. 18 Extended upon this, with limbs racked and dislocated, he was gradually roasted from beneath. 19 Having heated sharp spits, they approached them to his back; and having transfixed his sides, they burnt away his entrails. 20 He, while tormented, said, “O good and holy contest, in which for the sake of religion, we kindred have been called to the arena of pain, and have not been conquered. 21 For religious understanding, O tyrant, is unconquered. 22 Armed with upright virtue, I also will depart with my kindred. 23 I, too, bearing with me a great avenger, O inventor of tortures, and enemy of the truly pious. 24 We six youths have destroyed your tyranny. 25 For isn’t your inability to overrule our reasoning, and to compel us to eat the unclean, your destruction? 26 Your fire is cold to us. Your racks are painless, and your violence harmless. 27 For the guards not of a tyrant but of a divine law are our defenders. Through this we keep our reasoning unconquered.”
12
1 When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the cauldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward, 2 whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his kindred, 3 seeing him already encompassed with chains, had him brought nearer, and endeavored to counsel him, saying, 4 “You see the end of the madness of your kindred, for they have died in torture through disobedience. You, if disobedient, having been miserably tormented, will yourself perish prematurely. 5 But if you obey, you will be my friend, and have a charge over the affairs of the kingdom.” 6 Having thus exhorted him, he sent for the boy’s mother, that, by showing compassion to her for the loss of so many sons, he might incline her, through the hope of safety, to make the survivor obedient.
7 He, after his mother had urged him on in the Hebrew tongue, (as we will soon relate) said, 8 “Release me that I may speak to the king and all his friends.” 9 They, rejoicing exceedingly at the promise of the youth, quickly let him go. 10 He, running up to the pans, said, 11 “Impious tyrant, and most blasphemous man, were you not ashamed, having received prosperity and a kingdom from God, to kill His servants, and to rack the doers of godliness? 12 Therefore the divine vengeance is reserving you for eternal fire and torments, which will cling to you for all time. 13 Weren’t you ashamed, man as you are, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them? 14 But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion towards God. 15 But you will groan as you deserve for having slain without cause the champions of virtue. 16 Therefore,” he continued, “I myself, being about to die, 17 will not forsake my kindred. 18 I call upon the God of my fathers to be merciful to my race. 19 But you, both living and dead, he will punish.” 20 Thus having prayed, he hurled himself into the pans; and so expired.
13
1 If then, the seven kindred despised troubles even to death, it is admitted on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the emotions. 2 For just as if they had eaten of the unholy as slaves to the emotions, we would have said that they had been conquered by them. 3 Now it is not so. But by means of the reasoning which is praised by God, they mastered their emotions. 4 It is impossible to overlook the leadership of reflection, for it gained the victory over both emotions and troubles. 5 How, then, can we avoid according to these men mastery of emotion through right reasoning, since they didn’t withdraw from the pains of fire? 6 For just as by means of towers projecting in front of harbours men break the threatening waves, and thus assure a still course to vessels entering port, 7 so that seven-towered right-reasoning of the young men, securing the harbour of religion, conquered the tempest of emotions. 8 For having arranged a holy choir of piety, they encouraged one another, saying, 9 “Brothers, may we die brotherly for the law. Let us imitate the three young men in Assyria who despised the equally afflicting furnace. 10 Let’s not be cowards in the manifestation of piety.” 11 One said, “Courage, brother!” and another, “Nobly endure!” 12 Another said, “Remember of what stock you are;” and by the hand of our father Isaac endured to be slain for the sake of piety. 13 One and all, looking at each other serene and confident, said, “Let’s sacrifice with all our heart our souls to God who gave them, and employ our bodies for the keeping of the law. 14 Let’s not fear him who thinks he kills; 15 for great is the trial of soul and danger of eternal torment laid up for those who transgress the commandment of God. 16 Let’s arm ourselves, therefore, in the self-control, which is divine reasoning. 17 If we suffer like this, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will receive us, and all the fathers will commend us. 18 As each one of the kindred was hauled away, the rest exclaimed, “Don’t disgrace us, O brother, nor falsify those who died before you!”
19 Now you are not ignorant of the charm of brotherhood, which the Divine and all wise Providence has imparted through fathers to children, and has engendered through the mother’s womb. 20 In which these brothers having remained an equal time, and having been formed for the same period, and been increased by the same blood, and having been perfected through the same principle of life, 21 and having been brought forth at equal intervals, and having sucked milk from the same springs, hence their brotherly souls are reared up lovingly together, 22 and increase the more powerfully by reason of this simultaneous rearing, and by daily companionship, and by other education, and exercise in the law of God.
23 Brotherly love being thus sympathetically constituted, the seven kindred had a more sympathetic mutual harmony. 24 For being educated in the same law, and practising the same virtues, and reared up in a just course of life, they increased this harmony with each other. 25 For the same ardour for what is right and honourable increased their goodwill and harmony towards each other. 26 For it acting along with religion, made their brotherly feeling more desirable to them. 27 And yet, although nature, companionship, and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love, those who were left endured to see their kindred, who were mistreated for their religion, tortured even to death.
14
1 More that this, they even urged them on to this mistreatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love. 2 Reasoning is more royal than a king, and freer than freemen! 3 What a sacred and harmonious concert of the seven kindred as concerning piety! 4 None of the seven youths turned cowardly or shrank back from death. 5 But all of them, as though running the road to immortality,