De Maria qvxie fa/me urgente comedit jilium
The Desperate Mother
The narrative introduces Mary of Bethezob, a noble woman driven to the brink of madness by the extreme famine of the siege.
But what good is it to explain the severity of that hunger? When a crime has been committed there, which has neither been heard of among the Greeks nor among the barbarians, it is indeed horrible to tell and incredible to hear. I would gladly have remained silent about such a monstrous deed, lest anyone believe I was narrating something monstrous, unless I had many men of our memory as witnesses of the crime. Furthermore, I would not think that I was doing anything for my country if I were to withhold the words of those whose deeds have been reported. A woman from beyond the Jordan named Mary, daughter of Eleazar, from the village of Bethezob—which means 'house of hyssop'—was noble in both lineage and wealth; she was found among the crowd gathered in Jerusalem, sharing the common fate of everyone during the siege. Her remaining possessions, which she had brought from her home into the city, were seized by the tyrants; if there were any relics from her great wealth that could provide her with a daily sustenance, they were snatched away by the raiding satellites of the robbers, and for these, the great woman was already being worn down, as if by madness, from indignation, so that at times she would incite the robbers with curses to kill her and with insults. But when neither anyone was irritated nor anyone had compassion on her to oppress her, and if anything of food had been sought from her, it would be sought from others, and there was no longer any means of finding it anywhere, yet a dire hunger pressed upon her very insides and marrow, and hunger was already driving her to madness, and rage was using the worst of advisors against her, she was now armed against the laws of nature. She had a small son at her breast.
A Monstrous Sacrifice
Overcome by hunger and despair, Mary kills her own child to sustain herself, an act that shocks even the cruel robbers who discover her.
Looking at him, she said, "O most unhappy son of an unhappy mother, to what end should I save you in this war, this famine, and this plunder by thieves?" Even if we could hope to live, we're crushed by the yoke of Roman slavery. But now, the famine has outpaced even that slavery, and the thieves—more cruel than either—are closing in on us. Come then, my son: be food for your mother, a fury for the thieves, and a legend for the ages—the only thing missing from the calamities of the Jews. And when she had said this, she killed her son. Then she roasted him over the fire, ate half of him, and kept the other half covered. And suddenly the thieves burst in, caught the scent of the roasted meat, and threatened her with death unless she immediately showed them the food they sensed was ready. Then she said, "I have indeed saved the best part for you."
The Horror of the City
The robbers are paralyzed by the sight of the mother's deed, and the news of the atrocity spreads terror throughout the city.
And immediately she uncovered the remaining limbs of the infant. But a sudden, immense horror seized them, and their cruel hearts hardened. Their voices choked in their throats. She, however, with a look more savage than the robbers themselves, said, 'This is my son, he is my own flesh and blood, and this deed is mine.' 'Eat, for I have already eaten what I gave birth to.' 'Don't act more religious than a mother or softer than a woman; but if you're overcome by pity and loathe my food, I, who have already been fed by such things, will eat of them again.' After this, they left, terrified and trembling, having left the wretched mother this one food out of all their plunder. The whole city was immediately filled with the news of this wicked crime, and everyone, picturing the deed that had been committed before their eyes, shuddered as if they themselves had done it.
The Finality of Famine
The city descends into a state where death is viewed as a mercy, concluding with the author's citation of Josephus.
Everyone driven by the necessity of famine hurried all the more toward death, calling those blessed who were fortunate enough to die before they were polluted by hearing of such evils. At least, that is what Josephus says.
Read the original Latin
Sed quid opus est per haec pondus famis illius explicare? cum gestum sit ibi facinus, quod neque apud Grecos a neque apud barbaros ullus accepit auditus, horrendum quidem dictu, auditu uero incredibile. Equidem libenter tam immane facinus siluissem, ne quis me crederet monstruosa narrare, nisi multos memoriae nostrae uiros testes commissi sceleris habuissem. Porro uero ne aliquid meae patriae praestare me arbitrer, si subtraham eorum uerba, quorum pertulit facta. Mulier quaedam ex his, quae ultra lordanis alueum commanebant, nomine Maria, Eleazari filia, de uico Bethezob, quod interpretatur domus Ysopi, genere et facultatibus nobilis, cum reliqua multitudine, quae confluxerat, lerosolimis reperta, communem cum omnibus obsidionis casum ferebat. Huius reliquas quidem facultates, quas domo in urbem conuexerat, tyranui inuasere, si quid uero reliquiarum ex magnis opibus fuerat, quibus uictum cotidianum pertenuem duceret, irruentes per momenta praedonum satellites rapiebant, Pro quibus ingens mulier uelut insania iam quadam ex indignatione fatigabatur, ita ut interdum praedones maledictis in necem sui et conuiciis instigaret. Verum cum neque irritatus quisquam neque miseratus eam opprimeret, et si quid forte cibi fuisset ab ea quaesitum, id ab aliis quaereretur, nec iam usquam reperiendi copia fieret, fames autem dira uisceribus ipsis insisteret ac medullis, et ad furorem perurgeret iam inedia, fame et ira pessimis usa consultoribus contra ipsa iam armatur iura naturae. Erat namque ei sub uberibus paruulus filius.
Hunc ante oculos ferens, Infelicis, inquit, matris o infelicior fili, in bello fame et direptione praedonum cui te reseruabo? Nam etsi uita sperari posset, et iugo Romanae seruitutis urgemur. Sed nunc ipsam etiam seruitutem praeuenit fames; praedones uero utraque ui grauiores perurgent. Veni ergo nunc o mi nate, esto matri cibus, praedonibus furor, seculis fabula, quae sola deerat cladibus ludeorum. Et cum haec dixisset, simul filium iugulat. Tum deinde igni superpositum torret et medium quippe edendo consumit, medium uero reseruat obtectum. Et ecce confestim praedones irruunt, ambustae carnis nidore concepto mortem minantur, nisi sine mora cibos, quos paratos senserant, demonstraret. Tum illa, Equidem partem, inquit, uobis optimam reseruaui.
Et continuo qnae superfuerant membra retexit infantis. At illos repente ingens horror inuasit, et crudeles quamuis animi diriguere. Vox faucibus interclusa est. Hla uero truci uultu et ipsis etiam praedonibus truculentior, Meus, inquit, hic filius est, meus est partus, et facinus meum est. Edite, nam et ego prior comedi, quae genui. Nolite effici aut matre religiosiores, aut femina molliores; quod si uos pietas uincit et execramini cibos meos, ego quae iam talibus pasta sum, ego his iterum pascar. Post haec illi territi trementesque discedunt, qui hunc solum ex omnibus a facultatibus suis miserae matri reliquerant cibum. Repleta est autem confestim uniuersa ciuitas nefarii sceleris nuntio, et unusquisque ante oculos facinus quod perpetratum fuerat adducens, tamquam si ipse hoc perpetrasset, horrebat.
Omnes autem, quos famis necessitas perurgebat, festinabant magis ad mortem, beatos dicentes eos quibus contigit interisse priusquam talium malorum polluerentur auditu. Haec quidem losephus.
Policraticus companion
Study the argument weekly; pray the tradition daily
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