4 Onias, considering the peril of this contention, and Apollonius to be mad, though he was governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, which only augmented the malice of Simon, he brought himself before the king,
5 not so as to be an accuser of a citizen, but in view of his own consideration for the common good of the entire multitude.
6 For he saw that, without royal providence, it would be impossible to provide peace to events, nor would Simon ever cease from his foolishness.
7 But after the life of Seleucus expired, when Antiochus, who was called the illustrious, had assumed the kingdom, Jason, the brother of Onias, was ambitions for the high priesthood.
8 He went to the king, promising him three hundred and sixty talents of silver, and from other revenues eighty talents,
9 and beyond these, he promised also one hundred and fifty more, if he would be granted the authority to establish a sports arena, and a school for boys, and to enroll those who were at Jerusalem as Antiochians.
10 When the king had assented, and he had obtained the leadership, he immediately began to transfer his subjects to the rituals of the heathens.