37. Antiochus was deeply grieved, moved to pity and tears, because of the modest behavior and good conduct of the dead man.
38. Burning with anger, he immediately stripped off Andronicus’ purple robe, tore off his clothes, and dragged him around the whole city to the place where he had wrongfully killed Onias. There he rid the world of the murderer, giving him the punishment he deserved from the Lord.
39. With Menelaus’ approval, Lysimachus committed many sacrilegious acts against the city. There was a report that he smuggled much of the temple’s gold equipment abroad, so the populace gathered together against Lysimachus.
40. Because the crowds were aroused and furious, Lysimachus armed three thousand men and incited cruel force under the leadership of a certain Auranus, a man as senseless as he was old.
41. When the people saw Lysimachus’ assault, they grabbed stones and blocks of wood—some even took handfuls of ashes—and they hurled these at Lysimachus’ men, causing great confusion.
42. In the end, they wounded many, killed some, and forced all of them to flee. They overpowered and killed the temple plunderer Lysimachus near the treasury.
43. The people brought charges against Menelaus regarding these matters.
44. When the king arrived in Tyre, the council of elders sent three men to present the case before him.
45. But Menelaus, without an ally, promised enough money to Ptolemy, Dorymenes’ son, to gain the king’s support.
46. So Ptolemy took the king aside into a royal porch area, as though to get some fresh air. He convinced the king to change his mind.
47. So Menelaus, the cause of all the evil, was allowed to leave court acquitted of all charges, but the wretched envoys, who would have been found innocent even had they pleaded their case before Scythians, were falsely condemned to death.
48. As a result, these men, who had spoken in defense of the city, the people, and the temple equipment, were abruptly subjected to an unjust penalty.
49. For this reason, to show their hatred at such twisted justice, even the Tyrians gave generously so that the men could have an impressive funeral.
50. But, through the greed of those in power, Menelaus remained in office and persisted in evil as a great conspirator against the citizens.