31. So the king hastened off to settle the affair, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, as his deputy.
32. Menelaus, for his part, thinking this a good opportunity, stole some gold vessels from the temple and presented them to Andronicus; he had already sold other vessels in Tyre and in the neighboring cities.
33. When Onias had clear evidence, he accused Menelaus publicly, after withdrawing to the inviolable sanctuary at Daphne, near Antioch.
34. Thereupon Menelaus approached Andronicus privately and urged him to seize Onias. So Andronicus went to Onias, treacherously reassuring him by offering his right hand in oath, and persuaded him, in spite of his suspicions, to leave the sanctuary. Then, with no regard for justice, he immediately put him to death.
35. As a result, not only the Jews, but many people of other nations as well, were indignant and angry over the unjust murder of the man.
36. When the king returned from the region of Cilicia, the Jews of the city, together with the Greeks who detested the crime, went to see him about the murder of Onias.
37. Antiochus was deeply grieved and full of pity; he wept as he recalled the prudence and noble conduct of the deceased.
38. Inflamed with anger, he immediately stripped Andronicus of his purple robe, tore off his garments, and had him led through the whole city to the very place where he had committed the outrage against Onias; and there he put the murderer to death. Thus the Lord rendered him the punishment he deserved.
39. Many acts of sacrilege had been committed by Lysimachus in the city with the connivance of Menelaus. When word spread, the people assembled in protest against Lysimachus, because a large number of gold vessels had been stolen.
40. As the crowds, now thoroughly enraged, began to riot, Lysimachus launched an unjustified attack against them with about three thousand armed men under the leadership of a certain Auranus, a man as advanced in folly as he was in years.
41. Seeing Lysimachus’ attack, people picked up stones, pieces of wood or handfuls of the ashes lying there and threw them in wild confusion at Lysimachus and his men.
42. As a result, they wounded many of them and even killed a few, while they put all to flight. The temple robber himself they killed near the treasury.
43. Charges about this affair were brought against Menelaus.
44. When the king came to Tyre, three men sent by the senate pleaded the case before him.
45. But Menelaus, seeing himself on the losing side, promised Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, a substantial sum of money if he would win the king over.
46. So Ptolemy took the king aside into a colonnade, as if to get some fresh air, and persuaded him to change his mind.