Nicanor’s Thumbs and Toes

What is Nicanor [Day] and what is Trajan [Day]? As it is taught: Nicanor was one of the Greek generals. Each and every day he would lift his hand against Judaea and Jerusalem and say: When will [they] fall into my hands and I trample them? When the sovereigns of the house of the Hasmoneans grew powerful and defeated [the Greeks], they cut off his thumbs and big toes and hung them on the gates of Jerusalem, saying: The mouth which spoke in pride and the hands that were raised against Jerusalem—revenge shall be exacted on them!