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For also in the second psalm, from the person of the Lord himself, the blessed David says: "The Lord said to me: You are my Son, today I have begotten you; ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession." And this the blessed Daniel also says: "For all peoples, tribes, and tongues," he says, "will serve him." And showing the unending nature of the kingdom, "His authority," he says, "is an everlasting authority, which will not pass away, and his kingdom will not be destroyed." So having thus written the revelation, he added: ιεʹ. "My spirit shuddered; I, Daniel, in my 81.1428 disposition, and the visions of my head troubled me." For the sight, he says, was dreadful, and ignorance of the enigmas stirred up my mind and filled it with confusion. ιʹ. "So I approached one of those who stood by and sought from him the exact meaning of all these things." He calls "those who stood by" the thousand thousands and ten thousand ten thousands, by which he did not state an express number, but indicated a multitude greater than number, both of those ministering and of those standing by. For the more honored not only stood, but were also commanded to minister; but the rest, by their stance of fear, indicated their servitude. And just as in human courts of justice, some of the subjects stand, showing the court to be more fearsome, while others go out and come in, bringing the responses to the judge; so in the most fearsome court, Daniel saw the ten thousands standing by, and the thousand thousands entrusted to minister. Having approached, then, he says, and having asked what the interpretation of the revelation was, he learned the truth from one of those standing by. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. "For he said to me: These four great beasts are four kingdoms which will rise up on the earth, which will be taken away. And the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and will possess it forever, and forever and ever." One must pay close attention, that here too he spoke of four kingdoms, and in the case of the statue, four; and not think that the earthenware is a different kingdom from the iron one. For there too he said, "the end of the iron kingdom is weaker," and here likewise he said, "three horns were uprooted from the ten," as being evidently weaker. These kingdoms, therefore, he says, will be dissolved, and the true and unending kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High. Therefore, he says, longing for that one. consider as nothing the kingdoms of the present age which will receive their end before long. Then he says: ιθʹ. "I sought diligently concerning the fourth beast, because it was different from every beast, and exceedingly dreadful; its teeth were of iron, and its claws of bronze; it devoured, and broke in pieces, and trampled the rest with its feet." It must be noted that he says the teeth are of iron, but the claws of bronze. For the Roman kingdom receives tribute from all, for which reason he said the teeth were of iron. And since also from the Macedonian kingdom many serve in the hoplite army—and what claws are to a beast, soldiers are to a king—he reasonably said the claws were of bronze, since he also called the third kingdom bronze. For I inquired, he says, 81.1429 κʹ. "And concerning its ten horns that were on its head, and of the fourth; of the one that came up and cast down three of the former ones, and that horn which had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and whose appearance was greater than the rest." But one must not wonder if above he said the horn was small, but here its appearance was greater than the rest; it fits what is being said exactly. For when he saw the horn growing, he called it small, as also being seen from the small nation of the Jews, and having for the time being an obscure kingdom; but after it uprooted three horns from before it, he reasonably calls its appearance greater than the rest. He then adds, still inquiring, καʹ. "Why indeed that horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them?" That is, it humbled them. κβʹ. "Until

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γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ὁ μακάριος λέγει ∆αβίδ· "Κύριος εἶπε πρός με· Υἱός μου εἶ σὺ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε· αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς." Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος λέγει ∆ανιήλ· "Πάντες γὰρ, φησὶ, λαοὶ, φυλαὶ, γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσι." Καὶ δεικνὺς τὸ ἀτελεύτητον τῆς βασιλείας, "Ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἐξουσία αἰώνιος, ἥτις οὐ παρελεύσεται, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ οὐ διαφθαρήσεται." Οὕτως οὖν γράψας τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν, ἐπήγαγεν· ιεʹ. "Ἔφριξε τὸ πνεῦμά μου· ἐγὼ ∆ανιὴλ ἐν τῇ 81.1428 ἕξει μου, καὶ αἱ ὁράσεις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου συνετά ρασσόν με." Ἥ τε γὰρ ὄψις, φησὶ, φρικώδης ἦν, καὶ ἡ ἄγνοια τῶν αἰνιγμάτων ἐκύκα μου τὴν διά νοιαν, καὶ θορύβων ἐπλήρου. ιʹ. "Προσῆλθον τοίνυν τινὶ τῶν ἑστηκότων, καὶ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἐζήτουν παρ' αὐτοῦ περὶ πάντων τούτων." Ἑστηκότας δὲ λέγει τὰς χιλίας χιλιά δας, καὶ μυρίας μυριάδας, δι' ὧν οὐκ ἀριθμὸν εἶπε ῥητὸν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ κρεῖττον ἐδήλωσε πλῆθος τῶν τε λειτουργούντων, καὶ τῶν παρεστηκό των. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τιμιώτεροι οὐχ εἱστήκεισαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ λειτουργεῖν ἐκελεύοντο· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῇ μετὰ δέους στάσει τὴν δουλείαν ἐμήνυον. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων δικαστηρίων, οἱ μὲν τῶν ὑπ ηκόων ἱστᾶσιν φοβερώτερον δεικνύντες τὸ δικαστή ριον, οἱ δὲ ἐξίασί τε καὶ εἰσίασι τῷ δικαστῇ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις κομίζοντες· οὕτως ἐν τῷ φοβερωτάτῳ δικαστηρίῳ εἶδεν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ τὰς μὲν μυριάδας παρ εστώσας, τὰς δὲ χιλίας χιλιάδας λειτουργεῖν ἐμπε πιστευμένας. Προσελθὼν τοίνυν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐρόμε νος τίς τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως ἡ ἑρμηνεία, ἔμαθεν παρά τινος τῶν ἑστώτων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. "Ἔφη γάρ μοι· Ταῦτα τὰ θηρία τὰ μεγάλα τὰ τέσσαρα, τέσσαρες βασιλεῖαι ἀναστήσονται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, αἳ ἀρθήσονται. Καὶ παραλήψονται τὴν βα σιλείαν ἅγιοι Ὑψίστου, καὶ καθέξουσιν αὐτὴν ἕως αἰῶνος, καὶ ἕως αἰῶνος τῶν αἰώνων." Προσέχειν ἀκριβῶς δεῖ, ὅτι κἀνταῦθα τέσσαρας εἶπε βασι λείας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς εἰκόνος τέσσαρας· καὶ μὴ νο μίζειν τὸ ὄστρακον ἑτέραν εἶναι παρὰ τὸν σίδηρον βασιλείαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ "τὸ τέλος τῆς σιδηρᾶς βασιλείας ἀσθενέστερον" ἔφη, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὡσαύ τως "τρία κέρατα ἔφη ἐκριζωθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν δέκα," ὡς ἀσθενέστερον δηλονότι διακείμενα. Αὗ ται τοίνυν, φησὶν, αἱ βασιλεῖαι διαλυθήσονται, καὶ ἡ ἀληθὴς καὶ ἀτελεύτητος βασιλεία τοῖς τοῦ Ὑψί στου ἁγίοις δοθήσεται. Ἐκείνην τοίνυν, φησὶ, ποθῶν. μηδὲν ἡγοῦ τοῦ παρόντος αἰῶνος τὰς βασι λείας οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δεξομένας τὸ τέλος. Εἶτά φησιν· ιθʹ. "Ἐζήτουν ἀκριβῶς περὶ τοῦ θηρίου τοῦ τε τάρτου, ὅτι ἦν διαφέρον παρὰ πᾶν θηρίον, καὶ φοβερὸν περισσῶς· οἱ ὀδόντες αὐτοῦ σιδηροῖ, καὶ οἱ ὄνυχες αὐτοῦ χαλκοῖ· ἤσθιεν, καὶ ἐλέπτυνεν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῖς ποσὶν αὑτοῦ κατεπάτει." Ἐπι σημήνασθαι δεῖ, ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ὀδόντας σιδηροῦς λέ γει, τοὺς δὲ ὄνυχας χαλκοῦς. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεία τὸν παρὰ πάντων δέχεται φόρον, διὸ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔφη σιδηροῦς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς Μακεδονικῆς βασιλείας πολλοὶ εἰς τὴν ὁπλιτικὴν τελοῦσι στρατείαν, ὅπερ δέ εἰσι θηρίῳ ὄνυχες, τοῦτο βασιλεῖ στρατιῶται, εἰκότως ἔφη τοὺς ὄνυχας χαλ κοῦς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὴν τρίτην βασιλείαν χαλκῆν προσ ηγόρευσεν. Ἐπυνθανόμην γὰρ, φησὶ, 81.1429 κʹ. "Καὶ περὶ τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ τῶν δέκα τῶν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ τετάρτου· τοῦ ἀναβάντος καὶ ἐκτινάξαντος τῶν προτέρων τρία, καὶ τὸ κέρας ἐκεῖνο ᾧ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα, καὶ ἡ ὅρασις αὐτοῦ μείζων τῶν λοιπῶν." Οὐ δεῖ δὲ θαυμάζειν, εἰ ἄνω μὲν σμικρὸν ἔφη τὸ κέρας, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὴν ὅρασιν αὐτοῦ μείζονα τῶν λοιπῶν· προσήκει τοῖς λεγομένοις ἀκριβῶς. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ φυόμενον εἶδε τὸ κέρας, μικρὸν αὐτὸ προσηγόρευσεν, ὡς καὶ ἀπὸ σμικροῦ ἔθνους ὁρώμενον τοῦ Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἀφανῆ τέως τὴν βασιλείαν ἔχον· μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἐκριζῶ σαι τρία κέρατα τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ, εἰκότως τὴν ὅρασιν αὐτοῦ μείζω τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποκαλεῖ. Ἐπιφέρει τοίνυν ἔτι πυνθανόμενος, καʹ. "Τί δήποτε τὸ κέρας ἐκεῖνο ἐποίει πόλε μον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ἴσχυσε πρὸς αὐτούς;" Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτούς. κβʹ. "Ἕως