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which the wings also indicated. And the four of these signified the four parts of the inhabited world, which it passed through in the manner of a bird and ruled over almost all. And the four heads signified the division of the rule after his death. For his dominion was divided into four kingdoms, and Ptolemy son of Lagus held Egypt, and his descendants down to Cleopatra, and Seleucus was master of Syria and the adjacent regions, and Antigonus made Asia subject to himself, and of Macedonia Antipater ruled, but as some relate, Arrhidaeus, Alexander's half-brother on his father's side. For the man of Chaeronea says that Perdiccas, being in the greatest power after the death of Alexander, immediately dragged Arrhidaeus along as a bodyguard 1.194 of the kingdom, having been born of an ignoble and common woman, and being imperfect in his mind, not having been brought forth so by nature, but with Olympias having corrupted his intellect with drugs. But of the fourth beast the prophet did not signify the form, but said it was terrible and exceedingly dreadful, having great, iron teeth, devouring and crushing and trampling the rest, and he said it was very different from the preceding beasts. And the kingdom of the Romans is signified through this. Therefore the prophet gave it neither a form nor a name. For the rule of the Romans is of many forms, at first being governed by kings from Romulus to the Tarquins, and when their tyranny was overthrown, it became an aristocracy, with the senate and the consuls managing affairs, and at times also a democracy, with the people often rising in sedition against the senate, then afterwards again changing into a monarchy, and from this returning to the name of kingdom. And he said the beast was terrible and dreadful because this became more powerful than the other kingdoms, and whatever the Macedonian kingdom did not subdue, this one made subject to itself, namely all of Greece, Carthage with Libya, Sicily, and Sardinia and other islands and various other western nations, over which Alexander did not rule; concerning which things, let him who wishes to know read the books of Dio the Roman and the writings of Polybius. And he said the beast was terrible and dreadful 1.195 and having iron teeth, since the hegemony of the Romans had become more terrifying than all the other kingdoms. For also in the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream, he has placed iron as the image of the fourth kingdom. Therefore, he said the beast devoured and crushed with its iron teeth, and trampled the rest with its feet. So the devouring and crushing is interpreted as the levying of tributes, since heavier taxes were imposed on the subjects, which nourish and fatten the rulers, but make thin those from whom they are collected by impoverishing them. And those who did not endure to pay tribute, laying claim to freedom, these the beast trampled with its feet and utterly destroyed. And through the feet the military is hinted at, as the kingdom rests and stands firm on this and moves from some places to others. And he says that the beast has ten horns, signifying that in the last times the kingdom will be divided into many hegemonies. And in the midst of the ten a little horn comes up, and three of the horns were uprooted by it, and that horn has eyes and a mouth speaking great things, and makes war against the saints. Some have interpreted this horn as the antichrist. And it was called little as it is destined to spring from a small tribe of the Hebrews. And it will overthrow three of the ten kings. And through the eyes he hinted at his wickedness and craftiness, as through these he will deceive many. And through the mouth speaking great things he indicated his arrogance and the haughtiness of his mind. And the making war with the saints indicates that he shows all diligence to make all 1.196 partakers of his own evil and blasphemy. And of the

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ο καὶ τὰ πτερὰ ἐδήλουν. ἡ δὲ τούτων τετρακτὺς τὰ τέσσαρα τῆς οἰκουμένης μέρη ᾐνίττετο, α πτηνοῦ διῆλθε τρόπον καὶ σχεδὸν ἁπάντων ἐκράτησεν. αἱ δέ γε τέσσαρες κεφαλαὶ τὴν μετὰ θάνατον ἐκείνου διαίρεσιν ἐσήμαινον τῆς ἀρχῆς. εἰς γὰρ τέσσαρας βασιλείας ἡ ἐκείνου διῄρητο ἐπικράτεια, καὶ τῆς μὲν Αἰγύπτου Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Λάγου κεκράτηκε καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τῆς Κλεοπάτρας, τῆς δὲ Συρίας καὶ τῶν αὐτῇ προσεχῶν ὁ Σέλευκος ἐκυρίευσεν, ̓Αντίγονος δὲ τὴν ̓Ασίαν ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ἐποιήσατο, τῆς δὲ Μακεδονίας ηρξεν ὁ ̓Αντίπατρος, ὡς δέ τινες ἱστοροῦσιν, ̓Αριδαῖος ἀδελφὸς ἑτεροθαλὴς ἐκ πατρὸς ων ̓Αλεξάνδρου. φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Χαιρωνεὺς τὸν Περδίκκαν μετὰ θάνατον ̓Αλεξάνδρου ἐν μεγίστῃ δυνάμει οντα εὐθὺς τὸν ̓Αριδαῖον ωσπερ δορυφόρημα 1.194 βασιλείας ἐφέλκεσθαι, γεγονότα μὲν ἐκ γυναικὸς ἀδόξου καὶ κοινῆς, ἀτελῆ δὲ τὴν φρόνησιν οντα, οὐ φύσει τοιοῦτον προαχθέντα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ̓Ολυμπιάδος φαρμάκοις διαφθειράσης αὐτῷ τὴν διάνοιαν. Τοῦ δὲ τετάρτου θηρίου ειδος μὲν οὐκ ἐσήμανεν ὁ προφήτης, φοβερὸν δ' ειπε τοῦτο καὶ εκθαμβον περισσῶς, ὀδόντας εχον μεγάλους καὶ σιδηροῦς, ἐσθίον τε καὶ λεπτῦνον καὶ τὰ ἐπίλοιπα συμπατοῦν, καὶ τὸ διάφορον αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὰ προηγησάμενα θηρία εφη τυγχάνειν πολύ. ἡ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων δὲ διὰ τούτου βασιλεία σημαίνεται. διὸ οὐδὲ ειδος ὁ προφήτης τούτῳ οὐδ' ονομα εθετο. πολυειδὴς γὰρ ἡ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἀρχή, πρότερον μὲν βασιλεῦσιν ἰθυνομένη ἀπὸ ̔Ρωμύλου μέχρι τῶν Ταρκυνίων, τῆς δ' ἐκείνων τυραννίδος καταλυθείσης ἀριστοκρατουμένη, τῆς συγκλήτου καὶ τῶν ὑπάτων διοικούντων τὰ πράγματα, εστι δ' οτε καὶ δημοκρατουμένη, τοῦ δήμου πολλάκις πρὸς τὴν σύγκλητον στασιάσαντος, μετέπειτα δ' αυθις εἰς μοναρχίαν μεταπεσοῦσα, κἀκ ταύτης εἰς βασιλείας κλῆσιν ἐπανακάμψασα. φοβερὸν δὲ τὸ θηρίον καὶ εκθαμβον ειπεν οτι δυνατωτέρα τῶν αλλων βασιλειῶν αυτη γεγένηται, καὶ οσα ἡ Μακεδονικὴ μὴ ὑπέταξε βασιλεία, ὑφ' ἑαυτὴν αυτη ποιησαμένη, τὴν ̔Ελλάδα δηλαδὴ πᾶσαν, τὴν Καρχηδόνα σὺν τῇ Λιβύῃ, τὴν Σικελίαν, τὴν Σαρδώ τε καὶ νήσους αλλας καὶ εθνη ἑσπέρια διάφορα ετερα, ων οὐκ ηρξεν ̓Αλέξανδρος· απερ ὁ βουλόμενος γνῶναι τὰς βίβλους τοῦ ̔Ρωμαίου ∆ίωνος ἀναγνώτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Πολυβίου συγγράμματα. φοβερὸν δὲ τὸ θηρίον εφη καὶ εκθαμβον 1.195 καὶ σιδηροῦς ὀδόντας εχον, ὡς τῆς τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἡγεμονίας τῶν αλλων βασιλειῶν ἁπασῶν φρικωδεστέρας γεγενημένης. καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι γὰρ τῇ κατ' οναρ ὀφθείσῃ τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὸν σίδηρον τέθεικε τῆς τετάρτης βασιλείας εἰκόνισμα. τοῖς ουν σιδηροῖς ὀδοῦσιν ἐσθίειν τὸ θηρίον ειπε καὶ λεπτύνειν, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ συμπατεῖν τοῖς ποσί. τὸ μὲν ουν ἐσθίειν καὶ λεπτύνειν εἰς τὴν τῶν δασμῶν ἐξείληπται εἰσφοράν, ὡς βαρυτέρων τοῖς ὑπηκόοις φόρων ἐπιτεθέντων, οι τοὺς βασιλεύοντας τρέφουσι καὶ πιαίνουσι, τοὺς δ' εἰσπραττομένους αὐτοὺς ἐκλεπτύνουσι πενητεύοντας. οι δὲ δασμοφορεῖν οὐκ ἠνείχοντο, τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀντιποιούμενοι, τούτους τοῖς ποσὶ συνεπάτει τὸ θηρίον καὶ ἐξωλόθρευε. διὰ τῶν ποδῶν δὲ τὸ στρατιωτικὸν ὑπαινίττεται, ὡς ἐν τούτῳ τῆς βασιλείας ἐρειδομένης καὶ βεβηκυίας καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων μεταβαινούσης εἰς ετερα. καὶ κέρατα δ' ειναι τῷ θηρίῳ δέκα φησίν, ὑπεμφαίνων ὡς εἰς πολλὰς ἡγεμονίας ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἡ βασιλεία διαιρεθήσεται. ἐν μέσῳ δὲ τῶν δέκα μικρὸν ἀνιέναι κέρας, καὶ ἐκριζωθῆναι τῶν κεράτων τρία παρ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς εχειν τὸ κέρας ἐκεῖνο καὶ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα, καὶ πολεμεῖν τοῖς ἁγίοις. τοῦτο τὸ κέρας εἰς τὸν ἀντίχριστον ἐξειλήφασί τινες. μικρὸν δ' ἐκλήθη ὡς ἀπὸ μικρᾶς φυλῆς τῶν ̔Εβραίων μέλλον φυήσεσθαι. τρεῖς δὲ τῶν δέκα βασιλέων καταλύσει. διὰ δὲ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πανοῦργον ᾐνίξατο, ὡς διὰ τούτων ἐξαπατῆσον πολλούς. διὰ δὲ τοῦ μεγάλα λαλοῦντος στόματος τὴν ἀλαζονείαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἐπηρμένον ὑπενέφηνε τοῦ φρονήματος. τὸ δὲ πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων ποιεῖν τὸ πᾶσαν ἐνδείξασθαι σπουδὴν δηλοῖ τῆς οἰκείας κακίας καὶ βλασφημίας απαντας λαβεῖν 1.196 κοινωνούς. τῆς δὲ