Ephrem the Syrian : "Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast and the other horn," which was seen while attacking and harshly afflicting the holy ones with his arms. This is Antiochus, who, as the angel reveals, would have made war and submitted the holy ones and the priests and the righteous ones. — COMMENTARY ON Daniel 7:19 Hippolytus of Rome : And so since all the prophets and apostles testify to this, but because the lawless disobey him and blaspheme and set at nothing what has been spoken and persecute and oppress his slaves, and because they do not expect these things which will be, let us ourselves see what will be, we who believe in the Word of truth and who are led by his Word to eternal life, who are taught by the prophets and who by the Spirit are illuminated, so that we, becoming wise through his grace, may observe the ancient things which were proclaimed and in due time happened and will happen. Holding before our eyes the judgment of God, we guard ourselves from all evil so that we may flee from the eternal fire and incessant punishment. For if even now these things do not come upon us because the times are not yet fulfilled, it is still necessary to pray that we not be found in such times in which these things shall happen, lest one, having become weak from the great persecution which comes to the world, should fall from eternal life. For it is needful to observe what the prophet says, "And I precisely sought concerning the fourth beast, because he was different than every other beast, and was exceedingly fearful. His iron teeth and his bronze claws were eating and grinding and he tramples the remainder with his feet and concerning his ten horns which were on his head and concerning the other which arose and rooted out three former horns, the eyes and the mouth of whom were speaking great things and his appearance was greater than the rest. I was watching and that horn made war with the saints and prevailed upon them, until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment to the saints of the Most High, and the season arrived and the saints possessed the kingdom." [Daniel 7:19-22] And so we already arrived at this point and said that it is clear that this is the fourth kingdom, from which no other greater kingdom or even such a kingdom like it has arisen on the earth, from which ten horns are about to spring forth. For it will be divided into ten kingdoms and in them another small horn shall arise, which is that of the Antichrist and he shall root out three who were before him, that is he shall destroy the three kings of Egypt and of the Libyans and of the Ethiopians, wishing to possess for himself every kingdom. Who having mastered the remaining seven horns, he rules the remainder, having in himself been endowed under an unnatural and evil spirit to rouse war against the saints and to persecute all of them everywhere, wishing to be glorified and to be worshipped as God by all. Just as also Ezekiel says concerning him, "Against whom your heart was lifted up and you have said 'I am God'" [Ezekiel 28:2] and again "Will you, while speaking to those whom are killing you, say 'I am a God'? You are a man and not God." [Ezekiel 28:9] And Isaiah says similarly, "But you say in your mind, 'I will ascend to heaven, I will set my throne upon the clouds of heaven, I will encamp on the holy mountain, I will be like the Most High.'" [Isaiah 14:13-14] — Commentary on Daniel 4.12.1-7 Theodoret of Cyrus : Take note of the iron teeth and the bronze claws that are mentioned. The kingdom of the Romans took tribute from all nations; thus he says that it had iron teeth. And since many of those who had started out in the Macedonian kingdom were enlisted into its soldiery, and since claws serve the same function for a beast that soldiers do for an empire, he rightly speaks of Rome's bronze claws, just as he called the third kingdom a bronze kingdom. — COMMENTARY ON Daniel 7:19