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DARIUS THE PERSIAN IS THE RAM. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: He signifies Darius the Persian by saying “it had two horns,” as Darius ruled the Medes and the Persians. “Both horns were long, but one was longer than the other”: this is referred to the Persians, whose power was superior to that of the Medes and rose to a higher level. “And the longer one came up second”: this is said because the Persians, after the Medes, would have obtained the rule over the world. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.3.

ALEXANDER DIED WITHOUT CHILDREN. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: After the defeat of Darius, Alexander extended the empire of the Greeks in every direction and made it firm with strong garrisons. In the meantime “the great horn was broken,” that is, Alexander died, “and in its place there came up four horns.” Indeed, since Alexander had died without children, he left his divided monarchy to his friends Seleucus, Demetrius, Philip and Ptolemy. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.8.

ANTIOCHUS. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: This is Antiochus, who was born from the family of Seleucus Nicanor. “It grew great toward the south and toward the east.” Antiochus extended his empire especially in these two parts of the world. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.9.1

THE PRIESTLY ORDER. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: He signifies here the priestly order, which he compares with the host of heaven. “It threw down to the earth some of the host and some of the stars and trampled on them.” Here he prophesies about the sons of Semona and the allies killed by Antiochus. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.10.

TIMES, TIMES AND HALF TIME. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: The intention of the angel who asked the question was to learn for how long the holy things would be given into the hands of immoral people. To him the angel who interprets the vision says, “For two thousand three hundred days,” to which “the times, time and half time” mentioned above correspond. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.14.

GABRIEL TO INTERPRET THE VISION. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: The guardian angel of Daniel, who never parted from him, asked the angel Gabriel, who was now by him, now by all the other saints in everything concerning visions, to explain to Daniel his dream. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.15.

THE BRILLIANCE OF GABRIEL. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: “And I became frightened,” being struck by the excessive brightness of this angel. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.17.

GABRIEL INTERPRETS THE HORNS. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: “As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, this is the king of the Medes and the Persians.” Gabriel alludes to Darius. “The two horns” signify the two kingdoms, the Persian and the Mede. “The male goat is the king of Greece”: Alexander. “And the great horn between his eyes” signifies his highest power and his exceedingly extended empire all over the world. “After the horn was broken, four kingdoms arose from it”: the monarchy of Alexander, after his death, will be diminished and divided into parts assigned to his friends Seleucus, Philip, Demetrius and Ptolemy. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.20.

THE JEWS ABANDONED THE LAW. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: When the Jews begin to abandon the law and faith of God and to estrange themselves, the grandchildren of Seleucus Nicator will invade the last part of their kingdom. “A king of bold countenance shall arise”: this is Antiochus, who is able to understand riddles, is cunning and is ready to weave intrigues and to prepare his domination by means of his intelligence. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.23.

ANTIOCHUS TAKES JERUSALEM THROUGH FRAUDULENCE. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: Gabriel says this because Antiochus got into the city through fraudulence, polluted the precious vessels of the temple and committed pillages and demolished the walls. “Without warning he shall destroy many”: he killed forty thousand Jews and captured just as many. “And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes”: either because Antiochus would have attacked God with curses and blasphemies or because he would have violated the temple of God and would have destroyed the holy vessels. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL 8.25.