Daniel 8:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I beheld a ram charging westward, northward, and southward, and so on. It was not the ram itself, representing Cyrus or Darius, but rather a view of a kingdom—specifically the other Darius, the last monarch of Persian might, who was vanquished by Alexander, son of Philip, the king of Macedon. Chronicles from Greek, Latin, and other accounts affirm that this Darius was the most powerful and affluent king.

I beheld the sheep rising upon the sea, both to the north and to the south; for he held dominion over the northern and southern lands, as well as the western regions up to the sea, compelling many islands to serve him. For instance, during Xerxes' conflicts with Greece, the people of Cyprus, Rhodes, Samos, Lesbos, Chios, and all the islands of the Cyclades were allied with him. Thus, the Prophet envisioned "a ram standing on the sea, and on the north, and on the south." None of the beasts could stand against him, nor could any deliverer emerge from his grasp; he acted according to his own will and was exalted. The Prophet referred to the other lesser kingdoms—Syrian, Cilician, Arabian, and Egyptian—as beasts, signifying their terror toward their own subjects. Therefore, he proclaimed that no kingdom could resist this power that extended southward and northward across the sea, and no one could liberate another from this authority; whatever the ram desired, he accomplished.