THEOSISAndrew of Caesarea
Names are given to cities in Holy Scripture, as may be seen from many passages, according to their life and deeds.
For this reason ancient Babylon is called a harlot who rejoices, that is, who delights in her fornication, and the mistress of sorcerers and magicians. Of Jerusalem it is said: “You had the face of a harlot” (Jer 3:3).
In Peter’s epistle, ancient Rome is called Babylon (1 Pet 5:13).
But, of course, Babylon is most properly the city that was powerful under the Persians. After that, the name applies to every other city that delights in blood and murders.
The Evangelist was also astonished when he saw one of these cities. But he learned from the angel that this city, the ruler of the world, would be punished at the end for its iniquities.
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This remains true whichever city we understand by it: the Persian city, or Rome, which received the ancient authority, or some new city, or the world kingdoms in general, taken as one according to their character.
For all of them are full of transgressions and stained with the blood of the saints, though not equally. Some are stained more, others less.
Who, for example, can measure the blood of the martyrs from the time of Diocletian, or of those tortured in the Persian land?
Readers can know from history what happened, for example, under Julian, or the persecutions of Christians by the Arians in New Rome.