Last post I discussed how Hippolytus interpreted the first part of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Chapter 2 of the book of Daniel.  Though interesting, Hippolytus interpretation is rather standard among both Christians and secular scholars.  However the second part of the interpretation concerning the feet and toes of the statue has always been keenly debated.  I was quite surprised when I translated the following passage:

Next the toes of the feet, so that  in each place democracies may be shown, which are about to be, which are divided into the ten toes of the image, in which the iron will have been been mixed with clay.

Εἶτα δάκτυλοι ποδῶν, ἵνα δειχθῶσιν αἱ κατὰ τόπον δημοκρατίαι αἱ μέλλουσαι γίγνεσθαι, διαιρούμεναι εἰς τοὺς δέκα δακτύλους τῆς εἰκόνος, ἐν οἷς ἔσται ὁ σίδηρος ἀναμεμιγμένος τῷ ὀστράκῳ.

Does anyone know of another church father who talks about future democracies replacing the Roman Empire?  How should we interpret Hippolytus’ seemingly prescient prediction (though it took 300 or so years to be fulfilled after the fall of the Eastern Empire). For that matter does anyone have a better translation that they would like to contribute?

-UPDATE-

Hippolytus says much the same thing in his work On the Antichrist:

As these things, then, are in the future, and as the ten toes of the image are equivalent to (so many) democracies and the ten horns of the fourth beast are distributed over ten kingdoms, let us look at the subject a little more closely, and consider these matters as in the clear light of a personal survey.

τούτων οὖν ἐσομένων καὶ τῶν δέκα δακτύλων τῆς εἰκόνος εἰς δημοκρατίας χωρησάντων, καὶ τῶν δέκα κεράτων τοῦ θηρίου εἰς δέκα βασιλεῖς μερισθέντων, ἴδωμεν σαφέστερον τὰ προκείμενα, καὶ κατανοήσωμεν αὐτὰ ὀφθαλμοφανῶς. -On the Antichrist 27

Lots going on so my editing has been in fits and starts the past couple weeks.  The following passage concerns Daniel’s interpretation of the statue/image which was seen by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 2. His interpretation is of great interest because he interprets the iron legs of the statue to be the Romans who were ruling during his lifetime.  Next week I will post Hippolytus’ rather intriguing interpretation of the feet of the statue, in which he predicts what the coming kingdom or kingdoms will look like.

And so how can we not consider the ancient things which were prophesied by Daniel in Babylon and are now still being fulfilled in the world? For the image which was portrayed according to that time, encompassed the type of the kingdom of all the world. In which time the Babylonians then reigned, as being the golden head of the image. Then after them the Persians ruled for two hundred forty-five years as they are shown to be silver. After them the Greeks ruled, beginning from Alexander of Macedon, for three hundred years, as they are bronze. After them the Romans, who are the iron legs of the image, being strong as iron.