The ram, the he-goat, the great horn and the four new horns
The symbols of the ram and he-goat, explained in the text of Daniel 8 as representing the kings of Persia and Greece, are drawn from the constellations that preside over Persia and Syria in Hellenistic astrology. Scholars agree that the goat's first horn, which is broken, is Alexander the Great, and the four horns which then arise are the four generals who divided his empire. The detail that the goat does not touch the ground as he attacks the ram may reflect the speed of Alexander's conquest.
