Daniel 8:3

"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself."

Many have pointed out that the ram here is the same world power represented by the arms and breast of silver in Daniel 2:32 and the beast "like unto a bear" (Daniel 7:5). The symbolism is exactly the same in all three instances. The ram represents Medo-Persia. This is one kingdom with two elements (Median and Persian), not two successive powers, for they are here represented by one animal. The bear's having three ribs in his mouth is the same as the ram pushing in three different directions, westward, northward, and southward. The bear's raising up on one side is the same as the younger horn of the ram rising up higher than the first one. These symbols show that the Persian Power, which was subsequent to the Median power, would become dominant in the later phase of this kingdom. The ferocity, power, and force of the ram speak of the mighty conquests of the Persians who at places such as Marathon and Thermopylae even extended their power out of Asia into Europe.

It is of interest that in the ancient signs of the Zodiac, the Persians were under the sign of Aries the Ram, and Greece was under the sign of Capricorn the Goat.[7]