Hippolytus of Rome Fragment-Daniel 1.18.3 in Greek

The Fragment on Daniel 1.18.3 is a surviving portion of a larger biblical commentary composed in Greek by Hippolytus of Rome around 204 CE. It stands as one of the earliest known Christian works dedicated to the systematic interpretation of a biblical book. The original treatise provided a detailed exegesis of the entire Book of Daniel, applying its prophetic visions to Christian theological concerns. Hippolytus’s commentary is particularly noted for its chiliastic or millenarian interpretations, linking Daniel’s visions of successive empires to expectations of the end times, the advent of the Antichrist, and a future earthly kingdom of Christ. The complete text survives only in fragments transmitted through later medieval manuscripts, often within collections of excerpts from the Church Fathers. This specific fragment, designated 1.18.3, originates from that complex manuscript tradition. The work was likely composed to guide and encourage early Christians by offering a prophetic framework through which to understand contemporary persecution and historical events. Its influence on the development of early Christian eschatology was considerable, and its wide circulation in the Eastern Christian world is attested by its translation into several ancient languages.