Nebuchadnezzar's "Metal Man"  Chapter 2		Chapter 7	Chapter 8	Empires
	GOLD head	LION		NEO-BABYLONIAN (CHALDEAN) 606–539 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar (630–562 BC) Fell to Cyrus the Great in 539 BC.
	SILVER chest & arms	BEAR	RAM (Dan. 8:20)	MEDO-PERSIA 539-331 B.C. Cyrus the Great/II (556–530 BC) allowed captive Jews to return.  Darius I (522–486 BC) authorized reconstruction of Temple. Fell to Alexander the Great in 331 BC.
	BRASS waist & thighs	LEOPARD	GOAT (Dan. 8:21)	GREECE/ MACEDONIA 331-146 B.C. Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) Divided into 4 kingdoms at Alexander's death.
	IRON legs	INDESCRIBABLE BEAST		ROME 146 B.C. - 476 A.D.
	CLAY & IRON feet			DIVIDED NATIONS OF WESTERN EUROPE 476 A.D.- today

Notice that the metals decrease in value from precious, expensive and rare to ordinary, cheap and plentiful.  Notice also that the metals increase in hardness from soft and malleable to hard and brittle.