It may nor may not be about the Roman empire, but for all of those that insist it must be taken
literally, instead of symbolic allegory need to
actually read Revelations about the Antichrist, the First Beast or the Beast from the Sea. I quote Revelations 13:1-3, the King James version, (the bold facing is mine)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
So, spotting the Antichrist should be pretty simple. A guy walking around with seven heads and ten horns, one of the heads with a nasty scar. Spots on his body like a leopard, paws like a bear, and a lion's mouth. Should stick out in a crowd, don't you think?