Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 6:8

8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse , and his name that set on him was Death , and Hell followed with him : And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth , to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth .

An Horse of the colour of his Rider.

and bringeth them into the state of the Dead, (here translated Hell) whether Heaven or Hell as they have lived.

Over a great part of the Earth.

To kill Men all manner of ways, with the Sword, Famine, Pestilence, and by throwing them to wild Beasts. Interpreters judg that here was prophesied what should happen to the Roman Empire, and the Church within it from the time when Maximinus was made Emperour, which was about 237, to the time of Aurelianus, which was about 271. Some extend it to Dioclesian's time, which ended about 294; but Mr. Mede rather reserveth that for the 5th Seal; if the former time only be taken in, there was within it the 7th, 8th, and 9th Persecutions, Dioclesian began the Tenth and greatest of all. Within this time this Prophecy was eminently fulfilled, Maximinus destroyed all the Towns in Germany, for 3 or 400 Miles. There was a Plague lasted 15 years, together in the time of Gallus, who had the Empire, Anno 255. Three hundred and twenty thousand Goths were slain by Flavius Claudius. Maximinus and Gallienus were both great Butchers both to their own Subjects that were Heathens and to Christians. Gal[illegible: 1 letter]ienus is said to have killed 3 or 4000 every day: such Warrs and Devastations could not but be followed with Famine. Besides that we are confirmed in it both by the Testimony of Eusebius and Cypri[illegible: 1 letter]n; the latter of which lived within this Period.

Marginal references: Death, which makes Men look pale,; Or, him