Revelation 16, 17 & 18

He may have called the woman Babylon but John is writing about Rome. At some point you might ask if John's indictment of Rome is really justified.

The world was pouring it's riches into Rome. Merchandise was brought from all over. Money was spent with extravagance. Nero once declared that the only use of money was to squander it. Caligula himself once spent the revenues of three providences in a single year. They drank expensive pearls dissolved in vinegar. Fished with golden nets drawn with the most expensive of fabrics. Never wore the same clothes twice. Had mules shod with silver.

It was an age of extraordinary gluttony. Amazing amounts of money were spent on food. They feasted on peacock's brains and the tongues of nightingales and flamingos. They frequently engaged in elaborate and expensive banquets. History had never seen such a period of wanton extravagance.