The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Volume III of VI): 3
Contents:
The original volumes were published in quarto sections, a common publishing practice of the time. It stands as a major literary achievement of the 18th century because it was adopted as a model for the methodologies of modern historians. This led to Gibbon being called the first modern historian of Ancient Rome. A vindication of some passages in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire: Edward Gibbon A vindication of some passages in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire: With a half-title and a final advertisement leaf.
With memoirs of his life and writings, composed by himself: Davies, successors to Mr. Published in six volumes, volume I was published in and went through six printings. Because of its relative objectivity and heavy use of primary sources, at the time its methodology became a model for later historians.
This led to Gibbon being called the first "modern historian of ancient Rome". Gibbon offers an explanation for why the Roman Empire fell, a task made difficult by a lack of comprehensive written sources, though he was not the only historian to tackle the subject. According to Gibbon, the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions in large part due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens.
They had become weak, outsourcing their duties to defend their Empire to barbarian mercenaries, who then became so numerous and ingrained that they were able to take over the Empire. In addition, Gibbon argued that Christianity created a belief that a better life existed after death, which fostered an indifference to the present among Roman citizens, thus sapping their desire to sacrifice for the Empire.
He also believed its comparative pacifism tended to hamper the traditional Roman martial spirit. Finally, like other Enlightenment thinkers, Gibbon held in contempt the Middle Ages as a priest-ridden, superstitious, dark age. Gibbon sees the Praetorian Guard as the primary catalyst of the empire's initial decay and eventual collapse, a seed planted by Augustus at the establishment of the empire.
He cites repeated examples of the Praetorian Guard abusing their power with calamitous results, including numerous instances of imperial assassination and incessant demands for increased pay. The frontiers of that extensive monarchy were guarded by ancient renown and disciplined valor.
The gentle but powerful influence of laws and manners had gradually cemented the union of the provinces. Their peaceful inhabitants enjoyed and abused the advantages of wealth and luxury. The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence: During a happy period of more than fourscore years, the public administration was conducted by the virtue and abilities of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the two Antonines. It is the design of this, and of the two succeeding chapters, to describe the prosperous condition of their empire; and after wards, from the death of Marcus Antoninus, to deduce the most important circumstances of its decline and fall; a revolution which will ever be remembered, and is still felt by the nations of the earth The seven first centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs; but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish the ambitious design of subduing the whole earth, and to introduce a spirit of moderation into the public councils.
Inclined to peace by his temper and situation, it was easy for him to discover that Rome, in her present exalted situation, had much less to hope than to fear from the chance of arms; and that, in the prosecution of remote wars, the undertaking became every day more difficult, the event more doubtful, and the possession more precarious, and less beneficial.
We seem as we read him raised above the tumult and the chaos into a clear and rational air. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a book of history which traces the trajectory of Western civilization as well as the Islamic and Mongolian conquests from the height of the Roman Empire to the fall of Byzantium. The first period may be traced from the age of Trajan and the Antonines, when the Roman monarchy, having attained its full strength and maturity, began to verge towards its decline; and will extend to the subversion of the Western Empire, by the barbarians of Germany and Scythia, the rude ancestors of the most polished nations of modern Europe.
This extraordinary revolution, which subjected Rome to the power of a Gothic conqueror, was completed about the beginning of the sixth century. The second period commences with the reign of Justinian, who, by his laws, as well as by his victories, restored a transient splendor to the Eastern Empire.
It will comprehend the invasion of Italy by the Lombards; the conquest of the Asiatic and African provinces by the Arabs, who embraced the religion of Mahomet; the revolt of the Roman people against the feeble princes of Constantinople; and the elevation of Charlemagne, who, in the year eight hundred, established the second, or German Empire of the West III. The last and longest period includes about six centuries and a half; from the revival of the Western Empire, till the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, and the extinction of a degenerate race of princes.
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament. I rode triumphantly through it from end to end and enjoyed it all I was not even estranged by his naughty footnotes. Never far below the surface of the magnificent narrative lies the author's wit and sweeping irony, exemplified by Gibbon's famous definition of history as "little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind. They take as their material the behavior and decisions that led to the decay and eventual fall of the Roman Empire in the East and West, offering an explanation for why the Roman Empire fell.
This work stands as a major literary achievement of the 18th century because it was adopted as a model for the methodologies of modern historians. Gibbon was born in London but he appeared to be a keen traveller visiting all the most important places of Europe. Despite of his letterer fame Gibbon was criticized for his view upon christianity. A Dance with Dragons. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Holy Bible - Jesus Christ. The Science Fiction Megapack: The Dark Tower I.
The Girl Who Played with Fire. Procopius' History of the Wars, books 1 to 6. The Hunger Games Trilogy. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky.
The Military Institutions of the Romans. The Complete Novels and Novellas. A Game of Thrones. Classics of Judaism, 11 great books of Jewish wisdom in a single file. Fifty Shades of Grey. Complete Works of Cicero Delphi Classics. The History of Rome: Mommsen's Rome, volumes 1 to 5 in a single file, in English translation. The Complete Tacitus Anthology. A History of Ancient Rome. Lies Have Ruined the World. A Sci-Fi Bridge Anthology. Works of Martin Luther.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume III
Master of War Boxset. The Eye of the World. The Histories Of Herodotus. A Short History of Russia The Destruction of the Western Roman Empire. Gibbon is justly renowned as a master of style.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III by Edward Gibbon | bahana-line.com
But these final chapters of his great work also display the historian's wisdom. Gibbon is thoughtful and measured in his approach to some highly controversial historical figures. His analysis of the Prophet Mohammed is nuanced and provocative, at once admiring and critical. Gibbon does not dismiss Islam and its advocates as barbaric, and he cleverly contrasts early Islamic tolerance with violent Christian zeal. Gibbon's description of the crusades is a masterpiece of both historical and philosophical analysis. His essay on holy wars is worth the price of admission.
Equally engaging and balanced are Gibbon's chapters on Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. Where many westerners would focus on the violence and cruelty of these great leaders, Gibbon explores the basis of their success, and offers some intriguing answers. There is so much in here that is great, it's probably easier to alert readers to the work's weaknesses. Gibbon is weakest in his treatment of the ongoing erosion of the Eastern empire. His strength as a writer is his ability to provide elegant and compelling organizing frameworks for the litany of information that he provides. This ability deserts him in his analysis of late Byzantium.
Instead, we have a long, numbing parade of rulers characterized mostly by their cruelty and incompetence. Gibbon describes the effects of cultural erosion and political instability, but one gets little sense of its causes, and for this Gibbon has been criticized by modern historians. It seems like a just complaint, though I don't know what resources Gibbon had.
In a work this long, weaker sections can be a formidable obstacle. For the reader who wants to get the most from this work and isn't determined to read the entire thing, I suggest scanning most of the chapters on the internal politics of both Rome and Constantinople, and focusing on the chapters that chronicle the broader conflicts of the period.
Gibbon is a wonderful writer--one of the best in the English language. It's a pity that this work has become so little read. His writing is accessible, and his approach and judgments remain worthy of our attention.
By Edward Gibbon
Apr 05, Bobby rated it it was amazing Shelves: What an amazing ride Edward Gibbon has been. Who would have guessed that a book written over years ago could still be so relevant and so entertaining. It is enough that I am apt to forgive his comments while in Parliament speaking ill of those "upstart colonists" who would dare to make revolution against King and country.
If you're going to be a child of the Enlightenment, you absolutely must read this history by THE Historian of the Enlightenment.
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a six-volume work by the English Volumes II and III were published in ; volumes IV, V, and VI in – The original volumes were published in quarto sections, a common . Editorial Reviews. About the Author. Edward Gibbon (), English historian. It was on a The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ( Volume III of VI): 3 · Edward Gibbon · out of 5 stars Kindle Edition. $ · The.
Mar 04, Bilgehan rated it it was amazing. Sep 22, XO rated it it was ok. Reading this baby, even if you just go to what you are interested using the index, it is a real challenge. Anyway the chapter on Christian mythology is still interesting. Mar 06, Stacy rated it really liked it. Still enjoying the prose and the odd relevance to current events. Gibbon is enlightened, even, and optimistic and it makes for wonderful narration.
The uncertain condition of their property discouraged the subjects of Theodosius from engaging Still enjoying the prose and the odd relevance to current events. The uncertain condition of their property discouraged the subjects of Theodosius from engaging in those useful and laborious undertakings which require an immediate expense, and promise a slow and distant advantage. We may therefore acquiesce in the pleasing conclusion, that every age of the world has increased, and still increases, the real wealth, the happiness, the knowledge, and perhaps the virtue, of the human race.
Sep 30, Yifan Evan Xu Hsu rated it it was amazing. If there only was a way to get the details of their everyday toils and show their side of the story. Keeping his honest analysis of the impact of each emperor in the overall health of the empire, he is able to convey the impacts of the division of the Empire into its western and eastern branch. By focusing on the increasingly important role of the Gothic, Vandal and Gallic tribes in the last decades of the Empire, he is able to give a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental causes behind the end of the Western Roman Empire.
Dec 23, Alex Milledge rated it it was amazing Shelves: While I was reading the book, my main interest was the fall of the western half of the roman empire, which declined around the 5th and 6th centuries, which ended about half way through the second volume. The last half of the second volume and third volume was concerned with the Eastern "roman" empire until the fall of the Constantinople to Mohammed the Second. After the Western Roman Empire fell the first time, there was no true roman empire, although you can say that Charlemagne reincarnated th While I was reading the book, my main interest was the fall of the western half of the roman empire, which declined around the 5th and 6th centuries, which ended about half way through the second volume.
After the Western Roman Empire fell the first time, there was no true roman empire, although you can say that Charlemagne reincarnated the western half as the holy roman empire. The eastern half became the Byzantines after the fall. Justinian was not really a roman emperor per se, just the ruler of the eastern half of an empire that was once apart of the Roman Empire. I found the series to be a fascinating read, although it did speak to some of the things I already know. Feb 15, Kevin rated it really liked it. Gibbon continues to impress me with his very manifest use and criticism of his sources.
The writing is relatively easy, though at times discursive and, in keeping with the time in which it was written, assumes in the reader a certain immersion in neo-classical knowledge and thought. His history contains a degree of drama, but one must be patient enough to wait for it. On a technical note, the maps in all these books are almost useless. I'm not sure if they are the ones from the original run of t Gibbon continues to impress me with his very manifest use and criticism of his sources.
I'm not sure if they are the ones from the original run of the book or if they were added at a later date, but they are very general and contain very few of the place names mentioned in the book, either for specific cities or wider regions. This doesn't bother me too much, but it gets annoying.
I read the abridged Vols. Not having read yet, I would suppose that this volume is the most important as a stand alone book, in that it addresses arguably the most crucial aspects of the Decline and Fall: Gibbon's language is elqouent, imaginative and at I read the abridged Vols. Gibbon's language is elqouent, imaginative and at times quite beautiful, but more importantly his writing is fast paced and eminently readable.
I found myself continuously amazed that a book written over years ago could remain so compelling. Aug 01, Razi rated it really liked it. Oh yes, the first half is done and the sun has set on the Western Roman Empire. It became a bit tiresome with bucket loads of minor emperors in quick succession, the usual way in which most empires end: Senators and the elite busy sorting their own problems out instead doing their duties, personal vendettas, dishonored wives etc.
At the end you just feel relieved tha Oh yes, the first half is done and the sun has set on the Western Roman Empire. At the end you just feel relieved that it is over. May 09, Mike Murray rated it liked it. Continuing with the fascinating information, this book, because of the time period covered, brought in lots of interesting stuff on the world outside of the empire. I'm more interested in this stuff because it's about the fall. I continue to see many parallels to the world today. Christians, mostly persecution of them by pagans and of each other.
A bit of a slog at times, I guess I'm not that interested in the details of the Nicene creed c. But some good turns of phrase. Volume 3 of Gibbon's series is jam packed. At times, the flow of characters and timeframes becomes somewhat disorienting. It is however a comprehensive, although historically slanted, account of this period.
Somewhat challenging as a sustained read. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sep 08, Simone rated it it was amazing Shelves: Good, though dated, analysis of the Roman Empire that addresses all aspects over the centuries. A somewhat dry read. May 28, Alexis rated it liked it. Visigoths and Vandals and Huns, oh my! There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between and The Decline and Fall is known for the quality and irony of its prose, its use of primary sources, and its open criticism of organised religion. Gibbon returned to England in June His father died in , and after tending to the estate, which was by no means in good condition, there remained quite enough for Gibbon to settle fashionably in London at 7 Bentinck Street, independent of financial concerns.
By February , he was writing in earnest, but not without the occasional self-imposed distraction. He took to London society quite easily, joined the better social clubs, including Dr. Johnson's Literary Club, and looked in from time to time on his friend Holroyd in Sussex. He succeeded Oliver Goldsmith at the Royal Academy as 'professor in ancient history' honorary but prestigious. In late , he was initiated a freemason of the Premier Grand Lodge of England. And, perhaps least productively in that same year, he was returned to the House of Commons for Liskeard, Cornwall through the intervention of his relative and patron, Edward Eliot.
He became the archetypal back-bencher, benignly "mute" and "indifferent," his support of the Whig ministry invariably automatic. Gibbon's indolence in that position, perhaps fully intentional, subtracted little from the progress of his writing. After several rewrites, with Gibbon "often tempted to throw away the labours of seven years," the first volume of what would become his life's major achievement, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published on 17 February Through , the reading public eagerly consumed three editions for which Gibbon was rewarded handsomely: Biographer Leslie Stephen wrote that thereafter, "His fame was as rapid as it has been lasting.
By early , he was "straining for the goal" and with great relief the project was finished in June.
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It was on the day, or rather the night, of 27 June , between the hours of eleven and twelve, that I wrote the last lines of the last page in a summer-house in my garden. I will not dissemble the first emotions of joy on the recovery of my freedom, and perhaps the establishment of my fame. But my pride was soon humbled, and a sober melancholy was spread over my mind by the idea that I had taken my everlasting leave of an old and agreeable companion, and that, whatsoever might be the future date of my history, the life of the historian must be short and precarious.