The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (12/19) ❤️ By Edward Gibbon. FULL Audiobook

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbon FULL Audiobook
"The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" is a six-volume work by the English historian Edward Gibbon. The six volumes cover, from 98 to 1590, the peak of the Roman Empire, the history of early Christianity, the emergence of the Roman State Church, the rise of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, the decline of the Roman Empire and the fall of Byzantium, as well as discussions on the ruins of Ancient Rome. Gibbon offers an explanation for the fall of the Roman Empire, a task made difficult by a lack of comprehensive written sources. According to Gibbon, the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions in large part due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens.

Gibbon's initial plan was to write a history "of the decline and fall of the city of Rome", and only later expanded his scope to the whole Roman Empire. Although he published other books, Gibbon devoted much of his life to this one work (1772–1789). His autobiography Memoirs of My Life and Writings is devoted largely to his reflections on how the book virtually became his life. He compared the publication of each succeeding volume to a newborn child.

The work is considered to be an extraordinary literary achievement due to Gibbon's great strides in methodology and the undertaking of such a daunting task with so few comprehensive sources. Gibbon's tone was detached, dispassionate, and yet critical. He was noted as occasionally lapsing into moralisation and aphorism.

The book is divided into two parts, equal in bulk but different in treatment. The first three volumes set out the history of Rome's progressive loss of civic and military capacity, until the western empire was taken over by the barbarian mercenaries recruited to fill the vacuum left by the failure of Rome to defend itself . The last three volumes cover the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from the reign of Justinian I in 527 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

The work is no longer widely reflective of modern understanding, but it is still considered to be an extraordinary literary achievement due to Gibbon's great strides in methodology and the undertaking of such a daunting task with so few comprehensive sources. Gibbon states that the death of Marcus Aurelius was the beginning of the end for the Roman Empire. What follows is the succession of events that lead to its ultimate demise. According to Gibbon, these events included repeated attacks by barbarians as well as a loss of civility among Roman citizens. In particular, Gibbon cites Christianity as a major reason for the fall of Rome. Gibbon came under severe criticism for his perceived attack on Christianity, and he seemed to be expecting it. Like many thinkers of the time, he held in contempt the Middle Ages as a priest-ridden, superstitious Dark Age.

The way Gibbon writes through footnotes offers a humorous view of his thought process and moralist views on the Roman Empire as well as Gibbon's modern world, and have served as a standard for the modern use of footnotes. These incredibly entertaining sections have been called "Gibbon's Table Talk".

In summary, "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" is a six-volume work by the English historian Edward Gibbon. The work is considered to be an extraordinary literary achievement due to Gibbon's great strides in methodology and the undertaking of such a daunting task with so few comprehensive sources. The book is divided into two parts, equal in bulk but different in treatment. The first three volumes set out the history of Rome's progressive loss of civic and military capacity, until the western empire was taken over by the barbarian mercenaries recruited to fill the vacuum left by the failure of Rome to defend itself. The last three volumes cover the history of the Eastern Roman Empire from the reign of Justinian I in 527 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Gibbon offers an explanation for the fall of the Roman Empire, a task made difficult by a lack of comprehensive written sources. According to Gibbon, the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions in large part due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens. In particular, Gibbon cites Christianity as a major reason for the fall of Rome. The way Gibbon writes through footnotes offers a humorous view of his thought process and moralist views on the Roman Empire as well as Gibbon's modern world, and have served as a standard for the modern use of footnotes..
More: Roman Empire, Decline, Fall
Edward Gibbon, History, Byzantine Empire
Christianity, Rome, Emperor
Constantine, Augustus, Julius Caesar
Pax Romana, Barbarians, Crusades

00:00:00 Endnotes 1–500
03:01:02 Endnotes 501–1,000
05:49:14 Endnotes 1,001–1,500