The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is Edward
Gibbon's magnum opus, written and published over a 13-year period
beginning in 1776. It not only chronicles the events of the downfall
starting with the end of the rule of Marcus Aurelius, but proposes a
theory as to why Rome collapsed: the populace, Gibbon theorizes, lost
its moral fortitude, its militaristic will, and its sense of civic duty.
History is considered a classic in world literature, and Gibbon is
sometimes called the first "modern historian" for his insistence upon
using primary sources for his research. Many scholars today still use
his highly regarded work as reference. In this first of seven volumes,
readers will find Chapter 1 ("The Extent of the Empire in the Age of the
Antonines") through Chapter 14 ("Six Emperors at the Same Time, Reunion
of the Empire"), which cover the Age of the Antonines; the rule and
murder of Commodus; the sale of the Empire to Didius Julianus; the rules
of Severus, Caracalla, Alexander Severus, Maximin, Decius, Gallus,
Æmilianus, Valerian, Gallienus, Claudius, Tacitus, Probus, Carus,
Diocletian, Maximinus Thrax, Gordian I, Gordian II, Pupienus, Balbinus,
and Gordian III; the current state of Persia; and the current state of
Germany. English parliamentarian and historian EDWARD GIBBON (1737-1794)
attended Magdelan College, Oxford for 14 months before his father sent
him to Lausanne, Switzerland, where he continued his education. He
published Essai sur l'Étude de la Littérature (1761) and other
autobiographical works, including Mémoire Justificatif pour servir de
Réponse à l'Exposé, etc. de la Cour de France (1779).
