Edward Gibbon - Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: The Modern Library Collection

A Modern Library eBook Edition

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume I, 1995 Modern Library Edition

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II, 1995 Modern Library Edition

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III, 1995 Modern Library Edition

All Rights Reserved.

Published in the United States by The Modern Library, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Modern Library and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

The books contained in this omnibus were each published separately by The Modern Library, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., in 1995.

eBook ISBN 978-0-8129-8483-5

www.modernlibrary.com

v3.1

1995 Modern Library Edition

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

M ODERN L IBRARY and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
for permission to reprint The Intimacy of Gibbons Decline and Fall,
Chapter 4 from Hidden History by Daniel J. Boorstin.
Copyright 1987 by Daniel J. Boorstin.
Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Essay by Paul McPharlin reprinted with the courtesy of Marjorie Batchelder McPharlin.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Gibbon, Edward, 17371794.

[History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire]

The decline and fall of the Roman Empire/Edward Gibbon; the text edited by J. B. Bury, with the notes by Mr. Gibbon, the introduction and the index as prepared by professor Bury; with an introduction by Daniel J. Boorstin; illustrated from the etchings by Gian Battista Piranesi.

p. cm.

Contents: v. 1. The history of the Empire from A.D. 98 to A.D. 395
v. 2. The history of the Empire from A.D. 395 to A.D. 1185
v. 3. The history of the Empire from A.D. 695 to A.D. 1430 ISBN 0-679-60148-1 (v. 1).ISBN 0-679-60149-X (v. 2).ISBN 0-679-60150-3 (v. 3)
eISBN: 978-0-679-64146-9

1. RomeHistoryEmpire, 30 B.C. 476 A.D. 2. Byzantine EmpireHistory.

I. Bury, J. B. (John Bagnell), 18611927. II. Title.

DG311.G5 1995

937.06dc20 94-27080

Modern Library website address: www.modernlibrary.com

v3.1

Master - Table of Contents

CHAPTER I
THE EXTENT AND MILITARY FORCE OF THE EMPIRE IN THE AGE OF THE ANTONINES WHICH WAS IN THE YEARS 98180 A.D.

CHAPTER II
OF THE UNION AND INTERNAL PROSPERITY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE AGE OF THE ANTONINES ART CHARACTER

CHAPTER III
OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE AGE OF THE ANTONINES RULERS FROM AUGUSTUS TO DOMITIAN

CHAPTER IV
THE CRUELTY, FOLLIES, AND MURDER OF COMMODUS ELECTION OF PERTINAX HIS ATTEMPTS TO REFORM THE STATE HIS ASSASSINATION BY PRTORIAN GUARDS INDIGNATION

CHAPTER V
PUBLIC SALE OF THE EMPIRE TO DIDIUS JULIANUS BY THE PRTORIAN GUARDS CLODIUS ALBINUS IN BRITAIN, PESCENNIUS NIGER IN SYRIA, AND SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS IN PANNONIA, DECLARE AGAINST THE MURDERERS OF PERTINAX CIVIL WARS, AND VICTORY OF SEVERUS OVER HIS THREE RIVALS RELAXATION OF DISCIPLINE NEW MAXIMS OF GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER VI
THE DEATH OF SEVERUS TYRANNY OF CARACALLA USURPATION OF MACRINUS FOLLIES OF ELAGABALUS VIRTUES OF ALEXANDER SEVERUS LICENTIOUSNESS OF THE ARMY GENERAL STATE OF THE ROMAN FINANCES TAX & TRIBUTE

CHAPTER VII
THE ELEVATION, AND TYRANNY, OF MAXIMIN REBELLION IN AFRICA AND ITALY, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CIVIL WARS AND SEDITIONS VIOLENT DEATHS OF MAXIMIN AND HIS SON, OF MAXIMUS AND BALBINUS, AND OF THE THREE GORDIANS USURPATION AND GAMES OF PHILIP

CHAPTER VIII
OF THE STATE OF PERSIA AFTER THE RESTORATION OF THE MONARCHY BY ARTAXERXES HIS CHARACTER AND MAXIMS

CHAPTER IX
THE STATE OF GERMANY TILL THE INVASION OF THE BARBARIANS, IN THE TIME OF THE EMPEROR DECIUS 248 A.D.

CHAPTER X
THE EMPERORS DECIUS, GALLUS, MILIANUS, VALERIAN, AND GALLIENUS THE GENERAL IRRUPTION OF THE BARBARIANS THE THIRTY TYRANTS THEIR REAL NUMBER NINETEEN

CHAPTER XI
REIGN OF CLAUDIUS DEFEAT OF THE GOTHS VICTORIES, TRIUMPH, AND DEATH, OF AURELIAN ZENOBIAS CHARACTER

CHAPTER XII
CONDUCT OF THE ARMY AND SENATE AFTER THE DEATH OF AURELIAN REIGNS OF TACITUS, PROBUS, CARUS AND HIS SONS

CHAPTER XIII
THE REIGN OF DIOCLETIAN AND HIS THREE ASSOCIATES, MAXIMIAN, GALERIUS, AND CONSTANTIUS GENERAL RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ORDER AND TRANQUILITY THE PERSIAN WAR, VICTORY, AND TRIUMPH THE NEW FORM OF ADMINISTRATION THE ABDICATION OF DIOCLETIAN AND MAXIMIAN

CHAPTER XIV
TROUBLES AFTER THE ABDICATION OF DIOCLETIAN DEATH OF CONSTANTIUS ELEVATION OF CONSTANTINE AND MAXENTIUS SIX EMPERORS AT THE SAME TIME DEATH OF MAXIMIAN AND GALERIUS VICTORIES OF CONSTANTINE OVER MAXENTIUS AND LICINIUS REUNION OF THE EMPIRE UNDER AUTHORITY OF CONSTANTINE HIS LAWS GENERAL PEACE

CHAPTER XV
THE PROGRESS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, AND THE SENTIMENTS, MANNERS, NUMBERS, AND CONDITION, OF THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS CEREMONIES, ARTS, AND FESTIVALS

CHAPTER XVI
THE CONDUCT OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE CHRISTIANS, FROM REIGN OF NERO TO THAT OF CONSTANTINE PERSECUTION OF JEWS & CHRISTIANS BY DOMITIAN

CHAPTER XVII
FOUNDATION OF CONSTANTINOPLE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF CONSTANTINE, AND HIS SUCCESSORS MILITARY DISCIPLINE THE PALACE FINANCES GENERAL TRIBUTE FREE GIFTS

CHAPTER XVIII
CHARACTER OF CONSTANTINE GOTHIC WAR DEATH OF CONSTANTINE DIVISION OF THE EMPIRE AMONG HIS THREE SONS PERSIAN WAR TRAGIC DEATHS OF CONSTANTINE THE YOUNGER AND CONSTANS USURPATION OF MAGNENTIUS CIVIL WAR CONQUEST OF ITALY VICTORY OF CONSTANTIUS

CHAPTER XIX
CONSTANTIUS SOLE EMPEROR ELEVATION AND DEATH OF GALLUS DANGER AND ELEVATION OF JULIAN SARMATIAN AND PERSIAN WARS VICTORIES OF JULIAN IN GAUL PARIS

CHAPTER XX
THE MOTIVES, PROGRESS, AND EFFECTS OF THE CONVERSION OF CONSTANTINE LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN OR CATHOLIC CHURCH THE CLERGY

CHAPTER XXI
PERSECUTION OF HERESY THE SCHISM OF THE DONATISTS THE ARIAN CONTROVERSY ATHANASIUS DISTRACTED STATE OF THE CHURCH & EMPIRE UNDER CONSTANTINE & HIS SONS

CHAPTER XXII
JULIAN IS DECLARED EMPEROR BY THE LEGIONS OF GAUL HIS MARCH AND SUCCESS THE DEATH OF CONSTANTIUS CIVIL ADMINISTRATION OF JULIAN HIS FINE CHARACTER

CHAPTER XXIII
THE RELIGION OF JULIAN UNIVERSAL TOLERATION HE ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE AND REFORM THE PAGAN WORSHIP; TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM HIS ARTFUL PERSECUTION OF THE CHRISTIANS MUTUAL ZEAL AND INJUSTICE