The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. II
'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. II ' Summary
The deterioration of the Rome picks up with the reign of Gratian and his eventual overthrow leading to the unification of the Empire under Theodosius the Great before its finale split with the inheritance of his sons and then their successors over the next 50+ years. Throughout the era of House of Theodosius, the various barbarian tribes made inroads into the Western Empire which included two sacks of Rome itself by the Visigoths and Vandals, as the long ineffectual reign of Honorius and his successors allowed the Empire to slip out of their fingers. In the vacuum arose the genesis of future European states such as England, France, and Spain while Italy declined in population and political cohesion as the Pope began to fill not only a religious but political role.
The Eastern Emperors in Constantinople, unlike their family and colleagues in the West, were able to keep their domain intact through military force or bribes to turn away. The bureaucratic framework established by Constantine and reformed by Theodosius was used to keep the Eastern Empire thriving against barbarian incursion and Persian invasions while creating a link to the Roman past even as the eternal city fell from its greatness. Yet as the Eastern Emperors kept alive the Roman imperial tradition while continually orienting it more towards Greek cultural heritage, the internal conflicts of Christianity became a hindrance to social and imperial stability leading to rebellions of either a local or statewide nature or allowing foreign powers to invade.
This middle volume of Gibbon’s monumental work is divided in two, the first focusing on the fall of the Western Empire and the second on how the Eastern Empire survived through various struggles and for a brief time seemed on the verge of reestablishing the whole imperium. Yet throughout, Gibbon weaves not only the history of Rome but also the events of nomadic peoples as far away at China, the theological controversies within Christianity, and the numerous other treads to create a daunting, yet compete look of how Rome fell but yet continued.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1781Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Edward Gibbon
England
Edward Gibbon FRS 8 May 1737 – 16 January 1794) was an English historian, writer and Member of Parliament. His most important work, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was p...
More on Edward GibbonDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The War That Will End War by H. G. Wells
.About the First World War, and the author's conclusions. Whether or not you agree with these articles/essays, H G Wells does make many valid points a...
A History of England by Charles William Chadwick Oman
It is a captivating and informative book that takes young readers on a remarkable journey through the rich tapestry of England's past. Written by Oman...
Herodotus' Histories Vol 3 by Herodotus of Halicarnassus
The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. Written about 440 BC, the Histories tell th...
A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence by Cornelius Tacitus
The Dialogus de oratoribus is a short work attributed to Tacitus, in dialogue form, on the art of rhetoric. Its date of composition is unknown, though...
A Defence of Idealism by May Sinclair
"On the whole, then, the argument from desire and design holds good. It is the weak and inefficient, the unwise in the affairs of life, the bunglers a...
Menexenus by Plato (Πλάτων)
The Menexenus is a Socratic dialogue of Plato, traditionally included in the seventh tetralogy along with the Greater and Lesser Hippias and the Ion....
Brave Men and Women: Their Struggles, Failures, And Triumphs by Osgood E. Fuller
This book provides a glimpse into the lives of ordinary men and women who have overcome incredible obstacles to achieve greatness. Fuller's writing s...
Napoleon and Josephine 'The Rise of the Empire' by Walter Geer
It tells the fascinating story of one of history's most iconic power couples, Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine. Set against the backdrop of...
Mark Twain: A Biography - Volume III by Albert Bigelow Pain
This compelling third volume continues the epic journey of a man who embodied the spirit of America in the 19th century. From the glistening banks of...
Industrial Revolution by Poul William Anderson
It is a thought-provoking exploration of the historical phenomenon that transformed the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. Written by one of the mo...
Reviews for The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. II
No reviews posted or approved, yet...