The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Book • 1776

This magisterial history, written by Edward Gibbon, covers the peak of the Roman Empire, the history of early Christianity, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the rise and fall of various other empires and civilizations up to the fall of Byzantium in 1453.

Gibbon's work is renowned for its thorough scholarship, diverse sources, and engaging prose.

He argues that the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions partly due to the gradual loss of civic virtue among its citizens and critiques the role of Christianity in the empire's decline.

The work was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789 and has remained a seminal work in historical literature despite some criticisms from modern scholars.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 53 episodes

Mentioned by

Saagar Enjeti

when discussing the likely eventual decline of the American empire.

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Andrew Roberts

as an author who influenced Winston Churchill's philosophical leanings.

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Mike Cernovich

when discussing his experience reading it to understand the fall of the Roman Empire.

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when discussing the bittersweet feeling of finishing his Stoic Virtue series.

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Mentioned by Barry Strauss in the context of discussing the chronological scope of his book, Ten Caesars, and the potential extension of the narrative.