Open Culture - Latest Comments in The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

Dan — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:47:55 -0000

Citing Ferguson? The lunatic fringe Neo-Con. Sad.

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

Colin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:00:34 -0000

The internet eh. Someone comes on, says they haven't read a book and then proceeds to criticise it. Which book? The most respected and ground breaking book in its field. The book that has been cited by scholars for centuries and continues to be read by amateurs for the sheer pleasure of it. Priceless stuff.

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

ratanlaxmi — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:51:04 -0000

i would love to have the preface ofall the seven books of edward gibbon,s.
it would be heaven,s edweils shower on me.
ratanlaxmi
9.10.2008

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

ratanlaxmi — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:46:32 -0000

ed gibbon was very gifted, i would love to have all his introduction in the seven books that got printed. it will be heaven,s edelweis shower on me.
ratanlaxmi
9.10.2008

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

Len — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:12:35 -0000

Gibbon did not ignore the length of the Roman Empire. Moreover, his book deals with the empire's decline --not its rise!

His work is a major literary achievement of the 18th century --still cited by scholars. Gibbon, consulted more original and ancient sources than any other 'Rome' scholar then or now. He 'pioneered' the use of 'footnotes'. Therefore, we know what Gibbon read and the conclusions derived thereof. To assert that Gibbon ignored the length of the Roman Empire is like saying Einstein ignored the speed of light!

Gibbon's history was published in six extensive volumes in 1776. It went through six printings. The original volumes were published as quartos, a common publishing practice of the time.

Even the period covered by Gibbon is not 'short' --the period after Marcus Aurelius (from just before 180) to 1453. Gibbon most certainly knew a thing or two, as well, about the Eastern Empire. He is consulted by everyone writing about it today.

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

Carol Jurd — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:56:51 -0000

I haven't read (or listened to) all of Gibbon's book/s, but he does seem to ignore the fact that (a) the Roman empire lasted for a very long time, (b) the eastern Roman empire (which he rather dismisses) lasted even longer. Does he perhaps attribute this to moral reasons, where perhaps there were other underlying causes: the rise of other powerful nations, economic fluctuations. It's easy to oversimplify and draw similes from a very unsimilar situation.

Re: The Decline and Fall of the Roman (and American?) Empire: A Free Audiobook

Stephen Downes — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:19:34 -0000

Gibbon's book is named (and about) the decline and fall, not the rise and fall.