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Roman Empire Roman Empire NON- FICTION UNABRIDGED Edward Gibbon THE Decline and Fall ––––––––––––– of the ––––––––––––– Roman Empire Read by David Timson Volum e I V 1 Chapter 37 10:00 2 Athanasius introduced into Rome... 10:06 3 Such rare and illustrious penitents were celebrated... 8:47 4 Pleasure and guilt are synonymous terms... 9:52 5 The lives of the primitive monks were consumed... 9:42 6 Among these heroes of the monastic life... 11:09 7 Their fiercer brethren, the formidable Visigoths... 10:35 8 The temper and understanding of the new proselytes... 8:33 9 The passionate declarations of the Catholic... 9:40 10 VI. A new mode of conversion... 9:08 11 The example of fraud must excite suspicion... 9:14 12 His son and successor, Recared... 12:03 13 Chapter 38 10:07 14 The first exploit of Clovis was the defeat of Syagrius... 8:43 15 Till the thirtieth year of his age Clovis continued... 10:45 16 The kingdom of the Burgundians... 8:59 17 A full chorus of perpetual psalmody... 11:18 18 Such is the empire of Fortune... 10:08 19 The Franks, or French, are the only people of Europe... 9:56 20 In the calm moments of legislation... 10:31 2 21 The silence of ancient and authentic testimony... 11:39 22 The general state and revolutions of France... 11:27 23 We are now qualified to despise the opposite... 13:38 24 One of these legislative councils of Toledo... 11:59 25 A monk, who in the profound ignorance... 8:30 26 In a century of perpetual... 8:46 27 This strange alteration has persuaded historians... 8:05 28 Their disposition was rash and choleric... 8:08 29 General Observations on the Fall of the Roman Empire 10:26 30 This awful revolution may be usefully applied... 7:54 31 III. Cold, poverty, and a life of danger and fatigue... 8:32 32 Chapter 39 5:12 33 An hero, descended from a race of kings... 8:55 34 In every state of his fortune... 10:30 35 The jealousy of power and the mischiefs of discord... 12:57 36 The life of Theodoric represents the rare... 10:25 37 As the patron of the republic... 10:51 38 A difference of religion is always pernicious... 8:04 39 Even the religious toleration... 9:56 40 A philosopher, liberal of his wealth... 7:43 3 41 But his genius survived to diffuse a ray... 7:08 42 Chapter 40 10:04 43 While he indulged the people of Constantinople... 8:53 44 I. In the exercise of supreme power... 10:35 45 Those who believe that the female mind... 7:49 46 II. A material difference may be observed... 11:43 47 A sedition which almost laid Constantinople in ashes... 11:20 48 III. That empire, after Rome was barbarous... 11:33 49 To escape the Tartar robbers and the tyrants... 10:45 50 IV. The subjects of Justinian were dissatisfied... 9:43 51 The aerial tribute, without a name... 11:50 52 V. The edifices of Justinian were cemented... 10:00 53 But the pride of the Roman Solomon... 11:17 54 Almost every saint in the calendar acquired the honours... 10:20 55 Asia Minor, after the submission of the Isaurians... 15:18 56 The death of Perozes abandoned Persia... 8:37 57 VII. Justinian suppressed the schools of Athens... 10:12 58 The Gothic arms were less fatal to the schools of Athens... 11:49 59 Chapter 41 11:03 60 The Africanus of new Rome was born... 11:10 4 61 In the seventh year of the reign of Justinian... 11:13 62 In a march of ten or twelve days... 15:01 63 The historian has inserted and the reader may easily... 10:09 64 Yet the conquest of Africa was imperfect... 11:55 65 But the purest reward of Belisarius... 11:27 66 The experience of past faults... 9:44 67 But the future happiness of the queen of Italy... 11:13 68 Although Theodatus descended from a race of heroes... 9:39 69 At the end of twenty days that of Belisarius... 7:03 70 As soon as Belisarius had fortified his new conquests... 7:44 71 Yet Rome in its present state... 12:15 72 From the moment that Belisarius had determined... 10:17 73 These seasonable aids... 10:42 74 In this hasty act of violence... 10:02 75 As soon as Belisarius was delivered... 9:35 76 Every spectator admired, without peril... 11:21 77 A philosopher may pity and forgive the infirmities... 8:56 78 Chapter 42 5:42 79 In such an age, the triumphs of Belisarius... 10:15 80 Four thousand six hundred villages were scattered... 9:37 5 81 In the midst of these obscure calamities... 9:08 82 In the rapid career of conquest... 10:28 83 The answer of Disabul corresponded... 8:38 84 But the justice of kings is understood by themselves... 10:35 85 In the search of universal knowledge... 10:07 86 He advanced into the heart of Syria... 10:16 87 Fifteen generals, without concert or skill... 10:49 88 Yet, amidst the rudest ignorance... 9:48 89 But the Lazi soon discovered that their impatience... 11:50 90 In peace, the king of Persia continually sought... 8:24 91 The independence of the Homerites... 5:59 92 Chapter 43 9:48 93 A personal injury, the unjust execution or murder... 9:45 94 The virtues of Belisarius were replaced... 12:20 95 The foresight of Totila had raised obstacles... 9:41 96 The loss of Rome was speedily retrieved... 9:25 97 Before the departure of Belisarius, Perusia was besieged... 10:14 98 The talents of Narses were tried and improved... 10:00 99 The first line of cavalry advanced with more courage... 11:00 100 Before Lucca had surrendered... 9:34 6 101 After a reign of sixty years... 9:06 102 But the eyes of the prince and people... 8:56 103 If the emperor could rejoice in the death of Belisarius... 5:04 104 I shall conclude this chapter... 12:07 105 III. Aethiopia and Egypt have been stigmatised... 10:54 106 Chapter 44 8:59 107 I shall not repeat the well-known story of the Decemvirs... 10:09 108 Once, and once only, he experienced... 10:37 109 The tyrant of Rome was sometimes the benefactor... 12:01 110 The jurisprudence which had been grossly adapted... 9:00 111 This opposition of sentiments was propagated... 10:29 112 From the library of Tribonian they chose forty... 11:58 113 It is the first care of a reformer to prevent... 10:20 114 The law of nature instructs most animals... 8:15 115 Experience has proved that savages are the tyrants... 10:44 116 Insufficient remedies followed with distant and tardy steps... 9:25 117 The relation of guardian and ward... 9:03 118 The personal title of the first proprietor... 9:02 119 But the experience of unnatural parents... 8:29 120 II. The obligations of the second class... 9:06 7 121 The execution of the Alban dictator... 11:36 122 The first imperfect attempt to restore the proportion... 12:07 123 The free citizens of Athens and Rome... 13:40 124 Chapter 45 9:11 125 While Alboin served under his father’s standard... 8:18 126 The destruction of a mighty kingdom... 6:36 127 The reality, or the suspicion... 11:50 128 When the nephew of Justinian ascended the throne... 9:50 129 With the odious name of Tiberius... 11:23 130 During a period of two hundred years... 12:03 131 So rapid was the influence of climate and example... 9:34 132 Amidst the arms of the Lombards... 11:40 133 The pontificate of Gregory the Great... 11:27 134 Chapter 46 10:19 135 The throne of Chosroes Nushirvan was filled... 11:26 136 As the passes were faithfully guarded... 9:52 137 The palace was soon distracted with conspiracy... 10:40 138 These were the casual sallies of his pride... 10:35 139 The military fame of Commentiolus is the object of satire... 10:05 140 In a small bark the unfortunate Maurice... 7:36 8 141 In the massacre of the Imperial family... 7:31 142 Even after his death the republic was afflicted... 9:43 143 From the long-disputed banks of the Tigris and Euphrates... 10:37 144 On the shore of Chalcedon the emperor held... 10:05 145 Whatever hardship the emperor imposed on the troops... 11:06 146 Instead of skirmishing on the frontier... 10:26 147 Eastward of the Tigris, at the end of the bridge of Mosul... 9:19 148 Twenty-two satraps, they styled themselves patriots... 9:23 Total time: 24:49:00 9 Edward Gibbon the Decline and Fall ––––––––––––– of the ––––––––––––– Roman Empire Volum e I V SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS Conflict between the Germans and Gauls • The reign and conquests of Clovis • He Chapter 37 defeats the Alemanni • His conversion The institution of the monastic life – its to Christianity • The Burgundians and origin, effects and progress • The Ascetic Visigoths • The Franks (Merovingians) way of life – its origins in Egypt • St Antony establish the French monarchy • The laws • Athanasius encourages monasticism in of the Franks and Germans • Subjection Rome – it spreads throughout the Roman of the Auvergne • The servitude of the world • The fanaticism of the monks • Romans of Gaul • The decline of the Imposition of strict rules and discipline in Merovingian Kings and the disorder of the monasteries • Of labour and abstinence in government of the Franks • The Visigoths the monastic communities • The rigorous invade Spain • The Saxons conquer Britain extremes of hermits • Simeon Stylites • • Vortigern, Hengist and Horsa • The The popularity of and reverence for monks fierce resistance of the Britons • The myth of King Arthur • The constitution of Saxon Chapter 38 England The state of the Roman provinces after the dissolution of the Western Empire • 10 General Observations on the Fall of nephew Justinian • The reign of Justinian the Roman Empire in the West (527-565) • The life of the actress The unity of the ancient Romans • Decline Theodora and her elevation to empress caused by ‘immoderate greatness’ • • Her cruelty • Her devotion to Justinian The weakening of Roman power by the • The Roman Games • The factions of division of the Empire • The influence the Circus
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