The Decline and Fall of the Roman Emp..., Edward Gibbon
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Emp..., Edward Gibbon
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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III

Author: Edward Gibbon

Narrator: David Timson

Unabridged: 21 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Naxos

Published: 04/28/2014


Synopsis

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has always maintained its initial appeal to both the general public and scholars alike. Its sheer scale is daunting, encompassing over a millennium of history, covering not merely the Western Empire from the days of the early emperors to its extinction in AD 476, but also the Eastern Empire, which lasted for another thousand years until the Turks vanquished it in 1453. But Gibbon’s style, part historical fact and part literature, is enticing, and the sheer honesty of the man, who endeavours to be scrupulously impartial in his presentation, endears him to the reader. In this recording, David Timson incorporates the most salient of Gibbon’s footnotes. In Volume III (chapters XXVII–XXXVI), Gibbon charts the fall of the Western Empire. Starting with the reign of Emperor Gratian (d. AD 383), his survey moves to political and religious issues in the East and West before covering the increasing military power of the Barbarians. Occasionally a great Roman general emerges to stem the tide, but internecine power struggles see the Western Empire weakened, until Gaul, Britain, Spain and other territories find themselves, as the 5th century advances, unable to rely on Rome for defence.

About Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon (1737–1794), an English historian and member of Parliament, had little formal education. He went to Oxford, but was forced to leave when he converted to Roman Catholicism. His family then sent him to Lausanne, where he was reconverted to Protestantism. His most important work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on March 31, 2021

A splendid masterpiece! Gibbon wraps up the monumental Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire with the end of the Empire of the East and a survey of the states of the various nations that had been born at the time. It is, like the first two volumes, written with an incredible vocabulary and such perfe......more

Goodreads review by Roy on August 17, 2015

As this is my fourth review of Gibbon, and as I am not as inexhaustible as that great man, this review will be somewhat scatterbrained—just a few casual observations and some final reflections. First, it occurred to me, after reading Gibbon’s memoirs, that one of the largest influences on his writin......more

Goodreads review by Justin on August 25, 2014

Volumes V and VI include probably the most interesting period for my taste, while also including the worst individual chapter and even more unnecessary Byzantine-bashing (Constantinople's "decline is almost coeval with her foundation") and even clearer bias on Gibbon's side. It's fascinating to read......more

Goodreads review by David on August 22, 2013

Ok I'm onto volume III and starting to shake because it's coming to the end. By now I am a complete addict, just a few thousand pages in. What can I do when I get to the last page? Is there a centre that treats people for Edward Gibbon withdrawal? It is a great shame that the Roman empire collapsed......more

Goodreads review by Leon on May 15, 2022

The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, Vol.III With three volumes finished now, still Edward Gibbon's narrative style is a favourite. While it may be hard to stay focused on every detail, one must realise that when they own a copy of his work it is like they hold in their library the entirety of R......more