History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Vol. II
Edward Gibbon (1737–1794)
Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater, Laura Caldwell, Sibella Denton, hearhis, Cori Samuel, hefyd, ontheroad, Claude Banta, Robin Cotter, Daniel Anaya · 59 chapters · 21 h 24
Edward Gibbon's great history follows one of the most remarkable stories ever told: how the mightiest empire of the ancient world lost its strength, and what came after. This second volume continues the account with the treatment of the early Christians, the foundation of Constantinople, the career and conversion of Constantine, the sons who inherited his empire and the reign of Julian. Gibbon writes with dry wit, bold judgments and a magnificent command of the long sentence. His chapters range across politics, war, religion and ideas, and each is a small work of art. It is a monument of eighteenth-century prose, and a challenge worth taking up for anyone who loves history written on the grand scale.
Introduction
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was an English historian and member of Parliament. His History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a major literary achievement of the eighteenth century, was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788. Volume one appeared in 1776, and the second, recorded here, followed in 1781. It covers a stretch of the empire's history during which Christianity grew from a persecuted sect into the established religion.
Gibbon was not only a historian but a master of style. His long, balanced sentences, ironic asides and elegant footnotes have been admired and imitated by generations of writers. He was also a controversial figure, because of the cool tone with which he treated the growth of the church, and his work provoked sharp debate when it appeared.
Modern historians have corrected many of his details and challenged his central thesis, which blamed internal weakness and the spread of Christianity for Rome's fall. Yet the book remains a classic of English literature, and it still makes compelling reading.
The recording lasts about twenty-one and a half hours, with the work divided among LibriVox volunteers. It is a substantial undertaking, best approached at a leisurely pace, with time to enjoy the music of Gibbon's prose. Those who enjoy the first volume will be glad to continue, and those who start here will find that the narrative is lively enough to be followed without having heard the earlier part.
Public domain
Edward Gibbon died in 1794: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
