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Edward Gibbon Quotes

All Quotes Abuse Accidents Age Ambition Army Art Atheism Authority Birth Character Children Christianity Church Community Constitution Corruption Country Curiosity Desire Discipline Education Effort Evil Exercise Fame Fashion Freedom Giving Glory Gratitude Greatness Greek Growth Guilt Heaven History Honor Humanity Imagination Independence Joy Judging Justice Language Liberty Loneliness Loss Lying Memories Mercy Military Monk Obedience Passion Past Philosophy Poverty Prejudice Pride Progress Reading Reflection Regret Religion Revenge Safety School Science Separation Son Study Tyranny Victory Violence Virtue Wall Weakness Wealth Wisdom Writing

In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to

In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.

Wisdom, Responsibility, Libertarian Party

The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the cause of the destruction multiplied with the extent of conquest; and, as soon as time or accident and removed the artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the pressure of its own weight. The story of the ruin is simple and obvious: and instead of inquiring why the Roman Empire was destroyed we should rather be surprised that it has subsisted for so long.

Simple, Greatness, Rome

Edward Gibbon (1906). “The History of the Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire”

I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.

Respect, Life And Love, Mistake

The Roman government appeared every day less formidable to its enemies, more odious and oppressive to its subjects.

Government, Enemy, Formidable

Edward Gibbon (1821). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.313

History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.

War, History, Tourism

'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' (1776-88) ch. 3.

The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful.

Rome, People, History

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ch. 2 (1776 - 1788)

Every man who rises above the common level has received two educations: the first from his teachers; the second, more personal and important, from himself.

Education, Teacher, Teaching

Edward Gibbon (2015). “Delphi Complete Works of Edward Gibbon (Illustrated)”, p.5019, Delphi Classics

Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.

Single, Wisdom, Loneliness

Edward Gibbon (1821). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.277

A nation ignorant of the equal benefits of liberty and law, must be awed by the flashes of arbitrary power: the cruelty of a despot will assume the character of justice; his profusion, of liberality; his obstinacy, of firmness.

Character, Law, Justice

Edward Gibbon (2016). “The Collected Works of Edward Gibbon: Historical Works, Autobiographical Writings and Private Letters, Including The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.3359, e-artnow

The best and most important part of every man's education is that which he gives himself.

Education, School, Men

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past.

Future, Science, Past

There exists in human nature a strong propensity to depreciate the advantages, and to magnify the evils, of the present times.

Strong, History, Evil

Edward Gibbon (2000). “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II: A.D. 395 to A.D. 1185 (A Modern Library E-Book)”, p.253, Modern Library

In the end, they wanted security more than they wanted freedom.

Courage, Freedom, Ends

The principles of a free constitution are irrecoverably lost, when the legislative power is nominated by the executive.

Power, Principles, Constitution

'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' (1776-88) ch. 3

Our ignorance is God; what we know is science.

Spiritual, Atheist, Ignorance

We improve ourselves by victories over ourselves. There must be contest, and we must win.

Life, Success, Winning

In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hosein will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.

Intellectual, Age, Climate

Edward Gibbon, M. Guizot (François) (1854). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.529

I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes.

Money, Wish, Income

It is scarcely possible that the eyes of contemporaries should discover in the public felicity the latent causes of decay and corruption. This long peace, and the uniform government of the Romans, introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated.

Military, Eye, Men

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ch. 2 (1776 - 1788)

A heart to resolve, a head to contrive, and a hand to execute.

Heart, Hands, Action

'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' (1776-88) ch. 48 (on Comenus)

So long as mankind shall continue to lavish more praise upon its destroyers than upon its benefactors war shall remain the chief pursuit of ambitious minds.

Military, War, Long

Where error is irreparable, repentance is useless.

Errors, Useless, Repentance

Edward Gibbon (2008). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.35, Cosimo, Inc.

As long as mankind shall continue to bestow more liberal applause on their destroyers than on their benefactors, the thirst of military glory will ever be the vice of the most exalted characters.

Military, War, Character

Edward Gibbon (1781). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.8

Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty.

Liberty, Corruption, Symptoms

'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' (1776-88) ch. 21

If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Commodus.

Men, Names, Race

1776-88 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ch.3.

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