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Edward Gibbon Quotes - Page 8

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Feeble and timid minds . . . consider the use of dilatory and ambiguous measures as the most admirable efforts of consummate prudence.

Feeble and timid minds . . . consider the use of dilatory and ambiguous measures as the most admirable efforts of consummate prudence.

Edward Gibbon
Effort, Mind, Use
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.1228, e-artnow

The historian must have some conception of how men who are not historians behave.

Edward Gibbon
Men, History, Historian

[The Goths'] poverty was incurable; since the most liberal donatives were soon dissipated in wasteful luxury, and the most fertile estates became barren in their hands.

Edward Gibbon
Hands, Luxury, Poverty
Edward Gibbon (1820). “The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire”, p.8

Augustus was sensible that mankind is governed by names; nor was he deceived in his expectation, that the senate and people would submit to slavery, provided they were respectfully assured that they still enjoyed their ancient freedom.

Edward Gibbon
Names, People, History
Edward Gibbon (1862). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.210

The knowledge that is suited to our situation and powers, the whole compass of moral, natural, and mathematical science, was neglected by the new Platonists; whilst they exhausted their strength in the verbal disputes of metaphysics, attempted to explore the secrets of the invisible world, and studied to reconcile Aristotle with Plato, on subjects of which both these philosophers were as ignorant as the rest of mankind.

Edward Gibbon
Plato, History, Secret
Edward Gibbon, Henry Hart Milman (1854). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.449

A sentence of death and infamy was often founded on the slight and suspicious evidence of a child or a servant: the guilt [of the defendant] was presumed by the judges [due to the nature of the charge], and paederasty became the crime of those to whom no crime could be imputed.

Edward Gibbon
Children, Judging, Guilt

Truth, naked, unblushing truth, the first virtue of all serious history, must be the sole recommendation of this personal narrative.

Edward Gibbon
History, Naked, Narrative
Edward Gibbon (1862). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.2

But the works of man are impotent against the assaults of nature . . .

Edward Gibbon
Men, Assault
Edward Gibbon (1837). “The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire”, p.711

Rational confidence [is] the just result of knowledge and experience.

Edward Gibbon
Results, Rational, Knowledge And Experience

Man has much more to fear from the passions of his fellow-creatures, than from the convulsions of the elements.

Edward Gibbon
Passion, Men, Creatures
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.1209, e-artnow

[All] the manly virtues were oppressed by the servile and pusillanimous reign of the monks.

Edward Gibbon
Reign, Virtue, Monk
Edward Gibbon (1840). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.271

The love of study, a passion which derives fresh vigor from enjoyment, supplies each day, each hour, with a perpetual source of independent and rational pleasure.

Edward Gibbon
Passion, Independent, Vigor
Edward Gibbon (1796). “Miscellaneous Works of Edw. Gibbon: With Memoirs of His Life and Writings, Composed by Himself”, p.194

Whatever evils either reason or declamation have imputed to extensive empire, the power of Rome was attended with some beneficial consequences to mankind; and the same freedom of intercourse which extended the vices, diffused likewise the improvements of social life.

Edward Gibbon
Rome, History, Evil
Edward Gibbon (2015). “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:”, p.100, Sheba Blake Publishing

The fabric of a mighty state, which has been reared by the labours of successive ages, could not be overturned by the misfortune of a single day, if the fatal power of the imagination did not exaggerate the real measure of the calamity.

Edward Gibbon
Real, History, Imagination
Edward Gibbon (1871). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.61

If all the barbarian conquerors had been annihilated in the same hour, their total destruction would not have restored the empire of the West: and if Rome still survived, she survived the loss of freedom, of virtue, and of honour.

Edward Gibbon
Loss, Rome, History
Edward Gibbon (1854). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.42

As long as the same passions and interests subsist among mankind, the questions of war and peace, of justice and policy, which were debated in the councils of antiquity, will frequently present themselves as the subject of modern deliberation.

Edward Gibbon
War, Passion, Long
Edward Gibbon, Henry Hart Milman, M. Guizot (François), Sir William Smith (1862). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.320

But the power of instruction is seldom of much efficacy, except in those happy dispositions where it is almost superfluous.

Edward Gibbon
History, Instruction, Disposition
Edward Gibbon, Henry Hart Milman (1840). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.79

Persuasion is the resource of the feeble; and the feeble can seldom persuade . . .

Edward Gibbon
Persuasion, Resources
'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' (1776-88) ch. 68

His sumptuous tents, and those of his satraps, afforded an immense booty to the conqueror; and an incident is mentioned which proves the rustic but martial ignorance of the legions in the elegant superfluities of life. A bag of shining leather, filled with pearls, fell into the hands of a private soldier; he carefully preserved the bag, but he threw away its contents, judging that whatever was of no use could not possibly be of any value.

Edward Gibbon
Ignorance, Hands, History
Edward Gibbon (1840). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1”, p.333

Genius may anticipate the season of maturity; but in the education of a people, as in that of an individual, memory must be exercised, before the powers of reason and fancy can be expanded: nor may the artist hope to equal or surpass, till he has learned to imitate, the works of his predecessors.

Edward Gibbon
Memories, Artist, Maturity
Edward Gibbon (1826). “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.275

When a public quarrel is envenomed by private injuries, a blow that is not mortal or decisive can be productive only of a short truce, which allows the unsuccessful combatant to sharpen his arms for a new encounter.

Edward Gibbon
Blow, Encounters, Arms
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.2211, e-artnow

Instead of a perpetual and perfect measure of the divine will, the fragments of the Koran were produced at the discretion of Mahomet; each revelation is suited to the emergencies of his policy or passion; and all contradiction is removed by the saving maxim that any text of Scripture is abrogated or modified by any subsequent passage.

Edward Gibbon
Passion, Perfect, Saving
Edward Gibbon (1830). “The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbon, Esq. Printed From The Edition In Twelve Volumes. With An Introductory Memoir Of The Author, By William Youngman”, p.913

A jurisdiction thus vague and arbitrary was exposed to the most dangerous abuse: the substance, as well as the form, of justice were often sacrificed to the prejudices of virtue, the bias of laudable affection, and the grosser seductions of interest or resentment.

Edward Gibbon
Justice, Abuse, Arbitrary
Edward Gibbon (2015). “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire V4: the History Focus”, p.186, 谷月社

A Locrian, who proposed any new law, stood forth in the assembly of the people with a cord round his neck, and if the law was rejected, the innovator was instantly strangled.

Edward Gibbon
Law, People, Necks
Edward Gibbon (2009). “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edited and Abridged): Abridged Edition”, p.765, Modern Library

The retirement of Athanasius, which ended only with the life of Constantius, was spent, for the most part, in the society of the monks, who faithfully served him as guards, as secretaries, and as messengers; but the importance of maintaining a more intimate connection with the catholic party tempted him, whenever the diligence of the pursuit was abated, to emerge from the desert, to introduce himself into Alexandria, and to trust his person to the discretion of his friends and adherents.

Edward Gibbon
Retirement, Party, History
Edward Gibbon (1998). “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, p.437, Wordsworth Editions

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