The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

::This is about the book. For the historical event see Decline of the Roman Empire

Gibbon's theory

The book is famous not only because it is extraordinarily well written, but also because Gibbon offers an explanation for why the Roman Empire fell. This is one of the greatest historical questions, and, because of the lack of written records from the time, one of the most difficult to answer. Gibbon was not the first to theorise on this. In fact most of his ideas are directly taken from Roman moralists of the 4th and 5th centuries who wrote about it at the time; nor would he be the last, most famously Henri Pirenne's Pirenne Thesis of the early 20th century.

Related Topics:
Why the Roman Empire fell - 4th - 5th centuries - Henri Pirenne - 20th century

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According to Gibbon, the Roman Empire succumbed to barbarian invasions because of a loss of civic virtue among its citizens. They had become lazy and soft, outsourcing their duties to defend their Empire to barbarian mercenaries, who then became so numerous and ingrained that they were then able to easily take over the Empire. Romans, he believed, had become effeminate, unwilling to live the military lifestyle.

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In addition Gibbon attacked Christianity. Christianity, he says, created a belief in another world, that is to say that a better life existed after death. This fostered indifference to this life among the Roman citizens who believed they would live a better life once they died, thus sapping their desire to maintain and sacrifice for the Empire. He also believed its comparative pacifism tended to sap the traditional Roman martial spirit.

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Finally, like other Enlightenment thinkers of his time, Gibbon held nothing but contempt for the Middle Ages that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. Priest ridden, superstitious, "dark" times, it was not until his own age of Reason and rational thought, it was believed, that human history could resume its progress forward to better times.

Related Topics:
Enlightenment - Held nothing but contempt for the Middle Ages - "dark" times

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These ideas and theories have remained influential with historians to modern times, although re-examinations of the archeological and anthropological record has shed new light on the traditional interpretations.

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