Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was an English historian and a renowned scholar of the 18th century. He is best known for his magnum opus “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, a monumental work which covers the period from the second century fall of the Roman Empire until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Gibbon’s other notable works include “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume II” and “The Defence of the French Revolution”.

Gibbon was born in Putney, Surrey, England, in 1737. His parents were Edward and Judith Gibbon. His father was an obsessive military enthusiast and his mother was a pious and devoted woman. He received a excellent classical education at Westminster and Magdalen College, Oxford. He was encouraged to read extensively and became an ardent philosophe, or a supporter of the French Revolution. In 1772, he enrolled in the Inner Temple to become a lawyer, but soon became passionately devoted to the study of ancient Rome and history instead.

Gibbon began writing his great work, “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, in 1776. He initially intended the work to cover the period from the Teutonic Conquest of Italy in the fifth century to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.

Gibbon became a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1780 and lived in Lausanne, Switzerland from 1783 until his death in 1794. During this time he researched, wrote, and published the first two volumes of his magnum opus. The first volume, published in 1776, covers the period up to 476 AD; the second volume, published in 1781, covers 476-547 AD. Gibbon wrote drafts of the subsequent volumes but was never able to complete them before his death in 1794.

Despite his unfinished work, Gibbon is widely respected as one of the premier English historians of the 18th century. He was an advocate of the Age of Reason, or the period of Enlightenment in Europe, and was a major influence on both the American and French revolutions. He adopted a rational, detail-driven approach to history, which allowed him to provide a comprehensive overview of the Roman Empire’s decline and fall. He was also known for his precise and often witty prose, which provided an enjoyable read for a range of readers.

Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” is a classic in the field of history and is still widely read today. It was highly influential in its day and remains an important source of historical information. His imposing stature and remarkable achievements have earned him a place in history as one of the most notable English historians ever.