The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 6T. Cadell jun. and W. Davies, 1802 - Byzantine Empire |
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afferted affumed Africa againſt Alemanni almoſt ambaffadors Anthemius Arian Attila Avitus Barbarians bishop Burgundians Carthage Catholics CHAP Chriftian Clovis Conftantinople conqueft death defert Eaft Ecclef emperor epift eſtabliſhed Etius Euric exerciſe fame favage fecret fecure feemed fenate fervice feven fhould fince firſt flaves foldiers fome fometimes foon fpirit Franks friendſhip ftate ftill fubjects fucceffors fuccefs fuch fuperior fupported Gaul Genferic Gothic Goths Gregory of Tours Hift hiftorian himſelf honour Huns Idatius Imperial intereft Italy Jornandes king laft laws leaſt lefs Majorian meaſure Merovingian moft monafteries monaftic monarch monks moſt muſt obferved Odoacer Olybrius paffed paffions patrician peace perfecution perfonal poffeffed Prifcus prince Procopius Procopius de Bell provinces puniſhed reafon refiftance refpect reign reſtored Ricimer Roman Rome Scythian Sidonius Spain ſtate ſtill Suevi thefe themſelves Theodofius Theodoric theſe thofe thoſe thouſand throne Tillemont tion uſe Valentinian Vandals victory Vifigoths Weft Weſtern empire whofe whoſe XXXV XXXVI
Popular passages
Page 23 - The youth, if we may still employ that appellation, could no longer recognise the once familiar aspect of his native country; and his surprise was increased by the appearance of a large cross, triumphantly erected over the principal gate of Ephesus. His singular dress and obsolete language confounded the baker, to whom he offered an ancient medal of Decius as the current coin of the empire ; and Jamblichus, on the suspicion of a secret treasure, was dragged before the judge.
Page 382 - Pilgrimage, and the holy wars, introduced into Europe the specious miracles of Arabian magic. Fairies, and giants, flying dragons, and enchanted palaces, were blended with the more simple fictions of the West; and the fate of Britain depended on the art, or the predictions, of Merlin. Every nation embraced and adorned the popular romance of Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table...
Page 405 - If a savage conqueror should issue from the deserts of Tartary, he must repeatedly vanquish the robust peasants of Russia, the numerous armies of Germany, the gallant nobles of France, and the intrepid freemen of Britain, who, perhaps, might confederate for their common defence. Should the victorious barbarians carry slavery and desolation as far as the Atlantic Ocean, ten thousand vessels would transport beyond their pursuit the remains of civilized society; and Europe would revive and flourish...
Page 407 - ... subversion of a city should be a work of cost and difficulty, or that an industrious people should be protected by those arts, which survive and supply the decay of military virtue. Cannon and fortifications now form an impregnable barrier against the Tartar horse ; and Europe is secure from any future irruption of Barbarians ; since, before they can conquer, they must cease to be barbarous.
Page 407 - Europe is secure from any future irruption of Barbarians; since, before they can conquer, they must cease to be barbarous. Their gradual advances in the science of war would always be accompanied, as we may learn from the example of Russia, with a proportionable improvement in the arts of peace and civil policy; and they themselves must deserve a place among the polished nations whom they subdue.
Page 133 - The severe inquisition, which confiscated their goods and tortured their persons, compelled the subjects of Valentinian to prefer the more simple tyranny of the barbarians, to fly to the woods and mountains, or to embrace the vile and abject condition of mercenary servants. They abjured and abhorred the name of Roman citizens, which had formerly excited the ambition of mankind.
Page 399 - As the happiness of a future life is the great object of religion, we may hear without surprise or scandal that the introduction, or at least the abuse of Christianity, had some influence on the decline and fall of the Roman empire.
Page 399 - The hostile favourites of Arcadius and Honorius betrayed the republic to its common enemies; and the Byzantine court beheld with indifference, perhaps with pleasure, the disgrace of Rome, the misfortunes of Italy, and the loss of the West. Under the succeeding reigns, the...
Page 401 - If the decline of the Roman empire was hastened by the conversion of Constantine, his victorious religion broke the violence of the fall and mollified the ferocious temper of the conquerors.
Page 401 - The balance of power will continue to fluctuate, and the prosperity of our own or the neighbouring kingdoms may be alternately exalted or depressed; but these partial events cannot essentially injure our general state of happiness, the system of arts, and laws, and manners, which so advantageously distinguish, above the rest of mankind, the Europeans and...