The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 4William Y. Birch & Abraham Small, Printed by Robert Carr, 1804 - Byzantine Empire |
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Adolphus Ætius Africa Alani Alaric ancient apud Arcadius arms army Attalus Attila Augustin Barbarians bishop Boniface camp captive Carthage CHAP character Christian Chrysostom church Claudian conquest Constantinople court danger Danube death dignity disgrace East Eccles emperor empire enemy epist Etius Eudoxia eunuch Eutropius exile expressed faith favour favourite fortune Gainas Gaul Genseric Gildo gold Gothic Goths Greek Hist historian Honorius honourable hundred Huns Idatius Imperial Italy Jerom Jornandes king laws Majorian Mascezel military ministers monks nations noble oppressed Orosius palace palace of Constantinople peace perhaps Placidia poet præfect prince Priscus Procopius provinces Pulcheria Radagaisus rank Ravenna reign republic retreat revenge Roman Rome royal Rufinus ruin Scythia senate Sidonius siege slaves soldiers soon Sozomen Spain spirit Stilicho Suevi Theodo Theodosius thousand throne Tillemont tion treaty troops tyrant usurper Valentinian valour Vandals victory XXIX XXXI XXXII Zosimus
Popular passages
Page 479 - But the decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the causes of destruction multiplied with the extent of conquest; and as soon as time or accident had removed the artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the pressure of its own weight. The story of its ruin is simple and obvious; and instead of inquiring why the Roman empire was destroyed, we should rather be surprised that it had subsisted so long.
Page 487 - Since the first discovery of the arts, war, commerce, and religious zeal have diffused, among the savages of the Old and New World, . these inestimable gifts : they have been successively propagated ; they can never be lost. We may therefore acquiesce in the pleasing conclusion, that every age of the world has increased, and still increases, the real wealth, the happiness, the knowledge, and perhaps the virtue, of the human race.
Page 484 - The abuses of tyranny are restrained by the mutual influence of fear and shame; republics have acquired order and stability; monarchies have imbibed the principles of freedom, or, at least, of moderation; and some sense of honour and justice is introduced into the most defective constitutions by the general manners of the times. In peace, the progress of knowledge and industry is accelerated by the emulation of so many active rivals: in war, the European forces are exercised by temperate and undecisive...
Page 230 - The story of the Seven Sleepers has been adopted, and adorned, by the nations, from Bengal to Africa, who profess the Mahometan religion ; and some vestiges of a similar tradition have been discovered in the remote extremities of Scandinavia.
Page 402 - This supernatural gift of the African confessors, who spoke without tongues, will command the assent of those, and of those only, who already believe that their language was pure and orthodox. But the stubborn mind of an infidel is guarded by secret incurable suspicion; and the Arian, or Socinian, who has seriously rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, will not be shaken by the most plausible evidence of an Athanasian miracle.
Page 95 - ... of kissing their hands or their knees. As soon as they have indulged themselves in the refreshment of the bath, they resume their rings and the other ensigns of their dignity, select from their private wardrobe of the finest linen, such as might suffice for a dozen persons, the garments the most agreeable to their fancy, and maintain till their departure the same haughty demeanour, which perhaps might have been excused in the great Marcellus after the conquest of Syracuse.
Page 125 - From the extremity, perhaps, of the Quirinal hill to the distant quarter of the Vatican, a numerous detachment of Goths, marching in order of battle through the principal streets, protected with glittering arms the long train of their devout companions who bore aloft on their heads the sacred vessels of gold and silver, and the martial shouts of the barbarians were mingled with the sound of religious psalmody. From all the adjacent houses a crowd of Christians hastened to join this edifying procession,...
Page 484 - Europe is now divided into twelve powerful, though unequal kingdoms, three respectable commonwealths, and a variety of smaller, though independent states : the chances of royal and ministerial talents are multiplied, at least, with the number of its rulers; and a Julian, or Semiramis, may reign in the North, while Arcadius and Honorius again slumber on the thrones of the South.
Page 63 - This scene of peace and plenty was suddenly changed into a desert; and the prospect of the smoking ruins could alone distinguish the solitude of nature from the desolation of man.
Page 383 - The progress of Christianity has been marked by two glorious and decisive victories : over the learned and luxurious citizens of the Roman empire; and over the warlike Barbarians of Scythia and Germany, who subverted the empire, and embraced the religion, of the Romans.