The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edited and Abridged): Abridged Edition

Front Cover
Random House Publishing Group, Oct 14, 2009 - History - 1312 pages
Edited, abridged, and with a critical Foreword by Hans-Friedrich Mueller
Introduction by Daniel J. Boorstin
Illustrations by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Edward Gibbon’s masterpiece, which narrates the history of the Roman Empire from the second century A.D. to its collapse in the west in the fifth century and in the east in the fifteenth century, is widely considered the greatest work of history ever written. This abridgment retains the full scope of the original, but in a breadth comparable to a novel. Casual readers now have access to the full sweep of Gibbon’s narrative, while instructors and students have a volume that can be read in a single term. This unique edition emphasizes elements ignored in all other abridgments—in particular the role of religion in the empire and the rise of Islam.
 

Contents

PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR
3
THE AGE OF THE ANTONINES
19
OF MACRINUS
83
TYRANNY OF MAXIMIN REBELLION Civil WARs
104
EMPERORS DECIUS GALLUS AEMILIANUS WALERIAN
143
REIGN OF CLAUDIUS DEFEAT OF THE GOTHS
164
REIGNS OF TACITUS PROBUS CARUS AND HIS SONS
179
REIGN of DiocleTIAN AND HIS THREE ASSOCIATES
195
CoNQUESTs of JUSTINIAN CHARACTER of BELISARIUS
725
STATE of THE BARBARIC World
736
LAST Victory AND DEATH of BELISARIUs DEATH of JUSTINIAN
747
IDEA or THE Roman JurisPRUDENCE
762
STATE of ITALY UNDER THE LOMBARDS
788
TROUBLES IN PERSIA
800
ECCLESIASTICAL DISCORD
815
VOLUME THE FIFTH
853

Six EMPERORS AT THE SAME TIME REUNION of THE EMPIRE
213
PROGRESS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
237
CoNDUCT TowARDS THE CHRISTIANS FROM NERo To CoNSTANTINE
276
VOLUME THE SECOND
315
Found ATION OF CONSTANTINOPLE 18 CHARACTER OF CONSTANTINE AND HIS SONS
344
CoSSTANTIUS SoLE EMPEROR
359
Cox VERSION OF CONSTANTINE 21 PERSECUTION of HERESY STATE or THE CHURCH 22 JULIAN DECLARED EMPEROR
425
REIGN of JULIAN
436
THE RETREAT AND DEATH of JULIAN
454
REIGNS of Jovi AN AND WALENTINIAN Division of THE EMPIRE
466
PROGRESS OF THE HUNS
490
VOLUME THE THIRD
505
CIVIL WARS REIGN OF THEODOSIUS
509
DESTRUCTION OF PAGANISM
522
DIVISION OF ROMAN EMPIRE BETWEEN SONS OF THEODOSIUS
540
REVOLT of THE GOTHS
546
INvAsio N of ITALY Occupation of TERRITORIES BY BARBARIANS
563
EMPERoRS ARCADIUS EUTRoPIUS THEoDosius II
578
CoNQUEST of AFRICA BY THE VANDALS
594
ATTILA
604
INVASION BY AT TILA
610
TOTAL Extinction of THE WESTERN EMPIRE
620
Conversion of THE BARBARIANS TO CHRISTIANITY
643
REIGN of CLovis
659
VOLUME THE FOURTH
685
PREFACE TO THE FOURTH VoI U ME OF THE ORIGINAL QUARTo EDITION
687
GoTHIC KINGDoyſ of ITALY
691
REIGN of JUSTINIAN
699
SUCCESSION AND CHARACTERS of THE GREEK EMPERORS 85 5
855
CoNQUEST of ITALY BY THE FRANKS
869
DESCRIPTION OF ARABIA AND ITS INHABITANTS 89 3
893
CONQUESTS BY THE ARABS
944
MoRE CONQUESTS BY THE ARABS 96 1
961
FATE OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE
982
54 ORIGIN AND DOCTRINE of THE PAULICIANS
1003
THE BUL GARIANs THE HUNGARIANs AND THE RUSSIANs
1012
THE SARACENS THE FRANKS AND THE Nor MANs
1020
The TURKS
1029
THE FIRST CRUSADE 104 7
1057
THE CRUSADES
1075
THE FOURTH CRUSADE
1094
PARTITION OF THE EMPIRE BY THE FRENCH AND VENETIANS
1104
GREEK EMPERORS of NICE AND CONSTANTINoPLE
1108
Civil WARS AND THE RUIN OF THE GREEK EMPIRE
1123
Moguls OTTOMAN TURKs
1136
TIMOUR OR TAMERLANE
1153
UNION OF THE GREEK AND LATIN CHURCHES
1169
SCHISM OF THE GREEKS AND LATINS
1187
REIGN of MoHAMMED THE SEcoRND Extinction of EASTERN EMPIRE
1197
STATE of Rome FROM THE Twelfth CENTURY
1219
FINAL SETTLEMENT of THE ECCLESIASTICAL STATE
1232
PROSPECT OF THE RUINS OF ROME IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
1243
TABLE OF ROMAN EMPERORS
1253
A NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS
1259
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About the author (2009)

Hans-Friedrich Mueller is the William D. Williams Professor of Classics at Union College in Schenectady, New York, and the author of Roman Religion in Valerius Maximus.
 
Daniel J. Boorstin, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and Librarian of Congress emeritus, is the author of many books, including The Creators and The Discoverers.

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