ILLUSTRATIONS (SELECTED BY MR. O. M. DALTON) EDWARD GIBBON (from the painting by Henry Walton in the National STA MARIA IN ARA CŒLI, where Gibbon conceived the idea of writing his PAGE history (exterior and interior) From Photographs by S. J. Beckett. ... ... BAS-RELIEF OF THE TIME OF TRAJAN (now in the Louvre): a Roman ... From & Photograph by A. Girandon. ... A ROMAN AQUEDUCT: the Pont du Gard (Remoulins, France) By permission of the Century Co., New York. BAS-RELIEFS ON THE COLUMN OF MARCUS AURELIUS AT ROME-— (1) Decapitation of German prisoners (2) The Emperor receiving a messenger. MARBLE BUST OF THE EMPEROR SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, who died at York, ROMAN ARCH AND TOMB AT SAINT-RÉMY, BOUCHES-DU-RHÔNE, FRANCE BRONZE STATUETTE OF AN IMPERIAL PERSONAGE FOUND AT BARKING HALL, A ROMAN ARENA: exterior and interior of the Amphitheatre at Verona ... A ROMAN TOMB: the pyramid of Caius Sestius near the Porta S. Paolo, 180 208 230 ... BATTLE OF Romans and BARBARIANS, on a sarcophagus in the Museo delle Terme, Rome. The central figure may represent Claudius Gothicus (A.D. 268-270) SAPOR AND VALERIAN. Sassanian rock-sculpture at Naksh-i-Rustam. 264 Paris) ... ... ... 290 (2) The Emperor on the Rostra (either Diocletian or Constantine) From Photographs by D. Anderson. COINS, FROM SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS TO CONSTANTINE THE GREAT PAGE 325 340 380 420 430 } 454 476 ... DESCRIPTION OF COINS Note.-In all plates of coins the abbreviation A denotes that the metal is gold; A that it is silver; Æ that it is bronze. PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR It is not my intention to detain the reader by expatiating on the variety or the importance of the subject, which I have undertaken to treat; since the merit of the choice would serve to render the weakness of the execution still more apparent, and still less excusable. But, as I have presumed to lay before the Public a first volume only1 of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it will perhaps be expected that I should explain, in a few words, the nature and limits of my general plan. The memorable series of revolutions, which, in the course of about thirteen centuries, gradually undermined, and at length destroyed, the solid fabric of human greatness, may, with some propriety, be divided into the three following periods: I. The first of these periods may be traced from the age of Trajan and the Antonines, when the Roman monarchy, having attained its full strength and maturity, began to verge towards its decline; and will extend to the subversion of the Western Empire, by the barbarians of Germany and Scythia, the rude ancestors of the most polished nations of modern Europe. This extraordinary revolution, which subjected Rome to the power of a Gothic conqueror, was completed about the beginning of the sixth century. II. The second period of the Decline and Fall of Rome may be supposed to commence with the reign of Justinian, 1 The first volume of the quarto, which is now contained in the two first volumes of the octavo, edition. who by his laws, as well as by his victories, restored a transient splendour to the Eastern Empire. It will comprehend the invasion of Italy by the Lombards; the conquest of the Asiatic and African provinces by the Arabs, who embraced the religion of Mahomet; the revolt of the Roman people against the feeble princes of Constantinople; and the elevation of Charlemagne, who, in the year 800, established the second or German Empire of the West. III. The last and longest of these periods includes about six centuries and a half; from the revival of the Western Empire till the taking of Constantinople by the Turks and the extinction of a degenerate race of princes, who continued to assume the titles of Cæsar and Augustus, after their dominions were contracted to the limits of a single city; in which the language, as well as manners, of the ancient Romans had been long since forgotten. The writer who should undertake to relate the events of this period would find himself obliged to enter into the general history of the Crusades, as far as they contributed to the ruin of the Greek Empire; and he would scarcely be able to restrain his curiosity from making some enquiry into the state of the city of Rome during the darkness and confusion of the middle ages. As I have ventured, perhaps too hastily, to commit to the press a work, which, in every sense of the word, deserves the epithet of imperfect, I consider myself as contracting an engagement to finish, most probably in a second volume,2 the first of these memorable periods; and to deliver to the Public the complete History of the Decline and Fall of Rome, from the age of the Antonines to the subversion of the Western Empire. With regard to the subsequent periods, though I may entertain some hopes, I dare not presume to give any assurances. The 2 The Author, as it frequently happens, took an inadequate measure of his growing work. The remainder of the first period has filled two volumes in quarto, being the third, fourth, fifth and sixth volumes of the octavo edition. execution of the extensive plan which I have described would connect the ancient and modern history of the World; but it would require many years of health, of leisure, and of persever ance. BENTINCK STREET, P.S.-The entire History, which is now published, of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in the West abundantly discharges my engagements with the Public. Perhaps their favourable opinion may encourage me to prosecute a work, which, however laborious it may seem, is the most agreeable occupation of my leisure hours. BENTINCK STREET, An Author easily persuades himself that the public opinion is still favourable to his labours; and I have now embraced the serious resolution of proceeding to the last period of my original design, and of the Roman Empire, the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, in the year one thousand four hundred and fifty-three. The most patient reader, who computes that three ponderous volumes have been already employed on the events of four centuries, may, perhaps, be alarmed at the long prospect of nine hundred years. But it is not my intention to expatiate with the same minuteness on the whole series of the Byzantine history. At our entrance into this period, the reign of Justinian and the conquests of the Mahometans will deserve and detain our attention, and the last age of Constantinople (the Crusades and the Turks) is connected with the revolutions of Modern Europe. From the seventh to the eleventh century, the obscure interval will be supplied by a concise narrative of such facts as may still appear either interesting or important. BENTINCK STREET, 3 [Containing chaps. i. to xxxviii.] |