The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 4R. Priestley, ... J. Offor, ... W.H. Reid, ... Priestley and Weale, ... M. Doyle, ... and D.A. Talboys, Oxford, 1821 - Byzantine Empire |
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Ętius Africa Alaric alliance ancient Anthemius Arcadius Arian arms army arts Attila Avitus barbarians bishop Burgundians Cęsar captives Carthage Catholics character Christian Chronicle Chrysostom church civil Claudian clergy Clovis command conqueror conquest Constantinople danger Danube death desert dignity disgrace east Eccles emperor empire enemy epist eunuch exile expression faith favour fortune Franks Gaul Genseric Germans gold Gothic Goths Greek Gregory of Tours Hist historian Honorius honourable hundred Huns Idatius imperial Italy Jornandes king laboured laws Majorian Marcellinus merit military ministers monarch monks nations native noble Odoacer oppressed Orosius palace Panegyr peace perhaps Placidia prefect prince Priscus Procopius provinces rank Ravenna reign republic Ricimer Roman Rome royal Rufinus ruin Saxons Scythian senate Sidonius slaves soldiers soon sovereign Sozomen Spain spirit Stilicho subjects success Suevi Theodoric Theodosius thousand throne Tillemont tion troops Valentinian valour Vandals victory virtue Visigoths zeal Zosimus
Popular passages
Page 505 - Yet the experience of four thousand years should enlarge our hopes and diminish our apprehensions: we cannot determine to what height the human species may aspire in their advances towards perfection; but it may safely be presumed that no people, unless the face of nature Is changed, will relapse into their original barbarism.
Page 499 - 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. The clergy successfully preached the doctrines of patience and pusillanimity ; the active virtues of society were discouraged ; and the last remains of military spirit were buried in the cloister; a large portion of public and private wealth was consecrated to the...
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 233 - ... 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. Their mutual inquiries produced the amazing discovery, that two centuries were almost elapsed since Jamblichus and his friends had escaped...
Page 504 - Cannon and fortifications now form an impregnable barrier against the Tartar horse; and Europe is secure from any future irruptions 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 372 - disclaim the necessity, or even the wish, of continuing any longer the imperial succession in Italy, since, in their opinion, the majesty of a sole monarch is sufficient to pervade and protect, at the same time, both the East and the West." In their own name, and in the name of the people, they consent that the seat of universal empire shall be transferred from Rome to Constantinople...
Page 423 - Nicene creed, by declaring the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son, as well as from the Father...
Page 497 - And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters...
Page 297 - But, as he rode round the walls, pensive, angry, and disappointed, he observed a stork preparing to leave her nest, in one of the towers, and to fly with her infant family towards the country. He seized, with the ready penetration of a statesman, this trifling incident, which chance had offered to superstition; and exclaimed, in a loud and cheerful tone, that such a domestic bird, so constantly attached to human society, would never have abandoned her ancient seats, unless those towers had been devoted...
Page 496 - The Greeks, after their country had been reduced into a province, imputed the triumphs of Rome, not to the merit, but to the FORTUNE, of the republic. The inconstant goddess, who so blindly distributes and resumes her favours, had...